Consolidated Kansas

[maidenwolfx80]

Mommahen-- What the kids want me to do is seperate them. Everyone got to pick out a turkey when we got turkeys and no one wants to let one go. So I told them that is fine we will seperate them out and see how that goes. If it does not work, because I cant keep them locked up, then we will sell the last to enter the flock which is the Royal palm mix which I call tri color palm. If I do end up selling one I will notify you for sure. Those 2 black hens are autralorps I love them I have one hen that is coming upon laying and 2 that are 5 weeks old today. They are gentle and great layers.




This is Raven my 5month australorp


Thank you everyone for your advice on the turkeys, I will give my kids' idea a shot and if it doesnt help then I will be looking for homes for 1 maybe 2 turkey since these were not bought with the intent to slaughter my kids are close to them so that is out of the question.

 

[HEChicken]

What does barring, penciling, lacing mean? What does color split mean? What does "aren't split to a BBS" mean? So, buff and lavender make isabels. That's just a color, right? Is jubilee orpington a breed or a color variation? I looked up everything tonight, I think anyway, that we talked about on here. The jubilee orps that I saw looked so round it looked like their bodies were sitting on their feet, without legs. Do they make them sit that way for pics? My barred rock old hen looks like that, she's just tremendously huge and round. I looked at the Aloha project and was amazed at the concept, that is really cool. Then I thought that I wasn't much for bold colors but the more I looked at them I was so entertained by all of the color variations it was just amazing. There is a lot of work to be done there. I think that maybe doing the white rock/new hamp would be the most simple thing for me to do and may be a good place for us to start with breeding and learning this stuff. But I do already have buff orpingtons and if I could get a lavender orp roo I think that would be fun and simple to play with as well. The Jubilees look quite beautiful, and I saw somewhere that I was reading that Jubilee and creole are used intercangeably. The word 'creole' makes a connection here, being from New Orleans. I know that's a silly thing to strike my interest. So, I am going to look for the white rocks and new hamps, I will wait for someone to have an extra lavender orp roo. Do I want white rock pullets/new hamp roo, or the other way around? I wouldn't think it would matter. That's two things to work on that seem relatively simple and fun. It's okay to buy the white rocks and new hamps from a hatchery then?

Your brooder room is looking really good - I do like the fridge shelves as doors. My guess would be you can turn the heat down a little if they are staying away from the light. It could be they like the privacy of the side covered by the t-shirt but I don't think they'd give up heat for privacy so if they are hanging out down there, it may be too warm for them on the other side.

Keep in mind that the White Rock/New Hampshire cross is basically just creating a Red Sexlink. Its not going to be a "breed" as such and won't "breed true". When you do that cross, you will end up with chicks that can be sexed at hatch based on their coloration. For sure, the girls will be terrific layers, and the boys you can raise up for meat from the get-go, so if that appeals to you, it might be a good project for you. However the offspring of the original pairing won't produce chicks that are sex-linked - you will have to always go back to the original parents for that. So, if you are looking for a project that helps you learn how to improve a breed through subsequent generations, that may not be the one for you.

Mommahen-- What the kids want me to do is seperate them. Everyone got to pick out a turkey when we got turkeys and no one wants to let one go. So I told them that is fine we will seperate them out and see how that goes. If it does not work, because I cant keep them locked up, then we will sell the last to enter the flock which is the Royal palm mix which I call tri color palm.

I sure get that - the turkeys are so personable that I'm already struggling with this decision. I only have one pair and all along I said they would be my breeders and their offspring would be dinner next year. That lets me off the hook for now, but as much as I'm enjoying these two, I know it will be hard when the time comes, after I've raised up the babies from hatch.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

I sure get that - the turkeys are so personable that I'm already struggling with this decision. I only have one pair and all along I said they would be my breeders and their offspring would be dinner next year. That lets me off the hook for now, but as much as I'm enjoying these two, I know it will be hard when the time comes, after I've raised up the babies from hatch.

They are personable. If I go outside and yell "turk turk turk turkey" (that is my call for them lol) they come running as fast as they can. I bought them originally with the intent of breeding "dinner" next year. I know it will be hard but such is life and I will have to muscle thru it. I started the whole chicken operation to feed my family,I also knew I loved chickens from working with them on my gma's farm every weekend and summer growing up and I wanted to teach my kids this experience. It is important to me for them to learn how to raise their own food. My DH hunts and so do I (time permitting) so they know were it comes from because we process our own game. But to raise it from start to finish is something I want them to experience also. I also have alot of people that help me finiancially and with food and I will never be able to repay the money but I can give fresh eggs and fresh chicken to say thank you. I plan on passing along some eggs and meat to a local family or 2 that may need help as well. There are so many ways raising these animals can help. Some are pets, some serve as sentrys to incoming predators, some give life sustaining meat, some are so beautiful they win awards for their owners and others live soley to give eggs. They are amazing creatures and certainly makes it hard to serve them on a platter..

