Poultry

[Brent S]

I took my tax return and saved some, but got several preps this year as well. One thing I got was an incubator at tractor supply. So far I've hatched 14 chickens in the first batch, then 9, and I just put in three more eggs. I think I have too many birds to feed allready. Oh, I also hatched two ducklings. There really cute little swimmers, but I'm not sure how practical they are. I'll set up a seperate little enclosure by the front creek for them, mostly as there interesting, but who knows, maybey I'll like duck. The first birds I hatched are pretty good size now and I'm thinking of starting to eat a few. I would like to keep the laying hens, and only eat the young roosters for now. The problem is, how do you tell the difference? When there fully matured it's fairly obvious, but right now I'm not too sure. Any tricks or tips for telling the difference?

 

[Snowflake]

I took my tax return and saved some, but got several preps this year as well. One thing I got was an incubator at tractor supply. So far I've hatched 14 chickens in the first batch, then 9, and I just put in three more eggs. I think I have too many birds to feed allready. Oh, I also hatched two ducklings. There really cute little swimmers, but I'm not sure how practical they are. I'll set up a seperate little enclosure by the front creek for them, mostly as there interesting, but who knows, maybey I'll like duck. The first birds I hatched are pretty good size now and I'm thinking of starting to eat a few. I would like to keep the laying hens, and only eat the young roosters for now. The problem is, how do you tell the difference? When there fully matured it's fairly obvious, but right now I'm not too sure. Any tricks or tips for telling the difference?

Ok that was a risky search "Chick sexing" Hope this helps tho.
Are you gona post more chick pics before you kill them? and then maybe one of you skining them. I think you should eat the ducks then get some geese at least they work as guard's dogs, The farm geese chase my car every day.

 

[psalm 7]

At " frying size " you should be able to tell them apart the little roosters should start looking and acting like roosters .

 

[Ginger]

Try www.metzerfarms.com on the ducks. We eat our duck eggs, too.
www.polyfacefarms.com for chickens. Search youtube for Joel Salatin and his chicken tractors...he is pretty awesome with his livestock management practices.

 

[jontte]

not a bad idee,guardian geese I mean,read a story a long time ago in school,a roman town was saved from maruuders thanks to those geese,they were alert when townguards to a little nap

 

[Brent S]

Ok that was a risky search "Chick sexing" Hope this helps tho.
Are you gona post more chick pics before you kill them? and then maybe one of you skining them. I think you should eat the ducks then get some geese at least they work as guard's dogs, The farm geese chase my car every day.

I'll try to post some today when it gets light. I'll post a few when cleaning them and some rabbits as well. If these were a specific chicken breed there are more ways to sex them, but these are 'mutts', which are a little harder. I would go ahead and clean some now as they are big enough, but I will wait a little longer to increase the odds of telling the difference. I'm suprised the rooster hasn't shown me which are males. I figured he wouldn't want competition.

 

[Wiredog8]

We eat our goose eggs and use the geese as guard dogs.
The chickens here have a good life. Free range, no drugs, all the bugs they can catch, and scratch.
I barter eggs for other stuff.
Gotta love small town Texas living.

 

[jontte]

free range eggs,the best
still remember in the 70's when some of the eggs here in finland had the taste and smell of fish (they fed the chickens with fish-powder,now it's forbidden)

 

[Brent S]

free range eggs,the best
still remember in the 70's when some of the eggs here in finland had the taste and smell of fish (they fed the chickens with fish-powder,now it's forbidden)

Yuk!

 

[Brent S]

We eat our goose eggs and use the geese as guard dogs.
The chickens here have a good life. Free range, no drugs, all the bugs they can catch, and scratch.
I barter eggs for other stuff.
Gotta love small town Texas living.

I still remember years ago a goose terrorized me constantly, and to this day I really don't like geese! I'm not sure about roasted though!

 

[jontte]

roasted geese,gooooood
eggs tasting fish,def yuk

 

[Wiredog8]

Had a good breeder pair of geese. Goosifer and Goosephina. Yeah, the kids named them.

 

[Dani]

Goose eggs are awesome to eat! They are very rich but I wouldn't recommend trying them over easy, the white tend to get too rubbery. I have four geese now and mine are not mean at all, infact they tend to shy away from you when you enter in their area.

 

[Brent S]

Goose eggs are awesome to eat! They are very rich but I wouldn't recommend trying them over easy, the white tend to get too rubbery. I have four geese now and mine are not mean at all, infact they tend to shy away from you when you enter in their area.

My friend had two, a male and female. She was fine, but that male really, I mean really took his job of protecting her seriously! I still hate that goose after all these years!!!

