Thanks Jerseyridgearts - good advice. We have a 30 by 60 foot Wick building, half of which is devoted to a woodworking shop, but the other half (which accommodates much gardening stuff) could be used as an indoor chicken barn in the winter, at least for the worst months. Hopefully with only 2 or 3 chickens I will only need to take out water once a day? We are on rural water and there is a pump-style faucet out by the Wick building so maybe it will work in winter?
Potagere - a beautiful photo of Dadi. I visited the Gambia in the 1980s - a beautiful but very poor country.
I don't plan on having all those breeds - they are just the ones that I am considering most strongly. I would like 1 each of 2 or 3 of those breeds, if I can manage to find them.
A lurker who wants a chicken, or two
Awwww! I miss my boys being little.....
CMoxon, can you get ISA browns, speckledy and gingernut rangers in the US? I thought they were British hybrids. (The books and web sites I see them in are all UK) I wanted a speckledy.
Oh, well I got those from the US Omelet site, but since the Omelet is made in the UK, maybe they are only UK breeds. However, the eglu optionally comes with 2 gingernut rangers here in the US also, so I think those are available here. The ISA browns that I read about online (http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-ISA_Browns) seem to be in Southern Canada, so I'd be surprised if we can't get them here in the US.
Claire
Another note to add that I really wanted a speckledy hen too, because of the chidren's book "The Speckledy Hen" by Alison Uttley, but I was raised by British parents and I think it's a British book.
Sandhill Preservation has a Speckled Sussex. I wonder if that's the same thing?
In one of my books (British) they give the crosses they use for making those hybirds and I think the parent breeds were all available in the US--maybe just different names here?
Oh we crossed! No, the Speckled Sussex is one of the parent breeds of the Speckledy hybrid. I want a Speckled Sussex too:0)
Dadi is certainly a doll!!! I plan on going to Ghana someday : )
Why Ghana, Patchouli?
Okay, I'm in with both feet. I just ordered a green colour eglu. I can pick it up next week.
I am just so excited about getting a chicken or two - like a kid in a candy store.
Claire
Hi,
I stumbled on this site while looking for information on Roosters and had to join so I could learn and laugh. I was given 2 red chickens yesterday for my son who is 2 1/2 years old, but these chickens are a few years older than him. Then today I got a cal and someone gave me some 8 week old Barred Rock chickens, 2 hens and 2 roosters. I was reading how to control a rooster in another post on here and I am hoping it will work as I dont want Billy to be hurt. If I might ask, what is the advantage to having Roosters?
Thanks in advance and for teaching me....
The advantages of having roosters are: They crow. They mate with the hens and make fertile eggs. They watch out for the hens and may help defend them from predators.
The disadvantages of having roosters are: They crow. They mate with the hens and drive them crazy and wear them out. They watch out for the hens and may attack you or your child if they perceive you as a threat on their territory.
Some of the roosters have such beautiful plummage that they are a joy just to look at; but you don't need one for the hens to produce eggs and aggressive ones can really hurt you and especially a small child.
The guy who is giving me the 4 said it was a package deal he wanted them to go together. That is why I am getting the roosters. I was thinking I did not need two, the crowing wont bother me, I live way out in the county on a ranch and the coop is far from the house... I do hear other neighbors roosters crow, its kind of cool.
If I may ask another question, if I find out I can not control the roosters or that my son may get hurt, at what age is too late to (Looking for a good way to say this) use them for food?
Part of the reason I wanted chickens as well is I am a singel parent supporting 3 horses, 2 dogs and 1 small boy.... The eggs will come in handy, he loves eggs..
Thanks
And roosters are watch dogs.. oops watch chickens:
I was mowing today.. stepped into an ant pile.. red ones of course.. so about the time they got to my thighs they started to bite.. did the only thing I could think of... jumped in the pool.. lol, I was hot anyway.. then I remembered I hadn't let the layers out.. so I went out back, with my trusty sidekick, lab (cole) He makes sure the chickens listen.. to thier inner voices.. not me. Anyway, I was spending a minute with them, talking, ok teasing and making them wait before I opened the big gate for them to free range, when I hear a rucas from the front garden where I had put the silkies earlier.. They do a great job with the grasshoppers and jap. beetles in that garden and no damage to my plants so they get to play in the nice garden. Anyway, I have 5 roosters and 2 hens..all 14 weeks. but the roos are crowing like mad.. I have learned to listen. They normaly do not crow at odd times of the day.. they have certian times.. so like a babies cry, mamma knows..
Yep.. someone had driven in the driveway and they were warning me.. not like I have a dog or anything to warn me.. cole is usally pretty good about knowing some strange car is here.. but I guess he was really into this chicken conversation we were having in the backyard.
