Sheri ganders will get hissy/aggressive during the breeding season. Its a natural thing for them to protect their females and goslings. If any of mine get too aggressive I grab them, hug them tightly on my lap and ruffle up their macho feathers and call them insulting names. That usually cures them for a few weeks. They hate the hugging treatment. ;o)
Holderreads in Oregon would be a good place to order from.
http://www.holderreadfarm.com/index.htm
I don't know much about Runners but I've heard they can be quite hyper.
Hope you are surviving all this awful weather.
UGH! I'm ready to go to Florida!
Mr. and Mrs. Bocker Move into their New Home
I guess we're paying for the outrageously warm Nov/Dec we had. (Or at least it was
outrageously warm here in Pa.)
Tam
Ya Tam, same here in michigan...unseasonably warm until the last few weeks.
Guess we are making up for all that balmy weather. joy.
Same here in NH...brrr.....
Oh my! I thought Runners might be ADHD! LOLOLOL
they take calming drugs? Whats that herb, St.Vitus's dance
or something?
Thank you for the link to the Holder Reads farm in Oregon.
I will check out the website. Have you ordered from them?
Their quality is tops? We are looking for the biggest, calmest,
healthiest we can.
My Jersey Giants are puny. I will never order from Ideal again.ugh.
I lived and worked in Oswego NY in 1973? It was snowey then too.
But not as bad as this week. the lake froze up back then, and I
remember going over to see it, as my house was one block away
from the lake, oh my gosh, the ice was about 12 feet high, it was
very scary.
I discovered my ducks were laying eggs underneath the nesting
box area, and also one of my Jersey Giants was stuffed under
there, pecking away and eating one of the eggs. I yelled at her.
I can't imagine picking up one of my geese. They are huge,
they might bite me, I am scared. Any tips for the Goose
Challanged?
I will have to tell my DH that runners are hyper. LOL.
I don't like hyper animals, I cannot keep up with them,
as I operate on slow speed.
Everyone keep safe in this crazy weather.
Did anyone hear that the global warming will raise
our temperature by 43degrees by 2012? That will
make Michigan about 110 degrees in the summer. Notgood.
I have started taking my own carry bags to the supermarket
and K Mart. Its nice! And, you spread the word by doing it.
My eggs are freezing in this subzero weather, about half
every day are frozen and cracked. I guess I will have to
get out there by 9 am and collect, and then again an hour
later. Anyone else have frozen eggs? I save them for the
dogs. Oh my GOD-eggs make dogs FART terrible.
Regards to everyone,
sheri
Oh ya! Lots of frozen eggs here.
LOL about dog farts. They are worse than my husbands!
Dave Holderread is well known in the waterfowl world as quite an authority/top breeder with quality waterfowl. i have not ordered from him. Some people rave about his birds but I've heard reports of some people getting sub quality stock I guess it all depends on what you are getting from him. Over all I wouldn't worry. I like duh forgot about Brian Schulte in Minnesota. He isn't online. I will PM you his phone number. Call and ask for his Price list. He has both several breeds of geese and ducks of very good quality and reasonable prices....and much closer for shipping vs. D.H. who is in Oregon.
If you want calm I'm not sure that Runners would fit the bill. I haven't had waterfowl long enough to know about all the different breed temperaments but I love my Muscovies.
See my websites Muscovy page for more info http://www.freewebs.com/cottage_rose_birdsnblossoms/
I've heard Rouens are calm.
You know, my Dh likes the "look" of the runners, being extremly silly looking is what
attracted him, I am sure.
He does like the unusual, guess thats why he married me! I am not silly looking...
just *****unique******.
I am glad we are no longer in Oswego, NY, where I used to work in the
monks nurseries there. we were genetically modifying cyclamen for clear colour
and named var. I sat all day with a q-tip and tickled flowers. It was really
calming and beautiful there. Oswego is famous for its onion fields all around.
boy oh boy do they grow onions! stinky, too. ugh, feh. maybe a rotten potato
is worse than a rotten onion, but not by much! After that stint, I was off to
a warmer and more calm location, Bangor Maine!!!!! LOLOL- I worked
at Merry Gardens (nut jobs, all of em) hybridizing geraniums. It smelled
wonderful there. I love the smell of geranium leaves and flowers. I find the
lemon and apple scented ones a little strange though.
Wow, was I mad at a Jersey giant gal we have pecking eggs, she had really
forced herself into and under the nest box array to eat on some old eggs. Makes
me ill. If I find her again doing that, then its WHACK, off with her head. One bad
chicken will spoil the whole bunch. BAD CHICKEN!
