***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[nnbreeder]

Kass I tried to sell the wife on getting some of the feeder roaches but she isn't too hot on the idea.....yet. We did a web search on them and they look fairly easy to raise. I think it would compliment her raising feeder rats. Just how big does yours get? Some of the pics we saw had them looking huge.

She liked the idea that they were not good climbers and were really clean. Do you have any sites that you like to go to for them?

 

[nnbreeder]

Yes, they are REALLY cute.
From my experience raising one NN, I really like them - chicks and all. They may look unusual but they are hardy, calm and decent layers, an all-around good bird.

Since we brought these girls home from Shawnee they have never failed to give us an egg a day. And they are full of personality too. One girls was picking feathers but she was seperated for a couple of days and given a boost in protien and she straightened right up.

 

[Kassaundra]

Kass I tried to sell the wife on getting some of the feeder roaches but she isn't too hot on the idea.....yet. We did a web search on them and they look fairly easy to raise. I think it would compliment her raising feeder rats. Just how big does yours get? Some of the pics we saw had them looking huge.

She liked the idea that they were not good climbers and were really clean. Do you have any sites that you like to go to for them?

My husband wasn't completely on board at first either, he just knows how futile it can be and gave in. I got ours from The Roach Guy, he has great roaches of several kinds. Even though Gary doesn't mess w/ them at all, he has made several items like lids for my aqauarium and cabinates and helps w/ those type of housing ideas I come up with, and he almost always comes w/ me when I feed them to the girls (but he just makes sure everyone get at least one he doesn't do any feeding) The adults get to be about 1.5 to 2 inches long. They are extremely easy to raise. Cat food, water crystals and fruits or veggies and there good. I only started w/ 75 b/c I didn't want to spend a lot of money and then not do it (the whole roach thing wasn't sure I could handle it) it took about 8 months for the colony to grow to be able to feed out, now I have been feeding out 50 / day for several months and the colony is completely stable.

 

[old*cowboy]

The dark chicks are the first crop from "Big Boy" The Shamo rooster that we got from Guy. It's funny, they stay between you and the smaller chicks in the brooder. And it looks like they mean business too!

I feel like a proud grandpa.

 

[old*cowboy]

Wow we got a big rain, lots of thunder and lightning too.

 

[nnbreeder]

My husband wasn't completely on board at first either, he just knows how futile it can be and gave in. I got ours from The Roach Guy, he has great roaches of several kinds. Even though Gary doesn't mess w/ them at all, he has made several items like lids for my aqauarium and cabinates and helps w/ those type of housing ideas I come up with, and he almost always comes w/ me when I feed them to the girls (but he just makes sure everyone get at least one he doesn't do any feeding) The adults get to be about 1.5 to 2 inches long. They are extremely easy to raise. Cat food, water crystals and fruits or veggies and there good. I only started w/ 75 b/c I didn't want to spend a lot of money and then not do it (the whole roach thing wasn't sure I could handle it) it took about 8 months for the colony to grow to be able to feed out, now I have been feeding out 50 / day for several months and the colony is completely stable.

Teva's first reaction was that they grossed her out and I had to remind her that so did rats before she got her first ones. Now I'm not suprised if she has one on her shoulder while watching tv. Before she was done looking she was wondering outloud if they made good fish bait too so there is a spark of hope there.

There are a lot of people with smaller snakes and lizards that eat crickets and such but they have to drive to OKC to get them so if she had the roaches they could shop locally. Plus they could be fed out to the birds if there were too many. It's a win-win.

The Roach Guy was one of the sites we looked at and it seemed to be full of information and friendly too.I can just tell that he is passionate about roaches. Aquariums can be had cheaply at yard sales so we always seem to have an abundance of them. Many diners use the type of egg crates and I imagine that they can be scrounged up with ease. And cat food is what the rats are fed so no feed change there. Where do you get the water crystals? Is that something Petsmart would have?

 

[Kassaundra]

Teva's first reaction was that they grossed her out and I had to remind her that so did rats before she got her first ones. Now I'm not suprised if she has one on her shoulder while watching tv. Before she was done looking she was wondering outloud if they made good fish bait too so there is a spark of hope there.

There are a lot of people with smaller snakes and lizards that eat crickets and such but they have to drive to OKC to get them so if she had the roaches they could shop locally. Plus they could be fed out to the birds if there were too many. It's a win-win.

The Roach Guy was one of the sites we looked at and it seemed to be full of information and friendly too.I can just tell that he is passionate about roaches. Aquariums can be had cheaply at yard sales so we always seem to have an abundance of them. Many diners use the type of egg crates and I imagine that they can be scrounged up with ease. And cat food is what the rats are fed so no feed change there. Where do you get the water crystals? Is that something Petsmart would have?

Yes, or the garden dept of Lowes, that's where I got mine, one bag lasts a loooooooooooooong time.


Seriously they are chicken crack!!! They love them more then anything else I have ever fed them, even the most timid of my chickens will take them from my hand, that is the only treat the timid ones will do that with.

 

[Kassaundra]

They are much easier to raise then crickets from what I've read about crickets. I literally only spend 2-3 minutes a day and that includes picking up the 50 I'm going to feed out. I check the water crystal tub to make sure it is good, put in a few fruit or veggie scraps and every couple of days or so put in a margerine bowl of cat food whole they can eat it whole. I used to grind it up thinking the babies could eat it better that way, but they have no issues w/ it whole.

 

[Okla-doodle-doo]

What are the black ones Les? Yep think it's time for a bigger tub!

PoCo your talent is only matched by your kindness! Those bees will be cunfused because the flowers are on the hive!lol

Been trying to get my doe rabbits bred up this week for Easter bunnies. That will make them seven weeks,a week early to wean but thet should be okay. Not expecting a lot of baby's because the does are all small breeds. One is a mini satin,one is dwarf and one is a crossbred dwarf size. The buck is a lion head! Should be some interesting baby's.

Put netting around the big chicken pen today so I could give the Icelandics more room. But will have to put netting over the top because they didn't take long to figure out they could fly over it! Icelandics are super escape artist,they remind me of games they are so wily.

 

[bfrancis]

my lav bantam amaraucuanas are BLEAM line and came from BYCer LITTEL AMAUARCAUNA MOM . I dont think that she hatched from my eggs

Joe, I know that this one came from the eggs she got from you at the green country swap...I know because we got eggs from you too the same day. She and I set the eggs on that Monday and kept up with each other and the hatches, she only lives a couple miles down the road...but it was her first hatch and she was real excited. I've seen the pics from eggs in the incubator until these...Maybe the lav bantam was catting around

dunno....