The Old Folks Home

[bruceha2000]

I understand that - I could never do that though, and I won't support these big farms. I also gave up dairy and eggs - I do miss dairy, but It's no big deal. I'll survive

Why not eggs? Just curious. My older daughter is a vegetarian but she eats eggs (as long as they aren't fertile thus no roosters here).

 

[superchemicalgirl]

My Sr. Wellie rooster will eat out of our hands and take food to give to his hens.
I have 2 in with my hens one is the son of my Sr. rooster and Sr. treats him pretty good but makes him keep his distance.

I forgot to mention my Buckeye roosters my goodness they were the best! Gentle giants. They would let you pick them up and pet them or eat out of your hands. They were so sweet! I think everyone should have one!
Here is a pic of my Buckeye and Chanteclair roosters they were both huge!

They were over 9 lbs and solid as rocks!

My chanticleer roo that I got from you is also very gentle but he doesn't look as good as this guy. He continually gets his butt kicked by alpha roo (jubilee orp) because he tries to woo the girls. I have always had more than one rooster and they've almost always lived in harmony in their pecking order. These two have epic fights on a regular basis. A few weeks ago alpha roo ran away from home and chanticleer was so happy and doting on the girls, then alpha roo came home a few days later and they almost fought to the death over alpha status. Chanticleer continues to be beta roo.

I deloused them earlier this week and he is by far the sturdiest chicken I have. Very meaty. I'm thinking of sticking him and a cornish girl in an apartment together to make some lovely meaties this winter. Unfortunately the cornish that I have are the broodiest birds on the planet.

 

[Athaid]

Why not eggs? Just curious. My older daughter is a vegetarian but she eats eggs (as long as they aren't fertile thus no roosters here). 

No eggs because I don't want to support factory/battery farms. They're very high in cholesterol anyway and there's many much healthier alternatives. I didn't struggle to give them up that much, it was mainly dairy. I still crave it, but I deal with it.

 

[bruceha2000]

Quote:
Ah, so when you have your own chickens, you can eat the eggs

And too high in cholesterol? Maybe not:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-l...-blog/new-cholesterol-guidelines/bgp-20127383

I know you aren't an American but I presume the above linked article would apply elsewhere. People are people, right?

 

[Athaid]

Ah, so when you have your own chickens, you can eat the eggs 

And too high in cholesterol? Maybe not:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-l...-blog/new-cholesterol-guidelines/bgp-20127383

I know you aren't an American but I presume the above linked article would apply elsewhere.  People are people, right? 

Mayo clinic will be biased, and eggs are still high in cholesterol and other unhealthy fats and proteins. When we get hens I did consider eating their eggs, but I've lived without them for a few months now and have kind of lost interest anyway. So, eh, probably not.

 

[bruceha2000]

Mayo clinic will be biased, and eggs are still high in cholesterol and other unhealthy fats and proteins. When we get hens I did consider eating their eggs, but I've lived without them for a few months now and have kind of lost interest anyway. So, eh, probably not.

Why do you think the Mayo Clinic would be biased? I don't know otherwise but it seems they are a well respected institution. Maybe I am just naive.

 

[Athaid]

Why do you think the Mayo Clinic would be biased? I don't know otherwise but it seems they are a well respected institution. Maybe I am just naive.

I don't want to get into that right now, it would take too long. Anyway, point is, I get all the nutrition I need from plants, so eggs are just unnesessary in my diet.

 

[chickadoodles]

Quote: I had these two and my other breeders on a high protien diet and lots of feed and extras! I bought the very best feed and bought and mixed grains (wheat, oats and rye) and boss for them and also gave them turkey delight mixed in their feed. These breeds require a lot more in thier diet.
My Chantie roo was very calm and great with his hens but he was not so fond of me trying to pet or hold him. He never tried to hurt me though.

I think if you cross your Chantie and a cornish they would make great meaties! But I would pour the high protien feed to them like crazy to pack the weight on them.
I bought the grains from the the farmers co-op for 11.00 per bag and they last a long time when mixing it with their feed. I had a metal barrel with a metal locking lid that I stored my feed and grains in.
Chris Mccary and the Chantie breeders suggested the added grains and even show bird feed. But I used the turkey delight instead it has the hight protein and packs weight on them.

 

[Latestarter]

@superchemicalgirl If the cornish go broody, that sounds like the ideal situation, right? Put them together for a week, then let them lay and brood the eggs for you? Wouldn't that work? If they decide not to brood, you could always collect up the eggs and incubate them... Meanwhile, the Chantecler roo will have himself some good times, maybe gain a little confidence, and you might have the solution to self produced meaties.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

@superchemicalgirl If the cornish go broody, that sounds like the ideal situation, right? Put them together for a week, then let them lay and brood the eggs for you? Wouldn't that work? If they decide not to brood, you could always collect up the eggs and incubate them... Meanwhile, the Chantecler roo will have himself some good times, maybe gain a little confidence, and you might have the solution to self produced meaties.

The problem is they're just broody. They seem to have no on-off switch. I know when I go into the chicken run that there will be no cornish out. I know when I go into the coop they'll be hunkered down in the nesting boxes.

Then they molt in the fall, and then go broody again as soon as they start to lay again.

I'll have to catch them then, in early spring.

I also don't want to produce meaties that are like the commercial cornish crosses. I don't feel comfortable breeding or raising "franken-chickens." I will even process extra banty roos. While they don't have a lot of meat, they're a good single serve roaster.