South Carolina

[monkeemakr]

Quote:
Oh Patsy, I think Dorkings are wonderful! I am just starting with them after being on a waiting list for 6 months I have 7 chicks shipped from California. They are known to have gourmet meat and eggs. I think it would be wonderful, they are a very threatened breed that has been around at least since the time of the Romans. What I can tell already is that my birds have great personalities and are very calm. Is this guy in SC? I didn't think anyone in the state had Dorkings. If you're selling the eggs to eat, they are supposed to go broody regularly (a plus for me since I like hen broodies), but it does cut down the number of eggs. I think you'd do great on hatching eggs and chicks though, a lot of people are interested and just can't find them.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Quote:
Sorry, I just have to ask this....did those people you bought from at the Jockey Lot have their permit from Clemson? They will have to pay a steep fine from the Clemson chicken police, if not!

I had to say it! I am so sorry but that is too funny! I will be poking fun about that, especially at you, for ages.

And you SHOULD ramble on about your chickens. That is what this thread is all about. We love to hear about your chickens!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Quote:
Oh, Mary! They are marvelous! You are so lucky! I can't wait to see how you progress with them and am so happy you took the initiative to get them.
Poor Kimberly was awestruck (and now that she explained it, I am, too) and I was too dumb to understand. I AM so happy for you though!

 

[Larkspur88]

My roosters have found their voices. Oh my!

After moving my seramas outdoors my large fowl hear them crow a lot and I guess they decided to join in. Well, I have a noisy normal beautiful sound coming from a silver Phoenix.

But then... Cockaaahhhhhaaa from a Wyandotte

Followed by

Ahhhhhdooooo from a rir mix.

Oh my!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Quote:
Great pics! I think Guineas are such fabulously cool-looking birds! I'd have a flock of them here, but I can't stand the noises they make.

I don't mind a bit of noise from them but when about 20 get going then I have to yell at them.
The penned ones are smart and shut up when I tell them but the free range ones know they can do what they want and keep yelling about whatever they want to yell about. Usually they are not bad. But if they go near the penned ones then they get them started.
I am sure the penned kids want to be out free ranging, too but they are all too light and would probably get eaten.

Though I saw at Williams Feed that they have a buff dundotte free ranging and they said he/she is a few years old. The Pearls all got taken but the buff dundotte seems to be able to survive. They added more Pearls this fall to keep the old one happy.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Quote:
Very nice!! And I like the Coral Blue guinea on the other side of the fence!!

My 7-yr old daughter was looking at the turkeys and said, "Hey! They have guineas!" So that's a coral blue? I have some like that I think. Do they have dots or something else?

Coral Blues have stripes on their feathers. If they have dots they may be lavs and so far my slate blue is just blue with still some baby red on her.
She is still the nicest Guinea I have. She will come right up to me and always has. I have no idea what to breed her with to get more of her coloring but can't wait until all her red is gone and she is solid blue.

Joy, how are your slate blue keets maturing out?

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Quote:

 

[RedBugPoultry]

Quote:
Great pics! I think Guineas are such fabulously cool-looking birds! I'd have a flock of them here, but I can't stand the noises they make.

I don't mind a bit of noise from them but when about 20 get going then I have to yell at them.
The penned ones are smart and shut up when I tell them but the free range ones know they can do what they want and keep yelling about whatever they want to yell about. Usually they are not bad. But if they go near the penned ones then they get them started.
I am sure the penned kids want to be out free ranging, too but they are all too light and would probably get eaten.

Though I saw at Williams Feed that they have a buff dundotte free ranging and they said he/she is a few years old. The Pearls all got taken but the buff dundotte seems to be able to survive. They added more Pearls this fall to keep the old one happy.

Lots of people do not want the lighter birds because they feel they will get eaten but at least during the day here the hawks like the Royal Purples for some reason and not so much the buffs. Not sure why that is but I am sure at night the owls could probably see the white ones better.....

 

[Larkspur88]

WTH!!!

I went into the coop to check for eggs (I am always so hopeful) and this is what I see!!! Did something attempt to eat my chickens last night? I have a few fatties who prefer to sleep in this corner rather than roost. I grabbed the few chickens who obviously were lacking a few feathers and they seem relatively unscathed. My BLRW roo has feathers missing around his tail area and it looks like some of his feathers came out in "clumps" which seems rather unnatural. But no injuries??? And the barred rock looks naked, but she's been molting for forever. Most of my hens don't have tails at this point or only 2 tail feathers.

What would attack them and only pull feathers?? These feathers accumulated between Sunday night and this AM. I just raked this area out Sunday midday...

 

[RedBugPoultry]

OK, question--has anyone ever eaten a silkies? I just watched one more of my "hen hopeful" silkies crow! I have 3 roosters out of 4 in that batch and still have 3 unnecessary white ones from an earlier batch! Has anyone every tried Silkie Soup? Would it be gross? (my thoughts are yes!)