Russian Orloffs

[Cknldy]

Acv w/mother is in every waterer since algae season started. I'll have to get some alfalfa pellets or cubes for higher protein- thanks yall!

 

[gander007]

Some turned a year old in April and the others turn a year old in October. They don't look gaunt or bony but when I pick them up by scooping (?) from the front the bone can be felt. I had read somewhere that a chicken's eating/healthy weight could be determined by if that bone could be felt= needs more feed. They eat like pigs! Good point on the corn too, wrong type of fattener...threw a mouse in this morning and it was WWIII in there;-)

Oh I bet they enjoyed the mouse

My EE chickens and pullets are rather heavy but my ROs are also heavy but the ROs still have the chest bone also I have wormed them but not any noticeable difference it is only when they are light do I separate them into a individual holding cage to feed and water for monitoring do I notice they were just pushed aside as my ROs are just plain easy going chickens and the others like the EE's are pushy and know what they want ... oh in the cage the only feeds they get is Turkey Grow or Flock raiser both are very high in protein ..


How are your ROs doing this summer mine are out producing all my other chickens in egg production percentage wise and some of the hottest days I will still get 100% from them and 25% from the EE chickens ..

Also I just put 30 egg's in the incubator last night so I am now checking for fertility and hopping for something to sell in the fall as it is better to sell 3 hens and a rooster at 20 weeks, and it also helps at the male and female guessing for the customer ..

 

[gander007]

Acv w/mother is in every waterer since algae season started. I'll have to get some alfalfa pellets or cubes for higher protein- thanks yall!

The Alpha is not for protein it helps with the roughage as we do not have grass here and I use it to replace the corn in the hot summer and with out well soaking can cause a plug so soak well and for several hours at a minimum and put a big stick in and move around from time to time but they do love it and you need to put in a metal can as I have found the critters do enjoy the stuff ....

And it seems to give them some high energy just like giving them sugar ....

 

[Cknldy]

Alfalfa is high in protein and is sometimes listed in home chicken feed recipes but it never crossed my mind until you said it I'll be getting some rabbit food (aka alfalfa pellets) the next time I go for feed. Funny- a couple of years ago I was wondering if rabbit food COULD be given to chickens! Hahaha My girls have dropped down in production since it has been in the 90's quite a bit lately. As soon as a cooler air stream comes through everyone pops out eggs though.

 

[gander007]

Alfalfa is high in protein and is sometimes listed in home chicken feed recipes but it never crossed my mind until you said it I'll be getting some rabbit food (aka alfalfa pellets) the next time I go for feed. Funny- a couple of years ago I was wondering if rabbit food COULD be given to chickens! Hahaha My girls have dropped down in production since it has been in the 90's quite a bit lately. As soon as a cooler air stream comes through everyone pops out eggs though.

Oh chickens love rabbit food ...

odd my ROs are the only ones who are giving me full production when it gets over 115 F degrees and I do have a separate waterier in the coop next to the nesting boxes with ACV mixed in to the water ......



How are your ROs doing this time of year are you getting any hatches from them ??

I had one hatch today but it is a guinea chick and one of my egg's exploded in the incubator this morning not cool as I have more guinea to hatch out this week but I had to get in there and clean it out wow was it nasty and the egg was only on day 24 of 28 days ....

Enjoy your cool weather Cknldy,

 

[Cknldy]

If/when there is cooler weather the humidity seems to jump up this year. I didn't hatch many ROs this year since I already have plenty of females laying. I concentrated on the breeds that I only had one female so I could have more layers. Chicks did not sell as well after about May here but other sellers are saying what I thought- folks in this area only want to pay production-breed prices and as low as they can. I was told by another seller at a recent swap (only 3 sellers came!) that by going just a half hour to an hour away I could sell for more than rock bottom pricing. I had about 6 buff orpington cockerels, all feathered out and 5-7 weeks old, for $3 each since they were cockerels only. Didn't sell the first one of those so freezer camp in another month or so. Seller came over to tell me her daughter sold all their BO cockerels for $8 each just by going out of this area! I don't want to bust folks' wallets and just looking to get up a bit of feed money but sheesh. I plan to set some RO, RIR and a few Silver Sebright eggs on Saturday for pullets. I say if extras and males aren't sold that's okay because they taste good to me;-) How about you? Do you raise your chicks outside in summer?

 

[WeatheredWings]

Just a girl and her orloff enjoying a summer day

 

[gander007]

If/when there is cooler weather the humidity seems to jump up this year. I didn't hatch many ROs this year since I already have plenty of females laying. I concentrated on the breeds that I only had one female so I could have more layers. Chicks did not sell as well after about May here but other sellers are saying what I thought- folks in this area only want to pay production-breed prices and as low as they can. I was told by another seller at a recent swap (only 3 sellers came!) that by going just a half hour to an hour away I could sell for more than rock bottom pricing. I had about 6 buff orpington cockerels, all feathered out and 5-7 weeks old, for $3 each since they were cockerels only. Didn't sell the first one of those so freezer camp in another month or so. Seller came over to tell me her daughter sold all their BO cockerels for $8 each just by going out of this area! I don't want to bust folks' wallets and just looking to get up a bit of feed money but sheesh. I plan to set some RO, RIR and a few Silver Sebright eggs on Saturday for pullets. I say if extras and males aren't sold that's okay because they taste good to me;-) How about you? Do you raise your chicks outside in summer?

In the heat the chicks are the only ones running around in the sun wile all the grown ups are in the shade or under the trucks or buildings trying to keep cool ...



This is my pullet Momma with her chicks she hatched them out the end of June and the pullet was only 23 weeks old so I think I will keep her and yesterday she gave me a blue egg so I guess she is just an early starter as I recorded her egg production at 14 weeks with 3 egg's per week and then she went broody at 20 weeks ... This photo was taken 10 July 2014 ....


The chicks are Ro, EE, BCM the BCM I Mail ordered and added them to her chicks and she pecked me for having them so I think she is a chicks thief as I already know she is an egg thief ..


My sales have been low here also but that is because everyone has chicks for 2 to 3 dollars but all are mutt production chicks so I will wait till the end of summer and sell pullets but it would be nice to have some feed money ...

 

[Cknldy]

Found this today under the roost when scooping in the RO house. I have a pullet that occasionally lays flat sided wonky eggs from the roost I assume since that is where I find them. When I have ladies to replace her she will go. The fart egg is sitting on a milk jug lid for size reference!

 

[gander007]

Found this today under the roost when scooping in the RO house. I have a pullet that occasionally lays flat sided wonky eggs from the roost I assume since that is where I find them. When I have ladies to replace her she will go. The fart egg is sitting on a milk jug lid for size reference!

Yes them are all chicken egg's and I do get from time to time a small egg about the size of a quail egg ....