MJ's little flock

[janiedoe]

MJ, I also think you did good by the refugees and even the more so as you were weary of production breeds.
As you did by Lorna.
I'm not so sure I would have let chickens take over my washing machine .

I think many people would actually agree with you and MJ.
It's too bad breeders are focused on breeds . Or on standards, anyway.

My partner's best friend had a boxer, Swing, we often dog-sitted. Watching her demise and how he had her euthanized was a sad thing for Swing and about our relationship to pets.

But sometimes it doesn't turn out well. Piou-piou is still crying for Gaston even though he almost killed her being too big for her, and even though Théo the other roo was a lot more suited to her size.

Maybe if one compares to humans, chickens in general do tend to make wiser choices chosing with who they mate ?

I had a little legbar (one of my bring- them- all- home -they have- pasty butt rescues) who failed to thrive. She lived almost two years but never laid an (external) egg. She weighed about 2lbs but she loved my giant rooster. I had to seperate them. I hated to do so, but his weight would have crushed her. I like to let them do what they do with whom they want to do it with, but I do keep my bantams seperate, because my big rooster loves petite girls.

 

[rjohns39]

Good evening folks

 

[janiedoe]

Good evening folks

Hi Bob ️

 

[Shadrach]

But sometimes it doesn't turn out well. Piou-piou is still crying for Gaston even though he almost killed her being too big for her, and even though Théo the other roo was a lot more suited to her size.

I don't recall Gaston almost killing Piou-piou. I must have missed it and I read your thread.

 

[LozzyR]

I'm behind on this thread, so I'm not sure where this is headed, so I hope I don't offend.
I love the mixed chickens. Every single one looks different from the others. I can tell my pure breed girls apart, but I usually have to look twice. I also feel like my mixed babies are very healthy. They may not lay every day, but they lay often enough, and they live good lives.
I don't like the idea of meat chickens or productions.
I would take them and raise them if they needed a home, but I won't support that industry by purposely buying them.
I don't really care about heritage breeds for myself. I admire the way some look, but culling an animal because it doesn't meet sop doesn't appeal to me. Culling an animal because of its sex doesn't either, nor does breeding an aggressive one just because it's pure.
My husband loves boxers. And while I love the ones he has brought home, I would not buy one myself. Those puggy noses just are not meant for longevity and health. I got my last dog from an animal shelter. He wasn't pure but he was loyal, good natured, and cute as a button. And he lived for over 21 years.

I had to come back to read this post but I caught the end of it. I thought you were going to say you had a chicken that lived 21 years!

 

[LozzyR]

You know what I'm going to write; let the chickens decide who breeds with who.

Yeah, but gumboots aren’t very fertile!

 

[LozzyR]

I’m a bit worried about Snowy at the moment. She’s moulting and has gone off the pellets. We’ve started offering her people food in the evening as she’s going to bed with an empty crop. I’ll get hubby to buy some feed that’s mostly seed, just so long as she’s eating something! Of course we’re going away for a week!

 

[Shadrach]

I had a little legbar (one of my bring- them- all- home -they have- pasty butt rescues) who failed to thrive. She lived almost two years but never laid an (external) egg. She weighed about 2lbs but she loved my giant rooster. I had to seperate them. I hated to do so, but his weight would have crushed her. I like to let them do what they do with whom they want to do it with, but I do keep my bantams seperate, because my big rooster loves petite girls.

One of the topics I've banged on about on BYC that produces almost instant ire in the general readership is don't mix breeds. Trying to persuade people not to pick chickens like they choose sweets at a pick and mix store is not well received here. Sometimes it is an unavoidable consequence of kind actions such as yours, but often it's for something like the keeper wanting pretty hens or different coloured eggs it seems.
For those who just keep hens it is usually not a major problem but if one keeps males as well then one starts to see a few of the problems that result in breed mixing.
On a more positive note, Henry who is a large rooster and not the most gracefull creature when mating, managed very well with the Legbars there have been at the allotments. If, being aware of the problems involved with such size and weight differences the roosters spurs are filed round and his toenails done if they are rough. It is after all we who decide which breeds mix with which in most keeping circumstances and not the chickens.
At the allotments the mix there of Ex Battery hens (the Golden Comets being a possible exception) should never have been mixed with Legbars and Light Sussex chickens.

 

[Shadrach]

Yeah, but gumboots aren’t very fertile!

True, but the sitting and hatching problems are negligible.

 

[janiedoe]

I had to come back to read this post but I caught the end of it. I thought you were going to say you had a chicken that lived 21 years!

Give me time! I'm working on their longevity.