The Moonshiner's Leghorns

[The Moonshiner]

I know how it is, personally, when I get my own place I'm going to not have many chickens, that way I can take care of the d'Anvers and pigeons I do have extremely well. Then I will add more pens and once I have those then I'll add more.
I have plans, great plans! To get exotic waterfowl and so many pigeons.
I think first I will get turkeys though. They just need the snow off of them and a place to free range. They need lots of space but their pen can be more rustic.

Oh for real
In shambles


Yeah did you hear about how I shipped adult birds (d'Anvers pullets) through the US Abuse System and they got stuck in the mail for six days? They did survive, fortunately, but they were very thirsty...
Never again

But your hatch rates on turkey eggs inspires me

It would be so fun to try some day...

Do you know @MGG ? She raises some exotic waterfowl and I'm sure she still has pigeons. And she's super cool.

 

[MGG]

Do you know @MGG ? She raises some exotic waterfowl and I'm sure she still has pigeons. And she's super cool.

Hahaha! Thanks Moony
I do, I have 17 different species of ducks. Over 150 ducks total.
And yes, loads of pigeons. Also Bobwhite quail, Red Golden and Ringneck pheasants, Eurasian collared doves, chickens, and guinea fowl. And lots of other animals besides birds. I had a number of other birds too before, like chukars, geese, some other duck species, domestic ducks, etc. I downsized a lot though.

 

[KF0002]

But your hatch rates on turkey eggs inspires me

It would be so fun to try some day...

Well when someday comes around and, Lord willing, I still have turkeys, just hit me up and I will send you some eggs! Turkey eggs honestly seem to handle shipping better than chicken eggs, and my hatch rates have been good. Also, it would be low pressure and minimal investment since you would only have to pay shipping. lol

Yeah did you hear about how I shipped adult birds (d'Anvers pullets) through the US Abuse System and they got stuck in the mail for six days? They did survive, fortunately, but they were very thirsty...
Never again

Been there, done that. I shipped two White Legbar cockerels to a lady that found me on a Fb group I was on a few years ago. She only had pullets and wanted a cockerel but couldn't find one. I sent her two cockerels that were about 12 weeks old, and they spent a day too long in shipping I guess and didn't make it. It was May and I'm assuming it was just too hot in the trucks for them, so in hindsight I have a lot of guilt about shipping them during a warmer month. I reshipped her two older 4-5 month old cockerels later that year in the fall when it was cooler and they arrived alive and well.

We donated a really nice Gamecock to an online auction to benefit a boy that had cancer, also a few years ago. He sold for $575 and I shipped him to Texas. He did very well on his 2 day trip, but I reckon it is taking a lot longer now. We have had numerous birds shipped to us without issues in the past, but I'm not sure I would chance it these days.

I know how it is, personally, when I get my own place I'm going to not have many chickens, that way I can take care of the d'Anvers and pigeons I do have extremely well. Then I will add more pens and once I have those then I'll add more.
I have plans, great plans! To get exotic waterfowl and so many pigeons.
I think first I will get turkeys though. They just need the snow off of them and a place to free range. They need lots of space but their pen can be more rustic.

I like having a lot of chickens, but I get where you are coming from. With show birds they have to be primped and taken care of just so, and if you have a lot of chickens that can get overwhelming.

Exotic waterfowl like Swans? Oooh fancy!

We built our turkeys coops to sleep in and they refused to sleep in them. So we had to build them perches out in the runs. I tried to teach my free-range Narragansett tom to roost, but he slept on a pile of scrap wood out in the elements. Now he finally sleeps with his buddies, but it took forever. Most of our free-range turkeys roost in trees.

 

[KF0002]

Same
I grew up with a garage sell mother. She never paid what they were asking. She'd say if you did you paid too much.
There's been a few times on ebay I've offered something ridiculously low and they jumped on it.
Happy dance time. And I have very little shame so....

I was raised on thrift and Goodwill, so I hate spending full price on anything. I am certainly a bargain shopper, and I love clearance. Hence why I ended up with a clearance puppy (the Doodle), and he ate ink pens, dry wall, carpet, and poop the first year or so of his life. He is still a thief and a chewer but he's getting better, a little.

