***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[countryhen]

Breeders use it as a means of identfying lines, and heritage.

Oh i just have chickens for fun pets & good eggs

 

[krazykat0373]

countryhen in idabel, I am in Albion/Talihina

 

[Cjarvis]

why do you punch chicks feet?

It is used to better identify the mating the birds came from, this helps in many aspects of breeding a bird as well as keeping a line from being too closely bred or mistakenly mating birds that are too distant to produce the offspring that are desired.
An example as simple as I can make it when making specific matings for males or females based on color atributes for exhibition there is no need to raise more males of a female line than needed to keep them going so when they are toe punched you can easily cull the undesired birds at a much earlier time than would otherwise be possible.
When breeding books and records are kept well that bird can be identified years later based on the toe punch and year of hatch.
Anyone taking the birds serious enough to work toward a color and purpose for exhibition will track thier matings and the offspring closely, this is the best method. It also allows for color based projects to work well when working with parent varieties simultabeously.

Hope that helps.

For those that had asked, the ABA and OEGB nationals in Stockton Ca. are now over, I had Best and reserve variety in Birchen and Opal which were the only two varieties I had shown there. Looking forward to the Great Plains Game bantam show Feb. 23 entries close the 9th as I will also be showing SIlver Blue and Columbian there. Should be a good show those that can should come by or enter some yourselves.

 

[erinszoo]

Welcome to the Okies thread Countryhen!!

Well, we got some rain finally. Yeah!! I noticed some of the ponds on the way to work today were fuller than they have been but still not as full as they should be at this time of year. Trying to get a new light set up for my seedlings today since it's too cold to leave them in the greenhouse right now without a heater. Below 50 just won't cut it for seedlings. But I can't get the stupid thing to work. We're going to take it back and exchange it and hopefully the new one will work. We know our bulbs are good. Frustrations ...

The baby turkeys got sprouted grain today and they were hysterical with it. One would pick up a mouthful and then the others would chase it around the pen eating out of it's mouth. But they figured out what it was and they LIKE it. Guess I'll have to keep more going than normal.

Haven't gotten any more done on the new house yet. If it isn't too windy or cold tomorrow, maybe we'll get something accomplished then. Good news though, even though we sunk the floor, it didn't fill up with water in the rain this morning.

 

[NanaKat]

Carl, that is wonderful news on your Birchen and Opal! Congratulations! I know all the work that you put in on developing your line is confirmed by the judges in a show that had over 3900 entries in both LF and Bantam breeds.

 

[mjgigax]

For those that had asked, the ABA and OEGB nationals in Stockton Ca. are now over, I had Best and reserve variety in Birchen and Opal which were the only two varieties I had shown there. Looking forward to the Great Plains Game bantam show Feb. 23 entries close the 9th as I will also be showing SIlver Blue and Columbian there. Should be a good show those that can should come by or enter some yourselves.

That is great!

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Poco Pollo thought you'd like to see the new setup for your sweet ones. They get to free range on rotation with the other pens. Only two have names so far, Charley and the big crested one, Momma. I'm guessing she is the mother to Hattie, the fabulous crested pullet I lost earlier this month. Can't wait to get more chicks from her! Hope your pen re-dos are going well.







This is one of the cockerels. He's sure a handsome fellow!

 

[jcatblum]

Carl, awesome wins!!!! Congrats!!!
Robin my free range roosters mostly go up at night, there are usually 1 or 2 stubborn ones at time.
I have kept the rhodebars in a brooder box in the house for the past 10 days or so, but now I am sneezing like crazy! Think I may set them up a box in the chicken shed for the daytime & just bring them in on cold nights. The weather is so crazy I have been worried about letting them stay in a brooder in the barn. I am sure I am worring too much. This is one of those times that I really wish I had a broody hen to raise some chicks!

 

[Poco Pollo]

Poco Pollo thought you'd like to see the new setup for your sweet ones. They get to free range on rotation with the other pens. Only two have names so far, Charley and the big crested one, Momma. I'm guessing she is the mother to Hattie, the fabulous crested pullet I lost earlier this month. Can't wait to get more chicks from her! Hope your pen re-dos are going well.

Thanks for posting the pictures. Everything looks great! I'm still battling the creeping crud respiratory yuck that's going around, so I haven't been up to working on my pen renovations. Good weather is expected for this weekend, so maybe I'll be able to make some progress then.

 

[Kassaundra]

Thanks for posting the pictures. Everything looks great! I'm still battling the creeping crud respiratory yuck that's going around, so I haven't been up to working on my pen renovations. Good weather is expected for this weekend, so maybe I'll be able to make some progress then.

There has been lots of respiratory and other krud going around, take care.