 

[Brent S]

I took the latest 9 chicks and put them in with the rest of the mature chickens this weekend. I didn't realize the unforseen consequences of raising them seperate. I was worried about the older hens being harmful to them, but they didn't seem to care one way or the other. The chicks on the other hand were terrified! I also didn't realize that the could squeeze thru the 2x4 welded wire I have on the chicken coup. They all escaped and scattered. I caught 3 right off, and kind of figured the rest to be toast, but finally found and secured them as well. Its back to the box for them! I think I will make a wire pen in the chicken coop and seperate them in there for a little while before mixing them again. Ill also wait until they are too big to escape this time. As Ive said before, I'm glad I'm learning all this now, instead of having to when I have to depend on these skills for food. I kind of wish I had started some of this stuff earlier in life. I'm fifty now, I figure by the time I have all the bugs worked out I will be dead! lol.

 

[psalm 7]

I've had Game Chickens most of my life . They free range and take care of their self well . My Wife wanted farm chickens so I got her some Domineckers and Batams . They go in their Chicken house at night and we close the door and let them out in the morning . Roost time in the eavening and when first let out each day is pure chicken drama LOL .

 

[Gazrok]

What do you do to protect them from predators? Or is it you just don't have them in the area?

 

[psalm 7]

Having dogs help . Shutting the door of the chicken house at dark takes care of Owls , Racoons and others . Hawks get one once in a while . The games roost in trees if I don't pen them up I just rase a few of these to keep old bloodlines going that have been around 200 years . The laying chickens are always back in their house at dusk . I'm in the foot hills of the Cumberland Mnts we have plenty of predators but the dogs help .

 

[Gazrok]

Hawks would be my problem too. Mostly for that reason, we're planning on building a chicken house.

 

[Dani]

I took the latest 9 chicks and put them in with the rest of the mature chickens this weekend. I didn't realize the unforseen consequences of raising them seperate. I was worried about the older hens being harmful to them, but they didn't seem to care one way or the other. The chicks on the other hand were terrified! I also didn't realize that the could squeeze thru the 2x4 welded wire I have on the chicken coup. They all escaped and scattered. I caught 3 right off, and kind of figured the rest to be toast, but finally found and secured them as well. Its back to the box for them! I think I will make a wire pen in the chicken coop and seperate them in there for a little while before mixing them again. Ill also wait until they are too big to escape this time. As Ive said before, I'm glad I'm learning all this now, instead of having to when I have to depend on these skills for food. I kind of wish I had started some of this stuff earlier in life. I'm fifty now, I figure by the time I have all the bugs worked out I will be dead! lol.

We used the 2x4 welded wire fence for our chicken coop too, but at the bottom we lined it about 2 ft up with chicken wire and also used it for the top of the coup. Our main problems around here have been snake, raccoons and possums that like to steal the eggs and also hawks and owls that like to catch the little ones, which is the reason we put the top on. Glad you didn't have problems with the bigger chicken picking on your little ones.

 

[Brent S]

We used the 2x4 welded wire fence for our chicken coop too, but at the bottom we lined it about 2 ft up with chicken wire and also used it for the top of the coup. Our main problems around here have been snake, raccoons and possums that like to steal the eggs and also hawks and owls that like to catch the little ones, which is the reason we put the top on. Glad you didn't have problems with the bigger chicken picking on your little ones.

I fenced the roof of the henhouse with chicken wire but didnt think about the sides! I think I'll make a small pen inside the cage to let the little ones get used to the larger birds before mixing them again. I really want to let them free range but since I planted the garden I really don't want them in there. Eventually I will roof the garden as well to protect it. I would like to at least let them out a couple hrs before dusk just so they have a better life. Hope all is well with you, Brent.

 

[Gazrok]

We're basically making a separate fenced in area to house the chicken house, so kind of a double layer of protection. The outer fence will be good for larger predators (mostly existing chain link, but one span will be 2x4 grid wire, with a small gate). Then, quality chicken wire, not the cheaper stuff, for the chicken house. The cheap stuff just rusts too fast here. I've still got some metal sheeting I can use for both the roof of this, and for the new rabbit house I need to build.

 

[Brent S]

We're basically making a separate fenced in area to house the chicken house, so kind of a double layer of protection. The outer fence will be good for larger predators (mostly existing chain link, but one span will be 2x4 grid wire, with a small gate). Then, quality chicken wire, not the cheaper stuff, for the chicken house. The cheap stuff just rusts too fast here. I've still got some metal sheeting I can use for both the roof of this, and for the new rabbit house I need to build.

If you don't care about the color you can go to the metal roofing shops and ask about the mess ups for 1/3 the regular price, sometimes even better. They are great for shade and critter cages. Some have just a scratch or ding, a company I deal with had a whole run of light purple panels they had for ages and sold for a buck a panel. I didn't know there was a cheap chicken wire, I got a roll of 60" for 60.00, ouch! My newer hens fly really well, so I had to put on the 'roof'.

