South Carolina

[coywade]

We are making enough profit for my four year old to understand what profit means...nothing to write home about by any means. As far as a rooster goes, I would love that. I have white leghorns, ameracaunas, RIR, and barred rocks currently. I would love to expand to other breeds but would be more than willing to start with a white leghorn rooster since that's one that I have hens for now. If I go with multiple roosters, how would I keep them for "interbreeding"? I don't know if that's a word or not but it gets my point across I think.

 

[Lroach711]

Thought I'd share a few pics I took today of my chickies and a few of our other animals

not a good pic but I feel everyone's pain with having hens molting...lol poor Nellie looks awful!

 

[Patsy29332]

West Knoll Amy said she might can help sex these with pics...Amy...these are not great pics cause they were wound up and trying hard to escape and I had no help holding chicks, focusing, and taking pics and I am old...LOL...I would welcome all guesses and wisdom in learning since these are my first chicks...so here goes...they are from older (2-5 years) free roaming game hens and 1 cool game Roo that were dropped off in my yard and 2 hens layed and then 1 hen sat and hatched...I "took" them inside after 1 week with the hen raising them...the hens and roo are just wild enough that I can't get closer than 2 feet without a comotion or running...(their comotion...me running...LOL) Mama hen flogged me several times but I got them chicks! (course I was suited up for the moment)...here is the “flock”:


OK...Cockerel or Pullet? They are all within a day or so of 4 weeks old:

Number one born black with slate legs:


Number two born black with light legs:


Number three born Yellow with slate legs:


Number four born light yellow with light legs:

 

[Patsy29332]

West Knoll Amy said she might can help sex these with pics...Amy...these are not great pics cause they were wound up and trying hard to escape and I had no help holding chicks, focusing, and taking pics and I am old...LOL...I would welcome all guesses and wisdom in learning since these are my first chicks...so here goes...they are from older (2-5 years) free roaming game hens and 1 cool game Roo that were dropped off in my yard and 2 hens layed and then 1 hen sat and hatched...I "took" them inside after 1 week with the hen raising them...the hens and roo are just wild enough that I can't get closer than 2 feet without a comotion or running...(their comotion...me running...LOL) Mama hen flogged me several times but I got them chicks! (course I was suited up for the moment)...here is the “flock”:


OK...Cockerel or Pullet? They are all within a day or so of 4 weeks old:

Number one born black with slate legs:


Number two born black with light legs:


Number three born Yellow with slate legs:


Number four born light yellow with light legs:

 

[Joycats]

Quote:
We are making enough profit for my four year old to understand what profit means...nothing to write home about by any means. As far as a rooster goes, I would love that. I have white leghorns, ameracaunas, RIR, and barred rocks currently. I would love to expand to other breeds but would be more than willing to start with a white leghorn rooster since that's one that I have hens for now. If I go with multiple roosters, how would I keep them for "interbreeding"? I don't know if that's a word or not but it gets my point across I think.

A white leghorn roo would be a good start for you. You could breed pure leghorns and the others (even though mixed breed) should still be good layers. If you want to keep multiple breeds and breed them pure you must keep them penned separately. I have some of my breeder flocks free ranging right now as I'm not collecting their eggs or they're molting and not laying etc. It's funny to see the roosters claim a certain part of the yard and keep their hens separated from the others. The roosters will accept any hen into their flock but they try to keep their hens away from the other roos. I do enjoy watching these birds. And in my opinion, if you're making any profit at all selling eggs then you are doing GREAT!

Some of us never get there.

 

[Joycats]

Quote:
My game hens are fantastic mothers! I have one little game hen (Nutmeg) and I raised her from a chick so she is much more tame than the others that came to me grown. Her and her chicks are always under my feet when I'm outside. They're sleeping in my greenhouse and I can pet them. The last clutch she raised was a surprise. She sat on eggs in my little cat house that's on my front porch. I had no idea she was in there until I came home to find her sitting at the front door with 6 little chicks under her wing waiting on me to help her put them somewhere. I fixed her a plastic dog crate and offered it to her. She walked her babies in there and waited on the food and water to be served.

Such a funny bird. We call this clutch the spice girls, my son helped me name them and they're all spices (like Mom). Cinnamon, Ginger, Pepper, Paprika. Anyway - I'm not good at telling gender when they're babies but I'd guess roo on that first chick. It has a really big comb already and the legs look big. That's just my guess, for what it's worth.

 

[Southern Bee Lady]

Quote:
coywade,

I live near Pickens. I will have hatching eggs in the spring. B/B/Splash orpingtons and hopefully silkies.

Anyway I can help, just let me know.

Mary

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Quote:
It sounds like you have your own little piece of heaven right there! What can be better than a wonderful family and a nice piece of land? How great that you all put up some stuff out of the garden. It always tastes better and I am convinced it is much better than store bought. And fresh eggs to go with it! Yum, yum!

Sounds like you are doing everything so well. Getting 10 eggs a day from 10 hens is fabulous. So many folks are saying they aren't getting eggs right now and it is a nice change to hear someone that is. Mine have certainly picked back up and it is a good thing since sales are way up, too.
I love how well you are teaching your son by using "his" egg business. Fantastic! You really know you are raising them right when you see this type of stuff.

The R-Com 20 is a great 'bator! You are really going to enjoy it! It is an easy set and go kind of machine.

Are you planning on raising the extra roosters for table meat? I use my big Marans and extra ducks to put in my freezer. But I also put some other breeds in the freezer, too. Home raised meat is so much healthier than the processed stuff from the store. Just like the garden.

Speaking of Dacusville, I used to show horses over that way. I know it is nice country and love it when I go back over in that area.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Quote:
Ha! That is too funny! My cats watch TV with me all the time. I have a Siamese that loves to see all the movement on the screen. But another that, like your dog, watches from behind her lids!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Quote:
Patsy,
You have a cockeral chick and a pullet chick. The photos 2, 3 and 4 are all of the same chick.