Show Off Your American Gamefowl and Chat Thread!!!

[Lauravonsmurf]

Well hubby wants some feathered legged birds... I think he means Cochin, I like a wide variety of breeds for different reasons. Pumpkin Hulsey or Lemon 84 are two American type gamefowl lines I just love, but not really set up for real game birds. So the current wish list Cornish, Yokohama, Sumatra, Sultans and Naked Necks... but there are more breeds I like so pretty open. I would love to breed a hard feathered line of EEs with pearl eyes, lower set tails but with good leg movement. I plan to hit TSC next Monday as they will be getting chicks much to my surprise, we will see what they have they might have something interesting or not. Also need to set the shower up again in the master bath for a brooder.

 

[SOHC-FTW]

Dont expect much from tsc, quality wise.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

With your temps, you could probably brood directly in your old coop with the heating pad method, if you feel it's secure enough I did that instead of a lamp this year - worked great.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

Yeah I know, at this point it is Hatchery stock as my options. I am hoping to get an incubator next and try hatching out hatching eggs. I have not purchased chicks from a TSC store before, so if we do I will find out source Hatchery or Hatcheries they use. My current birds came from a feed store in another county, Ideal Polutry was source, not SOP of course but the dark bird is exactly the wild type I remember before SOP was set, both birds healthy and blue egg layers, and properly sorted and cared for at that store. TSC that year when I went chick hunting they had only bantams in stock, but healthy... not all feed stores we visited had properly displayed birds, many breeds mismarked or 100% misrepresented for example Belt Hatchery Jungle Fowl at one store were with a picture of Red Jungle Fowl... Belt's Jungle Fowl are Saipan like mixes possibly with Shamo or Malay but not at all RJF as shown and listed, chicks are huge, many colors and not the wild type or smaller size like RJF but do look like Saipan type but wider color range, that feedstore had dead birds in with live ones, and despite watching a store person care for them, they did not remove dead birds, in addition breeds were mixed together but not listed as such. Other feedstores had healthy enough looking birds but only one or two breeds often not sexed.

I miss my old feedstore, good chicks, and many poultry specific things... but all good things come to an end.

The store folks said they will be getting more than just Sex Links in at TSC so sort of curious.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

With your temps, you could probably brood directly in your old coop with the heating pad method, if you feel it's secure enough I did that instead of a lamp this year - worked great.

I am worried about what is running around the yard at night... something has been trying to get into the old coop at night.

 

[SOHC-FTW]

I go local to source birds if not i have driven up to 4hours.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

feedstore had dead birds in with live ones, and despite watching a store person care for them, they did not remove dead birds

I've seen this at TSC. This spring there were several dead in the bins and not so fresh smelling either. I wonder if they just dumped the box of chicks when they arrived and paid no attention

I hope you catch whatever is prowling around. Racoon? Got any traps?

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

Eventually I want to improve the quality of birds we have, so I will have to figure out better local options. But for right now the birds we have are test subjects more or less, testing behaviors, looking at genetics that are visiable, trying out gizmo builds, feeds, medical options on, new things on... the two adult hens I have compared to my old big flock have had more strife than when I had a big flock with same breed and even more aggressive breeds in it... conclusion of the 2 hen experiment is the flock dynamic of pecking order less stable... next test increase flock size and observe behaviors. I am being more analytical this time around on keeping, not really properly scientific per say... but noting things in behaviors more especially since breeding my own would be nice down the road. I need to up my chicken biology physiology understanding next.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

I've seen this at TSC. This spring there were several dead in the bins and not so fresh smelling either. I wonder if they just dumped the box of chicks when they arrived and paid no attention

I hope you catch whatever is prowling around. Racoon? Got any traps?

Got no traps... I am thinking might be a couple different critters, rat might be what tried to gnaw it's way in, the burrowor is maybe after the veggies only so could be gopher or mole, and possum and coons are big possibilities as I see those wondering the hood at night... skunk too. So lots of possibilities. I got to get yard knocked down an back to make it more open... less critter hiding spots. When I go into the yard at night I can hear the critters moving in the tall died back Irises and shrubbery areas... so they hide but are there, I hear them. Something really like my ripe tomatoes right next door to the coop... that gets raided often. I used to have dogs that hunted out critters... no dogs anymore, so I guess we will have to develop other pest control options.

 

[sdm111]

f-2 red jungle fowl went for $1500.00 a young unrelated pair 20something yrs ago. I can't see real, & quality being at a store. May just be me