CntryBoy777 - The Lazy A** Acres Adventures

[Bruce]

The only way I can tell is by the number I see wandering around and eating in the morning and evening. To my knowledge, I'm down to 1 adult and 1 juvenile. Since I've never seen them interact and they live in different places (though only about 70' apart) I assume they are not mother and child. AND since I've not seen ANY little ones with the adult, I am guessing it is male. In that case it is likely the father of the juvenile.

 

[Mike CHS]

Fred - are the aches and pains going away. Haven't seen you around as much as normal and wanted to know how you are doing.

 

[CntryBoy777]

I've never used those smoke bombs, but my Mom used everything she could find for moles and voles.....they are really bad here; along with the chipmunks,rats, and rabbits. She ended up using juicy fruit gum in the runs and kept them at bay, some.

Sorry about not being around as usual, but have been dealing with the whole situation of relocating and "Routine" change....along with a couple of other declining health problems. So, I have decided to put off any further "Expansion" of more animals....except for chickens and ducks. Most definitely keeping our goats, so I still have a "Right" to be here.....
Until we can catch up and handle just what we already have, there really is no sense to just keep adding. So, I can have time to piddle around with little projects, cut grass, and go fishing more than I have, lately. I personally have 2 passions, the reading and studying The Bible and fishing. Since it doesn't seem that there is an extended period of time of me getting around....gonna take advantage of now to Enjoy a few things....and get back to writing some more Bible studies.

I haven't gotten the signal booster mounted yet, so signal at the house is only outside. It is hard to type a message while swatting Skeeters....
I just wanted ya to know that I was still here, just facing a few disruptions at the moment. We have talked and decided that we are going to another breed for chickens. We both like the wyandotte hens, but they are speradic medium sized egg layers. So, sometime soon we will take the roos out and cycle the hens, looking to replace them in the future....

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Hopes and prayers that things will ease up for you!

 

[Bruce]

What breeds are you considering? I've had good luck size and quantity wise with Black Australorps and White Rocks. Still individual to the bird of course.

The 2015 BAs are Mellori and Nuit. Mellori most always lays in the mid to high 60g range so XL. She took off Nov through Jan and has laid ~60% of the days since her first egg. Nuit lays in the mid to high 50g range so she bounces between the high end of Medium and the low end of Large. Her percentage is ~72%, she only took off 2 months after her fall moult.

The 2015 WRs are Angel and Yuki. Angel lays about the same size and % of days as Nuit. Yuki lays low to mid 60s so she is in the high end of Large to the lower end of XL. She is at 62% but I might have missed some since she was laying out in the weeds last summer.

The Easter Eggers (2015) don't lay quite as well, in the low 50%. Eos lays high 60s to low 70s, solidly XL to Jumbo. Penelope runs more in the mid to high 50s so generally Large.

The only 2012 bird worth talking about (they ARE 5 years old after all) is Persephone (EE). She is STILL laying about 4 eggs a week and they are always XL to Jumbo. I don't think laying 46% of the days since her first egg is bad at all for a girl with 4.5 years of laying history. I guess I can mention Zorra (BA), she's never been a great layer but she is a good Mama to the adoptive chicks (until she kicks them to the curb ). When she does lay it is solidly Large to the low end of XL. She has also laid stupidly large eggs, like 114g; something a duck would DREAM about! Fortunately that seems to be in her past. The Faverolles? Clemence is in the broody buster AGAIN. The last time was mid April when she wouldn't stay in the nest in the brooder area waiting for the chicks to come in 2 days time. Poor layers, they SOMETIMES make the LOW end of Medium.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Thanks @frustratedearthmother ....just have to get used to a new routine and a new "Normal", but might as well get to doing some of those things before "Time" passes me by and I'm unable to do them anymore. I haven't gotten to the "Rocking Chair" just yet, but starting to look for the right one....

Well, @Bruce I'm waiting on your observation of the Wellsummers.........or, was that @Mike CHS ? Also interested in the Australorps, but they are on the small side as far as their frame goes, so not a meat bird. We will look around and see what comes up, but may end up getting several kinds to narrow to a couple. We do prefer the brown egg layers....but, the ducks are hard to beat for production.

 

[Baymule]

You have been working and pushing hard to get your fence built. It is screaming hot out there now, so you sure deserve some rest. Absolutely read and study your Bible and go fishing. Jesus liked fishermen.

 

[CntryBoy777]

You are so Right @Baymule . I'm having a much harder time breathing in the heat and there are 14 steps from the first floor to the 2nd in the house....not to mention the hill to climb to get to the house. So, it has been a large learning curve than the relative flat walk from the trlr to the chores. The circulation problems are causing muscle cramps in the legs, because of the lack of oxygen in the blood supplying the muscle. The "Adventures" will still continue, but just on a smaller scale. We are looking to get a dog, but haven't settled on anything yet....still thinking and researching for right one...

 

[Bruce]

Time for a 4 wheeler Fred! Won't help inside the house of course.

I have 2 Welsummer girls but at 9 WEEKS old, you have a LONG time to wait before I can tell you how they work out. And they are light birds.

I think if you are looking for heavier birds, you'll end up with girls that don't lay quite as well as the really productive egg breeds. And again, birds are individual. Zorra is HUGE. If one didn't know the "signs", I could pass her off as a Black Jersey Giant. Echo was about average size for a BA.

BJG (and I think they come in white as well) were bred to be BIG dual purpose birds. But they never gained favor as meat birds because they mature slowly, nothing like the poor Cornish X that are ready for processing in < 3 months. But the BJG might be perfect for you since you want eggs and won't be eating the birds until they are no longer productive layers. Meyer claims they are "Very slow" to mature, "Good" layers (Meyer rates better layers Very Good or Excellent), Medium to Large eggs, 10 pound hens, 13 pound roosters. If you got straight run, you could choose when to take the cockerels. They won't be full size for quite some time but then maybe you don't WANT a bunch of 13 pound birds to slaughter all at the same time Maybe a nice 8 or 9 pounder would be good.

 

[CntryBoy777]

We are on "Duck Watch" here....it should be any day that the eggs start hatching....we sure don't know what to expect, or how many to accomodate. If I have to act fast, I will leave the babies and moms inside the hardware cloth covered area, and put the other hens and drake outside in a temporary shelter. Yes, ya know there will be pics....
The heat and humidity is suppose to be going Up, tho right now is pretty stifling. I guess my Friends from the Lone Star thought they'd share some with us here....the "Feels Like" temps are to hit triple digits. I will have to work on some "Indoor" projects and stay out of it as much as possible.
I'm thinking about building a stanchion so the trimming chore can be much easier, so if anyone has a thread to share on that, I would be very grateful....something simple, because it won't be for milking, just holding for hoof trimming.....