Texas

[Ms Jellybean]

the show will be at one of the college buildings on jan 4 2014 . I plan to go to this one also. I have never shown any of my reds but went to this show last year and they had some beautiful birds.

Beautiful bird!

@hens: You could have saved the other half to hatch later. This may be how they produce Bantam from regular Poultry.

 

[jajeanpierre]

I want to get:
Buckeye
Black Australorp
Welsummer
Black Copper Maran
EE/Ameraucana

Total of 5 birds.

I looked into MMH and they don't have all the birds I want. I did however, find another chicken to add to my list of birds to one day have. This really is like eating potato chips!

I can't make it to the show in College Station.

If you want an Ameraucana, you won't get one from any hatchery. Hatcheries don't have purebred Ameraucanas no matter what they say or advertise. Most people who think they have Ameraucanas have Easter Eggers. There is a very, very good breeder of Ameraucanas around Gainseville, I think.

I am not sure what an Easter Egger really is. I thought they were Ameraucanas bred to a better egg layer like Leghorn, which would still give you a blue egg, but bigger eggs and more of them than a purebred Ameraucana. I hear of people buying "Easter Eggers" that have the blue egg laying gene plus a brown-egg gene and ending up with an olive egg.

If you want quality birds, research the breeds through the national club. They will often have breeder lists on their web site.

I bought my first bunch of chicks from Murray MacMurray and I was very happy with the birds with the exception of the frizzles. (And to be fair to the hatchery, I haven't complained to them yet.) I wouldn't hesitate to buy from them, but like all hatcheries, unless you pick them up you have to buy a minimum order. They need to have those 10 or 12 chicks to stay warm when shipped.

 

[TammyTX]

If you enjoy looking at old photography, you may appreciate this site (I was searching for "texas" but you can change the search):

http://www.shorpy.com/search/node/texas

St. Augustine, Texas 1939

 

[Ms Jellybean]

If you want an Ameraucana, you won't get one from any hatchery. Hatcheries don't have purebred Ameraucanas no matter what they say or advertise. Most people who think they have Ameraucanas have Easter Eggers. There is a very, very good breeder of Ameraucanas around Gainseville, I think.

I am not sure what an Easter Egger really is. I thought they were Ameraucanas bred to a better egg layer like Leghorn, which would still give you a blue egg, but bigger eggs and more of them than a purebred Ameraucana. I hear of people buying "Easter Eggers" that have the blue egg laying gene plus a brown-egg gene and ending up with an olive egg.

If you want quality birds, research the breeds through the national club. They will often have breeder lists on their web site.

I bought my first bunch of chicks from Murray MacMurray and I was very happy with the birds with the exception of the frizzles. (And to be fair to the hatchery, I haven't complained to them yet.) I wouldn't hesitate to buy from them, but like all hatcheries, unless you pick them up you have to buy a minimum order. They need to have those 10 or 12 chicks to stay warm when shipped.

I knew this about the EE/Ameraucanas. I actually chose the EE on MPC because they are less expensive. I think they said what they are a mix of. I don't remember though, I've slept since I read it.

If you enjoy looking at old photography, you may appreciate this site (I was searching for "texas" but you can change the search):

http://www.shorpy.com/search/node/texas

St. Augustine, Texas 1939

I love old photos too, especially of the city I live in. I am not the biggest history fan, but I do enjoy learning about my city.

I bought an old picture frame from an antique store a couple years ago. It had a picture in it and the original glass. I was shocked when I pulled it apart to clean the glass at what was inside.

One photo was of a cavalry unit around 1900 or so. Maybe earlier based on my research of the photograph company. Another was of 'Aunt Sally' in 1914. The picture that was showing is of Old Faithful. I tried to load them but the files are too large so I will have to do something with them first.

We've reached our high for the day already this morning and it is really wet out. We had fog earlier. It's getting really cold tonight again and then the nice weather rolls in! Next week looks great.

I need to just 2 more rides on the road to reach 6,000 miles for the year on my bike. If it hadn't been so windy this spring I'd be reaching 7,000 miles now. I should have pulled out my trainer in April.

 

[topdycke]

Im alive!!! Been a while since ive posted, hope everyone and their flocks are doing well!

I am having to restart this spring on my flock...this happened then that happened and after all said and done i am down to a single leghorn pullet! She is doing well in the cold weather so far but will be looking for some snuggle mates for her until i can either hatch or get some more chicks in a few months!! Look forward to catching back up!

I am going to try and come this year. It is only an hours drive.

