South Carolina

[Jackie B.]

Nadine, I would LOVE to come see your chickens! I acutally live right across the highway from Furman, up on Paris Mtn. Send me an email so we can set up a time next week after work I can come make a visit! [email protected]

Thanks!
Jackie

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Quote:
Hi! That sounds like an interesting story. Who found chicks?

Lisa

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I emailed you, Jackie!

I went to the Dixie stockyard a very long time ago but it was to sell horses. I don't buy or sell at auctions since so many people bring sick birds there. It is hard enough to keep a flock healthy with wild birds coming in much less bringing home something from a public area.

I was interested in the story on the chicks, as well. It is not like they go wandering off by themselves. If someone found them then a wandering hen got killed and the chicks are wandering now themselves or someone put them out. However, how hard is it to care for a few chicks? Why would someone put a few chicks out? If I can do 150 to 300 at a time then a handful is nothing!
I don't think chicks could wander too far either. Let us know how this came about.
I agree with Dipsy, it sounds interesting.

Phoneman,
shutting down the 'bator? I keep saying I am going to do that but the hens keep laying and I keep setting eggs. I set about 60-120 a week. I can foresee eating a lot of rooster this winter.

Once we are on our feet again and feeling secure I will get back all the breeds I sold out of that I liked plus a few that I got but people talked me out of. I feel rather lost with less than 300 adult birds to care for. I obviously am a sucker for punishment.

Stay cool, everyone. Summer is now upon us!

 

[huckleberryfarm]

I thought they meant "lost" like they died.

I was able to rehome my two Marans roosters. Yea! So now I think I need some laying hens. Apparently my Marans hen and my Ameraucanas are going to take their sweet time so all I have laying is a couple of Silkies. My husband is less than impressed with those eggs! They are a bit on the teeny side.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Congrats on re-homing the roos! It can sometimes be very difficult.

Silkies do not lay a large egg but you are lucky if you are getting many from Silkies at all.
Mine usually lay about 10 eggs then go broody. Not that I don't take full advantage but in this heat I feel bad for them to be sitting on a nest in a stuffy coop, even with all the windows and pop doors open.
I have one Silkie on Mille Fleur Cochin eggs due to hatch this week and now 2 more Silkies have decided to go broody today along with a Frizzle. I am going to toss the Frizzle into another pen with a Cochin or a Silkie roo because I have people begging me for more of those cute chicks. I like them, too but they never get to stay. I am glad others like them a pets.

I just sold several nice Black Copper and Blue Copper hens that were laying big, dark eggs. I hope they continue to please the new owners as much as they did me.
I can't wait for my Olive Eggers to lay. I have kept only 2 since the others sold so well. I am now popping more Easter Eggers eggs into the 'bator since they turned out so pretty and will have more Olive Eggers available later this summer. I may even put a few hens in with my EE roo and let him produce some more EE chicks, too.

Your Marans and Ameraucanas should start laying soon. They are about 7-8 months old now?

 

[huckleberryfarm]

Oh, no! If my silkies go broody now, my husband will croak! All he wants are eggs.

I have one Maran and three Ameraucana girls and they are about 20 weeks old. So I guess I have some time yet. I have a Cochin hen that is 15 weeks. Everyone else is little. Or a dang roo.

If you any other hens you want to sell, let me know. My new coop for the big birds is here and the huge run is just about finished. I'm keeping the silkies and bantam cochins in the other two coops with combined run. I have room for some layers but really don't know if I want to go through hatching and raising just to get a bunch of roosters again! I have some EE that I got at TSC in March or April. I guess I didn't record it anywhere since I can't find it. I'm hoping at least three of the seven are girls. The other 4 have combs. They are probably boys too.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I have 2 Welsummer laying hens I can sell. I believe everything is is already sold or is staying.
I offered these 2 laying hens to someone I was raising the Wellie chicks for and they did not want them. I have ten Welsummer hens in the flock that are staying but there are 2 that I do not need. The roo does his his job well but I don't want him to be over taxed. Poor fella! LOL

It will be a little while before your other girls are laying but not too long for your Ameraucanas. It does sound like you have some little roos growing up. I have so many roos running around in bantam Cochin that they have become really friendly. A lot of people see how friendly and affectionate they are and are willing to take home a roo like that.
Hey, I got rid of kittens when people came to buy chickens! Now only 5 more to go! LOL

 

[Jetiki]

my girls have gone on strike. I have one banty that I swear that chicken thinks she's an incubator, she convinces all the others to lay in one spot that I can't find for at least a week then that is where she stays. Round the clock sitting, she does get up to eat and dust bathe the back to her eggs. loss of digits is possible if you mess with her eggs. One of the other banty hens has 7 babies, she's related to the 1st hen. My EE well she's gone on strike, or laying where I can't find them or there's something stealing them. I have a game type hen that it insiting that golf balls are eggs and that they will hatch, she's been sitting there for about a month. The other gold colored banty hen was laying in the nest the other one is sitting on, I haven't found any new eggs in there but who knows where she hid them. The rest of the group are too young to lay yet, I got one group in late January/early Feb. I really hope they start laying soon. They atleast don't sound like chicks anymore. I have atleast 4 young roo's I don't know about the 2 week old chicks yet. Who knows what will come out of the next hatch. Silly birds. I'd gladly share/trade a broody hen for one that is laying now..... lol


Karen in Gaffney.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I know it is hard to have everybody broody at once. That is why I have so many of different ages. And all these different breeds. Bantam hens are known for being broody, cute as they are though, that is a pain to some.
I like the sex links because they do not go broody and most of my Orps have not gone broody. For a constant supply of eggs I have many different breeds but it took some doing to find the right ones. It does take a lot of buying and selling to find what fits for everyone and their needs. Even those blasted Jersey Giants go broody!

Poor Karen, you need to come get some eggs to eat!

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Hi! I'd never heard of it, but my only two blue Jersey Giant hens are broody right now. I don't know 'who's eggs' they are trying to hatch --- they're in a mixed pen.

Lisa