Oregon

[Suzierd]

All the people I have talked to said you have to keep them in pairs to avoid cannabalism.  One male and one female.  I have to admit, still tempting such beautiful birds.  Maybe ducks instead though, lol.

Just letting you know I think Tonya has ducks she wants to find new homes for you might want to ask her about it. I can't remember what kind they are and now I can't find that email. I'll look again.

 

[1chicken fan]

Just letting you know I think Tonya has ducks she wants to find new homes for you might want to ask her about it. I can't remember what kind they are and now I can't find that email. I'll look again.

Sue if I do my husband might be looking to rehome me.

 

[Zanna]

Bought four pheasants at the local feed store...flighty little boogers...moved them outside to an enclosed 4x8 cage...luckily got two pair...they killed one of the females...we live outside city limits, but wouldn't do it again!

Zanna, how old is DH? My Dad (70) and MIL (75) both had their knees done (one knee each) and both complain big time about it now.

One thing your DH needs to be very careful of is when he has dental work done...be sure to take the antibiotics! Dad didn't and we almost lost him due to infection in the new knee.

DH just turned 50 this year, they say he should have good working knees for 20 years after the surgery and now is when he needs them! Your experience with your family is one of the few bad experiences we have heard about. Regardless, he can not live on vicadin and be trying to function the way he is now so it is what it is We had the class joint replacement class yesterday and were told antibiotics after any dental work forevermore.............

Hey, how are those Orp. crosses you got from me at the Spring Swap? I hope more turned out to be girls than you thought. Would love to see a pic. if you have any!

 

[Suzierd]

Sue if I do my husband might be looking to rehome me.

Lol my husband is the worse! To get him to help me build a coop or run is like pulling teeth.
If anyone is interested they are free runners black, blue and a couple tan.

 

[Oregon Blues]

Kinda off topic, but not to far off. Any one have any recomendations on ducks? For all the help my daughter gave me during our county fair I would like to get her one. Problem is hubby is a light sleeper and we currently have 4 roos. Looking for something that doesn't start at 4:30. She was looking at Butterscotch calls but of they are noisy I don't think they would work.

The only time my Blue Swedish make noise is when they think food is coming. I keep them in a night run and don't let them out until 9 AM. That way eggs are laid inside and there is no duck noise top bother the neighbors until 9 AM. That's the only time they are loud, when they see me coming to let them out, and it stops the second I open their gate and let them out. The rest of the day, their noise is just a low chatter.

A warning though; hatchery Blue Swedish might not have nice temperaments. I had some and they were dubbed "The Nut Jobs". I was never so glad to see the end of a duck.

If your daughter wants small ducks, look at Australian Spotted and East Indies. Very beautiful, both of those, and small.

 

[Oregon Blues]

I like pheasants a lot, but they require specialized housing. The pens are expensive to make.

You can't raise pheasants like they are chickens, because they are not chickens. They are wild animals and need to be handled and housed like they are wild animals.

 

[countrybuffs]

DH just turned 50 this year, they say he should have good working knees for 20 years after the surgery and now is when he needs them! Your experience with your family is one of the few bad experiences we have heard about. Regardless, he can not live on vicadin and be trying to function the way he is now so it is what it is We had the class joint replacement class yesterday and were told antibiotics after any dental work forevermore.............

Hey, how are those Orp. crosses you got from me at the Spring Swap? I hope more turned out to be girls than you thought. Would love to see a pic. if you have any!

I hope the surgery goes well ! My son messed up his knee racing motocross, he had an ACL done. The Dr. wants to do more but it is kind of experimental and we aren't too eager! Where are you going? His surgery was at OHSU.

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

Awwwwwwww! Isn't it nice to have some warm weather for the little guys to go explore? I love the whole blended family thing!

Yes, it is so lovely out, for them.
I do, too! I was a little concerned about the whites. She had no idea what to make of them, but they peeped and scratched, and she finally figured they were just chicks, and scootched them right up under her.
The amazing part was how those chicks took to having a Mum! They had never seens a hen in their short lil lives (hatchery, incubator chicks) but they now follow her every command, and it is like she has had them from the egg!

 

[Nelson-90]

i think i got a broody hen how do i know for sure if she is broody or not shes been in the nesting box since this morning and i have given her a couple of eggs and she moves them under her she is a barred rock and she almost five month old what do you think is she broody or not

 

[Sumatra503]

Hi! I'm a lurker from the Washingtonians thread. So out of all the various poultry you've had, which ones are your favorites and which are the hardest to deal with?

