Surviving Minnesota!

[jerryse]

I saw that . Geese can be mean or nice . I was told that we had a goose when I was small that would come and talk with me when I was outside in my stroller . Yet when I was older Grandma's gander would grab my rear if I did not watch him . Hurt it did .

 

[lvie]

good morning chickeners . . . . Spring? Well, thank heavens - now the days are longer than the nights.

Sorry Holms about those eggs. Its just not fair!

ILLs - really? A couple of those two year olds could go. But I would keep the BR for another year (probably longer than that). Now I need to reset the mind if I am going to continue to be a chickener. Toughen up!

Grandma daycare today.

 

[destiny_56085]

Good morning!

I'm glad I'm not into those production type breeds! Some of my best show birds first come into their best condition at about 15-18 months old and most of mine don't even start laying til about 12 months old. One of the white silkie hens I showed in New Ulm last fall was 8 years old and she's still productive. The first 1-2 years are when I'm doing test breedings on birds to see if I'm even going to use them at all. Those 3+ year old gals for me are the most valuable because I know what they are going to throw for quality and who to pair them with for the best results.

Today I have a gal driving a few hours for just 3 chicks. They are pet quality, so not even worth breeding from. I've driven 10 hours for 1 single bird before but it was a heck of a bird that I needed in my breeding pen. Hopefully she goes home with more than that to make it worth the drive....

Later this afternoon I also get to wrangle birds for my quarterly AI testing. Yayyyy I get to stick glorified q-tips up duck butts. Fun eh?

 

[duluthralphie]

I have not said anything about the "30 weeks" being peak of production and run out at a year.

That might be a bunch of Leghorns in a cage in a building with 20,000 other birds. I simply do not believe it based on what I see here.

My EE are several years old and really seem to be doing amost as good as they were 2 years ago.

My Cuckoo Marans are about 9 months old, if they have hit their peak and are beyond it. I missed the peak.





Destiny I am ordering my blood test supplies today, I hope to get the PT testing and A on the same time frame next month. It will save me one testing a year. Now the AI and PT are about 45 days off from each other...

 

[I Love Layers]

Good morning everyone!


Buckbeak tried to become alpha rooster yet again yesterday, and failed

I cleaned the chick brooder yesterday and the chicks are getting big! Do you guys think there's a certain breed of rooster i could breed to all of these hens and get sex linked chicks? A barred rock maybe? I'm not sure I'm digging ordering around 50 chicks every February or so.

Good morning!

I'm glad I'm not into those production type breeds!  Some of my best show birds first come into their best condition at about 15-18 months old and most of mine don't even start laying til about 12 months old.  One of the white silkie hens I showed in New Ulm last fall was 8 years old and she's still productive.  The first 1-2 years are when I'm doing test breedings on birds to see if I'm even going to use them at all.  Those 3+ year old gals for me are the most valuable because I know what they are going to throw for quality and who to pair them with for the best results.

Today I have a gal driving a few hours for just 3 chicks.  They are pet quality, so not even worth breeding from.  I've driven 10 hours for 1 single bird before but it was a heck of a bird that I needed in my breeding pen.  Hopefully she goes home with more than that to make it worth the drive.... 

Later this afternoon I also get to wrangle birds for my quarterly AI testing.  Yayyyy I get to stick glorified q-tips up duck butts.  Fun eh?

I think it depends on the breed and that is just an average. But I can't tell who laid how many eggs each week so if you're an older hen you go first. I think the breeds that start laying later are counted out of that rule as they start later.

good morning chickeners . . . .  Spring? Well, thank heavens - now the days are longer than the nights.

Sorry Holms about those eggs. Its just not fair!

ILLs - really? A couple of those two year olds could go. But I would keep the BR for another year (probably longer than that). Now I need to reset the mind if I am going to continue to be a chickener. Toughen up!

Grandma daycare today.

Yes, I'm not sure how many birds you had but like i said above with a larger sized Backyard production flock I can't tell who is laying and who is not so a whole breed or age group goes. Whether you butcher them or not is the real question, I will probably sell the Leghorns and butcher the NNs.


Sorry bout those eggs Holm

 

[destiny_56085]

All the talk about skin conditions and what you eat is interesting. I go into anaphylactic shock if I eat any tree nuts at all. However if food is made on the same equipment as tree nuts I'll have a serious skin reaction. It can be something as stupid as dried apples, molasses cookies, whatever..... I get really flush, my hands and legs swell to some degree, and my face, stomach, or legs erupts in hives. Sometimes I eat something and have a reaction, look back, and think how stupid.... I have to be super careful with what I eat. Ever since I had a kid 6 years ago my body has changed and now I have reactions to certain laundry detergents, Neosporin, and even ibuprofen too. Ever since I had my thyroid out 2 years ago I've also noticed a reaction to wheat products too. My stomach rebels, my head gets super fuzzy, and I'm groggy all day. I never knew the pitted fruits could cause a reaction too.

 

[lvie]

All the talk about skin conditions and what you eat is interesting. I go into anaphylactic shock if I eat any tree nuts at all. However if food is made on the same equipment as tree nuts I'll have a serious skin reaction. It can be something as stupid as dried apples, molasses cookies, whatever..... I get really flush, my hands and legs swell to some degree, and my face, stomach, or legs erupts in hives. Sometimes I eat something and have a reaction, look back, and think how stupid.... I have to be super careful with what I eat. Ever since I had a kid 6 years ago my body has changed and now I have reactions to certain laundry detergents, Neosporin, and even ibuprofen too. Ever since I had my thyroid out 2 years ago I've also noticed a reaction to wheat products too. My stomach rebels, my head gets super fuzzy, and I'm groggy all day. I never knew the pitted fruits could cause a reaction too.

YOU make me appreciate my health and how fortunate I am. Wow Destiny - you really need to watch what you ingest and I am sure that there are others on this forum that have to do the same. A person does not think of these health issues unless experiencing them personally either with their bodies or someone they love who have them.

 

[destiny_56085]

The AI testing is quick and easy in comparison to the PT testing. Finding veins on black skinned birds isn't the most fun.... I'm just leery with all these reports of AI (even the low path too) going around down south right now. The wild birds are in full migration here right now too.

 

[I Love Layers]

The AI testing is quick and easy in comparison to the PT testing.  Finding veins on black skinned birds isn't the most fun....  I'm just leery with all these reports of AI (even the low path too) going around down south right now.  The wild birds are in full migration here right now too.

I contacted a tester to come test my birds so I can become NPIP certified. She couldn't remember how old birds have to be in order to be tested so she still hasn't gotten back to me.. do you know?

 

[jerryse]

I cleaned the chick brooder yesterday and the chicks are getting big! Do you guys think there's a certain breed of rooster i could breed to all of these hens and get sex linked chicks? A barred rock maybe? I'm not sure I'm digging ordering around 50 chicks every February or so.

Not on the whites . The reds you could try a silver rooster . Females would be silver males golden . Likely silver pullets would look white and any red or buff chicks would be cockerels . Barring only works for sex links if the hens are barred and the rooster is not .