The Middle Tennessee Thread

[kwissykat]

No, no rash or fever. It swells at the site of the bite and gets a little red.
I'll clean it and put basatracin on it and it's a lot better the next day. But by the end of the summer he is tore up really bad. He looks like he had chicken pox. This is a pic of his bellybutton 5 hours after I removed a tick.

 

[RedRidge]

If you want quality birds you go to a private breeder.  If you want a lot of birds you go to a hatchery.

Excellent point.
This may be a good place to relay a conversation I had with someone looking for chicks last week.
There are actually three sources for chicks/birds/eggs...
hatcheries, basic breeders, SOP breeders

Hatcheries provide quantity and flash on the pan production. That's great... There is a huge need for this.

Most people who want birds can acquire them from basic breeders.
These birds are usually healthier than hatchery stock and have some proven hardiness. They normally began as hatchery stock but after generations have settled into a strain of utility that permits them to be productive and while they do not strictly adhere to any standard, they are similar enough to justify being called a certain breed. We have many basic breeders in TN. I can frequently look at certain birds and know just who bred them ( even though I have never met some of the breeders) because their birds of that breed all have the same "look".

True SOP breeders are hard to find - i know of only a couple in TN. These breeders normally do not have 10 or 20 breeds, they normally have just one or two. They sell their culls as backyard layers even though many are more purebred than most have in their backyard flocks. They breed strictly to the standard. Many to the point of loosing production. Luckily there are some who breed to the standard AND breed for production, but they are few and far between.
Breeding SOP birds requires a lot more room because it requires the breeder to hatch "and grow out" a lot of chickens. Your basic breeders raise just enough of each breed for replacement breeders, they sell the rest as chicks/eggs. SOP breeders hatch and raise hundreds of each breed. Totally different business plan.
Most SOP breeders have a desire to maintain or improve a true specific line of a certain breed. Their goal is not to provide eggs and chicks (although they do sell some), but their goal is simply improvement and integrity of the breed.
The only big advantage backyard folks have in buying from an SOP breeder is 100% confidence in acquiring purebred birds... most folks do not care if they are purebred as long as they like the looks and they are functional.

 

[n3kms]

Oh I'm so glad I found this thread. I live in linden tn. Anyone close by? I'm a new chicken momma. My babies are only 3 wks and still in the house. I'll be working on the coop this weekend hopefully. I look forward to learning more and chatting with like minded people in my area.

I'm not sure where Linden is, I'll have to look it up. I'm in Smyrna and just got my first chicks today. So I'm new here too.

 

[kwissykat]

I'm on the other side of Nashville closer to Lexington 45 miles west of dickson. So aways away from you. What kind of chicks did you get?

 

[n3kms]

I got 10 barred rock pullets from My Pet Chicken. Can't quit watching them. They all seem lively. What do you have?

 

[JennaLynn122]

Anyone close to linden that has guineas they need to get rid of? I need them to eat ticks. My son is having a bad reaction to the tick bites. Poor baby swells up and he loves being outside. Thanks

poor guy! Depending on how many guineas you want you can always get them from a hatchery. But I think the lowest minimum order I have seen so far is 15.

 

[kwissykat]

I have 30 tetra tints 20 Plymouth barred rocks 5 Rhode Island reds and 2 ducklings that I'm not sure what they are. Yes they are so cute. Hubby went over board when I told him I wanted chick's. They are now 3 wks old and full of life. I found one trapped in the feed bin yesterday morning happy as can be. She was mad when I took her out. My kids love watching them. My 4 yr old will climb In and have them climbing all over him. He thinks it's great. He also loves to go dig up worms and feed them to the chicks. That's super funny the chick's go nuts for them. They have little balls that they love to play with. We call it chicken soccer.

 

[JennaLynn122]

I have 30 tetra tints 20 Plymouth barred rocks 5 Rhode Island reds and 2 ducklings that I'm not sure what they are. Yes they are so cute. Hubby went over board when I told him I wanted chick's. They are now 3 wks old and full of life. I found one trapped in the feed bin yesterday morning happy as can be. She was mad when I took her out. My kids love watching them. My 4 yr old will climb In and have them climbing all over him. He thinks it's great. He also loves to go dig up worms and feed them to the chicks. That's super funny the chick's go nuts for them. They have little balls that they love to play with. We call it chicken soccer.

I bet they are all adorable!
You may already know this but make sure to give them grit if they are eating anything but chick feed.

 

[Raven1]

OK get ready for cuteness over load!

 

[JennaLynn122]

OK get ready for cuteness over load!

ahhh they won't load on my phone lol and I'm in the coop