Texas

[Brookshire11]

Well, I got my first egg...and its white. That means my sole White Leghorn named KFC is the chicken that started it all. And, it was on the floor and not in one of the nesting boxes.

You beat me! How old was she? Mine are only 19 weeks..but it should be soon!
Their combs are getting more red lately.

in Pittsburg they have a sale every monday night starts at 6 pm i think. they sell junk ,some hatching eggs, rabbits, quail , ducks , chickens, pigs , goats, horses mules some dairy calves....i go sell excess birds i hatch . plan to go next monday night

Pittsburg, TX, east of Dallas?

Since our gang didn't get much outside time today we decided to get something special for them when we went to the store. Fixed them chopped kale, parsley and mustard greens plus half a bag of mixed soup veggies which I cooked just a little and a can of corn. They came running and like kids they picked out the corn first. Becka was picking out pieces and feeding them to her chicks. Then they got some fresh italian bread for dessert. Put some very happy chickens to bed tonight.

Mine got some fennel tops, watermelon, and a new treat: Hardboiled eggs. I have never seen them eat anything so fast as they ate those yolks.

You can do it!!

I'm going to have to on Friday! lol

They learn quickly, don't they. All we need do is walk to the barn with any kind of plastic sack and they assume it's for them. They follow in a troop along the fence...too funny!

I think I give too many treats..mine follow me anytime I step outside..lol

why?

They have these SUPER cute, unique looking chicks in.

My guess, Chicken Math!!

Very much chicken math! I'm trying to avoid it until next spring

Howdy!

I'm in Lubbock I am completely new to this chicken thing. Lol! I have 5 so far. They are 2 weeks old tmrw and currently living in my laundry room in a brooder box until my husband finishes converting wooden playhouse to chicken shack. I have 2 black astrolorps and 3 buff orpingtons. They are named, of course, by my 3 children. They are Lucy and Ethel, Myrtle, Gertrude and Opal.
Looking forward to this adventure!

Carly

Welcome!!!

She has an issue with will power!! Lol

Do I ever!
And my place is too small for unlimited chicken math. Lol
I'm on a tight leash

 

[Starfire669]

I stopped ordering chicks for the year a couple of weeks ago.  Until I realized I over sold our 'replacement' pullets this year, I'm hoping to stagger out ages for when the older girls start to slow down.  We have a number of cockerels waiting for process and they make it feel like there's more here than there are.

So, 2 weeks ago I bought 10 six week old pullets, we have 7 left.  We had eggs in the incubator but only 1 hatched, luckily a local feed store had a few chicks so I bought 4 more pullets.  I then set more eggs in the incubator, I still haven't had a successful hatch, so I'm scared to get excited about them.  This morning I ordered 10 assorted pullets from Ideal, plus they will send males for warmth.  I was trying to be responsible and only ordered 10.

So, since I stopped for the year, by Friday, I will have around 25-30 more chicks, depending on how many males are added for warmth...Not including the eggs in the incubator because those are still up in the air...eeekkkk! lol  I meant to order a couple of geese but forgot, and I didn't get the email until I placed the order about the turkeys but I do have 5 this year...all appear to be male, I was hoping to keep one female.  Oh well!

Are you interested in any particular geese? I have African and Chinese geese. 4 of each. I brought the Africans as sexed females, and the Chinese are straight runs. Was hoping for 2 males but so far only know of 1 male, Snow. One of my youngest Africans has leg trouble, I'm trying to help her but I may have to cull her if she don't improve. Which saddens me, a lot. I thought she had the beginnings of Perosis, so I have been giving vitamins and minerals. I know it's not niacin as she and all the geese get that regularly to prevent leg problems. Her legs are also a grey color, which is not normal for Africans, their legs start black and turn a dark orange. All my geese are from Ideal, and this is the 2nd gosling with leg/foot problems. Another gosling, a Chinese, had 2 toes stuck together on each foot, I performed a minor toe separation surgery and she is fine now. I also lost another gosling, a Chinese to niacin defiency, now have Gertrude's, the African, leg problems going on. All my chickens and the Cayuga ducklings are also from Ideal. My rooster and the crested ducks are the only ones from other sources, and because of the neurological problems associated with the crest in ducks, the crested will NOT breed. They can be surrogate mothers though if they wish,

