The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[aoxa]

Two thoughts for the day from me.

What are your chickens worth? It just occurred to me that I had just at 100 birds, gave away 4 roosters and 5 hens, then sold 8 girls so I am down to like 39 eggs per day.... not sure if that will keep up with demand, but... so what. Well, kind of late, but I just set 216 eggs, so plenty of young chicken to butcher and can this fall, and about Christmas I will have an explosion of eggs as my youngsters produce. Then I will have 80 or so older birds to butcher..... Should I keep some older Roosters or keep all the same age?
Figuring $10.00 per bird.... I have $800.00 worth of Chickens lol! But.... if I incubate 200 or so.... Whoeee!!!!!

I lost the other thought..... and to think... I'm only 47.....

Oh..... Now I remember.... When these chicks come out of the brooder box at 4 weeks..... Special area for them, or just throw them into the barn to fend for themselves? Or..... maybe a new Pallet Barn, just for them.....

It all depends on the breed, the quality and what people in your area are willing to pay.

$10 is the going rate for mixed breed hens here at close to POL - 12-18 weeks.

 

[Ashdoes]

Ok, I am officially sick of the thin shelled egg being broken in the nest box almost every other day. I know it's one of The Sisters, a sex link, I'm just not sure which one. They're the first to lay every day, so what time do I need to go out there to watch? Sun up, or before? I can't keep feeding her when she's not adding anything to the party. It's upsetting because they both laid so well when they first started. It's like for two days they're fine, then I won't get one at all then I get just the thin shell broken.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote: No, I did not do a necropsy. I might if I loose another though. With young children in the house, we try to limit their exposure to loses. They just learned on Sunday about the owl and their favorite rooster. I did not want them to see this chick.

Two thoughts for the day from me.

What are your chickens worth? It just occurred to me that I had just at 100 birds, gave away 4 roosters and 5 hens, then sold 8 girls so I am down to like 39 eggs per day.... not sure if that will keep up with demand, but... so what. Well, kind of late, but I just set 216 eggs, so plenty of young chicken to butcher and can this fall, and about Christmas I will have an explosion of eggs as my youngsters produce. Then I will have 80 or so older birds to butcher..... Should I keep some older Roosters or keep all the same age?
Figuring $10.00 per bird.... I have $800.00 worth of Chickens lol! But.... if I incubate 200 or so.... Whoeee!!!!!

I lost the other thought..... and to think... I'm only 47.....

Oh..... Now I remember.... When these chicks come out of the brooder box at 4 weeks..... Special area for them, or just throw them into the barn to fend for themselves? Or..... maybe a new Pallet Barn, just for them.....

About keeping the older roosters, if they are of great breeding stock then I would keep at least enough for the 1 to 10 ratio. you just never know when your roosters might get attacked, having a spare or two might be good for maintaining fertility of the eggs.
About putting the 4 week old chicks in with the older ones, I think I would try to wait if you can build a pallet coup big enough for the number of chicks you are going to have in the next 7 weeks or so.
About the price ~ it so depends on demand. If you have hens that just started laying or pullets that will lay really soon in the early spring, around here you can get $25 each. But right about now I would be lucky to get $7 for a laying hen. Chicks are selling fast though at $2 each or 3 for $5.

 

[Mumsy]

Two thoughts for the day from me.

What are your chickens worth? It just occurred to me that I had just at 100 birds, gave away 4 roosters and 5 hens, then sold 8 girls so I am down to like 39 eggs per day.... not sure if that will keep up with demand, but... so what. Well, kind of late, but I just set 216 eggs, so plenty of young chicken to butcher and can this fall, and about Christmas I will have an explosion of eggs as my youngsters produce. Then I will have 80 or so older birds to butcher..... Should I keep some older Roosters or keep all the same age?
Figuring $10.00 per bird.... I have $800.00 worth of Chickens lol! But.... if I incubate 200 or so.... Whoeee!!!!!

I lost the other thought..... and to think... I'm only 47.....

Oh..... Now I remember.... When these chicks come out of the brooder box at 4 weeks..... Special area for them, or just throw them into the barn to fend for themselves? Or..... maybe a new Pallet Barn, just for them.....

