South Carolina

[RedBugPoultry]

Wow, it is going to be another hot one! I have a woman wanting to buy 25 keets today and I soo hope she calls soon. I do not want to stress these babies any more than they already are--I have already caught them and have them in peanut crates in the house. It is already so warm outside that I did not want to wait any longer to chase them around in the hutch.

Yes Farmer John, the girls are striking here too!

The cochin girls that is--I got 2 eggs yesterday and 4 the day before that. They are not the greatest layer anyway, but only one hen is setting right now out of 14. Oh, how soon I forget, I do have 4 running around with chicks too. Ok, out of 9 hens!

On another note, peachicks are still doing good--or seem to be!

 

[SC-ChickMom]

Lexington here. Currently in the coop planning stage. Planning for 6-8 chickens. Lurking here to learn as much as possible.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Quote:
The only shows I know of in SC is the bantam show in November and one in Orangeburg either in May or Dec., can't remember which time but I know that when I head down to the Columbia Guinea Pig show in one of those months when we always have them the Poultry show is going on in Orangeburg the same time and I so badly want to slip off to see it since I am so close. I am pretty sure it is all fowl.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Quote:
Looking awesome!!!!
And I do love the gold pole inside. However, I am guessing a roosting pole and not a stripper pole!

Yancy, you know I will do my best to get you more Polish.

 

[FarmerJohn3285]

Quote:
The only shows I know of in SC is the bantam show in November and one in Orangeburg either in May or Dec., can't remember which time but I know that when I head down to the Columbia Guinea Pig show in one of those months when we always have them the Poultry show is going on in Orangeburg the same time and I so badly want to slip off to see it since I am so close. I am pretty sure it is all fowl.

Yeah I forgot I did see something about the Orangeburg show. Just don't think I would ever make down there to it. I used to do a lot of work in Oburg with my previous job.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

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Some of my birds are laying like mad and some are not laying well at all. BUT this is molting and broody season so I do not worry. I try to hatch all year around so that my girls will molt in different seasons and keep the egg production going all year around. I know they need to rest but I don;t want them to all stop laying at the same time.

 

[FarmerJohn3285]

Amy,

When you say hatch year round, do you mean just hatch babies to have diff aged hens year round to get eggs, thus having diff birds molt at diff times??!? That may be the culprit at my place. All my birds are </= 1 year old.

 

[Jackie B.]

I finally got 5 eggs out of 9 layers yesterday. 1 mommy, 1 broody, 1 not old enough, and maybe I forgot an egg from the night before. My frizzles are on strike. Little snots. 6 babies are growing like weeds. My 2 BLRW look like one will be splash and one BLR; yay! I think I have 3 boys- 2 bantam cochins and 1 of the BLRWs but eek are they cute! Waiting on my guineas...here guinea guinea guinea! 22 more days, right Amy?

Confesion: I cracked open my crawlspace door for the brids to get relief from the heat. When I let them out this morning, before I fed them, I hear all kinds of commotion around the side of the house and everyone was waiting (impaitently) for the crawl space door to be opened. Lord what have I done? Least it doesn't smell and I can spray it out...

Cheeky Chickens.

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

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Hey!!..you are a very close neighbor!! Just a few miles away from me, over here in Saluda County.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

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Yup. I have different aged hens as well as girls that molt in the spring and girls that molt in the summer, some molt in the fall and I have a few that molt (bless their little cold butts) in the middle of winter (chicken saddles are nice in fleece!).
I also have hens that are laying well right now that are 4-5 years old whereas the young girls just can't get their bodies regulated well enough yet to lay through stressful times. The older girls do lay during high heat and low temps because they have lived it before and are not so stressed over that anymore. I highly value my older hens but I also have many different breeds in my laying flock and can figure out who is fickle and who isn't.
Better quality birds meant for show breeding are less likely to give me enough eggs to feed anyone all year around but those hatchery girls are pistols at producing! I have sex links but I also have about 18 other breeds in the free range flock. I love to try a few new girls every year as well. This year I added Mottled Javas and can't wait to see how they do over the next few years.