Red Laced Cornish X and project talk (pics p. 8)

[SteveH]

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Livetrap, I'm not fond of foothold traps for anything not under water, but especially not coyotes. I've seen one raccoon and two, three legged coyotes, all of which were forced to scavenge garbage, pet food, or kill domestics to survive, and assume they got that way due to foothold traps.

 

[kfacres]

Well boys and girls.. had a visitor today, old college classmate and judging team member came over- he's actually my feed rep now, delivered a batch of chicken and sheep feed...

Got to talking about birds, and he was kinda impressed with my LF Cornish-- but was extremely impressed with my bantam DC. Said, he wants number 1 on the list to get chicks from them when the time comes... Said he wouldn't mind having about 20 or so of them... I was happy...

We stood there talking a little more, and I decided to go in and catch the good DC cockeral for him to handle... After that, boy was he in on them as well... Said that bird, by no means would he have guessed to be as big, or heavy or thick as he is. I explained the light and hard feathering, and how it created an optical illusion... He wants put on that list as well...

Just some news I wanted to share... btw, the combs on my WLR pullets are starting to reddin- as well as more bantam's-- so not long my friends.. not long at all.. and we should have eggs...

 

[al6517]

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It does all sound like good news K, we need more Cornish people willing to make the plunge into shear and utter awesomeness of LF Cornish, good new word Huh LOL. I got Birds hatching now, 7 are out and 3 more to go and they are already pipped and should be out in a few hours. Then in 7 day's the second batch is due to Hatch, All WLR's and a few whites, no darks laying yet. I had Done some tweeking and upgrades on the AL-A-Bator and this hatch is going at 100% so far. My idea is to do staggered hatches all from the same bator without changing humidity, and just rotating them into the hatcher and to the brooders. Just like an assembly line, everything is going as planned, so I am pumped, it will make things much easier and smoother not to mention easier record keeping.

There has been a very Sad development and I hope you can take a moment of silence for Charley/Pepper............... His Mom passed on Monday Morning, she was 89. I spoke to Charley and he is doing Ok considering. We have been working hard and planning together for the Shawnee show this coming Saturday, he has told me that as of now things are still up in the air for him as far as the show goes, I hope he can still make so we will see, he was so looking forward to his entries this year. My prayers go out to him and his family.

I am not looking forward to having to bathe a bunch of birds in 30-40 degree weather, I may have to break my rule of no Adult chickens in the house, but it will only be for a day, then into the show boxes they go. I have some WLR's from this springs hatch that are due to lay and one died yesterday from being egg bound, I guess she couldn't get the first out or didn't know what was going on. She was one of the sisters to the two I am showing, I also still have that big young Dark broody still setting on her clutch so that's going well. I should be knee deep in chicks by the time i get back from Shawnee, The wife knows what to do she's my hatching helper.

I am bring a few Samolians with me in case I see something I can't live without or maybe spy a back up trio or two or three of some Cornish, Darks this time mainly but you never know now do we, what I can pack into those extra cages I am packing heheheheee.


AL

 

[Totalcolour]

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I went to my first bird show today. There were only 3 LF Cornish; 1 dark, 1 WLR and one White. I must say I was pretty disappointed with the WLR. I bought some hatchery stock, and the one in the show wasn't any nicer than mine as far as lacing went. He was bigger, but mine are still only babies (6 months and one week). I was more impressed with the bantams.

It did make me fall in love with them all over again.

Hope you do well Al, and I hope Charlie goes too. It's hard to lose a family member, but sometimes it is a bit easier if you have something to keep your mind busy.

 

[al6517]

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I went to my first bird show today. There were only 3 LF Cornish; 1 dark, 1 WLR and one White. I must say I was pretty disappointed with the WLR. I bought some hatchery stock, and the one in the show wasn't any nicer than mine as far as lacing went. He was bigger, but mine are still only babies (6 months and one week). I was more impressed with the bantams.

It did make me fall in love with them all over again.

Hope you do well Al, and I hope Charlie goes too. It's hard to lose a family member, but sometimes it is a bit easier if you have something to keep your mind busy.

I know there will be allot of exceptional birds at this one seeing as how it's the western Cornish Nationals, The breed is taking a hit in numbers and breeders in the last 10 years, and it shows in the quality, having the hatcheries carrying WLR's & Darks did allot to harm the numbers of good birds. I hope he get's to make it to, we are supposed to stay at the same hotel I still have my fingers crossed.

 

[Totalcolour]

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Well, you are right. Sadly, there are some of us who can't find good Cornish. So I bought them from a hatchery. Now, I think I've found a source for eggs next spring. Keeping fingers crossed. I'm hoping that soon I can do my bit to make good Cornish - and it's got nothing to do with pride of being British (right!)

 

[SteveH]

So sorry to hear of Charley's mother passing.

I'm up to 5 birds lost now, all pullets nearing egg bearing age, including one of my best DC and the dark pullet from Big Medicine. Last night the culprit tore a four foot rip in one of the heavy silver tarps I use to cover the coop end of my portable pens, pulled up the fencing under it, killed three and wounded another, and ate the Blue Ameraucana it took from the pen on the fartherst edge of my property. I believe it's the dog I caught here two nights ago. It barked and growled at me when I went out to see what was challenging my dogs through the door. I don't own a gun, so went back out with the only thing I had in the house, a broom, but it disappeared in the darkness. I was afraid to turn my bulldog out because I knew he can't catch it if it runs, but would run it off my property and might not stop when I tried to call him off. I was missing a DC pullet when the sun came up. I found the dog running loose with two others at my second closest neighbor's. I pointed it and told him it had been at my place killing chickens. He denies his dogs ever leave the yard except to wander the pasture behind his place, and claimed the one pointed at was a stray that had appeared there just that day; but it went in his house when he opened the door for it. I warned him it wouldn't be coming home if I caught it on my place again. Of course I have no proof it was actually what's killing my birds. As much as I hate foothold traps, I'm headed to town for one.

 

[kfacres]

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Man that's rough... I know what it's like to be getting excited right now..

Btw, any eggs yet from them?

Mine are close, two getting real red.

 

[SteveH]

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Those that were starting to lay shut down after moving them, and with nightly visits from something killing them, aren't likely to resume soon.

 

[chickened]

Put a little padding in the leghold trap and you can turn loose the ones you "may" want to.