Surviving Minnesota!

[I Love Layers]

https://greenfirefarms.com/niederrheiner.html

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

Totally different breed. Never really sure with Greenfire though

 

[Cebarmlds]

They are growing

 

[Minniechickmama]

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?

They are a different breed, they are a German breed, whereas Orpingtons are an English breed. It isn't uncommon to see similar types of chickens that were developed from different countries since basic body types are very similar for dual purpose breeds, then the same goes for breeds that were more specific for egg laying.
I can see where you would think what you do though. I have seen Lemon Cuckoo Orps and they are very similar.

 

[ejb3810]

When I don't come here for a couple days it can take some time to catch up. You guys have been posting enough to even satisfy Sir Ralphie it seems.

Holm, sorry to read about the cow. That is a big financial loss and losing a large animal seems like a more significant occurrence than a small one to me.
I like most of your Hatchery name except for the last word. I am very opinionated in my waning years and consider Cochins, Seramas and Silkies in the same class which is one with little redeeming social value.
I am not a fan of GFF, as I consider it only a marketing fly by night organization.
Holm, if you are serious about poultry, at your young age you have the opportunity to develop a unique breed of chicken which can be useful and beautiful to you. Define the qualities which are important and valuable and develop a plan to accomplish the task. All these breeds brought in by GFF were developed by someone or group to serve a useful and functional purpose in their place of origin. You could do the same. If the lady in Ohio could develop the Buckeye, why could you not develop the Whiskey Creeks?

Ralphie, as relates to the sprigs. You would need to hatch a good number of chicks and raise them to maturity or correspond with those they go to in order to determine if you have a real problem of concern? What if only 1% ever develop the characteristic? Would that be basis for culling? A personal and professional decision.

It is interesting what you run into in this hobby. Yesterday I went and bought a couple EE pullets from a couple. They are teachers. She at a high school and he at a college. They know very little about chickens, and I would think that if one is going to operate a farm one would attempt to educate themselves?

 

[duluthralphie]

When I don't come here for a couple days it can take some time to catch up. You guys have been posting enough to even satisfy Sir Ralphie it seems.

Holm, sorry to read about the cow. That is a big financial loss and losing a large animal seems like a more significant occurrence than a small one to me.
I like most of your Hatchery name except for the last word. I am very opinionated in my waning years and consider Cochins, Seramas and Silkies in the same class which is one with little redeeming social value.
I am not a fan of GFF, as I consider it only a marketing fly by night organization.
Holm, if you are serious about poultry, at your young age you have the opportunity to develop a unique breed of chicken which can be useful and beautiful to you. Define the qualities which are important and valuable and develop a plan to accomplish the task. All these breeds brought in by GFF were developed by someone or group to serve a useful and functional purpose in their place of origin. You could do the same. If the lady in Ohio could develop the Buckeye, why could you not develop the Whiskey Creeks?

Ralphie, as relates to the sprigs. You would need to hatch a good number of chicks and raise them to maturity or correspond with those they go to in order to determine if you have a real problem of concern? What if only 1% ever develop the characteristic? Would that be basis for culling? A personal and professional decision.

It is interesting what you run into in this hobby. Yesterday I went and bought a couple EE pullets from a couple. They are teachers. She at a high school and he at a college. They know very little about chickens, and I would think that if one is going to operate a farm one would attempt to educate themselves?

Sometimes there are enough posts to satisfy me.

I had never thought of Holm developing his own breed. I think that is an excellent idea. Maybe he should take over my Minnesota Australorp project call them Whiskey Creek Australorps. It has become apparent I am not going to have enough time to get them to perfection. If you ever get the chance to meet Holm, you would be impressed with his knowledge and the way he cares for his birds. He is an amazing young man with a bright future ahead of him. ( Holm poke a pin into your head now, let the swelling out after you see me say that about you)

As far as the Sprigs go, you are correct. I will not be culling the old rooster as I like so much about him. I will be pulling him out of the breeding line up for next year. It is possible his son (even if he does not have sprigs to pass on) has other traits I do not desire. Body size is important to me, leg set, tail position, head and neck to breast, etc... King George will just have to sit the season out. In actuality only 5% of the people that buy chicks from me would even notice or care if the chicks have sprigs. No matter what I do I will have to tell everyone that buys them it is a possibility. I cannot in good conscience sell a bird as something it is not, like the jerk selling sex linked roosters as straight runs did. If I make a mistake on a bird I am more than willing to try and make it right. I am not perfect and have made mistakes. I prefer my mistakes hurt me and not someone else.


You are right also about someone not wanting to learn about their hobby or what they are doing. Most the chicken people seem to want to know everything that can about their birds. I am a voracious reader and try to find out as much "stuff" as I can, of course at my age, more knowledge leaks out of my brain than I can shove into my brain.

 

[MNChickMom]

Alright everyone....I must apologize now....No pictures of sprigs this morning. Immediately after work our 4H group had to clean the lunch stand and as fate would have it not many showed up and we worked until 9. With no lights in my quarantine pen I will need to take pictures tonight. The sprigs are actually located on the base of the comb, at the back of their heads. The judge missed it on the first rooster initially, but the assistant pointed it out.

I just want to put the disclaimer out there.....we bought these birds from Ralphie with the intention that they would be a backyard bird only....but they turned into such beautiful and docile birds that we (daughter) decided to show them at the fair.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

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.

What an encounter! I'm glad everything turned out okay!

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 .

Jerry: It is usually later up here. And for everyone of us looking to pluck those berries there are about 10 different other species in the woods vying for those precious fruits. Bears, raccoons, Birds of all types. In my yard, this includes savvy chickens making purple poop. It could be that they are crossed. But I will tell you that I see the raspberry ripen sooner and long gone well before the blackberries ripen...so is that indicative of their bloom time as well....? I haven't paid attention to that. I would say last weeks of August and even into September. I would think with all the rain we've got the berries should swell to pretty good size? We've had some dry years where they were very small and not worth the work and bug bites to get. After seeing those blooms this spring and the supporting rainfall with adequate amounts of Sunshine...it should be a bumper year with these berries. I did pluck a blackberry last week. It needed another few days to ripen. There were not many others behind it. I think also the deer forage the more tender fruit bearing ends of these bushes. And deer can really make a dent on any under story.

 

[duluthralphie]

They are growing

Please do not take this wrong,,,

But those are so gross!!!! yeeeeech

I wonder if my guineas would eat them?




Also I am glad the hawk left hungry! Too many hawks and not enough good baked hawk recipes is the problem.

 

[duluthralphie]

Alright everyone....I must apologize now....No pictures of sprigs this morning. Immediately after work our 4H group had to clean the lunch stand and as fate would have it not many showed up and we worked until 9. With no lights in my quarantine pen I will need to take pictures tonight. The sprigs are actually located on the base of the comb, at the back of their heads. The judge missed it on the first rooster initially, but the assistant pointed it out.

I just want to put the disclaimer out there.....we bought these birds from Ralphie with the intention that they would be a backyard bird only....but they turned into such beautiful and docile birds that we (daughter) decided to show them at the fair.

Can we tie some works on the legs of the assistant and take him swimming off a bridge?


When I got the SS I was never going to show them but as MnChick says they turned into such beautiful birds that approach the SOP so closely I decided to try showing them myself. Had I known about the Benton County fair Open division I would have had them up there. I tried Mille Lacs and Sherburne County fairs but they had no open division. The off spring of my original three are just beauties to behold, IMHO....

 

[Bogtown Chick]

These were plucked one morning and topped our crepes and oatmeal breakfast on the deck a few years back.