Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[BlackBrookPoultry]

I agree with the whole intact male. When I was a kid we had a male King Shepherd and a Basset Hound. They would fight to they were both bloody. Of course, the basset took the worst of it. I think back now and wonder why my parents left them intact. We never bred them and they had to be on leashes all day to prevent fighting and roaming.

 

[wildsam]

No I don't have Brown Leghorns, I actually only have one white Leghorn left after this horrific winter. I have some pullets of different breeds right now and am planning by the end of this week to start my incubator. First fill will be BLRW, BLRW x Americana mainly. Might be a few from my other coops if they give me eggs, I have Speckled Sussex, but they aren't laying yet and neither are my BO. I have numerous different Bantams also. 

Our incubators are already running for a bit over a week now. So far we have duck eggs in em though. Maybe by next month our pheasies will produce and we can incubate those and start selling the chicks this year since last year was a huge flunk.

Thanks for the info on all Ur chickens. SO is looking for some more chicks, especially the leghorns so I thought I'd ask. Plus, since Ur so close it would only be a moment to simply zip down there to get em!

 

[jvls1942]

good morning, I was invited to join both DD's for breakfast, but I do not have a vehicle ..

I don't think it would be bad for the pheasants to drink vinegar water.. nor the ducks.. it is so diluted I don't think it would burn their eyes..

I don't care if the two dogs don't become best friends,, just as long as they can co exist without a daily fight .. I have had males together off and on most of my life,, never had any problems..
we will work on them for awhile, if it doesn't work, I will find a good home for BO ..

BO is only 10 months old.. but what a little sh!t he is.. If he could just learn to keep his mouth shut and not start barking at Puppy, things would settle down a lot quicker..

I think BO would get along with almost any dog ..

Cind, sounds like Jon is going through with his plans in Hawaii, Good for him.. what kind of job does he have lined up there ?

rd200, red stars begin laying a little sooner than most chickens.. you could set yourself up with a rotation of them.. start with what you need.. then about every other year, buy some replacement chicks and raise them to start when the old ones quit..

then you can get other breeds to experiment with to see what you like..

 

[babylady4]

Slow day here..... and here. So here's some fun.

 

[delisha]

Hi All! New here, just found this thread. Thought id introduce myself. I'm going to be getting chickens very soon so I'll be around here a lot im thinking!
I'm married, have 4 kids, DS 12 DS 3.5 DS & DD 11months old. I was a SAHM up until 2 weeks ago. Now I work very part-time milking cows every other weekend. It's ok. Would rather be home w/the kiddos though. At least hubby is home w/them when im at work.

I have a Jersey/Guernsey heifer and an Oberhasli Milking goat. She's dry right now but due May1st! I can't wait. Never had baby goats before- So my next project is chickens. We eat probably 4dozen eggs/week sometimes more. Especially with the twins eating table food now, our grocery bill is only going up up up. So I figure its time to get some chickens-

Anyone here have any started pullets they are looking to sell?? I really don't want to wait the 20-24weeks from the start of raising the chicks to get eggs. I'd love to either buy laying hens or started pullets to get some eggs a little sooner.

I did find a lady that has some Barred Rocks for sale. they are 2.5months old. They weren't first on my list, but I think they would be a good start. There are some 4month old pullets on Purepoultry in Fremont,wi that I would like too. Just not sure I want to pay $20/each. But then again, Id start getting eggs in the next month or so, so they may be worth it.
Any suggestions on breeds? I wanted something a little unique but I also need something that's going to be a great layer and pay their way around here. I was thinking maybe a Wyandotte or Delaware? Or I know the Red sex links and other hybrid like that are really good egg layers right??

I'm looking forward to following/participating in this thread!! And hopefully looking forward to Spring.....sometime......if it ever gets here....Gosh Monday was SO nice- now only 20 something as a high tomorrow. Sad....So Sad....

