The New Flock 2021: Back to Basics

[oldhenlikesdogs]

These were last years

This is one funky rooster I ended up with

 

[speckledhen]

What a pretty bunch of birds, Lisa. I do like a mixed flock, but this last one, ugh, they turned me off keeping one for myself. I love the mix of form and color. Most people that have had both hatchery and breeder types seem to say they do get better longevity and fewer health issues from the breeder stock, me included. Mine have had their fun moments and Dove, my younger Buff hen, is my emotional support chicken, or she thinks she is.

 

[1muttsfan]

Wow that is some eye candy Lisa

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Wow that is some eye candy Lisa

Thank you.

 

[speckledhen]

A young friend and longtime sub of my channel commented on a video I did talking about Dane and I thought this was very telling, a similar situation to mine:

Thats unfortunate to hear about Dane, if you remember when you got your Cackle splashes my sister and I did too from Cackle... They have all died out (six) except one female who seems great. The males were the first to go, and one definitely seemed to of had very similar syptoms. Apologies for not being on here lately and behind on updates, the Omega Rocks are looking great! I have a little black rose comb hen here who I was giving some extra treatment to I'm hoping that she turns around looking at her tonight but she just seems droopy and weak the past few months. I really loke my Ameraucanas and am really thinking about just sticking to those and my breeding groups of Rock bantams. I still have a few seramas and swbrights too but theyre old amd I havent been raising any (although my one nine year old serama just hafched a chick) im enjoying them as pets.










Reply

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That should give you some comfort that it's probably in the lines and nothing you could have done to keep them going longer. So unfortunate, and so sad.

 

[speckledhen]

That should give you some comfort that it's probably in the lines and nothing you could have done to keep them going longer. So unfortunate, and so sad.

Yes, it helps some, of course, but still, those poor roosters and Luna had a "kill switch" in their DNA and it was heartbreaking to watch them deteriorate. If you bring it to the attention of the hatchery, they woudn't likely care much and of course, would want lab proof of it. I am just dreading the rest of them coming down with this awful condition. At least, I was able to get his eye a lot better so that it didn't seem to bother him anymore. I would rather lose extra roosters than my hens, if I had to make a choice. But I'd never choose for any of them to go through this.
As Dr. Peter Brown suggested to me when my original flock hens were dying one by one of egg yolk peritonitis, salpingitis and oviduct cancers, I will avoid that hatchery and get my birds elsewhere. Since I've had issues with two different hatcheries in 20+ years of keeping chickens, I'll avoid them all and just hatch from good quality breeding stock from now on. I want to have enough that I can hatch from my own when the need arises.

 

[1muttsfan]

The only hatchery I would consider would be sand hill preservation. It's basically a big farm in Iowa, not a huge commercial operation. Their birds are not always as show - ready, but they maintain good mixed genetics and I have some excellent speckled Sussex and Delawares from them.

 

[speckledhen]

The only hatchery I would consider would be sand hill preservation. It's basically a big farm in Iowa, not a huge commercial operation. Their birds are not always as show - ready, but they maintain good mixed genetics and I have some excellent speckled Sussex and Delawares from them.

Yes, Sandhill! It's great, but we never hear much about them anymore, or maybe I'm not in the same circles on BYC that I used to be (I'm not, I know). Little known fact...my Blue Orpington Suede and his hen were hatched from Sandhill stock, a lady named Julie from Dothan, AL sent me the eggs he came from and she got hers from Sandhill. I agree and i always seem to forget them. My only issue is having chicks shipped to me at all. There was some drama recently somewhere in the Carolinas with the Post Office losing boxes of chicks so if they got there at all, they arrived dead. It's a wonder that my hatching eggs arrived in great shape. But I agree that Sandhill would be a top choice among hatcheries.

 

[speckledhen]

Shelby has been the only EE hen laying in recent weeks, but Layla started back two days ago. Today, this was her contribution. That sucker is over 3" long and 3.15 oz. I hope it's a double yolker because it's been years since we saw one of those. Ill eat it tomorrow for breakfast because it will not fit in a carton and we'll see then. I have missed those green eggs. Shelby lays light blue and Rayna and Layla lay green. I think Juliette would lay green, but she hasn't produced an egg since she malfuntioned and bloated up. She's not bloated now and she has gone to a nest a few times, but still no egg. Likely she won't lay again, but she could surprise me.