 

[KF0002]

Hahaha! Thanks Moony
I do, I have 17 different species of ducks. Over 150 ducks total.
And yes, loads of pigeons. Also Bobwhite quail, Red Golden and Ringneck pheasants, Eurasian collared doves, chickens, and guinea fowl. And lots of other animals besides birds. I had a number of other birds too before, like chukars, geese, some other duck species, domestic ducks, etc. I downsized a lot though.

A friend tried to give me some pheasants to eat the other day. I don't think I could butcher them, they are so pretty. Do you eat your pheasants and quail?

 

[The Moonshiner]

Hahaha! Thanks Moony
I do, I have 17 different species of ducks. Over 150 ducks total.
And yes, loads of pigeons. Also Bobwhite quail, Red Golden and Ringneck pheasants, Eurasian collared doves, chickens, and guinea fowl. And lots of other animals besides birds. I had a number of other birds too before, like chukars, geese, some other duck species, domestic ducks, etc. I downsized a lot though.

That downsized? you're worse then me.

 

[KF0002]

I had this hen and her sister to crop up by random accident out of my yard birds a year or so ago. I don’t know which were the parents and don’t own any black tailed red birds so I’m assuming maybe my Marans were hiding the Co and responsible for the Mh @Amer? Is that possible? They have little crests so they may have a little legbar in them. Or maybe they were spawns of Karen, the Golden Laced Polish and Legbar cross hen?

It is wild to get the color I want on a Leghorn to accidentally show up on a weed hatch.

 

[MGG]

A friend tried to give me some pheasants to eat the other day. I don't think I could butcher them, they are so pretty. Do you eat your pheasants and quail?

Haha! Ringnecks I'm guessing? They do taste pretty good honestly, but they're a bit tougher and drier than chicken. With a hint of the gamey taste. I really like it in them though. We make these awesome pheasant enchiladas that are so good with it. They are very pretty. No, I never eat mine. We hunt them pretty often out here though and do eat those. I've never eaten the quail either. I've eaten quail before, but mine are just cute pets. I bought them on an eBay sale from some guy in SC years ago, I bought 12 eggs, he sent 15, and every single one hatched. Those were my first shipped eggs, and I was like 11 or 12 so I was super proud of myself. I sold about half and kept my 4 favorite pairs. Of those, I still have two pairs left. They turned 7 last fall, which I'm pretty sure is quite old for bobs. I'm hatching as many of their babies as I can this year. I love those silly little birds and don't want them to die out. I should probably bring in some fresh blood though. The quail and pheasant eggs I do eat, and those actually taste amazing. Very rich and flavorful. The quail eggs are crazy tough though, we actually bought a special cutter for them. I've dropped quail eggs multiple times and the most I ever damaged one was a little dent. I dropped it on the cement garage floor. I was planning on incubating it, so I just smeared a little nail polish over the dent and it still hatched. Crazy bird. The chicks can be real finicky and fragile, but I usually can keep them alive pretty well. They just love to die. Sounds awful but it's true, lol.

That downsized? you're worse then me.

Um..... yeah...
Could be drugs!
My mom always told us she didn't care if we had pets, but never any birds. For some reason she hated birds. Well, that didn't work out.
I think they're growing on her though, but she'd never admit it. Luckily dad loves them.

 

[MGG]

Here's a video I took feeding some of my ducks the other day

 

[Amer]

Hahaha! Thanks Moony
I do, I have 17 different species of ducks. Over 150 ducks total.
And yes, loads of pigeons. Also Bobwhite quail, Red Golden and Ringneck pheasants, Eurasian collared doves, chickens, and guinea fowl. And lots of other animals besides birds. I had a number of other birds too before, like chukars, geese, some other duck species, domestic ducks, etc. I downsized a lot though.

Wow! That's amazing!

