Online Large Fowl Chat Thread

[shellyga]

With my week off (Spring Break) I had hoped to get alot done.. but the Grandson was with me (helping my son save a little daycare money) so I played with him instead. The good news is that the Sportsman did an EXCELLENT job -- I now have 40ish (they won't be still for an accurate count) chicks.. going to inventory them today when I change brooder set up. I know I have some EE's, SSussex, BCM and some Blue AndSOMETHING.. that I got in a swap.. super stoked about them.. of course I set more eggs..lol.

While out in the 1/3 area (chick grow out/quail pen) I noticed a predatory CAT sneaking under the fence.. we will have to see about THAT. Sorry to hear you lost a hen Deb.. I lost two that just seemingly dropped dead.. maybe this CAT is to blame somehow.

Got three broody hens right now.. and two mothering the one lone surviving BCM chick( the other 3 drown!!!).. I have RIR and BO eggs under them..

Well back to work for me. We have 34 more school days.. the countdown in ON!!

Happy Monday my wonderful Peeps!!

Shelly

 

[CapricornFarm]

Today I shipped four boxes of eggs, and a box of clothes to the grandkids. They are coming to visit in May. I should try to get my bathroom redone before then:-D Also planted tomato and pepper plants, along with a nice helping of goat poo to give them a boost. Weaned two more bucklings, so they and their mothers and sisters are yelling.
The phone kept ringing all day. Actually , I started my day with the doorbell ringing because the guys horse got out again. DH called him from work after a neighbor saw a loose horse and asked if it was ours . He woke me up to get more details . Of course, I had no idea but gave him DHs work phone and crawled into the tub. People calling for laying hens. $15. Each or I will just keep them. I don't usually sell layers but I have two flocks of RIR and need a coop for my Lavender Orps. People calling for chicks. I have no idea how many of which breeds I have, it changes daily. Just put 48 more eggs in and tomorrow I will put in twice that many. Sold two dozen eating eggs. Need to sell some of these bucklings.
Cleaned out chicken poo from under one double brooder with a wire bottom. Whole wagon load! Finished the nest box and feeder for my Jap bantams, one side done, one to go.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Two boxes of eggs went out today, have another to ship tomorrow . DH woke me up around 7:30 to tell me there was a loose goat in the yard. I got up, went out and opened the gate. Goat walks in . Shut gate, go back to bed, don't wake up til 11:30. Guess I was tired. After I went to town to mail the parcels , I stopped to pick up guinea eggs, so I was late getting home. DH was annoyed because the goats were out when he got home and he got dirty putting them away. Plus I had not discovered where they got out at last time.
i am getting so tired of talking to people who say they want grown chickens until they find out how much they are. Try feeding a chick for 6 months
and see how much it costs. I don't even plan to grow them out, sometimes it just happens. I mean, people don't want to pay $15 for a hen! Give me a break!
On a positive note, i got my check from the goat auction so i can buy more feed and some hay

 

[Chicken Coach]

I hear what your saying about the $15 hens.We have $25 worth of feed in them.I also can sell eggs on ebay sometimes for more than i can sell chicks at home .I have done real well at the poultry sales in Oklahoma.But of course i usually buy.I have a big hatch on the 12th 4 dozen black javas i got from a master breeder from Kansas.I hope they all hatch.His javas are bigger and wider than mine and i need new blood.My newest breed is Sweadish flower hens.I have 1 pair and 1 trio of young birds and 15 chicks.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Exactly! Today I sold two young Polish , took them to Jackson with me and met the guy at the feed store. Wore my new chicken hat, it is hilarious! Bought feed, turns out they gave me a custom order feed for someone else so they had to come get it and give me what I paid for. It was dark by the time they got here. Bought some plants and seeds, tomorrow is going to be planting day. Mailed one box of eggs. The weather has cooled off so hopefully it will be nice to work in the garden tomorrow. Bought some potted raspberry plants for only $2.50 at Lowes, what a deal!

 

[CapricornFarm]

I planted corn today, lots more garden left to plant. Of course it takes a while to spread lime, add manure, plant and cover seeds. Hatched my first turkey today! Only had one egg, so surprised it hatched. Something killed one of my hens, I may need to put out some traps. Tomorrow I need to buy feed and get ready for the sale this weekend. Sold a bunch of chickens and hatching eggs today and the guy is interested in a goat. Getting lots of phone calls too

 

[CapricornFarm]

I went to the swap at TSC in Jackson yesterday. I got up at 6 , which is always a struggle for a night owl. Bought some young Polish from Marie, it was nice to meet her at last. Forgot to take the Iris I was going to give her, allergic to mornings I guess. There were lots of nice birds to be had at reasonable prices. Unfortunately , I did not sell all the chickens I brought. Once I got home, there were chicken buyers coming by the rest of the evening until almost dark. One lady paid for all her chicks entirely with loose coins Lots of people interested in guineas and their eggs, glad my friend has a big flock. My first hatch has about a week of incubation left.
Way too much to do and not enough time. Good thing I don't have a real job:-D

 

[CapricornFarm]

Forgot to mention I saw the fox that has killed several of my hens. Right in the pasture near the barn , but by the time I got my gun it was too far off to shoot. I may need to trap it. Can't let any of my chickens out at all , even during the day. The chickens hate it and so do I.
Worked in the garden today, got another load of goat poo into the soil. I planted more corn and radishes and bush beans. We had salad with supper tonight, it was so good!
Sorry to hear Shelly has been down with the flu. Miss you!
It is supposed to rain tonight, we need it!

 

[CapricornFarm]

So I am driving the Mule down to Guinea Town to feed this afternoon, and I glance down to the pasture and there is a fox sitting on a stump! I stop the mule, walk back to the house and get my gun. I walk back down the hill, and there are TWO foxes! And they run into a hole in the ground, in the middle of the goat pasture, about 200 feet from my back door! So now I know there is a fox family, and none of my chickens are safe. Went out and put another layer of wire on my original run. I am hoping they will move on when I start doing a lot of pasture work down there. I burned one big pile of brush down there tonight. Maybe they will get the idea.

 

[texaschickmom]

So I am driving the Mule down to Guinea Town to feed this afternoon, and I glance down to the pasture and there is a fox sitting on a stump! I stop the mule, walk back to the house and get my gun. I walk back down the hill, and there are TWO foxes! And they run into a hole in the ground, in the middle of the goat pasture, about 200 feet from my back door! So now I know there is a fox family, and none of my chickens are safe. Went out and put another layer of wire on my original run. I am hoping they will move on when I start doing a lot of pasture work down there. I burned one big pile of brush down there tonight. Maybe they will get the idea.

Hi Deb! This is Martha down in Texas who bought some BA and SS eggs from you back in the fall. Just had to tell you of my fox experience, or what I'm pretty sure was a couple of foxes. I had 51 6-week-old chicks that I'd hatched from my own flock in a grow out pen. Thursday night something dug under and carried off 35 chicks. I found 7 bodies close by the pen. No trace of the others anywhere on our property. There were 9 traumatized chicks left in the pen. All that work for nothing! I'm still so down about it. Does that sound like something a fox would do? Carry off the chicks to a den of pups maybe?