Surviving Minnesota!

[duluthralphie]

I actually just have a feed question. I'm feeding them medicated feed and dried mealworms on the side for added protein. Is that sufficient?

Does your sister have a lot of peacocks? I'm enjoying them so far, but they're also little =)

Are you feeding them game bird starter/feed?

 

[jerryse]

Well I never got around to canning the tomatoes today . Maybe tomorrow . My squash was just the right size for 2 cups shredded for the bread . Turned out great . I can follow directions . Sammy my dog and I had a power nap . He missed me while I was gone . He never sleeps in the recliner with me but did today . Ran the dishwasher per hint from DW . Hmm more dishes than I used . I mentioned this to DW as she hates to come home from a trip to my dirty dishes . Said she came home to mine plenty of times .

 

[I Love Layers]

Went to Arlos funeral today. Burial was out at their ranch, but we could not go cause of a volleyball meeting that I am leaving for right now..

 

[jerryse]

Hey BC ! I have been thinking on your local blackberries . The one on my place did not look black enough to be ripe when I got there . 3 days later I checked and they were mostly gone . Soft and mild tasting . The ones I found ripe along the road same color , taste and texture . Yet other patches I saw were still very green . Is this common up there ? Seems to be a wide range of ripening . I wonder if some of these have a little red raspberry in the mix . I notice the wild reds ripe from late June through early august . Very large window of ripening . Almost everbearing . The later ones seem to be not as nice . Weather related and or poor pollination I think . So your observations please .

 

[jerryse]

I still have a white one . 2 -3 weeks . Cockerel I think .
This turned into the squash below . Well squash /gourd .

 

[Cebarmlds]

I had a big scare today about 5ish, my chickens were all free ranging even Cocoa and her barely 3 week old chicks, I was sitting in the garage with the big door open so I could keep an eye on the littles, the birds had been begging for a treat and I threw them some BOSS . Suddenly a big ruckus around the corner and I ran out with the dog barking, and saw a large bird just flying over the trees and a pile of feathers on the ground. I was sure either Honey or Angel was taken because of the color of feathers. Only Mama hen was to be seen squawking like crazy and pacing back and forth. Found the chicks hiding and ushered them to the run then I saw the 2 juvenile pullets and they quickly went inside and hid under the poop board. Then I found Honey wandering behind the coop and got her inside. It took awhile to find the others under the porch and Angel was there too! The predator got nothing. I think the feathers belonged to Angel but checking her out I didn't find any blood, I can't be sure until they are calmer tomorrow I guess. I don't think it was a hawk it was pretty big and earlier I thought I heard an eagle but didn't see anything. If it was an eagle it wasn't a mature bald.

 

[Minniechickmama]

I attempted to do a putor generated Punnett Square.

I am not that savvy so here they are:

Where S is a Sprig and N is no Sprig....


You can see only 50% would have the sprigs. If the other parent did not have the gene for the sprig the offspring would have the gene in a recessive spot and not express it....Unless I am really missing something here. (Like Sprigs are dominant)..


How many parent birds did you use this season for the SS? If only one hen carried it, and it passed only to 25% of her offspring, then your overall occurrence would be even lower.
I just don't keep any of them around if they have a DQ, at least not for pure breeding. I don't know where the Orps got the sprigs from since none of the parents expressed that gene and I had never had it before, and I had been breeding them for about 3 or 4 years before that happened. I wonder if the occurrence is like if a single comb gets bred in and 4 years later it pops up in a pea comb strain?

 

[duluthralphie]

That is my concern too, I only had 2 hens and one rooster this year. They are beautiful birds other than the dang sprig! I am hoping the rooster I want to use does not have it. I still trying to figure out my plan now. This was a kick in the teeth.

I will try to breed "clear" birds, I will tell anyone, if anyone buys some there is a possibility of a sprig, Hopefully I can work it out of my flock in a year or two. I figure one of the two hens have the sprig. I happen to have 8 chicks from the one hen, I will raise them all to adulthood. That will at least give me an idea which hen it is.

 

[I Love Layers]

My little sister says she doesn't like my cochins

I think she lies!!

 

[NathanZee]

https://greenfirefarms.com/niederrheiner.html

Just thought I would share what I am currently drooling over!

I don't want to offend chicken lovers, but aren't they essentially buff orpingtons with some barring?

Or are they a totally different breed?