I got chickens!!

[mayfinnfarm]

And its all yalls fault. Alan and Kim, I know you will appreciate this I was sitting out by the little coop watching them for over an hour after work this afternoon! I even petted them thru the wire before Nick got out there. I just have 2 hens..wanted to make sure I knew what to do with them, practice hens I guess. LOL I can already see that we are going to have to build a proper chicken coop with a lot more room. I am seeing lots more hens and some guineas, maybe a turkey. Definitely no Emu or ostrich tho ;D I will try to take some pics tomorrow once I recharge the camera batteries. The little chicken tractor we built is perfect for these 2 girls. And the kids think they are the greatest! Shorty can pet them all over, even rub their beaks and they love it. They are kinda jittery around the wild boy still, but they let him pet them too.

[bluelacedredhead]

Congratulations on your new family members!!!

Let me warn you though, they have a way of multiplying, LOL

[Alan]

exponentially multiplying at that! LOL, how long before you guys call wanting some more next year, I can see your childrens eyes when they see the green and pink and blue eggs the easter eggers lay!

[flowerpower]

Congrats on the new birds. They do have a way of multiplying. I used to have only 2 hens. That was just in May. Now I have 13 hens and 4 ducks. lol I am out of room in the fridge. Stupid duck eggs don't fit in any carton. I just sent 3 doz back to the guy who gave me the ducks.

[bluelacedredhead]

FP, Remember what you said to me about saving some in the freezer for times when you don't have any? Don't do as I did, do as I say, lol

Duck eggs are wonderful for baking cakes. Anyone in your area a great baker? Cottage industry bakery out of their home? See if you can't off load some on a place like that? The Holiday Season is coming. Folks will be baking lots. Put a sign out or let people know via word of mouth that you have duck eggs.....

And get the Jumbo cartons. They should do the trick, chick

[plantsnobin]

There was a sign at the co-op that the local egg suppliers would be discontinuing the chicken eggs and only doing duck eggs in the future. Thought that was kind of weird, but maybe there is a better market for the duck eggs. I'm sure you would have less competition with the duck eggs. There you go Alan, now you are going to have to get ducks. That is only a matter of time anyway, you know it is...

[flowerpower]

Honestly,I don't think they won't fit in a jumbo carton. lol I was thinking about saving them for baking. But I have soooo many eggs right now with the wyandottes starting to lay. I'll bring a few down to my friend's house. I can prolly get rid of a few dozen down there. One of his neighbours even saves me cartons. So I give him eggs when I can also.

I am sure Blue could tell me how to mail you fertile duck eggs in the spring, Alan. I mean, they are Pekins. LOL I call the big drake "Stink-Eye", because he gives ya the evil eye if you go near him. I heard his brothers were very tasty. Stupid ducks sat outside in the blizzard all day yesterday.

[bluelacedredhead]

Yes, I could do that FP. But if Plantsnobin has a source for fertile duck eggs just 'down the road' from Alan, it would be better. Hatching eggs are subject to many problems when shipped. Time constraints, rough handling, hot or cold storage. Local is better unless of course it is a breed or colour of fowl that is not readily found in your own area.

[flowerpower]

I would think the Pekins are the most popular breed in that town. lol How much do they charge for duck eggs at the co-op? It is weird they would do away with chicken eggs.

[plantsnobin]

I am not sure of the price on the duck eggs, I rarely go in there. It's just really not my kind of place. $3.49 for free range eggs is just not justfied to me, not in this area. They didn't do away with all the chicken eggs, just the ones from that particular couple. I think if I had more land I would probably prefer having ducks around than the chickens. The garden would be safer at least.

[bluelacedredhead]

Karen, when we had ducks and geese here, nothing was safe.
The geese ate anything that was pink or red. I had a large patch of Bergamot. Gone!
And the ducks loved alliums. The only onions/chives that survived were the Egyptian ones.

We also had the problem of trying to keep 200 feet of paved driveway free from goose/duck poo. You ever watched how often they drop presents as they stroll? Seemed like it was every other step here?

[Alan]

I haven't talked myself into geese or ducks yet, though Kim I think is interested. More guineas and some more easter egg chickens are on the way first, then I'm going to go for some of the single breasted type turkeys, not sure what kind yet. After that......hogs....maybe.

I've still got to expand my honey bee colony's as well.

[bluelacedredhead]

Single breasted turkeys?? Alan, do you mean Broad Breasted types, like commercial whites?

And considering the price of livestock feeds right now, I'd think twice about getting into hogs unless you can raise them solely on forage. Seriously. I know what it cost to raise hogs when prices were low. I can't imagine trying to do it now that a bag of commercial feed has jumped 50%.

[Alan]

No, the opposite of broad brested types. The smaller more wild type types, I didn't know what to call them though since I've seen the large ones called broad brested or double breasted (which in retrospect sounds a bit perverted). Something similar to the wild ones we have here.

If I do get hogs they will be a bred selected for foraging, I haven't yet made up my mind on what kind, but I am looking.

[grungy]

Bronze or bourbon red turkeys, is perhaps what you are thinking about. there is more dark meat on these two breeds.