BarredBuff's Homesteading Shenanigans

[MsPony]

Also ibe found doing it yourself is more money, work and hassle. I have tried it before with small animals, I gave up and just bought the $10 bags

 

[BarredBuff]

Also ibe found doing it yourself is more money, work and hassle. I have tried it before with small animals, I gave up and just bought the $10 bags

Yeah youre right. It aint worth the money. Although I am gonna get some BOSS for em.

 

[BarredBuff]

 

[Up-the-Creek]

Pickin chicken breeds is a hard endeavor isn't it??? I too like big,fat, broody, egg-laying machines. There is sooooo many to choose from. As I told you last night, the Partridge Rocks are my favorite (so far),...but I did decide to go with RIR and the DEL's this time. In our little remote part of the mountains, these breeds are more widely known and easier to sell if I decide to raise chicks. I tried selling PR's, most people had no idea what they were and wasn't to interested. I had Barred Rocks too, didn't like them too well,..they were kind of small and hateful. They BO's are FAT, broody,and sweet,..but they eat a lot. I like EE's too, they lay eggs like crazy and are so friendly,....but they are small, not broody, and their eggs are kind of small. Talk about a time getting people to buy blue and green eggs! They acted like I was trying to sell them alien eggs! So those eggs aren't a big hit around here,...so no more EE's. Well maybe a couple,.. Best thing to do is order a few of each then decide from there. They have nice assortment deals too at MM. Keep us posted!

 

[BarredBuff]

I may try Delawares...maybe who knows?
Thanks again UTC

 

[CrimsonRose]

So far I haven't had any go broody on me... even my silkies that everyone Raved about going broody won't sit... I'm going to work on making some better nest boxes for next year... right now they have a nice set of boxes but they use them to sleep in... the only 3 gals who are laying like to lay the eggs in their feeder (it's a round 5 gallon type they hop in the top it's actually funny to watch) If I go up too early in the morning to feed them I often find a girl in there and have to wait for her to come out before I can dump the feed in...

I have EE's and a few cinnamon queens and silkies... Next spring I'm going to try and order the rainbow egg assortment from MM hatchery and hope I find a favorite breed from those... I really like getting the different color eggs and hope to get some nice babies if one of my gals would ever just sit! hahaha but they will be some UGLY mutt chickens because the only roo I have in with the girls is a silkie... he is the sweetest little guy! I have 2 other roo's but they are evil! and soon to be diner... I hope to have a self sustaining flock one day but for now have to settle for buying my chicks till I can get my flock up and running...

Sorry I'm not much help...

 

[BarredBuff]

CR, we are about at the same stage. I want an SS flock as well. I want them to supply my needs and I want to be able to cut back feed costs and get a few chicks out of them as well.

 

[lorihadams]

LIGHT BRAHMAS!!! Mine hatched out 13 ducklings for me this year after sitting on 16 duck eggs for a month and they are faithful layers (when they arent in molt....poor girls)

They are excellent foragers and great moms. I tried to do a whole flock of them but lost 10 to a predator and bought 2 from a lady locally as replacement hens.

I love them, I just bought 2 EES (one turned out to be a gorgeous roo that hubby says I can't keep, we'll see about that one) 2 red comets, and 2 black australorps but one looks nothing like an aussie. She's not even totally black, has white lacing on her breast feathers. Should have known better than to buy chickens from TSC.

Check into the brahmas, though, they're big but excellent foragers so mine offset the costs. They actually don't like to eat bagged feed, they prefer to be in the woods out back all day

Meyers has some packages where you can get a mixed bag of layers, if you don't like 'em you can always eat 'em!!!

 

[BarredBuff]

I might need to add Brahmas to the maybe list. I think they are pretty.

 

[savingdogs]

I have four breeds, Buff Orpington, EEs, Rhode Island reds and Russian Orloffs.

Every breed has a representative who has gone broody! But I would pick Buff Orpington to recommend for you as they have large eggs, are friendly and three of my eight have gone broody. Only one of my six rhode island red has. My EEs are still pretty young, but their eggs are small. My orloffs raised a batch of chicks for me but also lay medium sized eggs.

So Buff Orpington wins from my group.