Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[stake]

My favorite Mr Quackers

yeah....I have my favs....isn't it interesting how some just find there way......

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Black Ameracuana cockerel

sweetness look at that look!! do they not have big wattles or how does that work with beards? or you just cant see them lol...... I have only one EE. I will assume like my Russian Orloff???? same dealyo?

and where is this image that there is NO SNOW???? lol

 

[Brittany7]

Finally a "nice" day hahaha


So questions.....Are poopy butts normal in the winter? I noticed most of my girls have them? Just little on the fence/worried since two of my girls went all crazy on me and i lost them this winter...They never had them this summer?


On another note guess spring fever or winter borden has set in, in the coop! Two of my girls have nothing better to do then to warm their eggs!

And I finally got the big chicken feeder inside the coop!

 

[heatherscooby77]

sweetness look at that look!! do they not have big wattles or how does that work with beards? or you just cant see them lol...... I have only one EE. I will assume like my Russian Orloff???? same dealyo?

and where is this image that there is NO SNOW???? lol

They don't have any wattles at all. They are zero maintenance in the winter. Plus the beards are so big that you can usually only see there eyes and the tops of there heads, LOL I actually have spots that have no snow or ice, and are dry. Not really that pic was taken under a lean-too.

 

[fisherlady]

me too,,,,just hate to do it sometimes.

Today was butcher day for 6 of our cockerel, I had wanted to keep one of the buckeyes but they were driving the hens nuts... will have a better chance of letting them grow out during the summer when they can roam more and burn off their energy running around in the woods instead of chasing hens! Good news is that the birds were all in nice shape and we now have a good supply of chicken and dumplings quarters in the fridge!
The buckeye were 22 weeks and were comparable in size to barred rocks of the same age, maybe slightly more breast meat.

My LF buckeyes are the funniest(most personality) of the breeds that I have, they are very brave but not mean. As soon as you go into the run they come running like a dog and I think they would climb up you leg if they could. If you are holding feed in a jug or etc. they will try and jump up to get it. I usually have to push them out of the way to maneauver around in their run. They do not like to in a coop and prefer to be on top of it. When we got our first freeze snap, I put them in our unheated garage in large rabbit pens to keep them out of the cold and wind, but did they put up a racket being inside and separate from each other.

Our buckeye pullets are the same... little beggars, but really curious and cute about it.

Finally a "nice" day hahaha


So questions.....Are poopy butts normal in the winter? I noticed most of my girls have them? Just little on the fence/worried since two of my girls went all crazy on me and i lost them this winter...They never had them this summer?


On another note guess spring fever or winter borden has set in, in the coop! Two of my girls have nothing better to do then to warm their eggs!

And I finally got the big chicken feeder inside the coop!

Broody must be the 'in thing' for winter occupations... we have 3 currently...
I really like the feeder!

 

[wingstone]

Processed a pen of 16 today,,,,my hands are cramping up sp bad I am having trouble keeping hold of a coffee cup,,,,kind of odd since it was not cold out....

I also noticed a broody today, we shall see if she stays that way...

Stake, I will get back to you on that since I had planned on putting a order in with sandhill and Beaglady was gonna add to it and have them shipped to her since I am never around when the mail trucks come in.........I think I am gonna go with some buckeye in both LF and bantam and maybe try one of the dorking assortment..I still want the scot's dumpy but they are just not breeding or something,,,sandhill has been sold out for 3 years now.

Heather, great ducky pic's, I was impressed that you had no mud (I have area's without snow to so that seemed normal)....now mud in the duck pen is a year round thing,,,,and why do my ducks insist on putting those eggs in the biggest mud hole they can find.


Sally at least when I am busy like today, it keeps me out of trouble,,,,,now if you could help me out on the working side by side with hubby, that would be great.....I swear, one of these days I may have to process a larger mammal real quickly...

 

[wingstone]

Fisherlady, that is a good size for a 22 week old,,,,,do you find that a normal growth for a buckeye rooster,,(we never had roosters of this breed just a couple hen's)...

I got 1 more big butchering day then my pen's will be where I want them for spring...I grew out way to many roosters this winter, but they were way to small in the fall..

 

[fisherlady]

Fisherlady, that is a good size for a 22 week old,,,,,do you find that a normal growth for a buckeye rooster,,(we never had roosters of this breed just a couple hen's)...

I got 1 more big butchering day then my pen's will be where I want them for spring...I grew out way to many roosters this winter, but they were way to small in the fall..

This was our first run of Buckeyes, got them from a breeder below Pittsburgh who also has the Light Sussex I want. DH and I were very happy with the carcass quality, we didn't weigh them though (I wish now I would have for comparison). They really do make a decent dual purpose bird, the hens we got are real sweethearts, though I think when we raise our next group the bachelors are getting put into a separate pen area after they start to crow, unless it is summer and they can be out in the woods all day. It was just too disruptive to the rest of the flock having that group of teens around.

The carcass is also much heavier for dark meat than white, they had great leg/thigh size and good wings. Their feet were a bit smaller than I would bother with to peel and cook down for broth, but if you were short on broth fixings they would be fine.... I just prefer using the CornishX feet for broth thickening.

We did one barnyard cross who weighed in about 8 pounds at 8 months... if we hatch out more like him I will be very happy. Although our fellow Grayson is a mutt he sure is throwing nice babies! Two of his daughters are really heavy girls but to look at them they appear to be an average hen, it isn't till you pick them up you realize just how solid they are. I am hoping to cross them with our Australorp Rooster to see how the youngsters turn out, probably later this summer.

 

[SilkieSensation]

Beaglady shoot me a pm if you are still interested in ordering from Sandhill, even though they do not have the breeds I want this year, I do see some assortments I would be interested in... which brings me to,,,,the Buckeye breed,,,,,as many know that is one of my breeds,,,,, I see sandhill has a bantam buckeye,,,I have only seen these in pics and they look more stocky like a cornish would,,,,has any one seen these birds in person up close to say if they look like their LF counterpart.. would be interested in a dorking assortment, can someone tell me more about the temperment of this breed... I am asking because so far everytime I try to go with an older breed I have problems, usually with them getting mean or sometimes it is just fertility problems, but always something,,,,and I get to where I believe some breeds are endangered for a reason.. did I tell you that my prized wishard bronze turkey is on the dinner menu,,,,,I do not like turkey on my back...

My theory on birds: "You bite me, I bite back." The only exception to this rule is a broody protecting her babies/eggs. (I'm a momma, so I can relate to her defensiveness.)

me too,,,,just hate to do it sometimes.

I had 1 I hated to see go, but once he went after my kids he signed his own invitation to dinner.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: I finally seen some stones on the driveway!!!!! maybe it is spring thaw!! NOT