Surviving Minnesota!

[duluthralphie]

Awesome video Ralphie! Thanks for sharing. Loos like some awesome chicks!!

Welcome to BYC and this thread!!


Are you whom I think you are? Living somewhere within 50 miles of Little Falls?

 

[duluthralphie]

I have a Bresse Rooster for you, @duluthralphie . They are supposed to be good meat birds.

I know nothing about them, I did a search and found what Greenfire farms said about them is all. Are they a large bird?

What can you tell me about them? How large are they? they seem to be a real slow growing bird from what I read.


I know this will sound silly, but I really like Bert Jr. I want to give him a chance if I can. I was thinking of moving him to a pen or into the house for a few days so Ed could have his way with Berts Girlfriends. I was not planning to tell Bert. Then hopefully in a few weeks Bert Jr can do his job. One of the problems I have is I do not want to take Bert Jr out of his coop in this cold weather and make him sleep alone. The CX's do not roost. I have a roost about 6-8 inches off the ground but instead of roosting they all pile up in a corner and keep each other warm. I do not think Ed would get along with Bert Jr to put him in the breeding pen alone.

I do not know what to do. I know if I move Bert to the Ed's coop he would be on the floor by himself. I do not want that either. There are 3 other roosters in there now, Sven, Blackie and Chancy. I have no idea, but suspect they would pick on him. Bert is not a very aggressive bird. He is a wimp and admits it. I am wondering if that could not be the problem. I had found Bert last fall pretty badly beaten by the young Toms. His butt was bloody, I am wondering if they injured his reproductive junk.



I so appreciate the offer, I need to decide what to do, knowing you have an extra rooster is so comforting. I just need to think this all through.

 

[NathanZee]

Nathan You should get one turkey just to see.

It was so nice this afternoon, I went into the Nunnery and Ethel talked to me for a while then I held her for 15-20 minutes as I talked and petted her. She just cooed and closed her eyes almost falling asleep. I keep saying they are like feathered dogs, they really are. Even the ones I do not hold or monkey with follow me everywhere.

The other day when I was plowing snow on the ATV they (the toms, as the Hens are all in the nunnery) followed me standing around watching me plow for a good 20 minutes. Making sure I got it right they would gobble just to let me know I could do better. Then they went and sat on the fence for a good hour to see how long I was going to keep the plowing up.

I dare you to hold a duck or goose on your lap for 20 minutes and not have a wet/dirt glob on your pants.

I would like to get turkeys eventually, but right now I don't really have room.

When you raise geese from goslings, they are VERY friendly and love being around me. I have held the gander in my lap for long periods of time, and unlike chickens, and I am guessing turkeys, it shoots out a lot further so if you aim them the right way you are fine. My geese love to walk with me, follow me around, and they definitely try to tell me what to do. I highly encourage you to get a pair of geese, as very young goslings, spend time with them, and they will be devoted friends forever. There is nothing more awesome than being able to go on a walk with your geese, and then on the way home they fly back!

Generally the people who dislike waterfowl have raised them in incorrect conditions, they get them on a whim without research assuming they are raised just like a chicken.

 

[duluthralphie]

I would like to get turkeys eventually, but right now I don't really have room.

When you raise geese from goslings, they are VERY friendly and love being around me. I have held the gander in my lap for long periods of time, and unlike chickens, and I am guessing turkeys, it shoots out a lot further so if you aim them the right way you are fine. My geese love to walk with me, follow me around, and they definitely try to tell me what to do. I highly encourage you to get a pair of geese, as very young goslings, spend time with them, and they will be devoted friends forever. There is nothing more awesome than being able to go on a walk with your geese, and then on the way home they fly back!

Generally the people who dislike waterfowl have raised them in incorrect conditions, they get them on a whim without research assuming they are raised just like a chicken.

NO NO NO they do not get them on a whim!!

They get them because some 10 year old 4h girl bats her eyes and pleads with you to take them with the puppy dog eyes. Us being only human to not recognize demon spawn when it comes in the form of a 4h girl whose Dad ( most likely the devil himself) is beaming at the way his demon spawn is selling their evil wares!