Does anyone else have an egg eater they have had to deal with? My friends
here had to butcher their whole bunch because one taught another...etc....
It was so cold here the other day, that the big tractor wouldn't start!!!!!!!!!!!
The battery was just a groanin and moanin. Not good. It started yesterday
fine, the temperature was up about 50 degrees to 20 degrees here.
Gotta go watch some telly with the husband.
sheri
I like the looks of Runners as well. My grandson Liam laughs hysterically at the antics of "Ferdinand" the Runner duck in the movie Babe the Pig.
I almost got some for Liam but I don't like hyper animals.
I guess they are quite comical as they run about stumbling over each other.
Look up Aylesbury ducks. Big white ducks with pink bills and feet (if they are good quality)They are kinda goofy looking too but are big ol' fat ducks. Good eatin' I hear.
I bought a scented Geranium last year called "Fingerbowl Lemon."
OMG! DIVINE, intense lemon smell! You HAVE to get it.
I see Richters has it in their 07 catalog.
I promise to look up aylesbury ducks. imagine, pink feet. now i will have to make
pink headbands for them and pink tutu's to go with their ballet shoes. oh how
incredibly sweet.
I love eatin ducks. yum. I won't eat these now, nor the new ones, we will wait for
broods to start and then fire up the barbie. LOLOL YUMMMMMMM
Is that Pig the one that jumps up and down in front of the window to see what
is happening? I have to get those movies for my grandchilds. also, babe 2
and oh of course, charlottes web.
my poor chickens and geese didnt' come out today they were so cold.
poor dears. If i had an electric blanket, they would all be under it I am sure.
the want to go into the new barn in the morning and take sandy dust baths,
maybe I will let them do that first thing in the morning while I am doing stalls,
and then i can shooo them out so they are not pooping all over the hay aned
the equipment.
Thanks!sheri, also for the fingerbolw lemon geranium.
In the movie "Babe The Pig" the duck jumps up and down by the window among other silly things.
Our grandkids watch the movie so much we pretty much know all the dialog by heart.
*Very* cute movie.
I can't believe how cold its been! I have heat lamps in all the stalls of my bank
barn. To keep the water for my chickens from freezing. And its still icey.
Tam
I love Chicken Run. Wallace and Grommit's adventure.
I used to have all the movies, and naturally, loaned them
out to someone, and poof, they are gone.
Tammy- what is a bank barn? I am thinking of dirt banked up
against the sides of a barn to allow machinery to go in and the
cows underneath?
My chickens are drinking about 6 gallons of water per day.
I add just a tiny drip of clorox to their drinking fountains, as
it keeps the sludge from stinking. I wash the waterer every
single day, but those chickens sure make it smelly icky. And the
bleach kills the bacteria, and evaporates anyway.
I don't know where my ducks have been laying their eggs.
I watched my drake sort of make nudging soft poking
motions with his bill on the back of one of his girlfriends, and
you could see in his mind, what he wanted to do....but either
he is still too young, just being under a year now, or its still
just too cold for "nookey". : ))
I open the new barn for my fowl to let them in to the dirt part so
they can dirt bath. They arethankful.
Does anyone worm this time of the year? What do you use?
How long do you discard the eggs after worming? How about
lice dusting or putting out a dust box with chicken dust in it.anyone
do that? (chicken dust is maybe perethrins?)
Jeeze, I wish you guys lived closer so you could help me
butcher the roosters and idle eaters and hard keepers and
non-layers and tubby pests that seem to accumulate in the
wintertime in the chicken house....LOL.
How about YOU..Cottage Rose? Wanna come down and
dress some chickens with me?
Well, its going to warm up nicely this week, everyone take heart!!!!
Sheri
Yuk I hate that job. I take mine to a local Amish man for processing.
I only worm if I have a problem. Have your vet check a fecal sample.
I use liquid Ivermectin and discard eggs for 30 days after worming.
Most people typically worm poultry 2 x a year, early Spring (before breeding season) and Fall after the ground freezes.
I need some warm weather BAD!
Fell on the ice the other day (hard) and wrenched my neck so off to the chiropracter for me today. Ugh.
Sheri,
Bank barns are built into a hillside or dirt is piled up into a ramp so that both "stories"
can be used. The upper floors are typically used for equipment & hay and the lower for
livestock. You are correct.
Tam
cottage
I hope you are ok! gosh darn ice.
