The Evolution of Atlas: A Breeding (and Chat) Thread

[Brown Chick]

Will they give them cigarettes?

I think if they take my land and chickens I will need cigarettes. The medicinal kind.

 

[speckledhen]

Well, you have a problem with bantams because they are never sexed. So, it's either buy straight run, hatch your own (straight run) or buy started birds from an individual, which I never do (my policy). I won't buy straight run large fowl, of course, but that is never guaranteed to be 100% accurate since sexing is an art more than a science.

 

[MistyMountain]

New mixed flock?!?! I support this

That's my chicken plan from here on out. Mix it up and enjoy it. I have a few hatchery chickens pushing 6 years at this point, and a colorful flock and colorful eggs are so satisfying. Honestly, my favorites by far are the Easter eggers. They're thrifty with food, willing to free range, and such lovely eggs. Some are flighty, some are lovey. It just makes me happy, and that is what it is all about, right?

Don't get me started on my mottled Java venture... not the breed for me! Every single one of those fools goes broody in the summer, and vicious too. You can not even gently herd one of their chicks without risking getting flogged!

I'm with you on the mixed flock idea. Loooove it!

And, back to hiding I go, haha. Busy days on the farm!
*edited to fix my typo.

 

[speckledhen]

Hiya, @MistyMountain ! You don't pop in often enough!

 

[Brown Chick]

New mixed flock?!?! I support this

That's my chicken plan from here on out. Mix it up and enjoy it. I have a few hatchery chickens pushing 6 years at this point, and a colorful flock and colorful eggs are so satisfying. Honestly, my favorites by far are the Easter eggers. They're thrifty with food, willing to free range, and such lovely eggs. Some are flighty, some are lovey. It just makes me happy, and that is what it is all about, right?

Don't get me started on my mottled Java venture... not the breed for me! Every single one of those fools goes broody in the summer, and vicious too. You can not even gently herd one of their chicks without risking getting flogged!

I'm with you on the mixed flock idea. Loooove it!

And, back to hiding I go, haha. Busy days on the farm!
*edited to fix my typo.

I like my EE chickens the best. They are sweet and funny pets. We have two blue layers and two green layers. They are so much nicer than my Wyandotte’s and Delaware's. I can see myself getting more of these in the future. We have a mixed flock here as well. And 7 more birds on the way in April.

 

[speckledhen]

Of course, most of you know that my current oldest hen is my Easter Egger, June, who is now 13 years old. Also, my splash Ameraucana is 13 as well. The Old Folks Home is still open for business around here.

 

[h2oratt]

I think if they take my land and chickens I will need cigarettes. The medicinal kind.

At least that is legal now. Sedate the masses.

 

[h2oratt]

I agree on the mixed flock. Since I have and a couple that died from mareks, but none of the others I just keep raising these birds. I will get a couple of new birds for the genetics but I love the EE.

 

[speckledhen]

I found that Cohutta Country Store, unlike the other two feed stores, does *not* vax for Mareks Disease so that makes it even more tempting to get some chicks this year. The owner's husband is a veterinarian. I've never had any birds from Privett that I recall. On the other hand, 3-4 of my 6 Brahma hens are back in production now and at times, I think why not go with what I have? I know they are healthy and I could just keep an eye on their crops during their molts, restrict that grain mix and even maybe their feed consumption at times so they don't pig out so much. They do eat a LOT and they poop BIG, too . They are not as independent as I prefer my birds to be, but if I only kept Brahmas and maybe hens large enough for a Brahma rooster, I could add a guinea flock of about a dozen to do bug patrol and for their rich seasonal eggs. I'm just thinking out loud. They are so beautiful and the roosters are generally very easygoing so they are a known quantity, easy to sell extra hatching eggs and chicks.

 

[speckledhen]

Cohutta Country Store's meme on their Facebook page: