| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| txbikergirl |
Posted - Jan 15 2012 : 7:14:02 PM
I am a new wannabe chicken farmer and have decided that I am making the dream come true in 2012. along these lines, I saw that Dallas is having its big rodeo and farm show this month and they are having a "poultry exhibit" the weekend of 1/21 - 1/22.
So, is this like I have seen on the tv where everyone has their chickens in cages and you can go and browse and check them all out? so can anyone go and see all the cool chickens? I remember from country fairs of my youth they had these type of things, but I haven't been to one ever. But the idea of being able to go and see them in person is just so cool and exciting.
I am going to drag my hubby, and my mom and my dad as they live next door to us, so they can start to see that I am not insane about wanting chickens. they are all the type that the dream seems wacky, but then when they see cute little critters they change their minds...
I would hate to drag them up there and then not have the poultry exhibit be what I envision,
*********************************************************
Bread the Mary Jane Way
- started Mother 6/28/09
- Hodgson Mill Organic unbleached flour
- well water w/ reverse osmosis filter
- feeding twice as much once a day to eliminate excess hooch
- first sourdough loaf 7/25/09 - GREAT!
- using KA bread flour for loafs |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| msdoolittle |
Posted - Jan 23 2012 : 05:42:53 AM
Roosters (cockerels, technically) ARE gorgeous! I currently have 2 full grown. My neighbor actually enjoys the crowing. I have a few of my own rules about roos, and that is that they MUST be friendly (some can be downright dangerous), and that I try not to keep too many for my neighbor's and my own sanity.
We have had some gorgeous roos who turned out to be total hormone-crazed birds, and we did not keep them. You never know who will be tolerant around people and who won't. A good rooster should take care of his 'ladies' first and foremost. He will alert them to tasty food bits that he finds, and he will round them up if he detects danger. He will also break up fights between the hens! Around here, he must also produce fertile eggs and be tolerant and kind to humans.
FarmGirl #1390
www.mylittlecountry.wordpress.com |
| homsteddinmom |
Posted - Jan 23 2012 : 04:24:27 AM
Glad you enjoyed it, Like Amanda said tho, heritage breeds or rare breeds most arent the best layers. can you keep poultry in your HOA now?? I can keep in my POA i can even have roosters!
Homesteading Mom in East Texas. Raising chickens, Rabbits and goats here on my farm! |
| txbikergirl |
Posted - Jan 22 2012 : 3:23:29 PM
for anyone else that is a wannabe chicken farmer, i wanted to say that we went to the poultry exhibit and it was wonderful. i wanted to go because i started to realize i don't know if i have ever seen chickens up close before. i have lived in rural areas all my life, but other than passing through homesteads that have chickens i don't know anyone in my life that has ever had them.
yes, they are show class birds so they are "perfect" and everything - but i just loved seeing all the heritage birds i dream of having, and really seeing the size difference between different birds, and seeing the true colorings up close instead of just in a book or on a webpage.
and the only difference from pre exhibit to post exhibit, os now i really REALLY want a rooster. it won't happen now because of our current location, rural living but we do have a small community and an HOA - but i'll put that dream in my pocket to carry around until i can take it out some time in the future.
so if you are interested in chickens and want to see some heritage breeds, then find yourself a rodeo or stock show or FFA show and go!
*********************************************************
Bread the Mary Jane Way
- started Mother 6/28/09
- Hodgson Mill Organic unbleached flour
- well water w/ reverse osmosis filter
- feeding twice as much once a day to eliminate excess hooch
- first sourdough loaf 7/25/09 - GREAT!
- using KA bread flour for loafs |
| msdoolittle |
Posted - Jan 20 2012 : 06:26:25 AM
Yep, duck eggs are much better than chicken eggs! Yes, Mrs. Brandi took my LOUD ducks! LOL Still, I'd like to get some Runners...SO CUTE. They are wonderful at getting bugs and slugs. They way I kept the water situation manageable was to get an auto filler, stick it on a short container, then place that on a 2x3 platform of bricks. Otherwise, they will make giant muddy holes right by the water dish and keep the water gross :0)
FarmGirl #1390
www.mylittlecountry.wordpress.com |
| homsteddinmom |
Posted - Jan 20 2012 : 04:48:56 AM
I sure was ogling your eggs!!...lol. I Love my ducks(Amanda from posts above gave them to me..lol) I could put out water in their pool every 5 minutes and they would splash it out just as fast as i fill it up...lol. Do you sell yours for eating eggs or fertile incubating eggs?