POL mixed breed LF bring $15 each around here. I sold four eight week old barn yard pullets for $5 each at the market just to get rid of them. Quality Silkies bring $50 and up. Male or female. I've seen Quality Call Ducks go for $100 each and more. Hatchery bantam chicks sell for $4.75 a piece in the feed stores. Supply and demand rules the price and what's available where I live. I will find out next year what I can get for my HRIR and Silkies. I won't have any to sell until next season. My flock is priceless right now because they are foundation breeders for the most part. I have a lot invested in them. Hope to get some of it back someday.

 

[aoxa]

POL mixed breed LF bring $15 each around here. I sold four eight week old barn yard pullets for $5 each at the market just to get rid of them. Quality Silkies bring $50 and up. Male or female. I've seen Quality Call Ducks go for $100 each and more. Hatchery bantam chicks sell for $4.75 a piece in the feed stores. Supply and demand rules the price and what's available where I live. I will find out next year what I can get for my HRIR and Silkies. I won't have any to sell until next season. My flock is priceless right now because they are foundation breeders for the most part. I have a lot invested in them. Hope to get some of it back someday.

This is why we do silkies Well that and they are cute.. and good mothers..

They are so easy to sell. Everyone wants them here.

How are your silkies doing Mumsy? Just hatched 8 on Saturday. One black, 3 whites, and the rest blues.

 

[Bulldogma]

So we know there are two, and one is for sure one of her Silkies. But, she also has Cochins and Cochin mixes, so it'll be lots of fun figuring out the mommies.

Congrats on your babies!

We just got our pair of geese! The female is so gorgeous. She's the fatter one.
Jamie said it's the best female he has ever sold. She is even better than the gander I got last winter.

Beautiful!!

any reason while I would find a 7 week old chick lying dead in the coop this morning.

Sorry for your loss!

I am waiting for the day to putter....

You and me both!!

Oh - and since I know we have a few SFH fans on the thread, I hope you don't mind if I show off my latest art work. (Watermarked version.)



It's also available on Zazzle here if anyone is interested.

 

[BlueMouse]

Strangely enough, that brought tears to my eyes. My mood or your writing.... I'll say it was your writing. Right now I have rentals that need cleaned and rented, an auction building that needs cleaned and painted, cars that need photographed and listed, animals that need tended, 6 teenagers with various needs.... I am waiting for the day to putter....

6 teenagers... and I thought three toddlers was bad enough.... Praying for the sucess of your various endeavors.

ve a few SFH fans on the thread, I hope you don't mind if I show off my latest art work. (Watermarked version.)



It's also available on Zazzle here if anyone is interested.

Love your picture beautiful work.

Anyone know anything about how you sex turkeys? Is it possible at four weeks?

 

[aoxa]

6 teenagers... and I thought three toddlers was bad enough.... Praying for the sucess of your various endeavors.

Love your picture beautiful work.

Anyone know anything about how you sex turkeys? Is it possible at four weeks?

Teenagers or toddlers.. I'd take toddlers ANY DAY of the week.

Teenagers are whiney, emotional and sassy. I was a really bad teenager, as was my brother. My poor parents

 

[aoxa]

Congrats on your babies!

Beautiful!!

Sorry for your loss!

You and me both!!

Oh - and since I know we have a few SFH fans on the thread, I hope you don't mind if I show off my latest art work. (Watermarked version.)



It's also available on Zazzle here if anyone is interested.

Nice!!

Warn a girl if you are going to change your profile pic though I did not recognize you there for a while.

 

[Mumsy]

6 teenagers... and I thought three toddlers was bad enough.... Praying for the sucess of your various endeavors.

Love your picture beautiful work.

Anyone know anything about how you sex turkeys? Is it possible at four weeks?

I have been watching my five poults that are now seven weeks old. They all look alike but for a couple that are larger. Yesterday one of them was doing the strut with tail fan and wings dropped around one of the smaller ones. The smaller one sat down and dancing boy got on top of her for just a second. I got closer as fast as I could to get the color noted on the zip bands of these poults. They stopped their play as soon as they saw me! Very sneaky kids! Other than size, at seven weeks I can't tell with Blue Slate if it were not for the practice roll sex play.