***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[mjgigax]

NNBreeder, I assume "NN" is for naked neck? I remember as a kid my grandparents had what they called "turkens" that were a large naked neck bird. They weren't much to look at but from what I remember they were pretty hardy. When I get everything ready for birds I will see what is available. The biggest reason I chose the easter eggers was for the fun colored eggs and the orpingtons, I have heard, are good layers. The "black and white" ones will just depend on what I can find I suppose but the wyandottes sound like they would fit this description.

The cochins are a breed I haven't looked at.....but will now. I'm trying really hard to do all of my homework on the front end instead of learning hard mistakes on the back end.

Kassandra, I'm in Piedmont which in on the NW side of OKC. I'm technically in OKC but zoned agricultural and pretty rural.

I'll be watching here to see whats up and when I'm ready for birds I may be asking for information again.

I'm assuming that it will be better to go with grown birds vs. trying to raise chicks in this heat.

SDS

Cochins aren't great layers, not bad but small eggs. They are great Mama's and hatchers. I will gladly give your kids some Cochins (love to see kids learn about birds, and I am not the only one). A friend of ours have a little niece, 2 1/2 yrs. old, that has a "Guard" chicken. She and the bird go all around the yard together with their third friend; a pit bull. The chicken also lets her carry her everywhere. There is something about chickens and kids that just goes together.
There is another thread member, FunChick, that lives in Piedmont. She has lots of Cochins too and other breeds.
When it comes time for you to get birds it will be easy, lots of folks can find you whatever you want. There are auctions in the area that lots of us often go to and they have birds at better prices than Mary's Swap Meet. Don't worry, soon you will be asking, "How did I end up with so many birds?".

 

[mjgigax]

MJ the sugar baby is a tiny watermelon. So sweet & yummy. I will eat the whole melon. Larger melons I will only eat the center since it is the sweetest. I will bring some small melons or cantaloupes if any are ready. It is still kinda early for them, but we have been getting a few. DH LOVES cantaloupes but hates Honeydews. He calls cantaloupes muskmelons, but he is from Iowa so they do things different.
We also have ground cherries. Imagine you would LOVE them. DD has been getting everyone taste them @ the market. Have not yet heard a complaint about them. We can bring some of those too. Everyday it is always a surprise to see what we will harvest!

Yeah Midwesterners! DH calls us "Corn Dippers" since I object to being called a "Yankee".
What are Ground Cherries? I will try any kind of food. If somebody somewhere in the world like it and it is prepared in the best way for what ever it it, I will probably like it. I will NOT try Balout, the fermented embryonic chicks that are a Philippine delicacy

 

[Greybear23]

Glad yall liked the links ladies!!! Here is another one for yall since we were talking about solar cooking!!! Lynn

http://www.solarcooker-at-cantinawest.com/solar_oven_comparisons.html

http://www.livestrong.com/article/149328-the-best-solar-oven-plans/

http://www.instructables.com/id/Best-Solar-Oven/

http://www.solarhaven.org/SolarCooking.htm

http://solarovens.net/

 

[mjgigax]

i make a lot of cheese cakes also, i made a new one the other day and it was awesome!!! It was a habanero mango cheese cake YUM!!!

YUMMMMMMMMM!

 

[jcatblum]

Ground cherries are also called strawberry husk tomatoes. They are sweet & grow like a tomato with a paper shell on the outside. I can snack on them all day @ the market.

Lynn I asked DH about a solar oven a couple yrs ago. He is certain I have lost my mind. Last summer I would set the crockpot out the back door & cook. We also have a small convection oven I use outside. I have been running my dehydrator alot, but I run it at night while we are sleeping. Think I have 2 yrs worth of chopped bell peppers dried. May start working on tomatoes soon. Pick 30 lbs good tomatoes today! Think there was at least 10 lbs of culls that went to the chickens.
Another special chicken treat we have been doing -- take over grown zucchini & put it in the freezer. Makes a great ice pack then as it turns to mush the chickens chow down.

My broody hens are full of dramma. The silkie hen beat up the EE. So the RIR ran in & stole the EE eggs while she was distracted. The silkie hen hatched chicks about 3 wks ago & the RIR hatched last wk! Those girls are all crazy!

 

[Kassaundra]

I keep going and looking at my sole ground cherry plant to try and harvest to taste my first one. One husk is turning brown so I figure it's not going to be to long now.

How old of a chick will a broody still accept, if she will accept some chicks???

 

[jcatblum]

My silkie will accept chicks of all ages. She isn't picky at all! The rule is suppose to be only day olds.

With the ground cherrys we wait until they fall off if you open the rapper & they are green the wind prob knocked them down. The more yellow they are the sweeter they are. Think we hae over 50 ground cherry plants & we get about 4 lbs a wk the past 3 wks. 1 lb almost fills a produce bag up. I planted gooseberries too but they are not ripe yet.

 

[mjgigax]

Ground cherries are also called strawberry husk tomatoes. They are sweet & grow like a tomato with a paper shell on the outside. I can snack on them all day @ the market.

My broody hens are full of dramma. The silkie hen beat up the EE. So the RIR ran in & stole the EE eggs while she was distracted. The silkie hen hatched chicks about 3 wks ago & the RIR hatched last wk! Those girls are all crazy!

Like tomatos with a paper shell- sounds like tomatillos. But they aren't sweet.

Hens are so funny! Soap Opera - As the Egg Turns.
I have a mean Cochin hen! She pecks me when I reach in to check for eggs. I should name her Nasty Nesting Holly. She is really mad at me now, I took the two chicks she hatched yesterday away from her! Most of my broody girls just growl at me when I bother them. It is good that I don't skeak much chicken, I think they can really cuss when they want to. Little Pip is so sweet I pet her on the nest and she talks nicely too me.

 

[Kassaundra]

My silkie will accept chicks of all ages. She isn't picky at all! The rule is suppose to be only day olds.
With the ground cherrys we wait until they fall off if you open the rapper & they are green the wind prob knocked them down. The more yellow they are the sweeter they are. Think we hae over 50 ground cherry plants & we get about 4 lbs a wk the past 3 wks. 1 lb almost fills a produce bag up. I planted gooseberries too but they are not ripe yet.

Thanks I will be patient though it may just kill me! lol

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Wow this week has been crazy hot, I have been SO worried about our new chickies we put out a few weeks ago but they seem to be faring pretty well. Our coop is well shaded for most of the day and they aren't allowed out quite yet (still working on dog training LOL). I have a few chicks still inside and I am having trouble incorporating them in with the others. They are about 4 week old cream legbars, the ones already out there are about 6-8 week old black copper marans. Do chickens choose their pecking order based on who looks "different?" I put them in the coop last night after dark, this morning they were still up on the roost so I put them on the floor with the others. Then the feathers began to fly. They left the female CL mostly alone but were merciless to the little roo, after 15 minutes I decided to put them back in the house. The runt black copper maran is about the same size as these CL chicks, and although he did get a little picked on he could run and hide under another chick and the aggressor couldn't seem to "find" him for a few minutes at least. I pulled him back into the house anyway. Anyone have any insight here? We have two hens, a rooster, and two 10 week poults next to them (it's a split coop), I put the poults in with the big chickens last night and although there were a few scuffles this morning I think everything is evening out there.