Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[chiques chicks]

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.

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

60 quail don't take a lot of space.

The "nearby market" is the reason I got them. As a matter of fact, they are getting shipped there since my schedule is odd and they won't be left outside.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Just holler!

I could probably whisper and get the same effect here...

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.

I think that's both very wise and kind to the animals.

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

Gorgeous! Where in PA are you? Are they noisy? That's what I've heard about them.

 

[DylansMom]

Quote:
Agreed, a Peacock's call has a somewhat haunting quality. A guinea's call is like having someone gunning the motor on their weed whacker beside your head.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

I can't live in denial any more. I heard my Silkie ROOSTER crowing this morning. Twice in the coop. It really wasn't very loud though, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't the first time, it sounded pretty clear. I am going to call my neighbor today that was concerned about noise and ask her if she has heard anything. Fingers crossed they haven't heard anything and are willing to let me keep him for a while.

By the way, his name is Hercules.

 

[DylansMom]

Quote:
We are in New Oxford, 10 minutes from Gettysburg. I have 42 of them, half being males, so during the breeding season April - August they can be pretty noisy, because when one calls they all feel the need to answer. The rest of the year they are way quieter than my 3 guineas or my 2 roosters.

 

[barbiegirl]

I can't live in denial any more. I heard my Silkie ROOSTER crowing this morning. Twice in the coop. It really wasn't very loud though, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't the first time, it sounded pretty clear. I am going to call my neighbor today that was concerned about noise and ask her if she has heard anything. Fingers crossed they haven't heard anything and are willing to let me keep him for a while.

By the way, his name is Hercules.

I love my silkie rooster's crow. It's so soft and cute. Not as loud as my large fowl roosters. My hubby wants to get rid of all the large fowl chickens and just keep silkies and muscovy ducks. (our 2 guinea boys can live here till they die, even if he doesn't like them lol) My hubby loves Chuck's cock-a-doodle-do.

Our little sikie is being a great momma. She is moving the eggs all over the coop. I think she will be a good momma when the babies hatch. I still can't believe we are trying a wintner hatch. Silly silkie, we tried to break here but gave in. Silkies are so stubborn/determined to hatch. She is sitting on 4 large fowl eggs since that's all she can fit under her. She is so tiny.

 

[wingstone]

Can not wait till early spring when everyone is complaining about the stink of the birds that are being hatched now...
I will wait, I d not want a repeat of last year wen winter would not end.......
With that said...I ordered ducklings to be shipped on 3/3... and I am patiently waiting for dheltzel to set some guinea eggs......

 

[wingstone]

Has anyone ever tried a salt cured egg.
I cane across the idea while searching for what to do with left over egg yolk after making angel food cake....
??? Never heard of such a thing???

 

[SilkieSensation]

Can not wait till early spring when everyone is complaining about the stink of the birds that are being hatched now...
I will wait, I d not want a repeat of last year wen winter would not end.......
With that said...I ordered ducklings to be shipped on 3/3... and I am patiently waiting for dheltzel to set some guinea eggs......

My bators have been off since October...and I still have 1 polish "chick" in the house. It was a small hatch & she was the only survivor. She's just still too small to go out with the bigger birds all by herself. Yup, she stinks...lol

 

[dheltzel]

Agreed, a Peacock's call has a somewhat haunting quality. A guinea's call is like having someone gunning the motor on their weed whacker beside your head.

I was going to liken it to fingernails on a blackboard, at least that is how the hens sound to me. Look up some clips on Youtube of both species and you'll see what we are talking about.