 

[Coffee 1st]

If I could find them a 2x3 inch TV my DW would probably buy it for them. She is spoiling them too much! I have had one person lose 2 chicks, that is all out of my Creamettes I have sold ( about 20 so far). They have been kind of nasty about it blaming me for their losses. I have offered to replace the chicks, that does not seem to satisfy them as they have not taken me up on the offer, Anyways I have made up an instruction sheet I am sending home with the chicks from now on. As a side note it appears the people that have lost chicks are either new to chicks and are not people with a farm history. I am hoping this will help. they all claim to know everything about raising chicks, but maybe this will help. Any thoughts on additions or things I should remove would be appreciated.
Thank you for purchasing my chicks.

These are some helpful hints for raising healthy chicks.

Do not expose them to your other chickens or anything used by your other chicks for at least a month. If you have a pathogen that is dormant or harmless to your current birds it could kill the chicks until they are a tad older.

Please start them on chick grit as soon as you can, it will help them to digest feed and lower cases of pasty butt. Pasty butt is not an inherited condition.

I suggest you give them a probiotic. I give mine a little powder probiotic over their feed. Yogurt will work too, be sure it does not “sour' before they eat it.

Chickens are not vegans, they are omnivorous, please give the proper feed.

Do not put them on wood chips for a week, keep paper under them (on top of the chips”) ingesting wood chips can kill them. I find having grit available cuts down on chip eating. I do not raise mine on wood chips at all.

Dead chick is normal. 10% is not excessive. Losing one or two happens. Some simply fail to thrive, they only spend 21 days as a “fetus”. If something went wrong inside the egg they will die. It happens.

If you have excessive losses, review your procedures, did you disinfect properly? Follow safe handling of feed and implements?

Keep them warm! 95-99 degrees for the first week, then drop it about 5 degrees per week.

And I cannot emphasize this enough. DO NOT HANDLE the chicks for the first 2 weeks! Normal socialization with humans in the first two weeks is just reaching in to feed them, letting them examine you hand and that is it. Handling them more than that will kill them. They are fragile. After 2 weeks you can take them out and hold them for short periods as they get older the time can be longer.

OMG ... Am I suppose to be giving grit to the babies already??? I didn't know.. I've had them on the Manna Pro organic starter crumbles Non GMO non medicated.. I have some grit but it looks to big for them to eat.. Should I go dig up some of our wonderful Sand that we have for dirt and warm it up then let them have that or where do I find baby grit? TSC in ER only has big grit.,

 

[Coffee 1st]

I understand that, but do not need someone bad mouthing my birds.   If it was the majority or even a substantial number of buyers I would think it was me.  Coffee has one of the worst chicks and he is still kicking, I have the weakest one and he is doing good. So I have a clear conscience.


When are you entering a pigeon in the race?


I could get into pigeons. I had pet ones as a kid and have always liked them.   Judy might not like me having them, she can be so "limiting"..  

I love my little guy ,, he had a inward facing leg but that straightened out and he is half the size of his brother, he is just a little squirt but he is such a little lover always snuggled in the middle of the baby girls who r now several times bigger them he is. Seems to me he is the smart one while his brother is running around and inspecting the borders of their area he is getting all the girl attention.. I will take some pics to post tomorrow when the lights come on.. God forbid I wake them up now ,, they r the noisiest little things.. lol ..

 

[Coffee 1st]

Holm, I am getting this little guy ready for you to show. I am getting him accustomed to being surrounded by Purple. I think he wears it well... BTW I am going to be naming him soon.. Also look how well he looks in a chalice! He looks like a natural hatched champion to me!

OMG you spoil them so.. I think I take good care of my babies BUT seeing yours in Purple Tutu's make me feel like I'm neglecting mine..

 

[Coffee 1st]

Get some ducks to prove you aren't! 

Now that sounds like a challenge .. Lol.

 

[Coffee 1st]

Wanted to give you all an update from our farm. We put mother and calf in together full time yesterday. It is going really well!! e She is doing a great job mothering him and he is nursing on his own without her protesting!! They were both laying down with their backs to me but I still wanted to show you. She is right by his side!

Super happy to hear her mother instincts kicked in..

 

[Coffee 1st]

Holm & Nathan....sadly I have to agree with Ralphie on the duck/goose debate. After owning ducks/geese/turkeys/chickens.....I much prefer my sweet turkeys!!!

LOVE the pic ...