Peeps in Europe!

[Erba]

Thanks for that, Glottertal is the farthest from me though. I will check out St Georgen and Umkirch, I know Umkirch is always by the big shows, but not sure about St. Georgen yet. They only seem to have a FB site. So might try to contact them there... I need better birds though...

 

[abpatchy]

Thanks for that, Glottertal is the farthest from me though. I will check out St Georgen and Umkirch, I know Umkirch is always by the big shows, but not sure about St. Georgen yet. They only seem to have a FB site. So might try to contact them there... I need better birds though...

If I wouldn't have know thru my neighbor that there is a breeding club... and used google and found some news clippings from the local paper... I would not have been able to find the club. No internet presence anywhere... no Facebook or website. Nothing. I wouldn't have known who to contact. Not all clubs are out there in the world.
Good luck! So glad you are taking this route.

 

[Erba]

Hey @abpatchy I wanted to ask you, how you even got into the chicken hobby. Are you and your Husband both in the Club? How many years have you been keeping chickens in total. Was chicken breeding in your family?

 

[abpatchy]

Hey @abpatchy I wanted to ask you, how you even got into the chicken hobby. Are you and your Husband both in the Club? How many years have you been keeping chickens in total. Was chicken breeding in your family?

I got my first chickens ever on July 31st, 2019 so exactly 2 years ago. I wanted chickens for a long time but I don't have a garden where I can keep animals. It started with the issues about 10 years ago with eggs. Don't know if you recall that. I said to my husband "the only way to be certain to have decent eggs is to be selfsufficient". So we both actually got into it more and more. We got a garden in a Kleingartenverein. But no animals. But it was a start.
I tried to find a property where I could keep a few hens but I couldn't find one. So I asked my neighbor if there were lots available in the breeding club. No not at the moment. So I asked her to let me know if something became available. And she did...took years!
I decited if that is the only way for me to keep chickens then this is it. But if I am breeding and having to show birds, I want it to be helpful to the breed. Meaning I want to do something to help preserve the breed. I want a good amount of eggs, I want good meat and I wanted to preserve the breed.
I wanted buff Orpingtons at first. But to make sure if I really wanted to breed chickens I watched every youtube video out there. I found Robert Höck and his videos. And thru him I found the Sulmtaler. I am so in love with the breed now! I am so grateful to him for making the videos.
My husband eventually joint the club as well. To help support it but also that in case something were to happen to me, he could keep the chickens there if he wanted to.

No, breeding or keeping chickens was not in my family at all! I am the only one. My mother keeps saying she would have never thought I would be a chicken breeder.

 

[abpatchy]

So what made you change your mind about breeding in a breeding club? I know a few months ago you had no plans to do so.

 

[Erba]

Well, I was looking at the Sussex sonderverein, and of course, you can only join them if you are already in a breeding verein. Germany really has an amazing system though. I was reading about the Zucht Buch, where some trace a breed, how many eggs, meat, weight form ect...they even have meeting just for the people that join in on keeping that Zucht Book Bundeszuchtbuchschau You aslo get an advantage at all the shows, if you have that book. Crazy anount of work though, so not for faint hearted. In England you can tip up at any show and show your birds, I think in the USA it's the same. But the Germans take breeding chickens to the highest level. It's the best way to keep the breeds as the breeds they were meant to be though.

 

[abpatchy]

Well, I was looking at the Sussex sonderverein, and of course, you can only join them if you are already in a breeding verein. Germany really has an amazing system though. I was reading about the Zucht Buch, where some trace a breed, how many eggs, meat, weight form ect...they even have meeting just for the people that join in on keeping that Zucht Book Bundeszuchtbuchschau You aslo get an advantage at all the shows, if you have that book. Crazy anount of work though, so not for faint hearted. In England you can tip up at any show and show your birds, I think in the USA it's the same. But the Germans take breeding chickens to the highest level. It's the best way to keep the breeds as the breeds they were meant to be though.

Yes, it's a awful amount of work. I think that is for people with lots of time!
The Germans and their clubs... they take them ALL very seriously!!
I can only speak for the Sulmtaler Specialty Club (Sonderverein) not sure about the Sussex Specialty Club. We have a yearly meeting to talk Altsteirer and Sulmtaler chickens... There is a Tierbesprechung ... a discussion about the chickens that are brought. At the main specialty show there is a discussion about all the chickens at the show. You can learn so much because faults are pointed out... the positive as well. You can ask questions. I have learned so much in 2019 when I went to Austria to the main specialty show ( Hauptsonderschau, which is attached to a poultry show.
Joining the Sonderverein does make sense, if they take care of their breeders. I think I had checked back when... Sussex club has enough breeders to split their club into different areas. Ours is so small we are just a club. One size fits all. Our yearly meeting is in Switzerland this year. In September. Really looking forward to it!

