The Middle Tennessee Thread

[DMRippy]

12 Silkie pens now complete... I realised that I don't like MOST of my whites! two v nice hens and 2 v nice roos and nothing else that impressive. So now I am Silkie shopping.

Our first Jubilee Orp eggs went in the bator... YAY!

Yeah!

You want some guinea? Instead of eggs? I have so many babies right now it would help me out some.

 

[heirloomorps]

Yeah!

You want some guinea? Instead of eggs? I have so many babies right now it would help me out some.

That sounds good... Babies or eggs I don't care. I am HOPING to come Nashville on Monday.

 

[Peach2u]

12 Silkie pens now complete... I realised that I don't like MOST of my whites!

two v nice hens and 2 v nice roos and nothing else that impressive. So now I am Silkie shopping.

Our first Jubilee Orp eggs went in the bator... YAY!

Crump! My mom lived in Crump for a long time. I love and miss the flea market there

Why my step father wanted to go die under palm trees I'll never know. He got his wish and now my mom is stuck in Florida. Everyday she tells me she regrets moving from there, so do I. So until the real estate market goes back up so people aren't under water she is stuck.

 

[CarolJ]

usually you can find a roo guy if you put an ad on craigs list....i have TWO lol

I finally found a roo guy!

He eats most of them - but I figure at least the roos had a few weeks or months here on the farm - which is a lot better life than commercial birds have. It sure makes hatching easier if you have someone that'll take the extra roos.

Although (for about the millioneth time), I've decided not to hatch any more.

We'll see how long that lasts this time. I actually have a couple of empty pens now.

 

[Goose and Fig]

If I have a decent purebred roo I am not using anymore, I always try the breed clubs or threads first. But when you have a ton of boys...
I cannot get ONE DOLLAR for a 6 month old rooster. Not a buck. I wish we ate meat because I am sick of raising them up and having to give them all away. I have even had people come out and actually say "Call me when they are bigger" The nerve!

 

[DMRippy]

 usually you can find a roo guy if you put an ad on craigs list....i have TWO lol

I finally found a roo guy!    He eats most of them - but I figure at least the roos had a few weeks or months here on the farm - which is a lot better life than commercial birds have.  It sure makes hatching easier if you have someone that'll take the extra roos.

Although (for about the millioneth time), I've decided not to hatch any more.     We'll see how long that lasts this time.  I actually have a couple of empty pens now.

I dont usually mind that they will be eaten. Most need to be eaten LOL mean one and ones with dq's

 

[Goose and Fig]

I don't mind that they will be eaten, I mind that people want me to raise them up to full grown, give them away free, and in some cases they even ask me to deliver.

Its like last year- I was donating about 12 dozen eggs a week to a local church's food bank. Washing them, buying cartons, delivering them....all I asked was they return the cartons so I could reuse them. I was paying for them after all. Not one person could bring me them back. After several months of that, I just sold most of my laying flock. I do all my charity stuff now though reputable non-proselytizing groups instead.

You know they say "don't bite the hand that feeds you". Well- you could say I have been bitten more than once here.

 

[heirloomorps]

I have a guy around here that takes them when they are off the heatlamp about once every 2 months. Right now I have so many boys... I need him to come and get some. My last CCL hatch was 7 boys 0 girls but we may raise them all and get a friend to process them.

 

[CarolJ]

I have a guy around here that takes them when they are off the heatlamp about once every 2 months. Right now I have so many boys... I need him to come and get some. My last CCL hatch was 7 boys 0 girls but we may raise them all and get a friend to process them.

I have had almost the same luck with cream legbars - out of four eggs - 3 were boys, 1 girl. That has happened twice. And the larger hatches have had similar ratios. ALWAYS lots more boys than girls. Right now I have two broody hens - and they each have 5 cream legbar eggs under them. I'll be lucky to get one girl from each broody.

I have a CSA friend who will be processing chickens in the fall. I've asked if I could come and watch/help. I want to learn to do them myself - although I've read from some that it's more trouble than it's worth. I don't know. I just feel bad to keep giving away all these roos - knowing I've raised them but they'll end up on someone else's plate.

 

[Goose and Fig]

I feel bad because its not just MY money that is raising these birds. Its my husband working 70 hours a week in this awful weather, and being away from the family that makes this crazy poultry thing I do possible.

I think just convinced myself to seriously cut back. Again.