Homesteading Mom in East Texas. Raising chickens, Rabbits and goats here on my farm! |
| Dusky Beauty |
Posted - Jan 19 2012 : 10:26:02 PM
I decided on keeping ducks over chickens.. in fact Brandee was ogling my eggs on facebook today!
I like duck personalities and antics more than chickens, they're more hardy, lay larger eggs, lay more eggs and have a longer productive life as layers than any breed of chicken.
Then you have roast duck. Nom.
My family wasn't too interested in my ducks until the box of cute little ducklings arrived. And now I always have company when I hang out near the duck pen during evening feeding.
I Do plan to get chickens eventually (cornish cross for high turnover meaties, and thinking black copper marans and dorkings for a regular flock.) But my ducks more than fill any need I have for eggs to use or to sell.
This is from just 4 ducks and their very first eggs.
Who can resist this sweet welsh face?
"The greatness of a nation and it's moral progress can be judged by the way it's animals are treated." ~Gandhi
http://silvermoonfarm.blogspot.com/
"After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.” ~Will Rogers |
| homsteddinmom |
Posted - Jan 19 2012 : 04:20:20 AM
My ducks free range with the chickens! Ducks are messy and dig alot of holes...lol. I have a barn for the birds but most roost in the trees at nite.
Homesteading Mom in East Texas. Raising chickens, Rabbits and goats here on my farm! |
| txbikergirl |
Posted - Jan 18 2012 : 7:47:18 PM
what kind of ducks do you have? we actually live on a lake, so i thought ducks were the way to go but everyone in my family is less excited about ducks than chickens - and they aren't even too excited about those! do you have them in your chicken coop/run, or a separate space?
quote:
Originally posted by homsteddinmom
I am gonna get more layers and of course that should say 50 not 550..lol. I got 50 black sex links last year and they are doing well! I have never raised the broilers i have thought about it. Oh BTW I am really enjoying the ducks :) they are giving me 3 eggs a day! I just love to watch them :).
Homesteading Mom in East Texas. Raising chickens, Rabbits and goats here on my farm!
*********************************************************
Bread the Mary Jane Way
- started Mother 6/28/09
- Hodgson Mill Organic unbleached flour
- well water w/ reverse osmosis filter
- feeding twice as much once a day to eliminate excess hooch
- first sourdough loaf 7/25/09 - GREAT!
- using KA bread flour for loafs |
| msdoolittle |
Posted - Jan 18 2012 : 06:56:54 AM
Ha! I thought that's a LOT of birds! :0)
FarmGirl #1390
www.mylittlecountry.wordpress.com |
| homsteddinmom |
Posted - Jan 18 2012 : 06:21:49 AM
I am gonna get more layers and of course that should say 50 not 550..lol. I got 50 black sex links last year and they are doing well! I have never raised the broilers i have thought about it. Oh BTW I am really enjoying the ducks :) they are giving me 3 eggs a day! I just love to watch them :).
Homesteading Mom in East Texas. Raising chickens, Rabbits and goats here on my farm! |
| txbikergirl |
Posted - Jan 17 2012 : 6:52:10 PM
thanks! i am waiting until fall to get my chickens as i am a cpa getting ready for tax season, and hubby is building my coop and run this spring along with a greenhouse and our garden fence... so can't quite house the little chickens yet.
your farm sounds wonderful, i am dreaming of a larger place for us as we would love 40-50 acres and east texas is surely the most beautiful place to have it!
quote:
Originally posted by BoPeep214
Oh I hope your family doesn't think you're crazy for the chicken dream...mine did at first and now they can't hardly live without them! They are so easy to care for too. My son shows them, with a reserve champion gold laced wyandotte last year - his first year...my hubby cannot stand store bought eggs anymore, and everyone just loves to watch the silly little hens do crazy things like roosting on the motorcycle (biker chick?) and "run to mama" for a treat of scraps. Whereas the exhibit will probably have lots of show birds, there should (I don't live in Texas, but with our shows this is true) be all the breeds you would find in the backyard flock. Like we have "Ameraucanas". I let my son show them because he likes them so much. I got them from a place like TSC, so they are not show quality. But there are show quality ones out there and will probably be at the exhibit. There's no real difference between the show birds and backyard birds, except the show birds will have outstanding conformation that you won't have to fuss about as much. Like who cares that our Ameraucanas don't have white on the bottoms of their feet when their main use is eggs? Right? You should find out about the exhibit and go if you can. You can look at examples of birds that might suit you at least in size and care requirements. Plus, it is just plain fun to see all the plumage! Well, hope you have fun and good luck! Your family will thank you for it!
