Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[hyzenthlay]

I thought I would share some of my eggs too I really need to make some dark olive eggers though to add to the mix.

Lovely eggs! Are the ones in the middle as light and pinky brown as they look? And who laid them? Very pretty! Also, who laid all the dark ones from about 1-3 o' clock? Any Welbar eggs in there?

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Lovely eggs! Are the ones in the middle as light and pinky brown as they look? And who laid them? Very pretty! Also, who laid all the dark ones from about 1-3 o' clock? Any Welbar eggs in there?

Thank you! the ones in the middle are turkey eggs. They are white-cream with purple-ish spots.The 4 darkest eggs were laid by my BCM ladies. The couple dark ones before them are welbar eggs. They just started laying the other day

 

[hyzenthlay]

Thank you! the ones in the middle are turkey eggs. They are white-cream with purple-ish spots.The 4 darkest eggs were laid by my BCM ladies. The couple dark ones before them are welbar eggs. They just started laying the other day

Wow, the turkey eggs are cool. I am pretty much totally ignorant about turkeys. Do the eggs taste like chicken eggs, just bigger? How often do they lay? Also, can I ask where you got your BCMs? Their eggs look like they may be a bit darker than my BCM's eggs, and they are noticeably darker than the Welbar's in the pics.

 

[hyzenthlay]

Ok, so I'm excited today because our new covered run is almost complete. This will be a great help to give the chickens a little more space on these days when the hawks are loitering around our yard all day like a snack bar. We have both Redtail and Cooper's Hawks in residence.

I have two questions, though.

(1) We are covering the top and sides with chicken wire. This run is ONLY really supposed to be secure for hawks--the chickens will be locked in the coop at night to be safe from raccoons. Although I have heard there are foxes living in the park within a mile of us, we have never had any spottings near us on the edge of the more urban area. So, here's the question--see that spot toward the front where the yew shrub is sticking out that does not have chicken wire? Do you think the shrub will keep Cooper's hawks from walking into the run, or do I have to cut it back so we can put wire there, too? It does look much nicer with the shrub coming out, but that will be cold comfort if I find a hawk in the run with a bunch of dead hens. Thoughts?

(2) The run floor is all mud at the moment. I have heard a lot of good things about sand in the runs, so I was thinking of using that for footing. Does that sound like a good idea, or would you recommend something different? If I use sand, how deep of a layer should I put in?

Thanks!!













FYI, the chicken wire on top will be secured much tighter before the hens use it--it's still a work in progress!

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Wow, the turkey eggs are cool.  I am pretty much totally ignorant about turkeys.  Do the eggs taste like chicken eggs, just bigger?  How often do they lay?  Also, can I ask where you got your BCMs?  Their eggs look like they may be a bit darker than my BCM's eggs, and they are noticeably darker than the Welbar's in the pics. 

Believe it or not, this will be my third year keeping turkeys and I have yet to taste one lol. I've baked with them and everything turns out fantastic! From what I've been told, they taste like chicken eggs but more rich.

My one BCM girl came from @dheltzel when he had them. The rest were from shipped eggs. I'm not doing marans anymore since it's very hard to find good stock. I only have 2 girls left now. The other is a wheaten Marans that was supposed to be from BCM eggs. I'll be using the girls to make olive eggers.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Has anyone ever installed a fan in their coop? With this warm weather, I am concerned about ventilation and hot temperatures. I was going to mount it so that it pulls air out of the coop. I was also considering removing panels of the siding, to be saved and replaced come next winter. Hardware cloth would be used to keep out predators.

Anne, we use fans in the coops, and have them blowing out... a few things I suggest...don't worry about getting 'heavy duty' fans or anything fancy, no matter how many times you clean them (we vacuum them out regularly) the coop dust trashes them pretty quick, 6 months is expected at our place, more is a bonus. Hang them with stout wire by partially screwing in long screws above the door or window into solid wood and loop the wire over the screws and through the handle of the fan. It is easy to add small eye bolts into the corners of the fan housing also if you prefer. Just make sure any screws, bolts or wire you use is strong and well secured. Then just hang the fan in the window or door of your choosing. We used hardware cloth over the eave openings but for the windows in our coop we opted for stouter 'expanded metal' which we had cut to be just bigger than the windows and anchored with 3"screws and big washers. Any local metal shop can get it in various 'gauges' or size. A lightweight piece will do the job, we opted for it due to bears in our area. We also fabricated a 'coon gate' for the door in our one coop, it is a frame of 1" piping with 1"×2" goat fencing on the upper part and 1"×1" rabbit fencing on the lower (for chick sizing). It has a hasp lock on top and bottom to secure it and is hung on hinges in the same door frame as the regular door. This allows us to keep the wooden door open for ventilation but still be secure from night visitors. That particular wood door we also cut in half to make it a 'dutch door' so the lower half could be left closed for added security or to prevent drafts if a hen was on a floor nest with new chicks. Hopefully the pictures help make the descriptions easier to understand.

Thanks so much! This is very helpful. I am taking a screenshot to reference later. Also, approximately how big is your coop? It sure looks bigger than mine, and mine is 10x12.