The roo's settled right down after cole and I came out and "took care" of the stranger. (the dish guy, lol). too funny.. guard roo's.. dh is gonna laugh!
Your Wick building would be perfect because, you know, raising chickens is addictive...first you get a couple, then someone insists you take another, then the chicken catalogs come....then hatching out chicks looks so fun....
see what I mean *grin*
Catherine
What a beautiful composition! It looks like a still life painting.
does anyone here know if there are some flowers/plants that I should not have in the garden if I let my chickens free range? anything poisonous to them?
just curious cause I am still building my flower garden. dont want to buy something and plant it if I will have to rip it out later :o)
Catherine - this is just like how I started with tomato plants, and now I have 78.
Oneanjl - excellent question! I am waiting for the answer on that one!
The *girls and boys* say thank you Catscan! Although Brutus wishes he had shown his better side, lol
oneangi - I don't know of anything particularly toxic to chickens - there's a great book by Damroth on raising your flock...or check the feathersite board too? I did lose a goat (vet said) to pokeberry after a hard frost...I'm not sure I believe that but it can be toxic to livestock. Foxgloves, monkshood - both are poisonous but I've never had my hens give those a second look...
C - uh oh, 78 tomato plants....I'm seeing the signs.....and you'll love having a flock!! (whisper....Sandhill Preservation will send you an Autumn Special...a lovely colorful flock....)
Claire my isa browns are realy good layers
josh
Catherine...you are very naughty to make me go look at Sandhill's Autumn Special. I am very interested in the autumn bantam special (25 chicks). Now I need to find 4 people who will split it with me, so we each get 5. Or less than 4 people if they want more than 5. I can only take 5. Hmmm.... maybe I can put it on my classifieds at work and interest some coworkers in it.
Thanks for the info Josh - I am keeping my eye out for ISA browns at the fair!
Claire
CMoxon, I do know that Isa Browns are available in the U.S. Before I ordered my first day-olds a few years ago, I was interested in started pullets. The only ones available in our area were Isa Browns. I passed on them as I wanted a larger chicken.
Potagere, those crocs are beautiful, although dangerous. And Dadi, is just precious.
GG
Potagere, although many different countries in Africa have been featured on the Travel channel (one of my faves) and I would like to visit many, Ghana for some reason has struck me as a place I might enjoy to see even more so. I love the wildlife, and the people are fascinating, I love hearing stories (good and bad). Ghana appeared to be both beautiful and interesting. The show "No Reservations" featuring Anthony Bourdain, had a particular episode also when he visited Ghana, and it pulled the right strings I suppose. There is also a school out there where a man not only makes African drums like the jhembe(sp)? etc, etc, but also teaches the fine art of African music (one of my favorites) in drums. I have wanted to go to Africa since childhood, do you have any suggestions or stories?
iwas busy the last ocuple days and missed the start of htis thread. perhaps i will never catch up, but...
i want huts liek those up to my second floor for the chickens LOL!
yes, still life painting...
i may have some speckled sussex bantams, there are speckled!
i love that roos are good watch dogs. they even watch the sky for flying predators... and i love that they crow to greet me.
we have PBR roos, lot of them that grew up here. no problesm EVER... they make GREAT pets. but eat them between 8-12 months when they are fat. so likely next spring, they are never fat enough in the winter....
happy for everyone!
tf
tamara i was a bit late to start as well but i joined in any way
jerseyridgearts wrote;"(whisper...Sandhill Preservation will send you an Autumn Special...a lovely colorful flock...)"
Jerseyridgearts, is that lovely flock from the Autumn Special? I've been looking at that, but would hate to have them be all the same breed. If they have to be all the same, I'd want Turkens, which they only offer in red. Looking at the size of their hatches, looks as if it would be varied, and that's what I want :). I'm guessing the goats weren't included, wouldn't fit in the box, I think....
I was once on a poultry list that called a flock like yours a "Backyard Quilt", just lovely spread over the ground.
i have really enjoyd reading through this thread this AM....
esp love the omelet sight, learned a lot about ducks too! so glad to hang out with people who love their chickens as much as we do.
i just got some ameracaunas, and they ARE beautiful creatures.
cmoxon, the chicken fairy has bitten you! she has so many teeth now she is going around infecting people with chicken fever ;-)
now time to get down to the feed store grand opening! she is giving away camo pink hats, and having drawings for horse feed...
tf
Catmad - no, my assorted flock came from local sources - a few here, a few there...like CMoxon I was only going to have "2 or 3" hens...well, I have 25 now (added Cuckoo Marans las summer to the Orpingtons, Ameracaunas, and Mutts...) I've just always been tempted to order the Autumn Special - they guarantee a VERY mixed collection. And no, the goats didn't come in a box either *grin* - don't they look like a happy crowd?
http://www.sandhillpreservation.com/catalog/poultry_assortments.html
Tamara - that sounds like a FUN morning...I'm off to an estate sale...recently cleaned out my barn so I've room for.....more stuff!
