Pennsylvania!! Unite!!
- Thread starter LeBlackbird
- Start date
Wish I was closer, I'm getting 3 - 4 nice dark eggs a day now, and we are selling them for eating. I only plan to hatch them if people ask for BCM chicks, I would happily hatch some for anyone here that live close enough to pick them up.
We need a statewide "pony express" for chickens -- a poultry express
I get lost when heading south or east, but I would travel to the Harrisburg area, there's a truck stop on the other side of the river. I believe it is clarksferry. I would meet someone in that area if need be...
Chicken express is very possible
I expect her experience with the calls is about the same. She doesn't raise many babies each year because she lets the ducks go broody to get them to hatch.
@DHetzel, I've got a genetics question for you. What do you get when crossing a White cockerel over Cukoo (sp?) Pullets? I have an opportunity to acquire some Marans from a very well respected breeder of the Whites, am just wondering what I'll get with that cross.
in the spring.....................I have Welsummer chicks and Easter egger chick and wyandottes..............ideally wyandottes that are pencilled or columbian............on my list.
I know you are in Pottstown.........and that is very close to me...............
Other than Welsummers............do you have these other types?
There are 2 different genes that show as white, one is dominant and one recessive. The dominant white is more common and is what makes the white leghorn a white bird. Even Dom white is only partially dominant, so for ex, crossing a white leghorn with a black ameracauna will produce white with some black in random places. That is most likely what you will get from white crossed to cuckoo.
If it happens that white Marans are recessive white, then you should get black sex links from that cross, where the pullets are mostly all black and the males are barred (cuckoo) and so have a white spot on top of their head.
White Marans are uncommon and I don't know their exact genetic makeup.
I don't have any Wyandottes, but I have a nice strain of EE's that are mostly (3/4) a production Black Ameracauna. I expect these to lay very well and the hens are a beautiful irridescent black.
I really like the Rhodebars for egg production and the hens are very laid back compared to the Welsummers. I'm sure you can get your Welsummers tame, but some breeds are naturally tamer than others.
Even tamer than Rhodebars are the New Hampshires. They are always underfoot and I can easily reach down and pick up either hens or cocks. I love their orange color too.
wingstone ,
for doing the feathers.... primarily we are trying to save the hackle and saddle feathers, though some of the fluff below the saddle is very useful for some flies also. Wing feathers are rarely used that I am aware of.
When we are doing a bird for feathers (we did one today) we cut skin from chin the whole way to the back of the bird. We cut off the wing at the first joint (since most barnyard roosters have very little usable meat at the ends of the wings anyway) and cut off the legs as normal for processing. Work the skin off of the neck area and peel it to the shoulders, continue to pull it off, usually I just pull it inside out over the wing and legs.
Once you have the skin off we lay it feather side down on a piece of plywood about 2 ft square, Start at one edge and nail through the skin about every 1 inch around the outer edge of the hide. I like to pull the skin taught but it doesn't need to be heavily stretched. remove any obvious fat or tissue. Cover the skin liberally with 20 Mule Team Borax and place in a cool dry place to dry for a few weeks. Usually after about 1 week you can brush off the first dose of Borax and scrape off any noticeable tissue which was missed before and then recover with another layer of the borax. Let the second run of borax sit for another couple of weeks and then brush off and pull the nails, you can then store the hides in a dry location stacked with a layer of paper between them.
If the feathers need washed DH said he does that after he removes the first dose of the borax, he removes the hide from the board, washes it, blots it dry and then resecures it before doing the second dose of the borax. He prefers doing the washing at that time because he says it is easier for him to scrub the feathers after the skin has stiffened some.
For smaller jobs you can also either pluck or cut off feathers right at the base of the shaft and store them in a zippy bag for craft projects. This would be my preferred method if I am only interested in a small amount of feathers from a particular bird. Storing in plastic can cause the feathers to degrade a bit, some air flow seems to keep them nicer.
for doing the feathers.... primarily we are trying to save the hackle and saddle feathers, though some of the fluff below the saddle is very useful for some flies also. Wing feathers are rarely used that I am aware of.
When we are doing a bird for feathers (we did one today) we cut skin from chin the whole way to the back of the bird. We cut off the wing at the first joint (since most barnyard roosters have very little usable meat at the ends of the wings anyway) and cut off the legs as normal for processing. Work the skin off of the neck area and peel it to the shoulders, continue to pull it off, usually I just pull it inside out over the wing and legs.
Once you have the skin off we lay it feather side down on a piece of plywood about 2 ft square, Start at one edge and nail through the skin about every 1 inch around the outer edge of the hide. I like to pull the skin taught but it doesn't need to be heavily stretched. remove any obvious fat or tissue. Cover the skin liberally with 20 Mule Team Borax and place in a cool dry place to dry for a few weeks. Usually after about 1 week you can brush off the first dose of Borax and scrape off any noticeable tissue which was missed before and then recover with another layer of the borax. Let the second run of borax sit for another couple of weeks and then brush off and pull the nails, you can then store the hides in a dry location stacked with a layer of paper between them.
If the feathers need washed DH said he does that after he removes the first dose of the borax, he removes the hide from the board, washes it, blots it dry and then resecures it before doing the second dose of the borax. He prefers doing the washing at that time because he says it is easier for him to scrub the feathers after the skin has stiffened some.
For smaller jobs you can also either pluck or cut off feathers right at the base of the shaft and store them in a zippy bag for craft projects. This would be my preferred method if I am only interested in a small amount of feathers from a particular bird. Storing in plastic can cause the feathers to degrade a bit, some air flow seems to keep them nicer.
i will have to keep this all in mind as the time approaches.
I have the idea of wanting to have a more colorful egg basket..............currently I only have brown layers..............
I want dark brown, and blue eggs, if I can
then I love the wyandottes................
I thought the welsummers seemed prettier and nicer by my readings only..........than the marans..............and the dark brown egg.
If I can find an olive egger...........cool..............
I like friendly , winter hardy............good egg layers...............large fowl not bantam.................
Since I really enjoy the wyandottes I thought I could try to "collect " different types...............like a columbian or pencilled feathered pattern..............
For some odd reason I dont find the blue laced red.......that attractive.......yet it seems they are sought after..............
I dont know much about rhodebars
I do have interest in CCL's
I have a New Hampshire currently.
so that is my convoluted way of thinking.
For health safety and convenience sake...............I envision getting new chicks all at the same time from the same source...............so they are already exposed to the same germs etc...........used to each other...........
so all these factors and considerations may not work together and therefore who knows what I will come up with.
Lastly .............I really cant have that many............even though I would like more....................I probably can get.only .........4-5 chicks ------------I have 3 hens currently.
stay tuned
thanks so much for the information. I'll try this website out first. I like the eggs and the marans chickens are beautiful too. I'll bet your brahma marans is beautiful too.
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