Our native chickens used to try to get to the pig feed in one of our sow's stalls. Emphasis on the used too.
When I was a lad in Oz, chicken farmers always had pigs to repurpose dead chickens.
Our introduction to keeping chickens, the high's, the lows and pics of our journey.
- Thread starter Bens-Hens
- Start date
Our native chickens used to try to get to the pig feed in one of our sow's stalls. Emphasis on the used too.
When I was a lad in Oz, chicken farmers always had pigs to repurpose dead chickens.
Our native chickens used to try to get to the pig feed in one of our sow's stalls. Emphasis on the used too.
When I was a lad in Oz, chicken farmers always had pigs to repurpose dead chickens.
[/quote]
Good news, I think. My sister wanted to replace the rooster her pigs ate, so I took the spare RIR I had been given (who was being chased off by my bantam chicks... funny to watch, a bit) and delivered him to her place today. Even inside the travel kennel, he instantly went into 'I am the man' mode, sharing his fresh ear of corn through the kenel door with sister's girls.
Once I got home, I opened the run to let my ladies graze. Daisy, my free ranger who wouldn't come outside, did just that. Not only tgat, she loudly announced her exit, and bee-lined to Roo, my head rooster, who instantly started this awesome dodge, dip, rub and weave Snoopy dance. I have never seen such a thing. Those two were so happy to be back together. If I had known what would happen, I would have videoed it to share.
So, apparently, Charlie was the thing that had my girl so scared she had stopped laying.
As for the regular layers, it would appear they are molting. Their bottoms have gotten more fuzzy than I have seen since getting tgem. Makes me curious what kind of winter we shall have this year.
~E
- Thread starter
- #973
Interesting to get a result E.
Also interesting to know if the chickens have preempted a cold winter with a heavy molt!
When I was a much smaller human, I knew a man who had a piggery. After seeing how they work, and smelling how they work I have no great interest in pig farming! Saying that, there is a young lady in Melbourne that has a pig as a pet, made the news not long ago. The beasty is HUGE and as well behaved as any normal dog.
Yesterday, we got our very first half dozen egg carton filled in one go. We have had six lay for a couple of days now, but one seemed to always be off, yesterday they all laid! We also go another double yolker. This one was a blue egg from Jewel, and was about the same size as a normal store bought egg. I would really like it if those blues gained a bit more size. It took four eggs to make up a breakfast where normally two would do hahahaha
I must get some new pics soon, the weather is coming nice with more sunny day's!
Also interesting to know if the chickens have preempted a cold winter with a heavy molt!
When I was a much smaller human, I knew a man who had a piggery. After seeing how they work, and smelling how they work I have no great interest in pig farming! Saying that, there is a young lady in Melbourne that has a pig as a pet, made the news not long ago. The beasty is HUGE and as well behaved as any normal dog.
Yesterday, we got our very first half dozen egg carton filled in one go. We have had six lay for a couple of days now, but one seemed to always be off, yesterday they all laid! We also go another double yolker. This one was a blue egg from Jewel, and was about the same size as a normal store bought egg. I would really like it if those blues gained a bit more size. It took four eggs to make up a breakfast where normally two would do hahahaha
I must get some new pics soon, the weather is coming nice with more sunny day's!
Ugh! Molting is continuing here... If I were to collect all the feathers, I'd have a new pillow...
Congrats on the half doz Ben. It looks like you are set for omelettes for a while.
We got out of pigs during the tenure of the previous "Bernie". He was an amazing weeder and gardener but lacked animal husbandry skills. To make money from pigs you need all the piglets to survive. He had lost two litters straight through inaction.
We have a campus of the Agricultural College nearby. I am contemplating starting a kid from the college. I would pay his tuition and a stipend in return for working a few hours each weekday and saturdays to re-start pigs. I have outbuildings to cope with 3 sows and 2 grower pens. They are attached to a septic for poop.
We got out of pigs during the tenure of the previous "Bernie". He was an amazing weeder and gardener but lacked animal husbandry skills. To make money from pigs you need all the piglets to survive. He had lost two litters straight through inaction.