Farmirl Hugs,
Stephanie
#2920
"Happy to share with you such as we've got: the leaks in the roof and the soup in the pot." `Unknown`
*********************************************************
Bread the Mary Jane Way
- started Mother 6/28/09
- Hodgson Mill Organic unbleached flour
- well water w/ reverse osmosis filter
- feeding twice as much once a day to eliminate excess hooch
- first sourdough loaf 7/25/09 - GREAT!
- using KA bread flour for loafs |
| msdoolittle |
Posted - Jan 17 2012 : 6:33:43 PM
Not crazy at all! I started with hatchery stock and am now working my way up to (hopefully) show quality with what I have. It will take years, but oh well, it's fun!
I have been to fairs and I remember cages of all kinds of chicken breeds. I love to look at them! Just remember that the prettiest ones may be just an ornamental breed...just something to look nice, lol. They may not be stellar layers (most ornamentals are NOT; i.e. Polish). Still, my sweet little Silkies have been laying eggs like crazy in the past 2 weeks. If you are ever interested in that breed and Showgirls, I have both, and I'm not too far from you, either. :0)
Brandi, whatcha getting? Meat or layers?
FarmGirl #1390
www.mylittlecountry.wordpress.com |
| BoPeep214 |
Posted - Jan 16 2012 : 08:47:24 AM
Oh I hope your family doesn't think you're crazy for the chicken dream...mine did at first and now they can't hardly live without them! They are so easy to care for too. My son shows them, with a reserve champion gold laced wyandotte last year - his first year...my hubby cannot stand store bought eggs anymore, and everyone just loves to watch the silly little hens do crazy things like roosting on the motorcycle (biker chick?) and "run to mama" for a treat of scraps. Whereas the exhibit will probably have lots of show birds, there should (I don't live in Texas, but with our shows this is true) be all the breeds you would find in the backyard flock. Like we have "Ameraucanas". I let my son show them because he likes them so much. I got them from a place like TSC, so they are not show quality. But there are show quality ones out there and will probably be at the exhibit. There's no real difference between the show birds and backyard birds, except the show birds will have outstanding conformation that you won't have to fuss about as much. Like who cares that our Ameraucanas don't have white on the bottoms of their feet when their main use is eggs? Right? You should find out about the exhibit and go if you can. You can look at examples of birds that might suit you at least in size and care requirements. Plus, it is just plain fun to see all the plumage! Well, hope you have fun and good luck! Your family will thank you for it!
Farmirl Hugs,
Stephanie
#2920
"Happy to share with you such as we've got: the leaks in the roof and the soup in the pot." `Unknown` |
| homsteddinmom |
Posted - Jan 16 2012 : 05:16:21 AM
What it is is show chickens. They have judges come and judge them and they will win prizes from it. Here is the website www.fwssr.com they would be fun to look at but wouldnt really show you a back yard flock as these would all be high quality show birds. What are you looking for in chickens?? I know tractor supply in palestine tx will start selling chicks about march-april. You do have to buy 6 and you can buy all pullets(hens). I would just research breeds that you like and maybe order some. There are places you can order as few as 3 chicks. I buy all mine from a local feed store here in Bullard, tx and he gets all pullets and i pay $1.95 each for them. Do you have a place set up for them?? Why does your family think its crazy?? I have 45 hens right now but will be getting 550 new chicks when the feed store gets them in! Im not sure if that local auction house there sells chickens or not i do know they sell cows, i have never been to the animal auction there in Elkhart.
Homesteading Mom in East Texas. Raising chickens, Rabbits and goats here on my farm! |
| Farmtopia |
Posted - Jan 15 2012 : 7:21:28 PM
Hey Cindy--is there an online site for the fair? If they have a phone number, my best guess is to call them and get it straight from the horse's mouth (so to speak) as to what the setup will look like. My guess is if it's a livestock fair, it'll probably be along the lines of what you envision...I don't know why it wouldn't be open to the public, unless there's something like a membership required?
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