Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

Looks as if the flock has split between my two Roos. Blue and Rascal. The Orps have opted to stay with Rascal along with 2 of the RIR. I wonder how they worked that out?
Chickens is funny critters.
 
Happy Sunday Eve!! Hope everybody enjoyed the sunny Saturday!! I installed a "screen door" on the hen house, so that the chicks could get some sunshine. I have not made a run yet, so they have nowhere safe to play outside yet. The door that I made is just a screen from one of my dad's old windows and an old storm window (the old plasticky kind) attached to a MDF frame. I threw it together quickly, so that they could enjoy the sun too. It worked and they looked so cute sprawled out in the sunshine. I decided to take the littles out there too, just to see how they would do. I sat in there, in case the bigger ones decided to get territorial, but they didn't. The littles made themselves right at home and the Ameraucanas seemed to take them under their wings. They did so well that I decided to lower the heat lamp a little and left them out there overnight. They did just fine. The dining room is a little too quiet without the brooder, so I guess I will get some more this week. I need a few more white egg layers.

One of the feed stores got some Ancona chicks in, so I think I will pick up a few of those. They also will special order some Cochin for me, so now I just have to decide what color I want.
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I am also thinking of getting a turkey to raise for Thanksgiving. Does anybody have experience with this? I have never raised my own meat before and am a little freaked out by having to butcher it myself, though DH has done chickens before (that was before me) and said that he will do it. My grandparents used to do it, but I don't really remember much about it. I just know it will be nice to know what has (or has not) gone in to our bird. EEK!!
sickbyc.gif

 
Happy Sunday Eve!! Hope everybody enjoyed the sunny Saturday!! I installed a "screen door" on the hen house, so that the chicks could get some sunshine. I have not made a run yet, so they have nowhere safe to play outside yet. The door that I made is just a screen from one of my dad's old windows and an old storm window (the old plasticky kind) attached to a MDF frame. I threw it together quickly, so that they could enjoy the sun too. It worked and they looked so cute sprawled out in the sunshine. I decided to take the littles out there too, just to see how they would do. I sat in there, in case the bigger ones decided to get territorial, but they didn't. The littles made themselves right at home and the Ameraucanas seemed to take them under their wings. They did so well that I decided to lower the heat lamp a little and left them out there overnight. They did just fine. The dining room is a little too quiet without the brooder, so I guess I will get some more this week. I need a few more white egg layers.

One of the feed stores got some Ancona chicks in, so I think I will pick up a few of those. They also will special order some Cochin for me, so now I just have to decide what color I want.
celebrate.gif
I am also thinking of getting a turkey to raise for Thanksgiving. Does anybody have experience with this? I have never raised my own meat before and am a little freaked out by having to butcher it myself, though DH has done chickens before (that was before me) and said that he will do it. My grandparents used to do it, but I don't really remember much about it. I just know it will be nice to know what has (or has not) gone in to our bird. EEK!!
sickbyc.gif


Today is Sunday. Make sure that you sprang forward at 2am today with your clocks.
 
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Howdy! Another calf today, a heifer, who was delivered when her mamma was standing and hit the ground sort of... pleated. Head under her chest, with the bottom leg sort of up and over everything. I reached in my pockets and found out that I'd forgotten to repack my blue nitrile gloves, so I got to untangle her bare-handed. She was up and nursing in under twenty minutes, so yay!

Two of last years heifers got sold to some people down Rochester way, so if you see some red heifers with white socks, that's Wren and Pepper Ann. We had a LOT of heifers last year, and kept the best three plus two whose mothers are no longer in the herd. One of the kept heifers is a half sister to the young lady born this cool and misty afternoon.

Which brings up another thing that complicates cattle breeding but not so much chickens.

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This cow is a bull-sister to the one who calved today, and has the next younger calf. The cow today has a tag number 1077, and this cow is 1083: they'll both be nine this week. She had a bull last year, and a bull this year. I have one more chance to get a heifer calf out of her before we go back to breeding black: Angus and AngusX feeders have about a nickel per-pound bonus and the Shorthorn/Angus steers wean about fifty pounds heavier than straight Angus, so economics dictates we only breed red often enough to keep the cow herd going. If I don't get a heifer from a good cow, I can't magic up a good genetic copy out of thin air.

Chickens give you better odds to keep a gene line going: there's none of this nine-month pregnancy and single birth stuff going on.
 
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Howdy! Another calf today, a heifer, who was delivered when her mamma was standing and hit the ground sort of... pleated. Head under her chest, with the bottom leg sort of up and over everything. I reached in my pockets and found out that I'd forgotten to repack my blue nitrile gloves, so I got to untangle her bare-handed. She was up and nursing in under twenty minutes, so yay!

Two of last years heifers got sold to some people down Rochester way, so if you see some red heifers with white socks, that's Wren and Pepper Ann. We had a LOT of heifers last year, and kept the best three plus two whose mothers are no longer in the herd. One of the kept heifers is a half sister to the young lady born this cool and misty afternoon.

Which brings up another thing that complicates cattle breeding but not so much chickens.



This cow is a bull-sister to the one who calved today, and has the next younger calf. The cow today has a tag number 1077, and this cow is 1083: they'll both be nine this week. She had a bull last year, and a bull this year. I have one more chance to get a heifer calf out of her before we go back to breeding black: Angus and AngusX feeders have about a nickel per-pound bonus and the Shorthorn/Angus steers wean about fifty pounds heavier than straight Angus, so economics dictates we only breed red often enough to keep the cow herd going. If I don't get a heifer from a good cow, I can't magic up a good genetic copy out of thin air.

Chickens give you better odds to keep a gene line going: there's none of this nine-month pregnancy and single birth stuff going on.
That is the sweetest thing I have seen today.
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I love cows. One of these days, I will start raising our beef. But, have to move one step at a time.
 
Well, it's been many years since since BAT. But I think I'd like that. Surgery has been moved up to Tuesday (Cervical spine [neck]) so I may be recovered enough to drive by then. Thank you for the invite, I'll keep you posted. Looking forward to meeting you all
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Hey Neighbor Surgery this Tuesday! Hoping for a Speedy Recovery and Great Results.
 

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