Next year I am ordering hatching Chinese goose eggs from a lady on the goose forums. She has brown Chinese, pied Chinese, splash Chinese, even tufted Chinese geese. Since my Chinese are whites I am looking into the brown, pied, and splash colors for my flock. In this way I will get outside blood in case inbreeding at Ideal is the issue with all the geese leg problems, and add color to my flock at the same time. Lol. I do plan on allowing the Africans and Chinese tobreed together to increase size, bigger table birds if i can bring myself to cull the geese when the time comes. Also looking for hatching Cayuga duck eggs for next year to get outside blood for the ducks. Both of my roosters, whoever the 2nd one turns out to be, will not be from Ideal stock, so chickens shouldn't be inbred. Plus I am going to mix the RIR, SLW, BR, BO, and BA ladies to the 2 roosters to open the gene pool more. I am not worried about pure bred chickens, just healthy chickens for meat and eggs. I think @AussieChick is going to sell me 1 of her show line BA Roos. She lives like 10-20 minutes away, so it is no trouble to arrange pickup. The sire of her cockerels was 16lbs, so they should add size to my chicks next year. She also is interested in learning to cull her own birds, and I am willing to show her what I know. I might end up with a chicken lover friend close enough to actually be able to help each other out, which is great. Doing all this alone, I know more than the rest of my family at this point, has been hard and I could use some help/advice from time to time myself.

Sorry for long post. Just be careful with ordering only from Ideal. I truely believe their stock is inbred.

 

[sandiTX]

Are you interested in any particular geese? I have African and Chinese geese. 4 of each. I brought the Africans as sexed females, and the Chinese are straight runs. Was hoping for 2 males but so far only know of 1 male, Snow. One of my youngest Africans has leg trouble, I'm trying to help her but I may have to cull her if she don't improve. Which saddens me, a lot. I thought she had the beginnings of Perosis, so I have been giving vitamins and minerals. I know it's not niacin as she and all the geese get that regularly to prevent leg problems. Her legs are also a grey color, which is not normal for Africans, their legs start black and turn a dark orange. All my geese are from Ideal, and this is the 2nd gosling with leg/foot problems. Another gosling has 2 toes stuck together on each foot, I performed a minor toe separation surgery and she is fine now. I also lost another gosling to niacin defiency, now have Gertrude's leg problems going on. All my chickens and the Cayuga ducklings are also from Ideal. My rooster and the crested ducks are the only ones from other sources, and because of the neurological problems associated with the crest in ducks, the crested will NOT breed. They can be surrogate mothers though if they wish,

Next year I am ordering hatching Chinese goose eggs from a lady on the goose forums. She has brown Chinese, pied Chinese, splash Chinese, even tufted Chinese geese. Since my Chinese are whites I am looking into the brown, pied, and splash colors for my flock. In this way I will get outside blood in case inbreeding at Ideal is the issue with all the geese leg problems, and add color to my flock at the same time. Lol. I do plan on allowing the Africans and Chinese tobreed together to increase size, bigger table birds if i can bring myself to cull the geese when the time comes. Also looking for hatching Cayuga duck eggs for next year to get outside blood for the ducks. Both of my roosters, whoever the 2nd one turns out to be, will not be from Ideal stock, so chickens shouldn't be inbred. Plus I am going to mix the RIR, SLW, BR, BO, and BA ladies to the 2 roosters to open the gene pool more. I am not worried about pure bred chickens, just healthy chickens for meat and eggs. I think @AussieChick is going to sell me 1 of her show line BA Roos. She lives like 10-20 minutes away, so it is no trouble to arrange pickup. The sire of her cockerels was 16lbs, so they should add size to my chicks next year. She also is interested in learning to cull her own birds, and I am willing to show her what I know. I might end up with a chicken lover friend close enough to actually be able to help each other out, which is great. Doing all this alone, I know more than the rest of my family at this point, has been hard and I could use some help/advice from time to time myself.

Sorry for long post. Just be careful with ordering only from Ideal. I truely believe their stock is inbred.

my brother ordered 100 bantams from ideal, and one of the chicks botton beak shoots out to the left, but it still eats and drinks it's about 1 month old.
So sad looking. And its feather leg one also

 

[Starfire669]

my brother ordered 100 bantams from ideal, and one of the chicks botton beak shoots out to the left, but it still eats and drinks it's about 1 month old. So sad looking.

