Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[BorderBrigade]

I am now the proud owner of 3 bourbon x royal palm turkeys. Was supposed to be 4 turkeys but the other one was killed yesterday by a predator. I am hoping to have 1 male and 2 females. Can't wait to see them grow up.

I will have to take pictures tomorrow. I know no pictures it didn't happen

Yes please would love to see them! Bet they are going to be beautiful.

 

[bruceh]

Bruce, I certainly understand your reasoning for the expirement and I respect it. I am absolutely certain you know 1000 times more about chickens that I probably ever will. I would just feel a little better if you would write up a more formal report of your findings and make it available to the general public. I think that is where it would be most beneficial. I also hope my comments don't deter you from answer any calls for help that I may post here. Thank you for all of the efforts you put in and the help you give to many.

nbenvento, i pm'ed you. i will write a full report on the differences of both husbandry ways so others will benefit from the findings. for you and others help with what you would like to see in a report.. group project time..

 

[roseschickies]

I was thinking about something else, similar to bruces experiment, but not really, I was on another forum, a breeder forum, now speaking of saving chickens, and if I understand what they are talking about, being new to the chicken world. When they say they are going to cull hard, They are killing chickens that are not up to standard?!? Why not sell the chicks? Or are the trying to eliminate the impurities of the breed all together? Mehh I dunno have been thinking about that the last few days...

And one of my chickens bit me See if try to pet that chicken again.. Made me miss my Orencia.. these RIR look nothing like her, either ( seriously pout going on) She was my girl.. These all run from me unless they know I have treats.. sigh...

 

[nbenevento]

I was thinking about something else, similar to bruces experiment, but not really, I was on another forum, a breeder forum, now speaking of saving chickens, and if I understand what they are talking about, being new to the chicken world. When they say they are going to cull hard, They are killing chickens that are not up to standard?!? Why not sell the chicks? Or are the trying to eliminate the impurities of the breed all together? Mehh I dunno have been thinking about that the last few days... 

And one of my chickens bit me  See if try to pet that chicken again.. Made me miss my Orencia.. these RIR look nothing like her, either ( seriously pout going on) She was my girl.. These all run from me unless they know I have treats.. sigh... 

It must be a breeder thing. As for me, no way am I culling a perfectly good laying (or soon to be) chicken. I am not a breeder and don't care all that much about how perfect MY chickens are. All I care about are those delicious eggs! But to a breeder that is showing their birds, I guess paying for food that is not what they want is just a waste.

As for your favorite chicken, I absolutely believe chickens do not care about anyone or anything except food. I wouldn't let a chicken hurt your feelings. None of mine "like" me except when I have something to give them. I spoil them and they bring me a lot of happiness but I also know they only care about one thing. Stupid birds! Lol

 

[Farmer Mike S]

nbenvento, i pm'ed you. i will write a full report on the differences of both husbandry ways so others will benefit from the findings. for you and others help with what you would like to see in a report.. group project time..

The most important thing besides the report itself is getting this out to the public, not just the back yard chicken community. Now how you would do this beats me but this stuff really has to go viral to be affective.

 

[chiques chicks]

I know when I Cull my project, I am sell and or eat those I'm not interested in for the project. They are fine birds, just not color, shape, leg color, whatever I'm working toward.
They still lay eggs, grow good size, many are even pretty. Just not what I want. Cull in a breeding program doesn't always mean kill.

 

[Reyvaughn]

I was thinking about something else, similar to bruces experiment, but not really, I was on another forum, a breeder forum, now speaking of saving chickens, and if I understand what they are talking about, being new to the chicken world. When they say they are going to cull hard, They are killing chickens that are not up to standard?!? Why not sell the chicks? Or are the trying to eliminate the impurities of the breed all together? Mehh I dunno have been thinking about that the last few days...

And one of my chickens bit me See if try to pet that chicken again.. Made me miss my Orencia.. these RIR look nothing like her, either ( seriously pout going on) She was my girl.. These all run from me unless they know I have treats.. sigh...

Cull doesn't always mean kill. I cull by selling the girls for layers or eating the boys. But, yes, most cull in the sense of killing to rid out any DQs in the breed, or even deformities. One breeder here in PA will cull/kill because he doesn't want sub-par birds in the hands of person who may breed and sell chicks that will do nothing but flaw and set the breed back even more.

I said my peace about the experiment. I don't expect all to feel the way I do. I just can't imagine purposely putting my birds (meaties or not) in conditions like that. My birds aren't pets, but they aren't 'just birds' either.

 

[BirdbyGavin1103]

Quick question: Can chickens contract bacterial conjunctivitis? I have one BCM hen that has a pussy eye but she also seems to have lost some, if not all, vision in that eye as she does not react to movement on that side. I also have a tetra that has some swelling around her eye, but no pus and vision is fine. These two do not spend much to any time together, so I'm kinda doubting that it's something contagious. Now yesterday while Gavin and I were visiting someone (and getting new chicks) one of my parents' dogs got loose and chased the flock, and then today one of their other ones got loose and did the same thing. So I'm wondering if they aren't eye injuries.
Here are pics of the girls, sorry about the quality:




^^ Swollen side

^good side

^good side



^^Swollen/pussy side

On the BCM her wattle is also swollen on the same side, and the wattle on the other side is fine. I am doing warm moist compresses on the BCM so she can open that eye and so I can try checking on her vision. I have tylan 50, but I hate to give an antibiotic if it's not needed. Should I start it or give it a day or two and see if it clears up? They are both in separate "infirmaries" AKA cat carriers.

ETA: the coloring by the BCM's nostril is normal, she does not have any discharge there, just to be clear about that. There are no signs of resp issues in any of the flock, just incase anyone is wondering.

 

[My peeps]

Hello everyone!

My silkie who was broody and then abandoned her eggs after we moved her still isn't laying! Not only can I not get my silkies to go broody but now I'm losing eggs. Ugh!

I ordered 24 eggs off of eBay and only 6 are progressing. I know it's a risk ordering mail ordered eggs but the majority aren't even fertile. Never again what a waste of time and money. I'm hoping we get a few chicks to hatch or I will never hear the end of it from my hubby.

I hope everyone has a great day. I plan on spending as much time in the pool with the kids as possible!

 

[bruceh]

I was thinking about something else, similar to bruces experiment, but not really, I was on another forum, a breeder forum, now speaking of saving chickens, and if I understand what they are talking about, being new to the chicken world. When they say they are going to cull hard, They are killing chickens that are not up to standard?!? Why not sell the chicks? Or are the trying to eliminate the impurities of the breed all together? Mehh I dunno have been thinking about that the last few days...

And one of my chickens bit me See if try to pet that chicken again.. Made me miss my Orencia.. these RIR look nothing like her, either ( seriously pout going on) She was my girl.. These all run from me unless they know I have treats.. sigh...

the word cull means to remove from the flock. so when a breeder means the word cull. it could be taken in 2 ways .:
1. to remove from the breeding program.
a. sell off the second rate ones as layers to others
1. roosters are sold as pets

2. unfortunately the 2ND way of cull means to kill
a. the bird is raised to butcher weight and slaughtered for meat
b. chicks are killed for various reasons

some breeders hatch chicks some times 100;s at a time. therefor it is not cost effective to keep a defective bird. it is sad but it is the truth.


bruce