Well when someday comes around and, Lord willing, I still have turkeys, just hit me up and I will send you some eggs! Turkey eggs honestly seem to handle shipping better than chicken eggs, and my hatch rates have been good. Also, it would be low pressure and minimal investment since you would only have to pay shipping. lol



Been there, done that. I shipped two White Legbar cockerels to a lady that found me on a Fb group I was on a few years ago. She only had pullets and wanted a cockerel but couldn't find one. I sent her two cockerels that were about 12 weeks old, and they spent a day too long in shipping I guess and didn't make it. It was May and I'm assuming it was just too hot in the trucks for them, so in hindsight I have a lot of guilt about shipping them during a warmer month. I reshipped her two older 4-5 month old cockerels later that year in the fall when it was cooler and they arrived alive and well.

We donated a really nice Gamecock to an online auction to benefit a boy that had cancer, also a few years ago. He sold for $575 and I shipped him to Texas. He did very well on his 2 day trip, but I reckon it is taking a lot longer now. We have had numerous birds shipped to us without issues in the past, but I'm not sure I would chance it these days.


I like having a lot of chickens, but I get where you are coming from. With show birds they have to be primped and taken care of just so, and if you have a lot of chickens that can get overwhelming.

Exotic waterfowl like Swans? Oooh fancy!

We built our turkeys coops to sleep in and they refused to sleep in them. So we had to build them perches out in the runs. I tried to teach my free-range Narragansett tom to roost, but he slept on a pile of scrap wood out in the elements. Now he finally sleeps with his buddies, but it took forever. Most of our free-range turkeys roost in trees.

Aghh I'm going to be really boring and say by "waterfowl" I really meant just geese.
I really love Canada geese, they are just so beautiful and friendly and I know, I could just go outside and see them but I've heard if you raise them yourself they get reaallly friendly. Also they are in the standard but I have never seen them exhibited. The APA records who exhibits and no one has for a couple of years (but Egyptians are exhibited.) Obviously they aren't going to win but wouldn't it be so FUNNY if I entered some of those in a show? Especially if I'm an APA judge by that time. (Now that I think about it the person who I know who exhibits Egyptians is also an APA judge.)
And I always see someone selling cackling goose pairs at the Fon Du Lac Swap for 300 dollars...
Okay so now we are leaving the realm of realism and affordability...
Also they had bar headed geese at the swap once and they are beautiful.
My dream goose is the red breasted goose but...

Most expensive goose
I think I need to start a "red breasted goose" trust fund and they will be my retirement project.
I also think some sheldgeese like Kelp geese or whatever the other ones are would be nice. Haha, so funny. The only ones I'm really serious about are the Canadas and Cacklers, (I guess they don't really count as exotic?)
My other problem is I just feel bad confining these beautiful flighted creatures. Canada geese look so joyful in the sky, barhead geese are some of the highest flying geese. My plan is to spend years building a beautiful pen with high ceilings and a pond (retirement plan, lol.) Before I ever think of getting geese that are too expensive to free range. I know someone who free ranged his Canadas with his regular flock but that's also why he only has one pen.
I know I say I'm going to do all this stuff decades in the future but that's just how my personality works. I plan and prepare. I don't jump into things.
A lot of people are surprised I already knew what I wanted to do in high school. Yep, but I am flexible. If life changes and it doesn't work out I go with the flow but when I don't have my chickens here I still have my dreams at least.

I forgot to say though. I DO plan to keep wild turkeys. Or accidentally whoops, my Beltsville hen bred with a wild turkey how did that happen it's too bad I now have beautiful Eastern genetics in my flock. I'm just saying wild turkeys are abundant here in Wisconsin and I can't stop nature from happening.
I really want to breed a turkey with Eastern coloring, but a small turkey with a big head and eyes like a bantam, just really cute. It would probably look a lot like an Eastern, but hopefully smaller and a little rounder, but with a friendlier personality.

I had this hen and her sister to crop up by random accident out of my yard birds a year or so ago. I don’t know which were the parents and don’t own any black tailed red birds so I’m assuming maybe my Marans were hiding the Co and responsible for the Mh @Amer? Is that possible? They have little crests so they may have a little legbar in them. Or maybe they were spawns of Karen, the Golden Laced Polish and Legbar cross hen?

It is wild to get the color I want on a Leghorn to accidentally show up on a weed hatch.

View attachment 4105935

Do you have any buffs?
It is possible for Marans to carry Co, it doesn't really express well on Birchen.