I am sorry. I would advise him to get some outside blood in that flock. I have had too many issues with my geese to write it off as coincidence. I did lose 1 BR chick soon after bringing it home, but that was my fault. Other than temperament issues with the RIR and SLW the chickens seem healthy. But I am all for opening up the gene pool to keep them healthy. Figure I can also get better temperament and size by bringing in outside Roos for my hens as well. See if anyone has bantams or bantam eggs for sale that didn't come from Ideal. Or maybe try a different hatchery for some better genetics. I plan on keep track of my geese very carefully to see if my hatchlings have the same problems next year. I will be monitoring my chickens and ducks as well. And I hope to bring in Cayuga eggs from someone on this site, or from a different hatchery with no connection to Ideal to help prevent genetic issues from cropping up in my flocks. Just because I indeed to eat the eggs and some birds for meat does not mean I don't care for them. I want them healthy. Healthy, happy birds make better breakfasts and dinners. Though I don't think I can cull one of my geese right now, I am way too attached to those buggers.

 

[sandiTX]

I am sorry. I would advise him to get some outside blood in that flock. I have had too many issues with my geese to write it off as coincidence. I did lose 1 BR chick soon after bringing it home, but that was my fault. Other than temperament issues with the RIR and SLW the chickens seem healthy. But I am all for opening up the gene pool to keep them healthy. Figure I can also get better temperament and size by bringing in outside Roos for my hens as well. See if anyone has bantams or bantam eggs for sale that didn't come from Ideal. Or maybe try a different hatchery for some better genetics. I plan on keep track of my geese very carefully to see if my hatchlings have the same problems next year. I will be monitoring my chickens and ducks as well. And I hope to bring in Cayuga eggs from someone on this site, or from a different hatchery with no connection to Ideal to help prevent genetic issues from cropping up in my flocks. Just because I indeed to eat the eggs and some birds for meat does not mean I don't care for them. I want them healthy. Healthy, happy birds make better breakfasts and dinners. Though I don't think I can cull one of my geese right now, I am way too attached to those buggers.

we have a few adult bantams already. I will not be ordering from them, all the other chicks are fine, but still why would they even send one like that. It wasnt a freebie, its one that was bought.

 

[Starfire669]

This is Daisy duck wearing her warpaint. Lol. She fought so hard that it got everywhere. My hubby has some on his chin from when she pulled her head out of my hands. At least the chickens won't peck her scratch though. Lol

 

[lovingmyhens]

You beat me! How old was she? Mine are only 19 weeks..but it should be soon!
Their combs are getting more red lately.

Pittsburg, TX, east of Dallas?

Mine got some fennel tops, watermelon, and a new treat: Hardboiled eggs. I have never seen them eat anything so fast as they ate those yolks.

I'm going to have to on Friday! lol

I think I give too many treats..mine follow me anytime I step outside..lol

They have these SUPER cute, unique looking chicks in.

Very much chicken math! I'm trying to avoid it until next spring

Welcome!!!

Do I ever!
And my place is too small for unlimited chicken math. Lol
I'm on a tight leash

ahhh but you are fixing to downsize your flock!!!

 

[Starfire669]

we have a few adult bantams already. I will not be ordering from them, all the other chicks are fine, but still why would they even send one like that. It wasnt a freebie, its one that was bought.

Yeah, that's not right. Same as the Chinese gosling I got that had the 2 toes stuck together on each foot. If I hadnt cut the toes apart she would have been crippled for life. Why send 1 like that for purchase? Anything to make a buck, right? Add to that the Chinese that died, and the African Gertrude, who has something going on right now. If their stock isn't inbred, then they are poorly maintained and cared for.

 

[sandiTX]

Yeah, that's not right. Same as the Chinese gosling I got that had the 2 toes stuck together on each foot. If I hadnt cut the toes apart she would have been crippled for life. Why send 1 like that for purchase? Anything to make a buck, right? Add to that the Chinese that died, and the African Gertrude, who has something going on right now. If their stock isn't inbred, then they are poorly maintained and cared for.

Somethings not right for sure, poor babies

 

[Starfire669]

Another pic of my purple duck Dasiy. Think she will start a new fashion for ducks? Lol you guys should see my porch, the shirts my hubby and I were wearing, his face, and my hands. We are all purple! I used the spray Blu-kote on her foot with much less mess than the dauber on her face. Poor Ducky.