Surviving Minnesota!

[lydiaholmes]

Welcome to the thread! It is nice Coon Rapids will allow chickens now, kinda weird that they didn't always...

SS = Speckled Sussex. Lovely girls. small comb which is nice for Minnesota as well
EE = Easter Eggers.

Easter Eggers are a wonderful breed, and yes, lovely eggs.I have one. I'm sure Ralphie has quite a few of those as well, or could hatch more, lol

I have a Buff Orpington like mentioned above, they are winter hearty except for their big floppy combs... Mine lost a good portion of her comb to frostbite. I won't get another bird with a big comb in Minnesota because of frostbite issues. When you only have a few hens, and they are your pets, it is hard to watch when a couple of them get frostbite.

Another source for birds is Anoka/Ramsey Farm and Garden. I would call first though and make sure they have what you want.

But I would go through Ralphie first and see what he has. He is a PNIP (is that right?) certified. meaning his birds are tested and checked and are very healthy and disease free. He is also a tester himself. When i'm in the market again, i'll see what he has. He also has a Fufu bird the Cream Legbars They lay lovely blue eggs as well. but they have a bigger comb so probably not something I would get, unless he is going to breed for smaller combs?

Thank you so much, this is wonderful information!

 

[Minniechickmama]

I got Grand Champion Breeding Poultry and Grand Champion Senior Showmanship with my LF Blue Cochin Pullet!!
My red sex link pullet trio took 1st for their category.
My bantam black frizzle cochin cock took 1st for his category.


My eggs all got blues other then the one red. Angered me because the person who got grand and reserve did not have good eggs, they were not the same color of brown, or the same shape. Where mine were all uniform...


Also they have a premium sale, you don't actually sell your animal, but local businesses bid on them.
My JH volleyball coach was there for CHS nutrition, where she works, and she bid my chicken up to $425!!
I thanked her afterwards, I was so happy! Since some of the horses and sheep didn't even get that much!

AWESOME JOB!!!
I thought it was great when my kids got $200 on their champion market ribbons, but you hit it out of the park!

 

[Minniechickmama]

If you guys were to be building a breeding coop for one breed would you rather have cages lines on the wall that could fit up to 3 birds.
OR
A coop with larger separate pens that separate colors ot genders?

COOP!!! The pens, even for bantams, are a pain in the butt to clean and have all they need in them. I have been doing it for three years and they are coming out.

 

[Minniechickmama]

My little no-fluffed White sport died this morning. I am not sure why, but a non-fluffed bird does not seem to make it no matter how warm I try to keep them. I am now down to 9 White Sports.

Sounds like genetic defect or inbreeding issue. I get some that just get to about 3-weeks size and stop growing and fluff up. I just chalk it up to overbreeding/inbreeding.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Hellooo! I'm new to the site, but I live in central mn and want to know more about raising chickens at home, so here I am! Raising backyard chickens just recently became legal in my city, so I'm super excited to possibly get into it. Do any of you know of a good place to purchase chickens in mn? I can only have up to 4 hens legally, and all of the popular companies that ship chicks have minimum orders of around 25, which wouldn't work.

If Ralphie can't enable you, give me a shout

 

[Minniechickmama]

Haha, that is life. Well I live in Coon Rapids, slightly north of the twin cities. I'm really not looking to get chicks this instant, because in order to keep them legally you must submit an application and everything, then have people come and inspect your land and give you the ok to build the coop, and only then you can get the chicks.

I've done some research about what breeds I would want, and found that Easter edgers/Ameracanas would be a good fit. Every source I've looked at says they're friendly and comfortable in cold climates. They also lay beautiful eggs, which is a bonus.

I think Fufus would be great, too, but it's definitely ok if I can't get them. Also, I don't mind if they're all the same breed or not, as long as they're friendly and do well in minnesota's crazy weather!

When it comes to Easter Eggers, or any pure breed also, it depends on the breeding that went into them. I found that EEs from the big hatcheries were a hit and miss. Creating my own from reliable well-mannered breeding stock has produced some nice ones.
I can't help you out with EEs any more this year, so maybe someone else on here has some.

 

[duluthralphie]

Sounds like genetic defect or inbreeding issue. I get some that just get to about 3-weeks size and stop growing and fluff up. I just chalk it up to overbreeding/inbreeding.

I think it was a combination of things. The hole in the hatchers auto waterer decided to plug so humidity dropped to 40%. I opened the hatcher got it fixed but the chick was heat shrinking, Judy helped it out, Heat wrap shrinked chickens have troubles fluffing for me.

We combed it and tried but it was just not all that strong...

Which is where the "flavor of the month" birds from GFF comes in. There were not a lot of them imported. The genetics pool is small and shallow to start with.

Then I am breeding these for the white sport (double recessive whites) which means I am inbreeding brother to sister for these, because the big bad eagle ate the mother I could have used for good old fashioned line breeding. So while I tell you guys when they die, I am not overly sad about a fail to thrive dying as I want to keep this line as strong as possible with such narrow genetics.

Now on the other side of the coin, I had a healthy white sport commit suicide today. I was using the MHP, I am still undecided as to whether it is better than a heat lamp or not, It has advantages for me and it has disadvantages. I think with a half a dozen chicks a year it would be great, with 1000's it is not hat great. I will still use them but not all the time.

I had 17 birds in the brooder, I thought the MHP would work great. One little white sport got his head up into the supports and hung himself. Stupid bird! I am now down to 9 white sports. I should be better off next year with them as some of my pullets from this generation will be half sisters instead of full sisters, BUT we are still coming from the same shallow gene pool.....