Catherine
Thanks Catherine, I've been wandering around Sandhill since you posted that. The temptation is really strong...The only drawback is the straight run aspect, but then, I don't want baby roosters sent as feeders because I don't want them. Sigh. And then there's the fact that I don't have any money....but if I figure what I spend buying eggs....
Thanks,
Margo
Margo - the straight run is what's holding me back too...despite the temptation. Tried having two roosters and it was worse than siblings, lol.
If you lived near me I'd GIVE you eggs every week. Can't get people here to accept them UNLESS I provide the carton AND Delivery....at $4.00 a gallon I can't afford to do that. S'okay though because I have a killer 12 egg angel food cake recipe.....
Isn't it funny that rural people don't like *funny* colored eggs...pale blue, olive green, chocolate brown...they want beige or white....and double yolkers !!
the estate sale was a bust....but it was nice to visit with neighbors.
Catherine
Has anyone try My Pet Chicken
I ordered mine from there because I could order 1 female silkie chick if I wanted.. I mean I would have had to pay $10. for her.. but her if thats what I wanted I could have.
So far I am pleased with what I have.. of the 19 layers, I am having a hard time at 14 weeks telling if any are roo's.. I suspect 3.. I think I will capture some fresh photos today and let you all see.
But 3 would put me right at that % mark for error.
I ended up going straight run on the silkies.. ordered 8, lost 1, so far.. 2 pullets, 5 roo's
Anybody want to come get a silkie roo... free... :-)
Silkie roos still crow, right?
yep.. and I must say it is a much more manly crow than Nemo, my bantum BR.. lol, he is still squeaking a bit.
Hi frans--how old were your Silkies when they started crowing? I still don't know if my single Silkie is a he or a she, but the Black Australorp/Jersey Giants that he hatched with were crowing up a storm.
I know you are suppose to be able to tell by their top knots, puffy girl--more swept back, boy. But Riley has very little up top and what he does, sweeps back. He did try to take on my Nankin bantams, which I think I can sex based on color and tail--but they were new to him. I am hoping if he is a he, his crow is not too bad. I'm not suppose to have roos--but no one has complained so far when my adolescent ones start.
Also--just wondering, do blind roos crow?
All the silkies were hatched April 7th, Simon was first to crow Wednesday, May 21st, then Twitch about three weeks ago, Billy two weeks ago, first time for Qtip was yesterday and Hailey (or whatever he/his male name will become) has not crowed yet.
So pretty much they have been all over the board.
Both my red silkies.. twitch & hailey have swept back topknots.. if fact both of them are very poor examples.. look just like silkiechicks hatchery examples up top.. then the whites are a bit better and the blacks are just pretty, the pullets nicer than the roos.. very full from the tops of their heads all the way to thier toes.
I may just be out of a different egg.. but I kid you not.. every morning when they crow.. even if I am asleep.. I open my eyes and smile! My dh says I must have just been born for this life.. I really do love it!!
My little boy is a TERRIBLE example of the breed--although he has great feathery feet. He had wry neck as a chick and has a twisted spine--but he is healthy and the drollest little bird. I adore him. And he has electric blue ear lobes! But compared to silkiechick's he is bald! He hatched in March I think, so he is four months old. I hope he is a little pullet and it sounds like he might be!
what is a wry neck? I would assume I don't have the problem as I don't know what it is... but I worry because twitch got his name for a reason... He really does twitch... looks like one of them girls from the hood.. cocken her head and all.. it's kind of funny.. I've been trying to get a little clip of a video of it, but every time I pull out the camera they all act shy and behave..
Wry neck or limber neck is a metabolic/neurological condition that Silkies are especially prone to. They start holding their heads oddly, it gradually goes down between their front legs and they start walking backwards. It is very upsetting to watch because you can tell they are very frustrated. Eventually they will die if untreated. No one knows why, but Vitamin E with Selenium, seems to turn the disorder around. People also use massage and steroids--but I had great luck with the Vit E/Selenium treatment.
I've read that they can even develop it later in life--same symptoms and treatment. Once they recover they seem fine and it is not expected to return.
I want to see Twitch!
This message was edited Jul 19, 2008 8:15 PM
well Twitch doesn't walk backwards.. just twitchy.. and he is in luvvv with what I think might be a roo Marans.. keeps chasing her everywhere.. not aggressivly.. just stalking.. he's not acting like he does with the other roo's. It is really funny, the marans is Bertha.. and she just runs for her life.. and twitch is chasing away.. lol madammosselle..........
Twitches luv.. a suspected roo... Bertha Butt