We have a campus of the Agricultural College nearby. I am contemplating starting a kid from the college. I would pay his tuition and a stipend in return for working a few hours each weekday and saturdays to re-start pigs. I have outbuildings to cope with 3 sows and 2 grower pens. They are attached to a septic for poop.
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If I ever win the lotto or land an amazingly well paying job where I could afford a self sustaining homestead out in the middle of BFE... I'd like a few pig and a cows... Don't see that happening for a few years though.
Before having kids, I did contemplate adopting myself out to an Amish family or even Menonite for learning OLD FASHION farming. I also considered signing myself up for wilderness camp, but babies happen when protection is lacken... LOL Guess will have to wait on the wilderness camp until they are both of an age to do it one summer...
Before having kids, I did contemplate adopting myself out to an Amish family or even Menonite for learning OLD FASHION farming. I also considered signing myself up for wilderness camp, but babies happen when protection is lacken... LOL Guess will have to wait on the wilderness camp until they are both of an age to do it one summer...
Ah yes. The lotto dream. I would be happy right mow with a simple 50k. Dont need millions. Just enough to pay off the house. Then I would not have to do the refinancing, yet again, just for a simple property exchange of equal value with a neighbor.
- Thread starter
- #978
So, been a while since I have done a flock update, was having pic withdrawals! I have some other thoughts, but pics first.
Amy
Baby
Curly (I can't wait for her to start laying, I am keen to see how dark her eggs will be!)
Lavern, she is laying some great powder blue eggs.
Smudge, after reading about so many other roosters, we really have a nice natured boy. We love watching chicken TV and hearing him look after the girls with different grunts and so on. I must say, it meant we had to have a sit down chat with our oldest son about why he likes piggy backs so much though.
Rosie the RIR, she just started to lay the other day.
Diva Luna, loudest and longest egg song of the flock!
All doing really well, 6 of the 10 girls now give us eggs.
Now, we (which honestly means chicken math has a grip on me!) have been planning our next hatch. I have been bursting to get the 'bator out and load them up, but I have done well to stick to our plan and hold off.
When they do come along, we are going to have a few more birds to keep, and try to sell the excess stock and hopefully get our money back on the cost of buying the fertile eggs. We will need more run space.
I have been looking at how to achieve this in our yard, without undoing what we already have. I am leaning towards moving our garden she and extending the run, building a new larger (and higher) coop. So as not to waste our current coop, I was thinking I could save the nest boxes and enclose the base with wire mesh and use it as a grow out pen.
Alicia caught me walking around with a tape measure this afternoon...she knows some change is in the wind hahahaha
I will get some pics as my plan comes together
Amy
Baby
Curly (I can't wait for her to start laying, I am keen to see how dark her eggs will be!)
Lavern, she is laying some great powder blue eggs.
Smudge, after reading about so many other roosters, we really have a nice natured boy. We love watching chicken TV and hearing him look after the girls with different grunts and so on. I must say, it meant we had to have a sit down chat with our oldest son about why he likes piggy backs so much though.
Rosie the RIR, she just started to lay the other day.
Diva Luna, loudest and longest egg song of the flock!
All doing really well, 6 of the 10 girls now give us eggs.
Now, we (which honestly means chicken math has a grip on me!) have been planning our next hatch. I have been bursting to get the 'bator out and load them up, but I have done well to stick to our plan and hold off.
When they do come along, we are going to have a few more birds to keep, and try to sell the excess stock and hopefully get our money back on the cost of buying the fertile eggs. We will need more run space.
I have been looking at how to achieve this in our yard, without undoing what we already have. I am leaning towards moving our garden she and extending the run, building a new larger (and higher) coop. So as not to waste our current coop, I was thinking I could save the nest boxes and enclose the base with wire mesh and use it as a grow out pen.
Alicia caught me walking around with a tape measure this afternoon...she knows some change is in the wind hahahaha
I will get some pics as my plan comes together
lol, was she shaking her head or offering suggestions?
I think I like Amy best. Love her pattern.
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