I was in colorado for almost 4 weeks, and i just got back.
i brought the snow back with me to here! LOLOL.
we are going to fire up the woodstove tonight. ha ha.
my husband says, it has been 50ish since I left.
i have a phone number for a mr. yoder in nashville
that does chickens with the feathermans super plucker
ducker erupter machine. i also found someone closer
by us to do this too. no more plucking for me. ugh.
I just got 50 meat birds on sunday. gonna pen em up
and fatt'n em up. anyone got barbeque sauce?
Regards to all
sher
I'm okay...but I will be alot better of this dern cold weather would go away!
Its been so nice and now this...again...ugh!
This is just nuts! It had to be well into the 70's on Mon and now we're going deep
into the 20's for the next few nights. Maybe snow Sat.
Tam
Hey Cottage_rose - Happy Birthday!!!
Tam
Thanks Tammy! :)
Yup we've been hit hard...day time high in the 30's at night temps in the 20's.
GRRRR!!!!
Very cold and windy today. Wind gusts up to 50 MPH.
I am SO sick of this!
Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! To Cottage Rose!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Many more!
Health, wealth and happiness for all your days.
sheri
Thanks!
My silkies are on strike any help??? Great photos!!!!
Tracey
This message was edited Apr 13, 2007 2:44 PM
Hi Tracey!
What does that mean, "on strike"?
We are getting about 3 dozen eggs per day
from 20 chickens. Its unbelievable.
If you need to know my secret, I will tell you.
Today, while collecting eggs, not the morning
batch, but I saw a black hen in the nest box.
This afternoon, she was still there, I figured
if it was the same chicken, someone was
going broody or whatever. To check, reach
in and if she runs off screaming, then its just
an attitude. If she pecks at your hand, then
you got a "broody hen". She pecked at my
hand, so I reached in and tried to get her
off the nest, nope. So I grabbed her around
her neck and dragged her out. She was
muttering and puffy and looking all blowed out.
The eggs were warm, about 8 of em, so I took
em. If there had been a dominique setting,
I would have left her, but our gorgeous male
is a dominique and i dont want cross bred eggers.
my blacks are jersey giants, and they are not
that giant.
let me know if you need help getting the girls
off strike.
sheri
Sheri, Please help 10 days now and still no eggs...
That would be great if you could help...
Tracey
Wigglypaw,
I have 15 chickens in the the coop . 7 Barred rocks, 5 Red Sex Links, 3 Silkies
and the Barred Rocks are 16 weeks to day. The Red sex links are 4 weeks. And the Silkies are 1 and 2 years old. And no eggs please help me..
Tracey
Tracey what are you feeding them?
They need free choice laying mash or layer pellets.
They need fresh water daily and oyster shell.
Have they been stressed out by dogs or kids?
Are the other chickens picking on them?
Silkies are very sensitive.
Tracey, you stop worrying so much! They'll be okay, I promise! It's probably like watching water boil. One of these days they'll start laying again. They just like watching you fuss :)
Okay!!! But my son doesn't like to wait some times...
Tracey
Whats your seceret?? I still have no eggs...
Tracey
I wonder why the silkies are not laying. Do you have nest boxes put up
for them? There should be lots of nest boxes, it lets the girls figure
they have a "choice" and can choose their favorite one. Hang these
about 12" from the floor in other words, the floor of the bottom nest
boxes should be about a foot above the floor level in the chicken coop.
gotta go help my hubby
sheri
wigglypaw! welcome back! I've missed you!
I second that, WigglyPaw! I was wondering what in the world happened to you.... Hope all is well. It's good to have you back!
Wigglypaw,
I lost 11 chickens on 5-29-07 do to dogs.. Eufaula is sending some eggs for me to hatch in the incabator for NB... Welcome back!!!
My silkies are no longer dogs gottem and no eggs yet from barred rocks 3 left..
My chicken girl friends
I am not gone, just so busy here on the farm i am busier than an
one armed wall paper hanger. LOL.
Literally. I have a torn rotater cuff on my right arm, and it will be
operated on in september, but till then, oy. my hand goes numb
from digging, or typing, or writing, or drawing.
we put in some raised beds: 2 feet high, 4 feet wide and 16 feet
long for my vegies. I planted 33 rhododendrons, few roses,
weeding. planted 44 arborvitae yesterday and azaleas, 11 of them.
bringing along 100 meat babies, and today is processing day for
the disgusting meat birds in the coop. 9 died yesterday in the
awful heat wave we had for one day. it was brutal, no storms like
what dakotas had or wisconsin, but just wind the next day. I will
be happy to cull the flock, get rid of the excess roosters, the
x bred cornish that weigh 8 lbs, the stupid meat birds. our friends
have a whiz bang and we are bringing our chickens over there
today.
