Washingtonians

[TheReidHomestead]

Hope everyone is staying warm and dry! We just had lightening, thunder and sleet pass through! The dogs were all going nuts!

I have a request for our 4-H kids. They are finding it difficult to find bantam chicks so if anyone is hatching any purebred bantams or has hatching eggs available in early March, can you let me know what you have? The kids wish list include splash silkies, bantam cochins, bantam sultans, polish....but if you have bantams of anytype, let me know what you got! RFF, I thought you might have Sultans, so directed one family to find you through your website. They may be interested in your Houdans.....

Or, if anyone is planning to order from a big hatchery, and needs to go in on an order with folks, you can let me know that too. We have two families wanting bantams, but together they don't want to place an order as big as 25 birds.

I have a hatch due on March 5th and if I need to, I can get eggs for the kids for right after that and hatch them out for them.

Seems Monroe Farm & Feed is the place to go for bantams, but they don't plan to start getting them in until later in May, which is too late for the kids to use for Fair.

Our next 4-H meeting will be at the Monroe show, so if there are chicks available from any of you, the kids would love to get them at the show!

TIA!!!

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Two calves today, although the one I was looking for was born after I was back in the house, and Margo found it. I'm really, really happy with this bunch of calves- I'm up to six, three and three, in the first week of the season, out of 16 cows. The littlest one was yesterday's little bull, but his Mom had the lightest birthweight last year and weaned the heaviest steer, so I'm fine with that. The heifer in this picture was probably 120 lbs and close to a yard high at the hips.

I'm just slammed with work, though, although every minute longer the days get the easier it gets. I have to find time to shuffle pullets around this week: Tertia and Quinta, the two eldest EEs, are bright red in the comb and starting to squat, so the two young Wyandottes need to go in with Ian and Sylvia and the EE pullets get introduced to Bjorn... I am greatly desirous of doing that at dusk and NOT in the pouring rain!

These are the rented Bull's babies you showed us last summer , correct ?

 

Yeah, big red Polled Shorthorn bull that I wouldn't have even had access to if the person who bought him as a long yearling hadn't decided he was infertile on the basis of his Hereford and black baldy cows' calves still having white faces, a piece of breathtaking genetic ignorance. We put the roan yearling in to clean up in late June, and every heifer out of the red bull is one more reason we can keep the roan for three years. These are perfect Shorthorn calves- born with long faces, long backs, and long legs, with relatively narrow hips and shoulders that open out in their first month.

OH- I keep forgetting to say, Dora, the cow who didn't know she was still in labor, is the one in my userpic with one of my cousin's SLW hens.

There was some weird legal and financial stuff that happened with the breed in the 90's, which coincidentally knocked out a few breeders who were promoting a more Hereford-like body type; we were lucky to not be taken seriously by the big players by reasons of size and broke-ness. Well, and possibly bone-deep paranoia; more than one person mortgaged everything they owned and lost it in the scam. It's funny to think of Polled Beef Shorthorns being one of those fad animals that people around me have tried to get rich on all my life, starting with chinchillas back when I was a preschooler and going right through Miniature Everything now.

 

[Chickielady]

nope. no quails at this time. have to get setup better before I start again.

You do still have both types, right ?
I forgot to ask you what happened to the wine cooler ?

I am looking for a wine cooler frig or apt. sized frig just to keep hatching eggs in...

 

[Chickielady]

Yeah, big red Polled Shorthorn bull that I wouldn't have even had access to if the person who bought him as a long yearling hadn't decided he was infertile on the basis of his Hereford and black baldy cows' calves still having white faces, a piece of breathtaking genetic ignorance. We put the roan yearling in to clean up in late June, and every heifer out of the red bull is one more reason we can keep the roan for three years. These are perfect Shorthorn calves- born with long faces, long backs, and long legs, with relatively narrow hips and shoulders that open out in their first month.
OH- I keep forgetting to say, Dora, the cow who didn't know she was still in labor, is the one in my userpic with one of my cousin's SLW hens.
There was some weird legal and financial stuff that happened with the breed in the 90's, which coincidentally knocked out a few breeders who were promoting a more Hereford-like body type; we were lucky to not be taken seriously by the big players by reasons of size and broke-ness. Well, and possibly bone-deep paranoia; more than one person mortgaged everything they owned and lost it in the scam. It's funny to think of Polled Beef Shorthorns being one of those fad animals that people around me have tried to get rich on all my life, starting with chinchillas back when I was a preschooler and going right through Miniature Everything now.

Was he 'semintal' or whatever those big red cattle are called ?
I need to call sister tomorrow after ground pork, still need butt roasts (parents want a few also) and need another 10# GB...Incidentally, 6 Lyda Rose starts in rock wool look really good !
I know CCG wanted one (or more?) and Hallerlake ?
Who else asked for Lyda Rose starts ?
I also have 6 Camelia tree starts looking pretty good, all heated from beneath in the hot frame............
Anyone interested please PM me as I have not made a list.
I also have 6 curly willow starts in 1 gallon pots, about 5 foot tall...and roots are coming out and they are free !
All of the starts are free, just let me know...

 

[Chickielady]

WA-4-HPoultryMom ::::
Maybe contact Karen Huey & Cloverleaf about Bantams ?
Just trying to think of who may have nice bantams, and I think RedRoosterFarms has some...and Chicken Rustler said he was finally incubating eggs with a Silky for his very nice bantams...maybe contact CR for eggs ?

 

[TheReidHomestead]

Thanks for the ideas CL. I think Cloverleaf is to far. Who is Karen Houey?

CR, if getting hatching eggs from you is a possibility, let me know and I'll add the RIR's to my bantam list! Trying to get a list of options put together to show the kids.

I'll go see what RedRooster has. None of the kids seemed interested in the Serama's, I know she has those, as do I. They really need accepted varieties/breeds, not projects.

 

[KMoran]

Hey guys, quick question. Are Cochins good egg producers?

 

[Chickielady]

Thanks for the ideas CL. I think Cloverleaf is to far. Who is Karen Houey?

CR, if getting hatching eggs from you is a possibility, let me know and I'll add the RIR's to my bantam list! Trying to get a list of options put together to show the kids.

I'll go see what RedRooster has. None of the kids seemed interested in the Serama's, I know she has those, as do I. They really need accepted varieties/breeds, not projects.

Karen Huey is Birdsnbeast & is in NW OR...west of Portland & raises Bantam Barnevelders and maybe others? I am not sure.
CR is setting eggs under his silky last I heard and those may be great for 4-H ...and beautiful birds !

 

[Chickielady]

Hey guys, quick question. Are Cochins good egg producers?

Not ever in my experience.
Read up on them in the Breeds section.

 

[Chickielady]

Well I think I am all caught up on egg sales/auctions/classifieds................and exhausted.

Tam if I have anything your kids may be interested in PM or e-mail me !!

Goodnight all~~~