 

[Maiahr]

I am a bit behind... @PippinTheChicken for some reason I cannot see your signature at all and can't read the article.
@chickengr I accidentally met a man who breeds Jursey Giants. He told me that to get white chicks you need to have other than black colours, i.e. grey, splash or blue. Any of these other colours when crossed could 'leak' the white and you may get white chicks. I have not checked how accurate is this information, maybe confirm in the Genetics section?
On my flocks:
My neighbors went on holiday and left their mother cat with little kittens unattended. So I have lost a pheasant and all my pure Brahma chicks (hatched from mama Leghorn) to that cat. She would come every morning and every evening and snack one of my little chicks. I am welcoming ideas how to kill that cat. My neighbors just came back an hour ago and they know I will be killing the cat. My plan is to put a large rat trap, catch the cat in it and then give it to my dog for a snack. Sounds cruel but I can't think of other way to get rid of this cat.
I have two frizzle chicks, 1 week old, don't know the breed but both a cockerels. If anybody wants them - come and collect them but be careful with the furious mama Silkie. I have another 5 fertile eggs in the incubator (from frizzle chicken) and I will be buying another 15 tomorrow to put under my next broody hen (she has been broody for 3 days now on one egg). The eggs are 2€ each (phew!!).

I will be posting a thread in another section but what do you think on barley Vs wheat (no, this is not football ). They are the same price here and some people argue barley is better feed for chicken, I haven't read much about it.

You guys watched football, I watched the battle of the generations - a young Brahma cockerel vs. old Silkie rooster. Not a fair fight and the end was interrupted by a brave Leghorn hen who really jumped in the middle of the two fighting 'men' to stop them.
Finally, I am posting a picture of my turkeys who enjoy the hammock and we often have discussions who gets to use it.

 

[chickengr]

I am a bit behind... @PippinTheChicken for some reason I cannot see your signature at all and can't read the article.
@chickengr I accidentally met a man who breeds Jursey Giants. He told me that to get white chicks you need to have other than black colours, i.e. grey, splash or blue. Any of these other colours when crossed could 'leak' the white and you may get white chicks. I have not checked how accurate is this information, maybe confirm in the Genetics section?
On my flocks:
My neighbors went on holiday and left their mother cat with little kittens unattended. So I have lost a pheasant and all my pure Brahma chicks (hatched from mama Leghorn) to that cat. She would come every morning and every evening and snack one of my little chicks. I am welcoming ideas how to kill that cat. My neighbors just came back an hour ago and they know I will be killing the cat. My plan is to put a large rat trap, catch the cat in it and then give it to my dog for a snack. Sounds cruel but I can't think of other way to get rid of this cat.
I have two frizzle chicks, 1 week old, don't know the breed but both a cockerels. If anybody wants them - come and collect them but be careful with the furious mama Silkie. I have another 5 fertile eggs in the incubator (from frizzle chicken) and I will be buying another 15 tomorrow to put under my next broody hen (she has been broody for 3 days now on one egg). The eggs are 2€ each (phew!!).

I will be posting a thread in another section but what do you think on barley Vs wheat (no, this is not football ). They are the same price here and some people argue barley is better feed for chicken, I haven't read much about it.

You guys watched football, I watched the battle of the generations - a young Brahma cockerel vs. old Silkie rooster. Not a fair fight and the end was interrupted by a brave Leghorn hen who really jumped in the middle of the two fighting 'men' to stop them.
Finally, I am posting a picture of my turkeys who enjoy the hammock and we often have discussions who gets to use it.

sorry for your losses.

there are 2 types of white: dominant and recessive. blue/splash chickens cannot produce white chicks unless both roo and hen have 1 copy of recessive white.

the only way to keep chicks safe is to confine them. you might get 1 cat but the other 10 will come soon.

 

[Maiahr]

sorry for your losses.

there are 2 types of white: dominant and recessive. blue/splash chickens cannot produce white chicks unless both roo and hen have 1 copy of recessive white.

the only way to keep chicks safe is to confine them. you might get 1 cat but the other 10 will come soon.

Ah ok about the genes. This man spoke from experience, he didn't even know the word 'gene'
As for the cats - I have never had problems with cats before. Only once several months ago - another neighbor's cat ate one of my chicks, but I cougth the cat, gave it to the dog, the dog didn't harm the cat but scared it enough that it never came back. I think this time was a combination of irresponsible neighbors who left the mother and kittens without food for days (they could've asked me to feed them) and the fact that it is a mother cat trying to feed her little ones. All my chicken are free range and especially with broodies (which I have a lot) I cannot fill up my garden with cages. I already made one cage for the pheasants, they are not happy... It will be cheaper and easier to buy a large rat trap for the cat than to make another cage (plus my worker is sick now)... Any other ideas are appreciated.