Thistlewick Smallholding - Chickens & Sheep (for now)

[Rillowen]

So had a hawk kill today, right out in the pasture - one of the younger marans, which is a pity, she laid a beautiful egg. Such a bummer.

Honestly I need less chickens - sold 16 dozen to the store this week. The poop is immense. I really need less.

I went out and sprayed peppermint oil/soap/water around all the ingress/egress points (there are only 2) but they are clever, clever little ****ers. They burrowed under the shed (it's a nice dry wonderful place to live, I can see why they want to be there and the shed is held up above ground on cinderblocks to make it level so yeah) under the steps my husband built with bricks and paving stones. wiiiiild. Anyway, will see how it does - they supposedly HATE it. Much more so than Lavender. I made a strong tincture and sprayed it everywhere and got a cotton pad and soaked it in the pure essenial oil and shoved that down the hole with a stick (so the chickens wouldn't see it/try and get it) wonder what will happen tonight.

Also wanted to mention I witnessed the COOLEST thing yesterday.

Cracker, our lovely head Rooster - made a low call to a hen - from about 6-8 feet away, a little gurgle - very low, very calm. She squatted -- and he walked up to her, mated once - VERY quick, agile and smooth, in one very slick motion and stepped off. Smooth as silk he was.

He didn't dance, he didn't ambush, he didn't grab. He just said something super hawt and sexy to her and she was like oh yesssss please.

It was awesome. I've never seen a Rooster just not even remotely have to even cajole.

I told him what a super stud he was. He thoroughly agreed.

Now I know why about 25 hens follow him all around every day

Our rooster, Mr. Chicken, is like that too. Sometimes he can even just shout across the yard at a hen and she will squat where she is and he will sprint on over! Do to opposums ripping a board off our coop (we had to "eliminate" 7 of them in 1 month!) We lost all our starting hens right before adding our 6 week chicks. We were concerned, with no hens he might end up mounting a pullets too young. But that gentleman waited another 4 months until they started laying, and even then only after they squared! I was shocked.

 

[thistlewick]

@Rillowen no, McMurray ended up being okay - I was wrong and jumped the gun on that post. I was just super upset at the heatwave and not hearing any updates.

Chicks were totally fine!

I would say that all the chickens I got from McMurray had looser feathers than I would have liked. But none of the chicks I've got from Hatcheries or even just people (I've bought some hatching eggs) were really that good, except the Welsummers I got from a lady up near Hickory. Those are really great quality.

I'd argue the mutts I hatched myself are healthier and heartier than any purebred chicken I bought from Hatcheries.

 

[Rillowen]

@Rillowen no, McMurray ended up being okay - I was wrong and jumped the gun on that post. I was just super upset at the heatwave and not hearing any updates.

Chicks were totally fine!

I would say that all the chickens I got from McMurray had looser feathers than I would have liked. But none of the chicks I've got from Hatcheries or even just people (I've bought some hatching eggs) were really that good, except the Welsummers I got from a lady up near Hickory. Those are really great quality.

I'd argue the mutts I hatched myself are healthier and heartier than any purebred chicken I bought from Hatcheries.

Id prefer to hatch from myself or from people. I need more dorking stock though, 1 roo and 2 hens isn't really enough. I am crossing them this year, and will cull back to type. I want to crossback breed next year, but the hatchery here doesn't have great sizes, although everything else is good. The price is ridiculous though. I may try McMurray then. Do you still have dorkings?

 

[thistlewick]

Yes I only have 1 Dorking - I bought two pullet chicks and 1 got lost to predation when it was about 6 weeks old. The other, Daisy, is laying but her eggs are SMALL and aren't getting much bigger with time. I cannot sell her eggs, they don't even rate as "medium" size.

She's friendly, docile and sweet though, I love her

 

[Rillowen]

Yes I only have 1 Dorking - I bought two pullet chicks and 1 got lost to predation when it was about 6 weeks old. The other, Daisy, is laying but her eggs are SMALL and aren't getting much bigger with time. I cannot sell her eggs, they don't even rate as "medium" size.

She's friendly, docile and sweet though, I love her

Wow, My 2 dorkings lay medium most of the time, with an occasional large. The roos seem to max out at about 7.5lbs though, which isn't the 9-10 lbs they are supposed to be! But thats ok, im not worried about that. I need more genese to try and breed them though. 14$/unsexed chick is just too much for us.

 

[Rillowen]

Actually, looking at the egg grades again most of the time I guess they are large. They average about 57g, with a few being more around 65g. We have some barnyard mixes that lay 62 routinely with a 68g on occasion so I tend to think of the 57 as small we dont have enough to sell yet, not with people eating them.