 

[sharol]

What size is the bulb? Those big red ones get really hot, and they look like they are trying to stay away from the heat. Do you have a thermometer?

I went out to check on the chicks we moved to the brooder room, I guess we are going to break it in before it's finished. Like my pretty red wall? I'm getting made fun of lots over that.


We moved this pen into the brooder room. I'm leaving the tarp on loosely to keep the heat in.


We moved the EEs into the first finished pen. I put a t-shirt over one door to help hold the heat in more. They're hanging out there and I'm not sure if they are trying to get away from the light or if they are just more comfortable there. They seem content and aren't chirping.






I stuck my hand in and it felt warm but not hot, warmer than my house. I will have to check on them again I'm sure.

 

[Candace69]

Candace ~ I heard that on an Emporia radio station. My heart goes out to you. ((((((((Candace))))))))

Thank you, we were at the sheriff office, picked up his personal effects. Makes no sense.
I thought about here last night - know there are people in different areas of KS here.
Depending on the paper the story was in, facts are messed up, he was just crossing a road, they are just trying to find out who/what. The person had to have been somehow inhibited, texting, drinking, night blind, they didn't stop or swerve or apply the break at all.

 

[HEChicken]

Thank you, we were at the sheriff office, picked up his personal effects. Makes no sense.
I thought about here last night - know there are people in different areas of KS here.
Depending on the paper the story was in, facts are messed up, he was just crossing a road, they are just trying to find out who/what. The person had to have been somehow inhibited, texting, drinking, night blind, they didn't stop or swerve or apply the break at all.

Candace - my heart goes out to you - I am so sorry you are going through this. I cannot even imagine the range of emotions you must be feeling. I know you and I haven't met in person but I've found your posts to be enormously helpful and value your friendship via the forum. If there is anything any of us can do, please don't hesitate to ask.

 

[Candace69]

I can share, if you'd like to know him, about his funeral. He was only 21; I don't know the exact numbers, but they set up just shy of a thousand chairs. He touched everyone he met.
We went to the TSC in Manhattan yesterday after we left the sheriff's office. The whole store got quite, got our stuff, loaded it, didn't say a word. The manager stood in front of me, I looked at him and said "I guess you heard", he almost broke down.
Even just at a store, going in to get feed, he had a profound impact on people..

 

[maidenwolfx80]

Candace I am sorry to hear of this tragedy. He sounds like a very well loved young man and I bet lived a happy life. Remember to take time to celebrate the happiness he gave everyone. I hope they find the person responsible.

Hawk is making his presence known and my birds are extremely aware of this. As soon as he is spotted everyone takes a run to the nearest cover so I am pleased, I am putting up my scarecrow today and hoping my efforts make a difference.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

I lost 3 tiny babies

I need to move chicks around. I just have limited space to do it inside my house. I am going to construct a box ( or try ) so I can put my 5 week old chicks in it. I am just afraid them going from warm bathroom (62 at night) to cold all night will be too much.

 

[chicken danz]

Sarajoy-- It is very nice to connect with others near you.. As long as the hen is warm and dry the chicks should be fine. Mine are in a brooder,, well my bathtub,, and under a light for now.


Well I have a turkey issue,, lets see if anyone can help.. I have 4 toms who are fighting terribly and knocking things over, crashing thru makeshift fences, spilling food and water and stepping on smallers chickens. Will this pass or should I reduce my number of toms. I have 2 hens so I assume they ar fighting for their affections.... HELP,, !!!

I am sure people would line up to buy any of your turkeys but you have to keep in mind they might be eaten. I hope it works out for you. I for one would love to find a butcher turkey since I sold my excess Toms as breeders. I couldn't eat mine either. Some people would really buy them for pets though.

I was typing and I just totally lost my post.

Danz, I'm not going to try to comment because I'm not comprehending as well as I would like. I am going to go back through and copy/paste and save so I can read it again. I don't know some of the basic things that you all talk about, like lacing, or self-blue, or splits. I do understand basics of recessive and dominant genes. So, considering that the leghorn is hyper or flighty, maybe that one wouldn't be a good choice for me considering all of the kids around here. Maybe the white rock and new hamp would be better, these are called red stars?

Thanks for all of the breeding information Danz, Hawkeye, HEChicken, Josie, I hope I didn't forget anyone. I did just go back and copy it all so I can research it better. The chickens aren't going to go away around here, and we have room to grow. I don't want the chickens to take us down a path, I want to choose the path and make it more of a conscious thing. I am going to spend some time checking out all of the breeds mentioned.

Danz, I would like a lavender orp roo, I already know I think they're beautiful and I would love to have even a little experience with them.