I am out of EE for this year, unless I have a hen steal a nest and go broody. I have someone wanting 10 on Tuesday, I am not sure I am going to have them. For some reason a lot of people bought EE's and/or I did not hatch enough.

I am extremely pleased with my EE's too, I find them sweet and friendly I have one that is an egg eater. When I figure out who she is, she will be for sale.....


Or I will call my friendly Asian woman with the plastic lined trunk to haul her away.

 

[Cluckies]

Hellooo! I'm new to the site, but I live in central mn and want to know more about raising chickens at home, so here I am! Raising backyard chickens just recently became legal in my city, so I'm super excited to possibly get into it. Do any of you know of a good place to purchase chickens in mn? I can only have up to 4 hens legally, and all of the popular companies that ship chicks have minimum orders of around 25, which wouldn't work.

If Ralphie can't enable you, give me a shout 

Oh, yes, yes, Mini has lovely birds. I've seen many, many photos on here of her breeds. She has some very winter hearty buckeyes, no comb to speak of, beautiful temperament. I'm gonna get some of her buckeyes someday too!

Man I need another coop or 2... Lol

 

[Minniechickmama]

I think it was a combination of things. The hole in the hatchers auto waterer decided to plug so humidity dropped to 40%. I opened the hatcher got it fixed but the chick was heat shrinking, Judy helped it out, Heat wrap shrinked chickens have troubles fluffing for me.

We combed it and tried but it was just not all that strong...

Which is where the "flavor of the month" birds from GFF comes in. There were not a lot of them imported. The genetics pool is small and shallow to start with.

Then I am breeding these for the white sport (double recessive whites) which means I am inbreeding brother to sister for these, because the big bad eagle ate the mother I could have used for good old fashioned line breeding. So while I tell you guys when they die, I am not overly sad about a fail to thrive dying as I want to keep this line as strong as possible with such narrow genetics.

Now on the other side of the coin, I had a healthy white sport commit suicide today. I was using the MHP, I am still undecided as to whether it is better than a heat lamp or not, It has advantages for me and it has disadvantages. I think with a half a dozen chicks a year it would be great, with 1000's it is not hat great. I will still use them but not all the time.

I had 17 birds in the brooder, I thought the MHP would work great. One little white sport got his head up into the supports and hung himself. Stupid bird! I am now down to 9 white sports. I should be better off next year with them as some of my pullets from this generation will be half sisters instead of full sisters, BUT we are still coming from the same shallow gene pool.....

I am out of EE for this year, unless I have a hen steal a nest and go broody. I have someone wanting 10 on Tuesday, I am not sure I am going to have them. For some reason a lot of people bought EE's and/or I did not hatch enough.

I am extremely pleased with my EE's too, I find them sweet and friendly I have one that is an egg eater. When I figure out who she is, she will be for sale.....


Or I will call my friendly Asian woman with the plastic lined trunk to haul her away.

If they came through GFF, then that explains it. I think we are on the same thought wave there.

I have had the same with EEs. I need to replace some of my hens who need to go to the soup pot this year, so what I have left of EE pullets are keepers. I let the last one go today that I can.

You can always breed them back to non-sport and then back again, but this is common for rare breeds to end up with a shallow gene pool. If you outcross, then you set your program back 5 years trying to find any junk that might have come in with that. You may get some strong birds, but linebreeding is just a controlled form of inbreeding.

Here is what I don't get, why in the He** doesn't it happen in the wild? Why do the raccoons all stay so cunning and smart? Of course, we know the ones who are the dim lights are laying on the sides of roads.
We have a local mangy fox who our son has hit 3 times and he still gets up and runs away. I see him all the time between our house and town. He must be part cat and is working on those nine lives.

 

[duluthralphie]

Happy 4th all...


I do not have 5 years to breed them back to non-sports. A fact of life that hits you around 65. I am not sure if I will even have birds in 5 years.


I am stuck trying to bring the ones I find with the recessive gene back into the sports. I will breed my pullets to a white sport rooster, if they have the recessive gene I should get 50% whites. I will test breed the pullets in December. Marking each one, a pain in the rear, but I will be bringing in cousins instead of brother sister. Not great but better.

I would like to trade with someone but beings the CLBs all started at GFF there is not a lot of diversity. I guess that is the way all new breeds are though. I have not seen any problems with the CLB's beyond the young ones that fail to thrive or have wry legs. They end up in the chamber, sad but true.



I am starting to pick my SS for next year. I am a little worried I do not have a lot of hens. I have one I think is a girl, (watch it grow today to celebrate the 4th) She is a beauty, good conformation. I hope I can find a rooster and another hen that look like she does.

Lydiaholmes if you want a good hen for in town, I would take a SS hen. They are so naturally friendly and curious. The only complaint I would have is they follow me everywhere. I have to tell them or run them off when I go into the chick brooder shed. They would follow me in there if I allowed it.

Judy and I are going to be putting next springs breeding pens up today. I think Coffee is coming by to get her Keets today. Hopefully, that will give us a break to sit on the deck and have a Mikes.

I need 13 more Keets to make an even 100 Guineas. I am pretty sure I have them, but I will not open or look in the hatcher until Judy gets up and wants to get them. It is kind of a thing we do together, she really likes the babies. The keets are so active it takes two of us to corral them. I have two hatching trays full of eggs, I have blocking on the ends but as soon as I start to pull it out they start jumping out.