I can't wait to clean the coop. the floor is about 12 inches deep in
matted straw and I will need a mask to do it, but it will be nice
inside. I intend to wash the interior with a bleach solution and
let it dry before putting the chickens back in. they deserve the
clean surroundings to make a quality egg and be healthy.
regards to all
sheri
Hi Sheri -
I wish you the best with that torn rotator cuff! Glad you are getting it
addressed.
I would never have those meat birds again. I got some chicks from
a kinder garden class and they were awful. They creeped me out how
fast they grew & how fat they got. And so many had problems with
their legs. Ugh. Are they all like this?
(Of course I raise chickens more as pets & for their eggs so wouldn't
eat the chickens anyway).
Tam
Sheri wish you all the healing prayers I can send!
You really need to get some help girlfriend with all the coop cleaning! Trying to use extra muscles to compensate for the hurt arm will only increase the probability of injuring your back! Take It easy! We dont want you injured!
I hope you got all your chickens done! I know that can be a lot of work but after all the work comes a lot of good Fried Chicken!!!!! Yum!!!!!!
My fellow buk buk girls,
The day before chicken processing day, we have been having
record heat wave here in the 90's, which, for us is unusual in June.
I got 9 dead chickens in the morning. It was so disgusting.
We finally got the rest over and processed. my husband Lou is
now building a whiz bang chicken plucker. That thing is amazing.
It takes all the chore out of chicken plucking. about 5 seconds in
the tub, and that bird is picked clean as a babys bottom. I just
can't get over it. and, the chicken is NOT tougher in any way shape
or form from being mechanically plucked. The rubber fingers strip
the feathers out, and its done. So easy then to clean out the bird
and no muss or fuss. much cleaner. very much cleaner I say.
I have sold about 35 of my chickens that I processed for $8 a bird.
I have another 12 being held. Then, I have about 90 that
are coming along. They are growing fast and will be very
delicious with all the corn and middlings and good stuff we
feed them. They are starting to go outside now and eat grass too.
That cuts down on the feed costs too., but they don't grow as fast,
but I think I want them to have some normal time, and not confine
them as I did the last bunch. I think they will be healthier and
meat more chickeny than strictly grain fed.
My next test will be to take 10 chickens, keep them isolated
and feed them a mixture of grains, grass and spices. I want to
see if the meat becomes infused with the spices they eat. I am
thinking of giving them garlic for instance, fresh garlics.
this is the scientist coming out in me.
The next test will be a tarragon, which is not as strong as garlic.
I would like to do a sage chicken too. Hmmmm.......
I better apply for a patent quickly I think.
Sheri
PS I adore fried chicken, but have lost 40 lbs now on a careful
diet, and batches of fried chicken, mashed with gravy, coleslaw,
bisquit with butter and honey are not on this diet. I think, though,
that for a semblance of a normal meal, i could have one meal like
that in moderation. I have already had a blizzard from DQ, but
ate 1/2 of it. It was good. Could have used more stuff in it.
I grew up with store near us, delivered regularly to us, and to the
hordes of cousins and aunts and uncles who would come on
sundays and saturdays, "Chicken Delight". This was pressure
fried chicken, done before KFC. It was amazingly good. They
did ribs and shrimp too if I remember, but we didn't get that
since we are Jewish. I loved the bisquits, with the honey and
butter and the mashed with gravy, but my mom didn't want to
pay extra for that she said. they would order coleslaw and
potato salad from the nearby german deli, "Rudys". it was
soooooooo goood. the roast beef from rudys was the best too.
rare and not full of water like the deli meats now, ick. god its
disgusting what stores do to meats to package them. ugh.
WigglyPaw did you make or buy those nest boxes for your chicks. If you bought them, where at? Cause it'll be nice to have some for my chickens.
This message was edited Jun 23, 2007 4:57 PM
WigglePaw, You make me want to eat!!! The barred rocks are 25 weeks old now
and I have some eggys in the incubator Eufaula sent me...
Tracey
Eric- go to your local elevator/mill and just order them. they come
in many sizes, I got the double decker in galvanized metal. Not too
expensive, easy to put together, easy to keep clean, the roosts in
front of it fold up so it is easy to collect the eggs from below also.
Tracy Love them barred rocks!!!!!
Sheri