Chickens, or

What to do with that non-existent spare time

[digitalghost]

I already have a coop full of Buff Orpingtons. Docile hens that are good layers but large enough to toss in a pot after egg production slows down. Averaging around 18-24 brown eggs per day.

The teenage girl saw some fancy-looking bantams, they had feathered legs and feet and she wanted some. Ordered 25 Buff Brahma Bantams in a straight run. 50/50 or thereabouts pullets and cockerels. 25 little peepers that will exist only to eat and for people to gawk at. Currently they are running around under a 250 watt brooder bulb. Teenage girlchild is sleeping. When they arrived she managed an, "Oh, they're so cute" and promptly called her friends. I watered them and set up the brooder. She's picked them up once or twice, but she's seen chicks before. They don't yet resemble the feathered fancies she saw in the Mennonite village.

Oh, and I have to build another chicken coop unless I kill the cockerels because I don't want roosters near my Orps. Can't kill the roosters because they're the "coolest looking ones". Yeah, whatever...

Anyone else out there raise chickens? ;)

[vkaryl]

Not any more.... *grins*

[hannamyluv]

Can't kill the roosters because they're the "coolest looking ones". Yeah, whatever...

My husband's family raised chickens when he was a kid. Having to take care of the rooster cured him of any feelings that they were cool. I believe he says that to this day, that was the best chicken soup he ever had. ;)

[digitalghost]

I love the sound of a rooster crowing, but I don't want the aggravation of keeping a rooster near my laying hens. I don't have a need for broody chickens because I'm not raising chickens, just keeping them. The laying hens get put in the freezer every two years.

With the Brahmas I still only need one rooster so it looks like I'm going to have a few capons. Sorry about their luck.

[vkaryl]

Capon is the best roaster there is!

[digitalghost]

>>best roaster

Yeah, the first year I ended up with as many slips as I did capons but I've gotten much better at it. After I switched to Opringtons I stopped raising meat chickens and just took a few Opringtons early. Might go back to raising a meat run of cockerels turned capon now, though not with those bantams.

[Essex_boy]

Had a summer job once looking after some on a small holding while teh owner was on holiday.

Pretty cool really I used to like entering teh Coop to feed out of my hand.

Lets hear it for cute chicks :)

[AAnnAArchy]

<<The teenage girl saw some fancy-looking bantams, they had feathered legs and feet and she wanted some.>>

She obviously has the same visual taste in chickens as I do. We call them Chickens w/ Slippers in our house.

[Automan Empire]

I like my Crested Polish birds. Talk about 'cool-looking"... the females have these rounded umbrellas over their heads, and the males it's a big wild "hairdo."
The current ones are white crested black polish... they have jet black feathers with a green sheen in the light, and white umbrellas on top. The females are the friendliest of any chicks I've had.. most likely to walk up to you and eat out of your hand. If you lift up their umbrella, their eyes look kind of sinister. The males tend to be more frightened than aggresive toward people. I've also had all-white crested hens.

I have a half-golden polish rooster who instead of a full crest has a stand-up mohawk on his head... I call him Punky Rooster. He's about 8 years old, and blind now, but he's a happy camper in his large pen.

I also have a couple of silver seabrights now. They are fun, curious birds, but kind of loud for their size. Aracaunas are good pets too, and their eggs are naturally tinted red, green, or blue, giving them the nickname "easter-egg chickens".

White leghorns are the worst pet chicks I ever had... very noisy, cackly, and skittish, yet aggressive toward the other chicks.

Roosters... they can draw blood through bluejeans with their spurs... it's like the Matrix... they jump at you and kick 8 times in a blur!

Thanks for bringing up this topic. Here's a link to a page of crested chickens, look around at all the types of chickens there are. Customers kids always want to see my "crazy chickens."
[mcmurrayhatchery.com...]
Sorry Mods if the link violates TOS... on topic and not my site :D

[AAnnAArchy]

The picture for the Top Hat Special is awesome. I need to move and get some more land -- I want chickens!

[digitalghost]

The crested chickens are pretty stunning. The girlchild was talking about them and silkies as well. Think I'll take a look at the geese while I figure out where I want to build more chicken coops...

[moishe]

Sitting here at my computer looking out the window of my apartment watching the morning rush hour traffic drive by, this thread has given me quite a flashback to my youth.
I raised game chickens and had a little grey rooster that only had one eye, I was trying to think of a name for him and the only eye patch wearing person I could bring to mind was Israeli General Mosha Dayan, not having the internet to check spelling I went with Moishe. Hmmm, the rest I guess is history.

Hopefully, the day will soon come, when I can make my complete living with just a PC and a satellite internet connection waaaay out in the country...

[hannamyluv]

You know, Automan Empire, that chicken site you posted is better organized and built than about half the "big league" websites that I have ever visited.

Everything I ever wanted to know about their chickens is right where I can find it easily. Sorry, but my brain is sorta finding that bizarre.