Ducks: Lay delicious eggs and are good for bugs in the garden. They are friendly and have such funny antics. However, they are way messier than chickens unless you go with a bantam breed. They don't need a pond for swimming, just a cat pan works pretty well and they eat pretty well the same food as chickens do.

Geese: My geese have been pretty cool. If you want predictable geese, start with babies. They will bond to you and become a part of your family. They can be noisy depending on the breed and situation. Embdens are my favorite and they are calm and rarely honk unless something's up. They don't need a pond either, just a cat pan or a kiddy pool. They leave really big poops, though.

Quail: Quail have to be my favorites. Coturnix are perhaps the easiest and the best for eggs and meat. They are the most domesticated of the quail breeds and are the easiest because they are domestic fowl and not a wild one. They can be calm, friendly, and quite personable. My showmanship bird was a Coturnix roo named Killer Bug. He actually walked down the show table and everything! They require a covered and completely secure pen or run. they can't be free ranged, cause they can,a nd will, run off. Most will tell you you need a 28% or higher protien feed to have a success with them, but I raised, and bred, mine on an 18% all purpose poultry ration with no problems at all. However, the more wild breeds may need higher protien.

Word for the Wise about coturnix, though. They CROW and i mean, dying animal, strangled, drowning, and its way out, kind of sound. And loud. And even at night.

Turkeys: I absolutely love my turkeys. They are curious, friendly, and are pretty easy to raise. Unless you plan on eating them in a timely manner, DO NOT purchase Broad Breasted Bronze turkeys. They are not suited for life longer than a few weeks and ultimately will suffer until they finally die of weight related problems. The other breeds, however, are mostly heritage breeds and are actually bred for showing and not for just food. They lay beautiful eggs that have the most delicious and fluffy taste of all the eggs I've tasted. They are wonderful company and you will have a hard time keeping them out of your face. They also make really great noises. I really like my Royal Palms. They are also really great mothers and mine even set and raise chicken eggs.

Ringnecked Pheasants: One thing I'll never try again unless I have the space and the rioght pen. They are quite a wild bird and haven't even made strides toward domestication. They are wild and will be wild. end of story. They need a large pen that is fully enclosed and has, preferable, a soft netting as the roof of the unsheltered area. This is to keep them from injuring themselves when they fly up to get away from you. I had a good deal of success with mine when I trimmed the wing feathers. this way they couldn't fly up as hard and I had less injuries. However I got tired of the flighty birds and sold them.

Red Golden Pheasants: My love and joy in the exotic poultry world. These birds are absolutely gorgeous and they are not near as flighty as the ringnecks were. I found I was actaually able to walk inside their pens without much trouble. These are a true beginner pheasant, too. They are simple to care for and don't have as much agression as some of the others. They need a large covered, secure run, complete with perches. They do roost at night. They should be fed a high protein diet. I found mine to be clean and simple to care for and they are lovely.

Peafowl: I like these, too, but they can be a bit of a bother. They are very friendly and know where food comes from. They can also fly really well and love to sleep on roof tops and on top of barns. They need lots of space and aren't really suited to pens unless they are really large and well covered. They aren't really flighty at all and can be really charming. However, the males can be really noisy during breeding season, nearly non-stop mating calls. They brood lots of babies and are really simple to care for as chicks. i love them, but they are not for those with neighbors or small spaces.

Pigeons: though not technically considered poultry, I find them to be really charming. There are literally hundreds of breeds of pigeons in any form you can think of, so do your research on breed specific care first. For the most part pigeon have a basic care and are simlilar to chickens. They can be fed layer rationa nd APP with many problems. They will often stick around if they are free ranged, but hawks a re a huge concern with them. Breeds I have raised and liked are Indian Fantails, Komorner Tumblers, and various types of rollers.

Emu: My experience with emus was small and short lived, sadly. I purchased eggs on Ebay and of 4 one hatched, due to a power outage. The little baby was Eemoo. My favorite all time bird i have ever raised! She was extremely smart, friendly, and loved people beyond anything else. I can't describe in words how people oriented and friendly emu are. they are also really simple in their care as adults, but they are difficult as chicks. 1 in 10 emu chicks developes incurable splay leg. A high protein diet is essential, though not, too high or it can cause problems. They need lots of greens and fresh veggies and lots of water. They only need about an acre per pair, so not too much space. If you have the time and space, I'd strongly recomend them. Though they can be hard to raise, they are the most rewarding bird I've ever raised.

Well, there's a bit about what I've raised. Feel free to ask a few questions.