Sumatra Thread!

[ramirezframing]

Quote: Sounds like it's a great drive. I love road trips, specially if it goes on little back roads.

 

[ramirezframing]

Raven is inside, she can't a hole on her neck wing area. About 3-4 inches long. $500 later, she has stitches and need meds 3 times a day. Our other house chicken, gets upset when I take Raven out to check her wound. (They are in dif cages) I would post a picture, but BYC isn't cooperating.

This all happened Sunday.

Hope she heals quickly.

 

[ramirezframing]

Quote: Not at all what I want to hear, though I could do without the brick wall of humidity in the summer. Nothing like stepping outside in the morning and being instantly sticky from head to toe.

 

[championsumatra]

Condition for me starts in September and ends in January. The rest of the year I will put them into breeding pens up to 5 to 2 birds in each pen. I do it every year. I give my birds turkey feed. The males need high protean to grow in their tails feathers in nicely. The black oily sunflower seeds help out with making the feathers more glossy it also helps a sumatra have a better green sheen. I feed oats, chicken scratch, the layina omega- 3 stuff. I give them dog food so that they don't start feather picking each other. If your sumatra's souls are a dull yellow start feeding them alfalfa you will see a big difference in the color. I also use red cell as a vitamin supplement.
Quote: Thats funny you have a chicken named Raven.

 

[Peep-Chicken]

Condition for me starts in September and ends in January. The rest of the year I will put them into breeding pens up to 5 to 2 birds in each pen. I do it every year. I give my birds turkey feed. The males need high protean to grow in their tails feathers in nicely. The black oily sunflower seeds help out with making the feathers more glossy it also helps a sumatra have a better green sheen. I feed oats, chicken scratch, the layina omega- 3 stuff. I give them dog food so that they don't start feather picking each other. If your sumatra's souls are a dull yellow start feeding them alfalfa you will see a big difference in the color. I also use red cell as a vitamin supplement.  
Thats funny you have a chicken named Raven.

It was going to be Crow, but Raven fits more .

I hope she has a fast recovery!

Thank you!

 

[FlCountryGirl]

Had check-in at my county fair. Only one other Sumatra competing against me. Feeling a little confident as he was rather small and had a red comb. Keeping my fingers crossed for the closed judging tomorrow morning.

 

[Varglet]

I was wondering if anyone here could tell me if I might have a Sumatra chick or not. Someone mentioned it might be. I understand you probably won't be able to tell me definitively, but any help would be appreciated. I got it from an assortment of clean legged banties. Has no visible comb yet, don't know if you can tell that from the pics.

I know I should wait at least a few weeks before trying to figure out what they are, but I can't give them names until I know. I'm picky about names, and I'm rather impatient with not knowing the breed.

 

[Coop Scoop Boogie]

Now that I have my normal keyboard!..... It's kind of like horses, I mean we monitor and watch and feed and dust with diatomacious earth all year round, I like to let mine free range most of the spring and summer, fall, when the weather gets bad they get penned up more, they have a coop and runs they go in year round and right now I have 3 trios in a heated shed to get a start on some eggs and hatching, bad thing about that is that they are usually my best birds so.. they are breeding and feathers get more ragged, males tails get stepped on since they are caged, but only way to get chicks before late April or May around here. I had a male I was hoping to take to the show if he stayed in good condition, but no, just noticed the hens are tearing his tail up, so right now, more important to get eggs than to take him, will probably take the outside male, which isn't the best one I have.. but in the best condition, fall shows are easier, they are usually in great condition.. if i can keep them from molting.. birds are much harder than horses.. sigh.. and horses you can have for 15 years or more of showing, not so with the same bird.
I like to feed some black oil sunflower seeds and some flax seeds here and there, heard the oils are good for the feathers. and the Sumatras love them.
I usually don't have to do their toe nails since they are free ranged, but we monitor them and if needed will clip.
Usually a couple months before on the ones that look like I will take, we go over feathers and if any broken will pull and increase the protein in the diet to help with the feather growth.
I used to show horses so pretty much the same with monitoring and getting ready, polishing them up before they go in to be judged, don't have to clip the legs and bridle paths or pull mains, but its pretty much all the same just different I know you know what I'm talking about.

I do know what you mean and I had figured good nutrition year round is must whether you show
or not. I had taken the grandbabies with me to see a few shows and they are starting to ask about
showing and before we decide to jump into this I think we should have a good idea of what we
need to do. We want them to learn to do it all right so if we get into this we will find some good
breeding stock and have the kids learn about breeding and how to pick the ones good for showing.
Still happy to any other tips for showing.
Next logical question is about culling.

 

[Coop Scoop Boogie]

Condition for me starts in September and ends in January. The rest of the year I will put them into breeding pens up to 5 to 2 birds in each pen. I do it every year. I give my birds turkey feed. The males need high protean to grow in their tails feathers in nicely. The black oily sunflower seeds help out with making the feathers more glossy it also helps a sumatra have a better green sheen. I feed oats, chicken scratch, the layina omega- 3 stuff. I give them dog food so that they don't start feather picking each other. If your sumatra's souls are a dull yellow start feeding them alfalfa you will see a big difference in the color. I also use red cell as a vitamin supplement.
Thats funny you have a chicken named Raven.

thanks for the ideas

 

[Coop Scoop Boogie]

I agree with infnityhrt, I used to show horses too and in a way poultry can be more frustrating, because once they ruin a feather or two its almost impossible to fix unlike hair if its too close to a show. Chickens don't seem to care either. I found that if you can separate males individually and put females between them, they spend most if their time strutting their stuff. They wont really dig or get in trouble that much either. I normally do not put them on any special feed as poultry feed is scientifically made just for them. If you breed for feather quality then feeding high protein feeds are not necessary. Black oil sunflower seeds are great though as a treat and training aid. So basically you work all year round to hatch and then keep feathers in perfect condition just to do it all over again the next year. Just a little something that I do for show birds

Thanks so much......and what training are you doing?


Hope your bird is better Peep-Chicken.