Welcome to the group!
I have a few pullets for sale and a few up and coming also. These will be reasonable since they will not work in any breeding program. They are pet quality and should not be reproduced. ($5-9.00)
Most of my other breeds are $20 and up for pullets.

Happy evening to you all! Been lurking as often as the house work and kids allow.

So very thankful for the warmer weather! I saw my first robin today ~ that always makes for a happy day. F&F is taking orders for chicks now

i'll be getting Easter eggers and Colombian Wyandotes. Straight run on both..... that was my plan anyway.
Is it just me or is there a trick to getting tender meat from my chickens. (Red Stars) i swear it felt like it was all gristle. He wasn't even a year old. I want to be able to raise chickens for both eggs and meat but every rooster had been tough.

any thoughts for me.
Sorry to hear of having to deal with jerks and of the losses and other trials.

No trick..it depends on breed of chicken and age of chicken, proper handling after butchering.
Namely the magical brine.
Brining can be as simple as salt water for a few hours after butchering. Chicken needs to go through rigor and the gas released from the muscle for the meat to be tender. The older the chicken the longer you need to brine..or *rest*.
Any chicken over the age of 12 weeks is considered an old chicken..most people do not know that. All that chicken you eat in the store and at restaurants are young tender chicken because of the breed and age. By the time you purchase that chicken it is probably 4 days old and it was burried in ice chips...perfect..tender.
All chickens need to be held, conditioned or rested. For the best chicken, brining makes a huge difference.
A simple brine is one gallon of ice water, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup kosher salt. Brine the chicken over night.
I have many brine recipes.
For young chickens you can fry (4-8 weeks old) or any type of cooking
For chickens 8-12 weeks you can bake or roast..I brine and rest for two days
For chickens 12-20 weeks you need to slow roast..I brine and rest for four days
anything over you need to crock pot forever...lol...I normally just feed theses to the dogs and chickens.

Awww thanks for the Warm Welcome! I'm located East of Madison~
Yeah, I thought $20/bird seemed high for started pullets. I think that idea is out.
The Barred rocks that the one lady had she was asking $5/each. That's a good price I think for 2.5month old birds right? I did find an ad on CL. The lady just has way too many birds and a lot of her flock was wiped out by predators last year so they raised a lot of birds and now have too many. So they are Brown Sex links (or something like that) and are 9months old and laying really well. Asking $15/bird. I had been leaning towards the Barred Rocks for $5/each but they wont be laying for another 2-3 months. So I guess id have to figure out how much its going to cost me to feed them until they start producing for me. $5 sounds better than $15 but I think the Brown ones would be more prolific layers than the Barred rocks. But that's my uneducated guess.....just according to my book they lay well, but not Excellent.

Yes, I am looking to mainly do this because I like the self-sufficiency of raising my own food and I'd like the kids to have the experience also w/helping w/chores and stuff.

I'll be sticking around and hopefully getting to "know" everyone!

If you can get Barred rock for $5..that is a good price..you can't buy chicks for that.
If you can get 10 birds from one place..that might be your best bet...each place will have different immunities. They might be healthy at one place, but bring them to another place and the birds at that place could make it sick..and vice versa..
That is why many get chicks..prevention of disease.

good morning, I was invited to join both DD's for breakfast, but I do not have a vehicle ..

I don't think it would be bad for the pheasants to drink vinegar water.. nor the ducks.. it is so diluted I don't think it would burn their eyes..

I don't care if the two dogs don't become best friends,, just as long as they can co exist without a daily fight .. I have had males together off and on most of my life,, never had any problems..
we will work on them for awhile, if it doesn't work, I will find a good home for BO ..

BO is only 10 months old.. but what a little sh!t he is.. If he could just learn to keep his mouth shut and not start barking at Puppy, things would settle down a lot quicker..

I think BO would get along with almost any dog ..

