rachels.haven's Journal

[rachels.haven]

I also got some "farmer junk" from premier 1. Ooops, that wound up being more than I intended. Aw well. Hope DH doesn't notice.
More extra tough hay feeders, an alfalfa pellet feed trough, some heat lamps and bulbs, and a big chicken feeder. Do not calculate that bill. I am gagging, but I am happy with the quality of their stuff as compared to TSC or the feed store. I'd rather just buy it once, not once a year.

 

[Baymule]

I have been on a quest for that just right chicken breed. I hate mean roosters, the latest is in the freezer. I have heard many good things about White Rocks, good layers, CALM roosters and big brown eggs. I’m thinking that will be my next breed. They are white-boring. I really like the flashy colors, colored eggs, the chicken that “wows”. But I’m thinking boring white is looking better and better. LOL LOL

 

[Bruce]

I have 3 White Rocks, what do you mean "white-boring"? They are always some shade of white and brown, especially if it happens to rain and the dust bath calls

No rooster so I can't say if they are calm or not. The hens lay in the low to mid range USDA large. If you want BIGGER, my 2 Barred Rocks average the high end of Large and lower end of XLarge, sometimes as big as the low end of Jumbo. My Austra Whites (White Leghorn x Black Australorp) have averaged Large since about 2 weeks into laying back in December. They've been hitting XL almost every egg for since mid April. They will be 1 year old in 3 weeks. One lays white, one a SLIGHTLY light brown.

 

[rachels.haven]

@Baymule , could you find a breeder and get a surplus older rooster from them? I've really loved my black copper Marans roosters and my orpington roosters (the ones that weren't stupid cannibals feeding their own chicks to hens for mating points). Those breeders had been breeding for a while and ATE rather than bred all the mean ones-that is the key, because that part of temperament is largely inherited. Good luck finding a breeder raising gentle roosters with hens that LAY though, lol. Inbreeding for good temperament can cause inbreeding depression either way.
The whiting males from McMurray aren't aggressive either. They're just really high strung. You won't even know you've got a cock in the flock. Just the rare crowing and fertile easter eggs from all the hens...
People don't really breed chickens here in this state, I've realized so the breeder option is out for me. They get them from hatcheries and sell them for $20-25/pullet. That makes money, but does nothing for temperament of the breed.
I don't think I made money today (down to 3 hens, 2 of which got loose, and 2 cockerels) but I fed them nice, high protein pellet and did a lot of bedding changes because I like it neat and dry. I wasn't raising them in the mindset of a profit. I did make an embarrassing amount of cash, but I probably already spent that much raising them, so it really is just embarrassing. Sure am glad I'm not organic. Inorganic only, lol.
If it's any indicator, one of my buyers used to raise and sell pullets as a business and she was happy to pay $20 per hen and bought 17. She also says there is no money in breeding them. You just get them shipped sexed and sell them, in and out. I don't think there was enough money for her in pullets either and eggs are better.

I did something non farm related that I'd never done before. I went to the grocery store for things I don't get in our sam's order and lobsters were very steeply on sale so I impulse bought two little guys and steamed them. Kind of nice. I don't like the tails, arms, or claws, but the little legs are fun and picking/chewing the meat out of the body is good. Nice and salty. May have also eaten a tomalley-tasted like butter. Nothing numbing yet. It was probably fine. Tails and claws are for the husband. Not crunchy enough.

I am on the hay hunt again. The alfalfa I got from the hay lady of Groton is crap-all stems, and hard too. She said she'd buy it back from me. We'll see if she does. People here have not surprised me with their integrity. In the mean time, I need to visit the farmer's exchange and see what they've got and if it will tide me over until second cutting time. The loft is emptying fast.

One leghorn hen (yep, sold the others), two loose true greens, and 2 cockerels left.
New chicks come the middle of June. This is the last try. Then I'll eventually try quail or just more bantams if these two fail. The silkies are doing surprisingly well. Coturnix quail are too dumb to cause issues and will just be locked up 24/7 but while I enjoy their eggs I do not enjoy watching them. Their mouths are creepily large down the sides of their faces and they are really brick stupid. But eggs is the goal and each 8oz bird lays an egg every single day without fail until they die in a year or two, so they serve their purpose well. They also have a taste to me that is somewhere between turkey, duck, and really good heritage chickens when those extra males do have to go.

 

[Bruce]

I don't like the tails, arms, or claws, but the little legs are fun and picking/chewing the meat out of the body is good.

Those are the parts I HATE to deal with on a lobster! What a pain picking out little tiny bits that don't even add up to food I'm not a big claw person though, kinda mushy. I prefer the tail .

In the mean time, I need to visit the farmer's exchange and see what they've got and if it will tide me over until second cutting time.

I'm fearing there will be no second cut again here this year given how dry it has been. I asked Al if he could do me some second cut this year IF he can do a second cut. The 2 alpacas are picky boys, they don't like the thicker stemmy stuff which is what I got the last 2 years. They pick out the thin grasses and sleep on the rest after it falls or I pull it out of the wall feeders to make room for another flake. I suspect 70%+ of what I put in front of them ended up on the ground. I bet if it was all edible, by their standards, I wouldn't go through ten 40# bales all winter.

 

[rachels.haven]

@Bruce ...I guess you're also a man. You guys can have the squashy parts.
The hay thing is not good at all. Our weather is very similar. Do the alpacas eat pelleted hay alright? It's expensive, but there's no waste, and it's my emergency fallback.
Edited: The horse people here will not let the area run out of hay. The price will just spike steeply.

 

[farmerjan]

One of the biggest purebred poultry shows, in the east, is held at Eastern States in Springfield, Mass., in January. Called the Poultry Congress, there have been exhibitors there from all over the country.
There is the Ohio National also, but the Congress show is very well known.
Some of the best Leghorns were bred by James Rines Sr., and his son David. Jim had SC Light Browns and David had the SC Dark Browns. I got breeding birds from them way back in the 70's. A son Jim Jr, in one of the carolinas had his dad's bloodlines. One of the premier breeders of Japanese bantams is also from Mass.
You can find out about alot of the poultry shows and many breeders advertise in "Poultry Press". One of the top breeders of White Leghorn bantams was also from the New England area. There have been several other breeders of other breeds from the NE states. The top breeder of Standard Old English Games was in VT. These were show birds, not fighting birds, although the dispositions are for them to be "scrappy".

Wyandottes are a very quiet easy going breed of chickens. There are several colors of both Plymouth Rocks and Wyandottes so you don't have to have "boring white colors". Wyandottes have a rose comb as opposed to the single comb.
I still like the New Hampshires, and have not had aggressive males.

 

[rachels.haven]

Thank you. I'll do some more homework and find the Poultry Press. I would love at least another rooster from a breeder. I'm not sure what shows will be held, but if I can follow the event, eventually I will go. Visiting a show would be a great way to spend an afternoon just for fun alone.

 

[Baymule]

I like the black copper marans, but have not had any. Wyandottes I have had in several colors and I like them also. I have had sex links and they are laying machines. Now I have Easter Eggers, Cream Legbar, and Welsummer.

 

[rachels.haven]

My welsummer hen was lovely. She was a fair weather layer at my latitude, but a better disposition you could not ask for. She was independent, yet quiet and happy with life. Not a very loud bird. You're very lucky there. I don't know legbars, but I've had some very fun easter eggers. Sweet choices.