Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[Wishing4Wings]

I think it works because you know your chickens so well. Long time chicken keeper told me a rooster (or mature cockerel) will be good with chicks. She's the lady that took my accidental EE boy RuPaul. She had a dozen pullet chicks, about 7-8 wks in a barn stall, and she just stuck RuPaul in with them. He actually acted a little scared! Both the chicks and RuP were going to a friend of hers who wanted chickens, so it all worked out great. Got to see him a couple of years later, and he was doing just fine. Even had a couple of youngsters of his own running around. Gotta love a happy ending!

 

[georgiayankee]

Wow!  That's a lot of birds. Now I'm curious.  Are these for personal pleasure or are you starting up a breeding business? 

Your hubby must be a prince.

I had to look up the coronation sussex, very nice looking.  What is GDW? 

I had a massive lavender Orp, but it turned into a cockerel, so I had to let him go. 

By the way, we looooove pictures on this thread!  HINT HINT  

well its kind if both. My local friends have chickens and want to do some trading of eggs or chicks,. I fell in love with rare breeds and want to keep them going. I plan to sell what I don't use...mainly too many roosters, or pet breeds such as my Cochin's at the local sell. I also sell my eggs for hatching but in limited numbers. I love my chickens and wanted some new breeds, some for laying purposes, some for breeding, and others for pleasure, meat ect. So its kind of a mixed bag of reasons. Also I love lavanders and blues. GDW stands for Gold Duck Wing.

 

[gilcamp4]

ok, i have had chickens for some forty years but never got to keep the same one long due to a dog cleaning out and foxes and what ever is on the run that night, with this group of 50, i have been lucky, i was wondering if anyone knew how long a chicken lives? we lost one last night that was 5 years old, most of them are 3 or 4 years,

 

[georgiayankee]

ok, i have had chickens for some forty years but never got to keep the same one long due to a dog cleaning out and foxes and what ever is on the run that night, with this group of 50, i have been lucky, i was wondering if anyone knew how long a chicken lives? we lost one last night that was 5 years old, most of them are  3 or 4 years,

I have heard that some breeds live a little as 18 months (Cornish ) and some live as long as 8 or 9 years.

 

[gilcamp4]

I have heard that some breeds live a little as 18 months (Cornish ) and some live as long as 8 or 9 years.

thank you, we have them fixed so nothing can get in, ( we hope ) we have a camper turned coop with 35 chickens in it and then one we made has 15 chickens in it, two yards
.

 

[cheeka]

gilcamp, I know a lady with a 12 year old rooster and I've heard of hens that have lived to past 11 years (one who still laid 1-2 eggs a week until she was almost 8!). I hope Brutus lives that long, but I would suspect that bantams might have shorter life spans. I haven't checked... but like other animals, the tiny and the very large are usually shorter lived...

it poured most of the day, so we didn't do much up here... but everyone is doing great in their new homes, the adult bantams are still hugging the chain link that separates them from where they used to live. it's surprising that they would want to return... even though they did live in there, some for over 2 years... the new space is much nicer and the roost is long enough for twice as many birds. I didn't move Julius and Junebug tho'... they're good where they're at for now, Julius is healing so beautifully... and I'm not exactly sure which of the 3 possible sections they would be best suited for.

major grocery shop trip done today. I hate grocery shopping. GF food is outrageously expensive and now, so is everything else. I can't get over the fact that ground beef is the same price as prime cuts. but I am happy that Cheerios has finally stopped putting wheat and barley in an already GF oat. granted, oats can be contaminated in the field they've been grown in if wheat, barley or rye was planted there in the previous FIVE years... crazy huh?

more rain for the next couple of days... so... boring. I got stocked up on Pie ingredients too...

 

[Scrambles55]

Hi all... checking in for the day. Gilcamp... I have a BSL that is almost 5 years and she is still very healthy and lays about 3 eggs a week.
My RSL hens have lived only 1-2.5 years. Heavy laying takes its toll.
Later...

 

[BullChick]

I give up! I can get Melissa off the nest easy enough, but she goes back by the next afternoon. I don't need eggs bad enough, and I'm resigned to letting her sit. After all, she has sisters but just hatched out a few days ago on another farm.
I went out, to feed and water as well as give pie. There are three girls in the box right now. These girls' mothers are known to hatch in groups. They can share one chick amongst three mothers. So whatever happens, happens.
Meanwhile, at least one of the neighbors cats keeps getting in and pooping inside their covered area. It looks like one of the boys even peed in their food. There is quite a lot of poop in there from the last few rainy days and nights. I cleaned it up some, but need to find my scraper to do a better job.
Catching them to move them is going to be a lot of fun. I am hoping that I can free range in the evening, and get them to go back to their old coop on their own. First, it needs to stop raining, so that I can fix up their old coop for the winter. I had wanted to put them in a coop up by the house, but it's too much work to get them in there. We will see!

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Cat poo. At least the cats don't seem to be bothering the chickens.

When it was so hot, I started feeding the dogs in the back yard instead of the sweltering garage. They ate out there just fine, but after they finished, Scooter went over and peed in Belle's dish. Ugh.

 

[BullChick]

Thoughts about the chicks: They can get through the fencing.
If I don't collect any eggs (I'll bring a pencil in and mark them if I catch her off, but I'm not touching her!) for three weeks, I'm gonna have to candle once she takes the chicks out for a stroll. I'll incubate anything that moves, and hope she'll take them back if they hatch fast enough. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
She is laying inside of a tote. I can slap a board over the hole, and move her at anytime. I will at least wait until two weeks. I am sure she will deal with the move that far into it. Moving her solves the issue of chicks escaping as well as helping me along with the winter transfer. It will be time to move back to the old coop soon (too soon!!).
Any chicks will be sold off in the spring. Extra cockerels will be processed.
Aren't you glad I shared?