Cind, sounds like Jon is going through with his plans in Hawaii, Good for him.. what kind of job does he have lined up there ?

rd200, red stars begin laying a little sooner than most chickens.. you could set yourself up with a rotation of them.. start with what you need.. then about every other year, buy some replacement chicks and raise them to start when the old ones quit..

then you can get other breeds to experiment with to see what you like..

I agree!!

I use vinegar in all my waters too. Not only does it keep waters clean in summer..it keeps them from freezing a bit longer in winter. ..I had ducks too..it add vitamins and nutrients and keeps the flem down.
I used one tablespoon per gallon.
It can't be used in metal..I use plastic and glass.

 

[wildsam]

I use vinegar in all my waters too. Not only does it keep waters clean in summer..it keeps them from freezing a bit longer in winter. ..I had ducks too..it add vitamins and nutrients and keeps the flem down.
I used one tablespoon per gallon.
It can't be used in metal..I use plastic and glass.

Thanks delisha! I will have to try that. Especially since we're currently increasing our duck population. Lol. Purchased some Ancona duck eggs (in the bator now for a week), and wanna get some Saxony and some Golden Cascade duck eggs, since they're all critically endangered and we would like to start breeding ducks, besides having fun watching them and having to clean their big messes all the time

. But it's sooo worth it! Even SO is completely in love with the duckies, even more so than with the pheasies and chickens we got too!

Anyways, just found out from him also that 3 of our duck girls (our special Pekin Sheila and 2 Rouen twins) keep taking turns sitting on a nest

! Not saying we haven't been warned from the previous owners we got them from (completely malnourished, skiddish and in pretty bad shape) but I have not really read anything about Pekins or Rouens to be broody duck breeds! Lol. Anyways, so in a few more weeks we have probably more ducklings than we can handle...

And honestly, I am really looking forward to it since I secretly wanted more anyways... hehehe

 

[momgille]

Boy I learned a lot today about the vinegar... we switched to the metal waterer because of the slimy green gunk in the summer... but we use a heater on the metal one so we don't have problems with frozen water, but it does evaporate so have to make sure the coop is well ventilated or you end up with frozen combs... Must say this year despite the cold doesn't appear to be any frost bite... but we no longer have the RIR and all the new ones have smaller combs

Also found Vicki's age and brining interesting.

First time at Fleming's Steak House last night. Good thing we had a $40 off coupon or supper with one bottle of wine would have been $200, must say it was some of the best steak we have ever eaten and they did give us a complimentary box of 4 truffles for our anniversary. Every thing is ala carte. So 14oz bone in prime rib steak was $49 and the house salad with toasted walnuts was $10 and the sautéed green beans with mushrooms another 10. Hubby had a stack a onion rings that were stupendous... Can't imagine eating there very often but was a nice way to spend 26 years of wedded bliss

Jim looks like you have graduated from chicken math to puppy math... Think the pups will be more profitable, but they don't lay eggs, maybe you can spin the fur and go into the dog fur/fiber business... Everyone wants a swearer of spun dog fur so when it gets wet you smell like a wet dog don't they

?

Take care all a week from Friday is the first day of Spring!

 

[1876 Farm]

...... 26 years of wedded bliss

Happy Anniversary!!

 

[Kildare49]

I use braggs vinegar....there are others....and you can also make your own. For my meat birds I use it in there waterers, and their fermented feed.

For myself..I went from allergy pill/day...to zero, taking a shot of braggs each morning. Not saying it will work for everyone...but was a savior for me.

Delisha is correct. Older birds the brine & rest is critical. If you don't have the time...play it safe & do them in the crock pot. Take those juices at the end of the day with shredded chicken & add to wild rice...........heaven.

 

[Amyb874]

Congrats and happy anniversary Momgille!

Delisha, thank you SO much for that help! After my failed attempt at cooking him up yesterday, tonight was fabulous from the crock pot. I heard around at some point that soaking in buttermilk would help tenderize the meat, due to the lactic acid, and he sat in the fridge for two days, but per your advice, I was a couple days too early in cooking anyway.

Be back soon, kids are calling