Utah!

[bragabit]

So...I would like to do the egg swap thingy. But maybe we should wait another month to let the weather cool off. Does anyone know if there are any shows, 4h, or other chicken programs that Utah may have?

 

[PacsMan]

Quote:
The Utah Fancy Poultry group has a meeting this Friday (The 13th!). They also had a show several months ago. It was my first. Pretty cool....

http://www.utahfancypoultry.org/

Quote:
Do you have fertile eggs? What kind? I'd be interested.

=-=-=-

Also,
We went to a farmers' market in Park City while on vacation. We found someone selling chicken for $4/pound and eggs for $4 a dozen.
I still want to have a co-op and buy your dozens of eggs for $2 or $3 and sell them at a farmers market.
Sadly, I just don't have enough time...

 

[bragabit]

Quote:
The Utah Fancy Poultry group has a meeting this Friday (The 13th!). They also had a show several months ago. It was my first. Pretty cool....

http://www.utahfancypoultry.org/

Quote:
Do you have fertile eggs? What kind? I'd be interested.

=-=-=-

Also,
We went to a farmers' market in Park City while on vacation. We found someone selling chicken for $4/pound and eggs for $4 a dozen.
I still want to have a co-op and buy your dozens of eggs for $2 or $3 and sell them at a farmers market.
Sadly, I just don't have enough time...

My fertile eggs are all from a mix rooster. The hens are purebreeds. My most fertile are my EE, White Leghorn, Black Bantam, Silver Hamburg

 

[PoultryPedia]

There is also more information on the Utah Fancy Poultry Association club meetings and shows at:
http://sites.google.com/a/larsencreek.com/ufpa/

 

[carybear]

I'm loving learning about my girls! So far they love the weeds I pull from the garden, they love Oatmeal (dry) and crasins (they actually were fighting over the crasins), they're not as thrilled with onions or squashes. OH! they're loving bread too!

I'm way too easily amused by this. And I'm loving that the girls are learning to come when they see me since I usually come bearing treats for them. The kids LOVE trying to hold them, even though they've gotten so big and are a lot less kid hand friendly, size wise.

okay I know there's a pecking order, but I'm noticing that our newest bird who is also the bigest seems to keep getting a bloody spot on her Beak. I've never seen the other birds go at her. So I'm not really sure it's due to the pecking order, she seems to be the leader the rest of the time. Should I be concerned?

 

[PacsMan]

Arggg.... after 18 months of raising chickens, I've been found out!

The other day I had just gotten home from work, and heard the hens going nuts. At first I thought they were just fighting, but they kept squawking and it sounded serious. I ran out to the back, and we had a rather large red hawk land sitting on the chain link fence eyeballing my hens. I grabbed a knife (ok, dumb choice, but I thought I needed ~some~thing)... I scared it away to the electric lines and he flew away. 10 minutes later he was back. I scared him to the other end of the run, on top of a wooden fence. He just looked at me wondering what I was doing.

I ended up throwing 4(!) rocks at him. Totally missed with the first 3, (I'm a wuss) and hit the fence with the 4th stone. It scared him away, and we haven't seen him for 2 days.

We're slightly worried.

 

[Stands With A Fiddle]

Marty, I have heard that hawks hate shiny things. Someone was telling me that people sometimes hang blank cd's from the tree to scare them. Also you could do some mylar or foil on the roof of your coop. Just a thought.

And anyone feel free to tell me if the shiny thing is just an urban legend.

 

[PoultryPedia]

PacsMan--If there aren't already a bunch of things the chickens can run under for shelter, and hang out under to keep less visible, I'd add that kind of stuff. Benches, lawn chairs, bushes (or tree trimmings, maybe?), plyboard leaned against a fence, etc.
Best wishes! Hawks aren't good around chickens.

 

[PacsMan]

Quote:
Whoever said chickens were dumb, didn't know the half of it.

While one hen was squawking, the others just froze and looked at the hawk. Didn't do a thing. He was still sitting there, 10 feet from any one of them, and they went back to scratching. I was like... Hello?? But yes, they do have stuff to go under. If they'd think about it!

 

[PacsMan]

So, I've finally got my 9 year-old to 'grant' me permission to get meat chickens.
I've sold a few of my older laying hens to make room to put the Americanas in with the rest of the flock, and they seem to be getting along fine. So now I have my chicken tractor available for meat birds.
I called Meyer hatchery and they said the fewest birds they could ship would be 3.
Cool, I thought. At $2 a piece, I can handle that. I was thinking of getting 6 birds. Then I asked, how much is shipping for 6 birds. "$42..." Gulp!
"It's cheaper to ship a whole box (25), shipping is only $18 that way"...

Oh... that makes since. (not...)

So, anyone want to go in with me on buying meaties? I'd need to get orders for 15-19 of them, and I think I could make of go of it.
Cornish Rock X's take anywhere from 6-8 weeks to mature.
They like a more confined space, don't like roosts, and eat lots.
Oh, and they stink too.
I'd be willing to help (not do) the processing with you too...

Anyone?

edited to add....

The next ship date they have is Sept 15th. We could find one sooner if anyone wants me to look.