Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[dheltzel]

Very cool use for less Han desired chickens! Never heard of a rodent allergy before. Interesting.
I was just talking about this today. My best layers are hens I got for free from others that were not hatchery chicks. Lesson learned!

Still love my original girls, but there is a huge difference for sure. So that means when I get my dream property, I will be bugging all of you go fill my coop. That shouldn't be hard.

Rodents, especially mass produced and therefore crowded, produce a lot of dusty residue. Chicks do too, but just like some people are allergic to cats but not dogs, not all dust and dander are equal for people with allergies.

While I hate the idea of mass killing male chicks because they are not wanted, raising millions of mice and rats for the express purpose of killing them as snake food seems worse to me. Am I just rationalizing this in my mind to feel better?

Until I turn them over for snake food, they have a happy life, sleeping in uncrowded brooders and making the little trilling noises that chicks do.

I am not opposed to the large hatcheries, the hobby would not be where it is today without them. I prefer to get stock from smaller operations, and I like to sell to people just starting out with chickens. Those people (probably covers a lot of this audience) provide the ultimate life experience for their birds, caring for them and keeping them far longer than a business-type operation ever would. The pullets, when I sell them, have a much better chance of a good life ahead of them than anything else I can think of doing with them.

 

[DylansMom]

Oh, now....I said we are good on space....meaning for all the animals yet to come, lol! Goats, pigs, and a couple calfs will all be coming next year after repairs to the barn are made. I never meant we'd be stopping at just chickens, lol No point in buying a farm if we weren't planning on farming and I am an 'all in' kinda gal

Don't forget the Lawn Ornaments, every farm should have a couple!

 

[Blarneyeggs]

Oh, now....I said we are good on space....meaning for all the animals yet to come, lol! Goats, pigs, and a couple calfs will all be coming next year after repairs to the barn are made. I never meant we'd be stopping at just chickens, lol No point in buying a farm if we weren't planning on farming and I am an 'all in' kinda gal

Don't forget the Lawn Ornaments, every farm should have a couple!

Stunning!!!

 

[chiques chicks]

Everyone that hatches regularly has extra roosters. Some get grown out for meat, others get free ranged, others, who knows.

When I have birds for sale, it's unusual anyone takes a rooster. Last year I had one man take two along with ten hens because he is a breeder and was looking for that breed to add to his breeding and sales. I had one person take ten roosters for meat, I raised twelve to to butcher, and I believe one or two others took one as part of trios.

Lots of areas don't allow them and some people are annoyed by their crowing, plus no eggs. I've even sold chicks and eggs straight run and taken back some roosters to raise for meat, although I did take one back as it was a crested rooster that jv wanted for my flock. I've also adopted one for color and body shape.
It's nice to think they are all going to good homes, but in reality, they are generally excess headed to a good use of some type.

 

[barbiegirl]

Don't forget the Lawn Ornaments, every farm should have a couple!

Beautiful. I tried to talk hubby into getting some peafowl and he said no way. They make too much noise. He hates the noise the guineas make and doesn't want anymore loud critters lmao. Maybe one day we will have a big piece of land without neighbors being so close and I can talk him into it

 

[chiques chicks]

Darn eBay. I only wanted the or for dozen quail eggs, next thing I know there are some not far away at a good price, now I have ten dozen coming! That was the smallest amount they had listed.

Only saving grace is my hatch rate on shipped quail eggs is normally low.

 

[Free Feather]

Darn eBay. I only wanted the or for dozen quail eggs, next thing I know there are some not far away at a good price, now I have ten dozen coming! That was the smallest amount they had listed.

Only saving grace is my hatch rate on shipped quail eggs is normally low.

Oh my! What will you do with them all if even only half of them hatch???

 

[DylansMom]

Beautiful. I tried to talk hubby into getting some peafowl and he said no way. They make too much noise. He hates the noise the guineas make and doesn't want anymore loud critters lmao. Maybe one day we will have a big piece of land without neighbors being so close and I can talk him into it

I have guineas and Peas the Peas are noisier only because there are 42 of them compared to 3 guineas. 3 guineas would be way noisier than 3 Peas. The males are the only ones who make noise and they only do it during the breeding season, those guineas go year round!

 

[dheltzel]

Darn eBay. I only wanted the or for dozen quail eggs, next thing I know there are some not far away at a good price, now I have ten dozen coming! That was the smallest amount they had listed.

Only saving grace is my hatch rate on shipped quail eggs is normally low.

Not for quail. Smaller eggs ship much better than big eggs. I had a fantastic hatch the time I bought coturnix quail eggs mailorder.

Fortunately, you are in close proximity to someone with a ready market for them.

 

[dheltzel]

I have guineas and Peas the Peas are noisier only because there are 42 of them compared to 3 guineas. 3 guineas would be way noisier than 3 Peas. The males are the only ones who make noise and they only do it during the breeding season, those guineas go year round!

Agree!
And the noise they make is entirely different, I MUCH prefer the sounds of peas. I bought hearing protectors for when I have to work in the guinea pen for very long. Those rascals are irritating. But they eat so many bad things we love them anyway.

Yesterday I saw a guinea hen standing in the nest box. I am not expecting eggs until much later, but maybe all the hens singing about their eggs in the next pen is having an effect . . .