Thanks Josie for answering those questions. I know you can explain it all better than I. I understand, but sometimes to explain it I have problems.
Josie, are your Lavender orp roos LF or bantam? I wasn't sure since I know you have several bantams. Mine are LF. If you have some to donate that are ready by all means do so.
Mammahen, The white rocks and the New Hamps is a simple breeding project with a means to easily produce meat and egg birds. The red stars that result are color sexed and it makes it a satisfactory project. You need to use the white rock pullets and red Hampshire roos to get the right combination. The result is the opposite. The reddish chicks are the pullets and the white chicks are the cockerels. I think this is an excellent place to start a breeding project myself. You end up with egg layers that you can keep or sell as pure bred sex linked chicks. You end up with cockerels that you can cull, sell as meat birds, or raise yourself for meat.
You should get up to 3 years of breeding from the same birds easily and that is a lot of chicks you can produce over a period of time. It sure beats paying $3 or so a piece for chicks that someone else produced. I also believe with grain price increases the cost of chicks will raise this spring....as well as the feed too. So being able to raise or sell your own is profitable.
Yes hatchery birds are fine for this project. You aren't breeding for show.
You can try color breeding and more long term multi generation projects but you have to have a goal in mind and study the genetics. It can be quite costly.
For instance with the Aloha project you could buy 25 of several types of chicks. Not cheap. Breed those, cull the undesirables, then breed those to yet a few more kinds of chicks. It could take years to perfect to what you want and countless expense. I have to admire Karen for sticking with it and investing all the time and money she has. She has produced beautiful birds but it is an ongoing project.
The same applies with simple color breeding. If you want to produce a particular color it can take several generations and you always want to have several birds and genetics to choose from to get the desired outcome. It makes it a lot easier if the colors you are seeking are in the same breed or have similar characteristics to get back to the SOP in the resulting bird.
HeChicken, I just thought breeding Red Stars was an excellent place to start that wouldn't take a huge amount of investment. Also any resulting offspring beyond the original red stars wouldn't necessarily be color sexed but they should still be good layers. I have some red star X brahmas that I think will be excellent dual purpose birds. I don't market them as pure breds. I just plan to use them as brown egg layers.

The silver laced Wyandotte lays a brown egg of a decent size.

An article is going to run, don't know where yet, asking for information on a hit and run from last Sunday. in the Wamego area, light silver colored SUV is a vehicle of interest. Just was reading and couldn't remember where everyone on here was from. If they are in the area, heard anything, long shot, but thought I'd toss it out. Call the Potowanami Sherriff in Westmoreland

I heard that he was hit in Manhattan. Was that something incorrect on the news as well? Candace my heart goes out to you and Kelsey. I've been praying that the person that did this has conviction in his/her heart and will come forward. It angers me so that someone could have been so preoccupied with whatever else, that they could hit a human being and not even notice them. And worse yet that they could just go on and leave. I am so sorry for your loss. May you find peace knowing that his life touched so many people.

I went out to check on the chicks we moved to the brooder room, I guess we are going to break it in before it's finished. Like my pretty red wall? I'm getting made fun of lots over that.
Your brooders look great by the way!!

They are personable. If I go outside and yell "turk turk turk turkey" (that is my call for them lol) they come running as fast as they can. I bought them originally with the intent of breeding "dinner" next year. I know it will be hard but such is life and I will have to muscle thru it. I started the whole chicken operation to feed my family,I also knew I loved chickens from working with them on my gma's farm every weekend and summer growing up and I wanted to teach my kids this experience. It is important to me for them to learn how to raise their own food. My DH hunts and so do I (time permitting) so they know were it comes from because we process our own game. But to raise it from start to finish is something I want them to experience also. I also have alot of people that help me finiancially and with food and I will never be able to repay the money but I can give fresh eggs and fresh chicken to say thank you. I plan on passing along some eggs and meat to a local family or 2 that may need help as well. There are so many ways raising these animals can help. Some are pets, some serve as sentrys to incoming predators, some give life sustaining meat, some are so beautiful they win awards for their owners and others live soley to give eggs. They are amazing creatures and certainly makes it hard to serve them on a platter..

That is very noble of you. I love to hear when people who have little are still willing to give to others.

I have more chicks to take out of the hatcher this morning. Some more Marans and barred rocks. These birds are all 4th generation off- spring in color breeding programs to produce blue barred rocks and blue copper marans. It is still being perfected. Just an illustration of how long it can take to get what you want. Problems are loosing barring and having to reintroduce barred rocks to get the barring back, which results in some black barred chicks. And in the Marans, having black copper and splash chicks show up. The blue copper Marans problems could easily be eliminated but in order to maintain different blood lines there are lots of birds that are changed out to keep some diversity. Eventually they should all be blues.