The Front Porch Swing

[LeslieDJoyce]

That's what I'm finding out....not a trait I favor. I like an even tempered bird somewhere in the middle of that. I guess that's why I lean towards the WRs..they are just such birds, as are the BAs, and NHs I've had. Just normal birds with normal social tendencies. I cherish peace so much in my own life that it's silently crept into my flock management goals over the years and it was just in the past few years I recognized what I was going...building a peaceful flock over all these years. I never have had one hen pick feathers from another nor inflict a wound on another in all these many years and when I read about it on this forum I'm always appalled at the stories....then I remember why I've never had to deal with anything like that. I don't suffer bullies or wimps in my flocks...just regular, normal chickens.

I've been assured this is possible with any breed ... and if I want "nice" EE roosters, for example, I could "select for that." Trouble is, the EE cockerels are SO obnoxious they don't make it to the rooster stage.

Our flock was SO miserable this summer when last spring's cockerels were coming of age ... mixed breed mutts and probably some of them would have been fine birds ... but 20+ of them terrorizing everyone was not working ... The peace that appeared when they were finally processed was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Everyone is so much healthier now.

It was a great demonstration for TPTB about how "stress" affects a flock. But I'm sorry it took that kind of lesson at all. It wasn't necessary.

 

[Beekissed]

I've been assured this is possible with any breed ... and if I want "nice" EE roosters, for example, I could "select for that." Trouble is, the EE cockerels are SO obnoxious they don't make it to the rooster stage.

Our flock was SO miserable this summer when last spring's cockerels were coming of age ... mixed breed mutts and probably some of them would have been fine birds ... but 20+ of them terrorizing everyone was not working ... The peace that appeared when they were finally processed was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Everyone is so much healthier now.

It was a great demonstration for TPTB about how "stress" affects a flock. But I'm sorry it took that kind of lesson at all. It wasn't necessary.

That's my whole philosophy in life....you could get that breed of chicken, dog or horse, that is known for bad traits and then try to breed some good traits into it...or...you could just start with a good breed and relieve yourself of the stress of it all. This life is stressful enough without adding "challenges" that really aren't necessary.

Like dogs, for instance. Some people just love to get stubborn, hyperactive and hard to train breeds and then whine about them for the rest of their lives. It sounds like complete chaos to me and anathema to anything any sane person would want for their lives, but these folks seem to feed off the drama and the attention it gets. And they will even express a wish for a dog that "behaves"...but they will not correct the issue by actually obtaining a breed that is easy going and easy to train.

They always seem to gravitate towards dominant breeds when they are not dominant enough to control them...it's weird to me and I'll never understand a person intentionally adding stress to their lives and then creating more stress by complaining about the stress they've self-inflicted, but would now like everyone else to share day after day as they hear the litany of complaints and stories of high drama.

Same with the men they choose...and it's a lifelong habit of discontent and chaos and anyone nearby gets a good dose of the toxicity of the habit splattered upon them by sheer proximity to the mess.

Give me a normal chicken any old day and leave all the "changing of the breed" to someone who likes stress in their lives.

 

[lindz8504]

You'll want to be careful that your nest boxes are not on level with or higher than any of your roosts...or you will have nest sleepers pooping it all up in there.

Or you have to closet hem up at roost selection time ... and open them again after everyone has found a better spot to sleep.

Which doesn't always work...I've found.

I've even placed birds out of the nest and onto the roost and found them back in there before morning.

I am thinking just something big enough to "land" on before heading into the nest. My actual roosts will be on the opposite wall, and higher up. Hopefully that will deter any nest sleeping! I've never had a problem with anyone sleeping in the nest so far! That may mean dismissal from my flock if it were to happen and not be able to be fixed QUICKLY! I despise dirty eggs! Right now my nest boxes are exterior on my small coop, and they are at floor level. Hubby didn't really think about it, and I wasn't here when he put them on. So, we have DL, being thrown into the nests all the time, and it DRIVES ME INSANE!

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

That's my whole philosophy in life....you could get that breed of chicken, dog or horse, that is known for bad traits and then try to breed some good traits into it...or...you could just start with a good breed and relieve yourself of the stress of it all. This life is stressful enough without adding "challenges" that really aren't necessary.

Like dogs, for instance. Some people just love to get stubborn, hyperactive and hard to train breeds and then whine about them for the rest of their lives. It sounds like complete chaos to me and anathema to anything any sane person would want for their lives, but these folks seem to feed off the drama and the attention it gets. And they will even express a wish for a dog that "behaves"...but they will not correct the issue by actually obtaining a breed that is easy going and easy to train.

They always seem to gravitate towards dominant breeds when they are not dominant enough to control them...it's weird to me and I'll never understand a person intentionally adding stress to their lives and then creating more stress by complaining about the stress they've self-inflicted, but would now like everyone else to share day after day as they hear the litany of complaints and stories of high drama.

Same with the men they choose...and it's a lifelong habit of discontent and chaos and anyone nearby gets a good dose of the toxicity of the habit splattered upon them by sheer proximity to the mess.

Give me a normal chicken any old day and leave all the "changing of the breed" to someone who likes stress in their lives.

I'm really excited to see how your WVWR (West Virginian White Rock) breeding project goes.

A bird perfectly suited to your tastes, your climate, and your forage.

 

[TexasLisa]

Ooooo, that sounds really good. Hopefully its nice and moist when its all finished?

Lacy, the meat is literally falling apart when you take it out. Very moist!

Lisa

 

[Searsmom]

Have you ever tried Coffee Pot Roast? The best ever!

2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 boneless beef chuck roast (3 1/2 - 4 lbs), quartered
1 c brewed coffee
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c cornstarch
6 T cold water

Place half of the onions in a 5 qt. crockpot/slow cooker. Top with garlic and half of the beef. Top with remaining onion and beef. Combine coffee and soy sauce; pour over beef. Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours or until meat is tender Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into cooking juices. cover and cook on high for 30 minutes or until gravy is thickened.

Lisa

That one's going in my homemade cookbook! My husband ALWAYS leaves leftover coffee in the pot. I drink tea.

 

[Beekissed]

I'm really excited to see how your WVWR (West Virginian White Rock) breeding project goes.

A bird perfectly suited to your tastes, your climate, and your forage.

It may not go at all if I can't find a decent way to incubate the eggs when they come...I may have to break down and buy an incubator. That goes against everything in me to buy an incubator instead of making one but the DIY ones I've seen seem just as unstable as the method I'm currently experimenting with. If I'm going to have a fiddly, hard to control incubator I'm wanting it to be very cheap, easy to break down and the materials reusable for other things.

 

[Searsmom]

I've found that it's usually the birds that are lowest on the pecking order and cannot defend their roosting spot.

My 2nd generation totally ignores 6' of roost and perches on top/in the nest boxes. I ended up putting straw on top of the boxes so it wouldn't get so icky. I thought of putting a roost bar above the next box and then realized how redundant that would be. It's only the birds at the bottom of the pecking order. Any newbies who hang out with the rooster during the day, hang out with him at night on the roost.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

It may not go at all if I can't find a decent way to incubate the eggs when they come...I may have to break down and buy an incubator. That goes against everything in me to buy an incubator instead of making one but the DIY ones I've seen seem just as unstable as the method I'm currently experimenting with. If I'm going to have a fiddly, hard to control incubator I'm wanting it to be very cheap, easy to break down and the materials reusable for other things.

I'm with you on that. I don't like to fiddle.

 

[Windy Bay Farm]

I laughed right out loud when I seen it