It's all yours, Baby!! How's it look with the new boots?
My new Saddleback Sebastopols!
Divine! I am the Barnyard Diva!
huh???
They are beautiful!! I love them.
Sorry Cottage Rose, I think Claire's outfit is posted on the Lodi Launch monster thread...
Nope, it's on the blather stick thread.
How do Sebastopol geese get along with chickens? Are they aggressive towards them at all or do they all co-mingle happily?
Geese are top on the totum pole of my barnyard birds (I only have ducks, geese and chickens) but not aggressive towards the other birds they free range with. I have no idea what they would do in close quarters because mine are all separated at night.
Sebastopols are pretty half hearted in any acts of dominance but this is just my personal experience. I'm sure it could vary either way.
As far as geese go Sebs, American Buffs and Pilgrims are reported to be more laid back and less noisy than some of the other breeds but there are good and bad individuals in any breed.
If you've never had geese before I highly recommend them since they are highly intelligent and much more personable and people loving than a duck or chicken.
Oooh, I didn't know that! I will definitely think about geese for next year. I haven't got a separate living quarters for them at this point. I have a pond but it is a bit into the woods. I worry about the snapping turtles and the coons as far as possible goose predators go.
Woods is a bad place for any birds.
We have a pond on the back of our property but my birds never go past the open meadow areas. If your coop or barn is big enough they could co-mingle at night if you just had a couple.
I have to admit, now that my silkies from Ideal are grown, that if I could do it over, I would buy better quality chickens.
Don't get me wrong, I like my silkies, and they will always have a home here. They are just not as pretty as the pictures I was seeing online of other silkies. They just aren't.
Oh well, live and learn.
Light_for_Jesus I agree 100% about ideal i bought some old english from them and they were too big for show.
I had to practicaly give them away because as breeding stock they were worthless.
The Dutch i ordered were very pretty but they too were bigger than the Dutch i've seen.
Now the Golden Campines were right on and beautiful i made a hefty sum off those.
The silkie chicks i have now came from adults from ideal and they aren't as pretty as those on here.
These on here are hatched with the top knot allready protruding and mines heads are flat.
The only thing that tells me they are silkies is thier toes.
I wouldn't order silkies or bantams from them i do know thier standards are very nice thou.
Most hatcheries are brokers and most likely have little or no quality control over over their suppliers.
Its like buying a purebred puppy from a puppy mill.
Its purebred but chances are, its going to be poor quality
with who knows how many genetic defects.
People like to buy cheap stuff but you know how it goes...
you get what you pay for.
So how do you find quality chickens and eggs? Not that I am needing more chickens, but I am curious.
I saw a website where a woman has some beautiful buff silkies. They don't look like mine at all. I think she sells eggs, and I was tempted to try letting mine hatch some. I want to wait awhile though.
Buy from a reputable private breeder.
If you don't know of any ask for referals on the forum
or get a subscription to the Poultry Press.
Alot of breeders advertize in there.
Most will ship chicks and adults but typically not hatching eggs.
Bonus with the Poultry Press is each issue has a buy 2 get 1 free on Purina Sunfresh Feeds and another brand, I forget the name of right now....Hubbard??
Its worth paying more to get good quality.
Think of how much one spends on poor quality birds if they are repeatedly getting inferior quality (plus time lost) and end up having to buy more.
It all adds up so you might as well invest in good quality and save yourself the headache.
This message was edited Dec 18, 2008 8:19 AM
Cottage rose i did just what you advised. I had when i first started out just plain oeg banty chickens. So i got the idea to order from ideal they are allmost the highest priced but mcmurry is the highest.
I thought i could really get some show quality birds and make a profit it was a mistake i paid for.
For the $250 i invested in the chicks i think i got maybe $100 alot i just gave away as i was tired of feeding them.
For the last 4 years i've been getting to know breeders and show people and i now have bragging rights to some excellent breeder stock.
LFJ if you want silkies Silkie Chick would be a good breeder to talk to she sells eggs.
If one were to covet a fluffy Sesame goose could one have just one due to its largessness or would it be too lonely? Also how far can a baby goose safely be shipped? Also are they hardy to Zone 3a?
Sesame??
Geese should really have one of its own kind to be with.
Sebastopols really aren't a good selection for extra
cold climates due to their open, loose feathering.
I can't ship to Canada.
Beautiful geese Cottage! I don't have any geese, but I do have a story about geese we had when I was a child. My brother was like 3 or 4 and my parents could not keep clothes on him. He used to run around the farm naked as a jaybird. Then one morning he was screaming. I ran outside and there he was and there was our goose Matilda, with a certain part of him in her beak! My mom chased her off with a stick. He was alright, just pretty freaked out. My brother wore clothes after that : ) Matilda and John were our geese. John was a sweetheart, but Matilda was rotten and liked to run around pinching your bottom with her beak. Can't recall what type they were, I believe they had knobs on their beaks and I think they were gray and white.
Thanks Cottage_Rose. I didn't think they would like our cold climate.
Patchouli
I think everybody has a mean goose story but yours tops em all! LMBO!!
The ones with the knobs are either Africans or Chinese
which tend to be loud and aggressive.
Sebastopols are very sweet when hand raised.
This message was edited Dec 24, 2008 11:21 AM
My brother would KILL me if he knew I was sharing this story ; )
LOL
I cant imagine why??? hehehe!
bump!
Oooh, Cottage Rose, maybe you can help me out with my new rescue gang. I can't tell if they are ducks or geese. I have a thread about it. Perhaps you could take a look and give me your best guesses? Thanks!