 

[Gazrok]

I didn't know there was a cheap chicken wire, I got a roll of 60" for 60.00, ouch!

Well...."cheaper"....none of it is "cheap". How tall was that roll? At Tractor Supply, I get the galvanized, reinforced for $20 (36" high, 50'), but I consider that the "cheap" stuff. There's thicker gauge stuff out there, but you have to hunt for it. Usually, most just end up going to the thicker gauge grid, but that gets pricey too.

 

[Brent S]

Well...."cheaper"....none of it is "cheap". How tall was that roll? At Tractor Supply, I get the galvanized, reinforced for $20 (36" high, 50'), but I consider that the "cheap" stuff. There's thicker gauge stuff out there, but you have to hunt for it. Usually, most just end up going to the thicker gauge grid, but that gets pricey too.

I got my roll at tractor supply, and I think it's probably the thin stuff. I don't remember the length, but it was 60". I like the 2x4welded wire as it's tough, and will probably use it on the garden roof one day.

 

[Dani]

I fenced the roof of the henhouse with chicken wire but didnt think about the sides! I think I'll make a small pen inside the cage to let the little ones get used to the larger birds before mixing them again. I really want to let them free range but since I planted the garden I really don't want them in there. Eventually I will roof the garden as well to protect it. I would like to at least let them out a couple hrs before dusk just so they have a better life. Hope all is well with you, Brent.

Life is well Brent. . . Annie is thriving back out in the pasture and I should be taking her stitches out by tomorrow. It will be a deworming, hoof trimming days for the goats and afterwards garden work once again for me.

 

[Brent S]

Life is well Brent. . . Annie is thriving back out in the pasture and I should be taking her stitches out by tomorrow. It will be a deworming, hoof trimming days for the goats and afterwards garden work once again for me.

What do you use to trim their hoves? I saw a pict of a donkey that had grown so long they curved and the poor thing could hardly walk. I didn't know you even trimmed them on goats. The person that has some rescued goats said they have a pregnant female, but is still considering how much she's worth. I have a feeling she thinks I'm rich! Either way, I want to wait till next spring so I have a proper setup for the animals. I have all the fencing and hot wire, but will take a while before it's all in place.

 

[Dani]

What do you use to trim their hoves? I saw a pict of a donkey that had grown so long they curved and the poor thing could hardly walk. I didn't know you even trimmed them on goats. The person that has some rescued goats said they have a pregnant female, but is still considering how much she's worth. I have a feeling she thinks I'm rich! Either way, I want to wait till next spring so I have a proper setup for the animals. I have all the fencing and hot wire, but will take a while before it's all in place.

Hoof trimmers. . . . We found an old pair at one of the swap meets that we went to and got them for $15. Not too bad of a buy really, just had to bring them home, clean them up and sharpen them. We do hooves once a month when we deworm them. Once they are caught, better to get it all out of the way at one time. I do have to say that after catching some, throwin them down (for the ones that don't like to stand up for it) and keepin them down make for some sore muscles, hunny's back and my shoulder, plus a toe that got stomped on a couple times . You need to trim regularly on goats cause the side of their hoof grows really fast compared to the rest of the hoof and will turn under the hoof. All kinds of nastys can get trapped under there and cause lameness and hoof rot.
With our donkeys, we still use the trimmers but also files and really they are only about once to twice a year, depending when they start looking like they need it.

 

[Wiredog8]

 

[Brent S]

Hoof trimmers. . . . We found an old pair at one of the swap meets that we went to and got them for $15. Not too bad of a buy really, just had to bring them home, clean them up and sharpen them. We do hooves once a month when we deworm them. Once they are caught, better to get it all out of the way at one time. I do have to say that after catching some, throwin them down (for the ones that don't like to stand up for it) and keepin them down make for some sore muscles, hunny's back and my shoulder, plus a toe that got stomped on a couple times . You need to trim regularly on goats cause the side of their hoof grows really fast compared to the rest of the hoof and will turn under the hoof. All kinds of nastys can get trapped under there and cause lameness and hoof rot.
With our donkeys, we still use the trimmers but also files and really they are only about once to twice a year, depending when they start looking like they need it.

Im suprised you worm monthly, I only do my dog every 6 months. Although she only goes outside to do her buisness and wants to come right back in to lie in bed! I guess if they live outside with mosquitoes and all its needed more. I still need to learn alot more before I bring any goats home I guess. Hope you are catching up on the spring work, I am keeping my head above water but putting in long days with not enough sleep. At least the plants and all are looking great!. Last night i made a small cage in the chicken coop and put the ducks and new chicks out there. The kitchen was really starting to stink!!! Im hoping the new chicks will get over their terror of the hens one day. Well my favorite goat wrangler, hope you have a good day.