Coffee anyone ?

[Mini Horses]

Went to close coops earlier. Counted beaks...one short! Lifted lid to nest, there she was.,growling over six eggs from today! Oh, no! Then on way back to house, see goat, in labor. Now there are twins on ground, mom doing her job. Weather good, I left them! It's been a day.

Not sure the hen needs 3 more...14 is a lot already...17??? Will think on that a few.

 

[Alaskan]

the roos tend to be extremely aggressive.

Eh.... my first set I had 10 males, 5 were horrid, but of the ten one was fine.

I kept the fine one, the others were eaten.

I cull heavy for perfect male temperament. But it is true, right out if the gate I had to cull hard to get to where I am today.

more likely to lay in winter,

I disagree. I find the Leghorns more likely to lay all winter.

winter hardy

They don't start to look truly miserable until -20F. Yes, even the skinny girls can fluff out like crazy.

However, your other points are dead on. They will fly out of anything without a top. There is very little meat on them.

I always thought that their flightiness made them better against predators.

I have a GREAT deal of predation. But my Leghorns have managed to raise several sets of chicks outside of the safety of the coop! Quite amazing.

 

[Mini Horses]

Agree -- their flight response helps then in escape and even notice predators! These ISA type, heck, no instinct to run!! My largest losses have been them. My BYM, most have far better predator instinct, in general. Heavy breeds don't run as fast or fly as well but, seem more aware.

 

[CLSranch]

When I want pures, I pen them ahead of time and wait for sperm to clear

Me too.

The heavy breeds are good for meat...we always get too many roos in a hatch, right?.

Agree again.
Also I don't know how much this makes a difference but I HEARD so I'm not sure about the facts of it. But learning that chickens like people have a certain number of eggs when born I figured the not everyday laying and having a few more hens gets you the same amount of eggs a day, and allows for a mishap from predators, and therotically lay longer. Although I'm sure the leghorns have more eggs in a lifetime.
I also like the occasional brooder to keep the predator rate even. I'm not, not going to free range mine. Also the bigger NOT WHITE chickens are a little harder to see from hawks.

Old English Games that my ex and my DS raise.... Fierce mothers, very good at setting

I've heard and seen that. I was wondering about mixing in some with my flock. The free range roo's may not make it work out very well. Although my flock is Dark Cornish. It has OEG in it.

 

[promiseacres]

Coffee is on
All this chicken talk makes me want chickens again. Some day!
Speech and chores at a friend's while they're at a college graduation. Not too much extra but need to mow and also get the rabbit cages cleaned in next day or so. DH is hoping to have tomorrow off so he can plant the new hay fields, may fertilize also. Riding lesson and dog 4H went well yesterday. Pony did get adjusted again.

 

[Mini Horses]

@promiseacres at the new farm!? Once you get moved. I like my chickens, not so much the eggs but, great buggers...fun to watch them chase grasshoppers!

Slight overcast, cool at 57, poss scattered showers but, nothing heavy. Having coffee, slept late, in bed late, due to being out checking doe & kids about 1am. Small, buck & doe. She's a FF, was thinking only one. Doing well, mothering well!. Will get chores done soon, reassure self everyone is ok...Then hot shower and go to work to finish jobs I didn't get to yesterday. Nice when your "job" will allow you to move your schedule to put chicks before their work.

Still planning to garden over weekend... Stay safe everyone.

 

[Baymule]

Thank for the coffee, gotta go get feed today. Going to be rainy until Thursday, today is sunny, so got to go.
Yesterday we pulled weeds in the garden, took 6 wagon loads to the sheep. Tired from that, got a text from neighbor with picture, want this? Come tear it down. So we did. Small structure, half torn down, but we got some short 4x4s, several 2x4s, some 2x6s, some wooden fence slats and a free cement mixer. Got home, unloaded, did chores, BJ heated up leftovers from night before.

Looking forward to rain, my Bermuda grass seed is up, tiny little green sprigs. Need to go do morning chores, feed dirty birdies, layers, pigs and sheep. Water for all. Then drive an hour away for feed, swing by TSC for dog food, come home and unload. Think I’ll get that second cup of coffee.

 

[farmerjan]

Mixed sun and clouds. Looking more like rain than not. Radar shows that it will probably be wet by the time I get out of PT.....

Have PT at 10:30 then home and haul some cattle to town. DS worked some cattle yesterday afternoon, had help, and called to see if it was okay to move about 16-18 heifers to one place on grass that will be getting a bull to get bred. I said okay... just make sure there is a list. They also got in some other cattle, he decided on some steers to go to town, I wasn't asked to help so didn't . Not going to make an issue out of it anymore. I think he thought I would be aching too much....

So, I will stay in town while they are sold at the sale I guess. There goes my day.

So going in to work up the last tray of strawberries, he did not stop to get it and they will be bad by tomorrow. His loss. Won't take me but a little bit. Not going to waste them.

Allergies have been a b@#** lately. Can't say the syrup is working, but I do seem to have less reaction when I take it....

Got to get my butt in gear here.

 

[Bruce]

Not sure the hen needs 3 more...14 is a lot already...17??? Will think on that a few.

When it rains it pours!

Also the bigger NOT WHITE chickens are a little harder to see from hawks.

Apparently this does not apply to foxes. Had one take a Partridge Chantecler, they camouflage really well. Couple of years later, and a much better fence, it or another snagged a White Rock (my best layer) between the barn and the pond. Dragged it through the field fence and out to the woods. The fence is now 2x4 on the outside.

 

[Alaskan]

When it rains it pours!


Apparently this does not apply to foxes. Had one take a Partridge Chantecler, they camouflage really well. Couple of years later, and a much better fence, it or another snagged a White Rock (my best layer) between the barn and the pond. Dragged it through the field fence and out to the woods. The fence is now 2x4 on the outside.

Predators never pick by color...they only eat the ones you think are prettiest, like the most, lay the most, etc.