YES! I hang a small fan under the eave against a high venting opening outside the coop (north side) which blows right through and out the other venting opening on the south side. It really moves the air.

Has anyone ever installed a fan in their coop? With this warm weather, I am concerned about ventilation and hot temperatures. I was going to mount it so that it pulls air out of the coop. I was also considering removing panels of the siding, to be saved and replaced come next winter. Hardware cloth would be used to keep out predators.

Thank you!

Just placed my order at the feed mill! 18 hens and 2 roosters! So 10 SLW and 10 GLW! Now I just need to make sure Keith doesn't have a heart attack when I tell him...

It's okay, they start out tiny anyways. By the time they grow up, he'll be too attached.

Whew! There is hope for him yet! Next is a mini cow!

I want a mini cow just so I can have my own grass fed butter!! I eat so much of it. And plus, they're just adorable!

I'm in trouble when hubby gets home (unless by some miracle he doesn't look in the brooder). I went into tractor supply without adult supervision tonight and these 6 little meaties were all that were left. I couldn't just leave without them! They've made themselves at home already, all stretched out and napping

Haha! Have you done meat chicks before? Or just processed the excess Roos you hatch? You said your hubby does the slaughtering part, right?

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

I love seeing this outside my bedroom window in the morning....

 

[BullChick]

Thanks so much! This is very helpful. I am taking a screenshot to reference later. Also, approximately how big is your coop? It sure looks bigger than mine, and mine is 10x12.

Thank you!
It's okay, they start out tiny anyways. By the time they grow up, he'll be too attached.

I want a mini cow just so I can have my own grass fed butter!! I eat so much of it. And plus, they're just adorable!
Haha! Have you done meat chicks before? Or just processed the excess Roos you hatch? You said your hubby does the slaughtering part, right?

I am concerned about your butter.

 

[dheltzel]

Believe it or not, this will be my third year keeping turkeys and I have yet to taste one lol. I've baked with them and everything turns out fantastic! From what I've been told, they taste like chicken eggs but more rich.

My one BCM girl came from @dheltzel when he had them. The rest were from shipped eggs. I'm not doing marans anymore since it's very hard to find good stock. I only have 2 girls left now. The other is a wheaten Marans that was supposed to be from BCM eggs. I'll be using the girls to make olive eggers.

Marans are one of those breeds that has enjoyed tremendous popularity, but many people only keep them for a while, then move to other breeds that lay better. There are other examples of this phenomenon, like Breda Fowl, that were re-introduced to the US (by Greenfire Farms) after being extinct here for probably a century. They are well on their way to being extinct again, they just aren't "worth it" to most people, being mediocre in most every area except for looks. Some breeds that are introduced, like Legbars, have tremendous staying power, but other very good breeds, like Rhodebars, just don't seem to have enough advantages to offset their disadvantages. I have to admit, I follow the trends a lot and I think Marans popularity has peaked. None of the dark egg layers are as satisfactory as breeds that lay other colors, so most people will get a token dark egg layer or 2, but their main flock will be other color eggs. I'm trying to produce a lot of Welbars this year to satisfy the demand from breeders for breeding stock of a new and rare breed, but I honestly expect that 2 years from now, Legbars will be outselling Welbars 5 to 1.

Marans are excellent pet chickens. Both hens and roos have a pleasant personality and you will not regret having some in your flock, but don't expect a lot of eggs from them. Don't expect a lot of eggs from silkies or cochins either, but still keep them if you can. Nothing I sell is suitable for commercial production, the hatcheries have that market well served. I like to try to find the right balance for the backyard, I would still have Marans if they could be sexed as chicks, but the fact that the Welbars (and to a somewhat lesser degree, Welsummers) are sexable at hatch is a huge deal for me. If I ever do Marans again, I will get a flock of commercial Cuckoo Marans and use most of those hens with a BCM roo to make black sexlink Marans. Those would absolutely sell like hotcakes, and the Cuckoos do lay better. The hybrids should be pretty satisfactory as layers of dark eggs. I don't have room for that project now, maybe someday when I retire . . .

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Thanks so much! This is very helpful. I am taking a screenshot to reference later. Also, approximately how big is your coop? It sure looks bigger than mine, and mine is 10x12.
Thank you!
It's okay, they start out tiny anyways. By the time they grow up, he'll be too attached.
I want a mini cow just so I can have my own grass fed butter!! I eat so much of it. And plus, they're just adorable!
Haha! Have you done meat chicks before? Or just processed the excess Roos you hatch? You said your hubby does the slaughtering part, right?

Yes, we did a group of meaties last year. We only do small groups for now but once we have more extra pens set up, we'll be able to do more. Hubby and I butcher together. I hold the legs while he wields the hatchet. The rest of it is a team effort. We have quite the group of extra roos right now too waiting for spring to come to go of to freezer camp.

I love seeing this outside my bedroom window in the morning....

Beautiful! I love song them outside mine too. Right now though it's all wet, muddy, and yucky out so they're hiding inside.