Your total number of Peas PLEEZE?

[frenchblackcopper]

I'm kinda feeling like a "pig" with my numbers,,,someone has to have more than me here.I actually thought several members here had numbers around 100 birds. AugeredIN and Dany12 in particular.Arbor I knew you were moving-ect and until you get situated your numbers would be less but still 44 birds from you is more than I thought you had.

 

[zazouse]

Well I only have one bird that hatched before 2011 so I could not participated but I am selling yearling trios(a pied/a white and a split white) I am also selling eggs 5 Minimum and have no plans to incubate them this year, I will let the hens hatch what they want at the end of the season and keep the babies for the next year. I have 42 peas all togeather I think

 

[AugeredIn]

I'm kinda feeling like a "pig" with my numbers,,,someone has to have more than me here.I actually thought several members here had numbers around 100 birds. AugeredIN and Dany12 in particular.Arbor I knew you were moving-ect and until you get situated your numbers would be less but still 44 birds from you is more than I thought you had.

We had that many but we have really cut back. Our farm is a second home so we have help during the week. I made the decision to go for quality over quantity. We had some colors that we were having to let go for nothing. I don't like selling eggs so we hatch everything. I also got tired of having a couple of hundred birds in grow out pens. I decided for the time being to focus on the colors and patterns that we like as well as those we can trade and/or sell to support the farm. I really want to focus on a couple of spading colors and increasing the percentage of green. I have been very impressed with some of the larger breeders efforts. We also starting raising and selling rare breed chickens and we would like to get back into the ornamental pheasants. Think more personal zoo than single animal. All of that stuff takes time during the week that we cannot let get out of control.

I will say, however, that we have no problem with growing the peafowl numbers back up as long as we can handle it. We started last year with even more than I indicated and we have now cut back twice. We have lots of empty pen space. If Brad makes another trip south, I envision possibly some of them being filled. I look at his list all the time.

Peafowl will always rule around here. If we cannot have them, we will not have any animals.

A couple of the things that we have really enjoyed the last two years is (1) selling in bulk and (2) trading with other breeders. Having someone want your birds makes you feel good.

You have some stuff (both color and bloodline) that I would like to have. Maybe we can do some chick trading this spring. I don't mind trading straight run.

 

[AugeredIn]

I have to say that there was a time that incubator chores got dreary and I was the only one participating. After we cut back some last year and diversified the colors and patterns, all three of us got to the point that we could not wait for hatching. It got exciting again. Thats the way I want to keep it.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

AugeredIN,weekly hatch-a-longs here gets monatenous about August mainly for me,it's too late to change breeding pairs around,ect. But each spring I cannot wait for the first egg,and then the first chick.I make personal side bets as to what pen and what chick will hatch out first and it's interesting to me the new beauty I see each spring as my Peacocks gets one year older.Impressive,magnificant,and sheer beauty not seen in many wild animals that have been domesticated.
I do 99% of the work and chores for all my peas and hire help once inawhile like when I have pens to build. I keep telling myself "no more buying-no more pen building" but once again come this spring,more pens must be made.

 

[AugeredIn]

It is addictive.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

It's an addiction thats very rewarding once you get over the obstacles of Pea raising-hatching and rearing and pen building. Somerimes labor intensive,taking a step or two backwards before moving forwards,but the self gratification of owning-caring for these birds I get isn't matched by many other things I've already done in life.

 

[Arbor]

I'm kinda feeling like a "pig" with my numbers,,,someone has to have more than me here.I actually thought several members here had numbers around 100 birds. AugeredIN and Dany12 in particular.Arbor I knew you were moving-ect and until you get situated your numbers would be less but still 44 birds from you is more than I thought you had.

Hey, don't feel too bad

With this year's up-and-coming, it proves to be a crazy season. I just hope I can get the pens all up in time. I'm also gonna start playing with some chicken genetics on the side. Peafowl are great, but too slow to mature, and patience is not always my forte. Thought about turkeys, but I don't want to interfere with my peas.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

Arbor,,waiting for peas to mature is like waiting on a fine bottle of wine to age,,anticipation is part of the 2-3 year wait.

 

[Arbor]

Sorry FBC, I'm not a wine drinker a good hearty stout is my choice of taste, but I'm there with ya, why I still have the peas!