The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[aoxa]

Do you have more pictures of the heritage rooster? He looks like quite a bird.

He's always growing, so I don't have many recent pictures.





His brother





The second boy is very slow to feather out. His tail is still coming in at 8 months old. I like the second one better in terms of type, but I really want him to hurry up and get his tail in.

Keeping both boys. Just in case. That's very important when breeding - keep a spare rooster!!!

 

[aoxa]

Oh...so that means that the chemical treatment shouldn't be an issue in the shavings if I understand you correctly!

Thanks Stony, that is helpful.

I'll be checking into this.

There was a lot of fine dust in it.

 

[aoxa]

I find that very interesting

Broodiness is something I value in heritage breeds. I see why hatcheries don't want it in their birds, but a broody hen is of utmost importance to me. A barred rock hen is typically not a setting type. If a hen starts laying in January (theoretically) and she goes broody early summer - I can assume she will go broody again the year after.

Marge may not be as pretty as the other barred rock girls, but she has high value in my books.

 

[stonykill]

Oh...so that means that the chemical treatment shouldn't be an issue in the shavings if I understand you correctly!

yes this is what I have been told at mills

 

[Leahs Mom]

Aoxa - could you re-post the photo of the one that you said won at the show?

(Beautiful...and they perform poetry too!

[Bards])


(Okay, enough of the bards... carry on but, please, post that photo again!)

 

[stonykill]

Thanks Stony, that is helpful.

I'll be checking into this.

There was a lot of fine dust in it.

at least with the mills around here and I'm sure this is common place....there is one dust collection unit for the mill and for the planer. Therefore you only want to get shavings after they have run the planer.

 

[memechick]

Oh my! What happened ....... where's Bee! I took a little time off a week ago then it took me all week to catch up only to find The Road Less Traveled done? I find this depressing ... following Bee's thread has become part of my daily routine and I was learning so much from everyone and grew to care about Bee.... I'm really glad I found this thread and lots of familiar people. I am only on the first few pages of this thread so I got a lot of catching up to do. Will start to contribute when I get caught up.

 

[stonykill]

Broodiness is something I value in heritage breeds. I see why hatcheries don't want it in their birds, but a broody hen is of utmost importance to me. A barred rock hen is typically not a setting type. If a hen starts laying in January (theoretically) and she goes broody early summer - I can assume she will go broody again the year after.

Marge may not be as pretty as the other barred rock girls, but she has high value in my books.

I too put high value on broody's. For instance I wanted to add Runners to our flock for quite a while. I waited until a mating pair were available locally that were born from generations of broody Runners. And sure enough Miss Penelope went broody 1 month after she started laying. And was a great mother. Looking forward to spring when there are 5 potential Runner broody's. Miss Penelope and her 4 daughters

 

[maidenwolfx80]

He's always growing, so I don't have many recent pictures.





His brother





The second boy is very slow to feather out. His tail is still coming in at 8 months old. I like the second one better in terms of type, but I really want him to hurry up and get his tail in.

Keeping both boys. Just in case. That's very important when breeding - keep a spare rooster!!!

Oh my goodness is he handsome

I am really actually hoping I have one of the newer girls go broody next spring. I have plenty of roos right now but need some matches for some of my girls,, someone needs to open a stud service.

 

[aoxa]

Aoxa - could you re-post the photo of the one that you said won at the show?

(Beautiful...and they perform poetry too!

[Bards])


(Okay, enough of the bards... carry on but, please, post that photo again!)

She didn't win the show. I would be bragging all over if she did No she won best in breed. So out of the Plymouth rocks in all varieties she placed first.



Here is an illustration of the standard BR.


It's really hard to get her to stay still enough to take a profile shot. When walking their tail is held more erect then when they stand still.

But you get the idea...