 

[Ms Jellybean]

OK, pictures are resized.

Aunt Sally 1914
Cavalry Unit (at least that is what I think it is). A soldier I wrote to that was a military history buff thought that too.

Old Faithful. This one is really interesting paper. Don't know what kind it its.

 

[Aphrael]

OK, pictures are resized.

Aunt Sally 1914
Cavalry Unit (at least that is what I think it is). A soldier I wrote to that was a military history buff thought that too.

Old Faithful. This one is really interesting paper. Don't know what kind it its.

What an awesome find!

 

[jajeanpierre]

I knew this about the EE/Ameraucanas. I actually chose the EE on MPC because they are less expensive. I think they said what they are a mix of. I don't remember though, I've slept since I read it.

Have you thought about Silkies? My Silkies produce a lot of eggs that average around 35/36 grams. They are itty bitty little birds. My 3 purebred Ameraucanas produce eggs weighing around 50 grams up to a high of 56 grams. Pound for pound, the little (Murray MacMurray hatchery) Silkies outperform my Ameraucanas, a breed bred for egg production as well as meat. The Silkies have been consistent layers, even when broody.

My little double-copy frizzle Cochin "kitchen" chicken is another laying machine. She only weighs 800 grams, about a third the size of the Ameraucana pullets, and this week has produced 5 eggs out of 6 days--and I'm expecting another this morning. Her eggs weigh 37 or 38 grams. She's sitting in a tupperware box in my kitchen with a big steel dog bowl for a nest and I've even put her outside for a few hours this week. She has every excuse not to produce eggs.

There is a lot of advantages to having a bantam breed in a suburban setting. Not only do they produce a lot of eggs, their feathered feet mean they are kinder on the lawn and garden--don't underestimate how much damage a large fowl can do to the lawn and how much manure they produce. Manure means flies. The little Silkies are very docile and quite friendly. I haven't found chickens to enjoy being handled, but the little Silkies all come running when I walk out and are really quite adorable.

Here is a picture of some of my eggs laying on their sides. The blue ones are obviously Ameraucana eggs and they weigh around 50 grams or a bit more. The tiny little peanut egg in the middle doesn't count--it is a mistake in the whole egg laying process and isn't a true egg so don't look at that one. The almost white egg, bottom row second from the right, is a Polish egg and weighs in the 50 to 55 grams range. The other five are bantam eggs.

 

[Ms Jellybean]

Have you thought about Silkies? My Silkies produce a lot of eggs that average around 35/36 grams. They are itty bitty little birds. My 3 purebred Ameraucanas produce eggs weighing around 50 grams up to a high of 56 grams. Pound for pound, the little (Murray MacMurray hatchery) Silkies outperform my Ameraucanas, a breed bred for egg production as well as meat. The Silkies have been consistent layers, even when broody.

My little double-copy frizzle Cochin "kitchen" chicken is another laying machine. She only weighs 800 grams, about a third the size of the Ameraucana pullets, and this week has produced 5 eggs out of 6 days--and I'm expecting another this morning. Her eggs weigh 37 or 38 grams. She's sitting in a tupperware box in my kitchen with a big steel dog bowl for a nest and I've even put her outside for a few hours this week. She has every excuse not to produce eggs.

There is a lot of advantages to having a bantam breed in a suburban setting. Not only do they produce a lot of eggs, their feathered feet mean they are kinder on the lawn and garden--don't underestimate how much damage a large fowl can do to the lawn and how much manure they produce. Manure means flies. The little Silkies are very docile and quite friendly. I haven't found chickens to enjoy being handled, but the little Silkies all come running when I walk out and are really quite adorable.

Here is a picture of some of my eggs laying on their sides. The blue ones are obviously Ameraucana eggs and they weigh around 50 grams or a bit more. The tiny little peanut egg in the middle doesn't count--it is a mistake in the whole egg laying process and isn't a true egg so don't look at that one. The almost white egg, bottom row second from the right, is a Polish egg and weighs in the 50 to 55 grams range. The other five are bantam eggs.

I thought about doing bantams but they are so flighty. I'm afraid they would get into the trees around me (there are a lot) and I'd never get them back. My plans for the coop and run wouldn't really change since I was doing a total enclosure.

Just how badly would 5 chickens tear up my lawn while free ranging for an hour or two a day?

Maybe I should just get a puppy instead....

 

[TammyTX]

They are very interesting photos! If you know anything about the family you may try to contact them through ancestry.com.

...too bad you didn't find an original van gouge!