Java. the end.

[BeccaOH]

Savingdogs, getting Russian Orloffs in a mixup was a pretty good deal, I think. I was looking at ROs from the start of my chicken interest. Love their unique look and heritage. I finally got a pair in May, and also have 4 young ones.

 

[Henrietta23]

ooooo I wish I'd gotten Russian Orloffs by mistake. I ordered with someone from BYC and got two but they didn't survive The next time I did that the BYC person who ordered was SURE she knew which chickens were my Sicilian Buttercups and EEs. I only got one Buttercup and none of the EEs. I ended up with 3 golden wyandottes that I hate. They were the first chickens I never named. I have 2 left, we lost one to a preditor last month. They're stupid, unfriendly, not very pretty and lousy layers. The woman I ordered with was going to trade back but she wasn't sure who had gotten my birds so it really wasn't worth it in the end. She disappeared from BYC eventually. Next time I ordered I did it with someone I knew personally and it went much better.
Sorry the goat didn't work out

 

[savingdogs]

Well when they are baby chicks they look just like RIRs so I understood the feed store mistake. A few days later they began to look different and I assumed they were all roos. But after they were three months old I took pictures and posted them on BYC and they immediately told me what I have.
The research I did on them wasn't actually correct, it said they are "poor layers"....so right away I traded three of them for two RIR hens and the roo I had. Then I lost one to the dog, but here I am, two years later, with the last two, Pretty and Unpretty, and they are laying like crazy. They always do. They lay in the dead of winter, when there are no eggs, there will be one small white egg faithfully in there from each of them. They have also survived dog attack and always been shy but sweet chickens. And finally, they defend babies. Not only did they brood (together) some chicks, but they defended them, stayed their lifelong friends, and then this year when I put some feathered out pullets in with the big girls, it was Pretty and Unpretty who told the big hens to "knock it off".

I've never had any fertile orloff eggs, not having a roo, but these two hens are actually my favorites. I thought Orloffs were ugly at first (hence their names) but their looks have grown on me. With my EEs running around, muffs, beards and small combs is kinda how most of my chickens look. There was a WA person from BYC that has orloffs I found but never connected with. The interesting thing is that I stayed in touch with the person who bought my extra orloffs, she eventually sold them to the person who ordered them from the feed store that originally made the error and mixed them up, so three of them ended up with the person who really ordered them.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

Java! Java!! look!

http://adventuresinthegoodland.blogspot.com/2011/07/duck.html

whoooot!!!!

plus i think i drove past your neck of the woods today - i waved

 

[Javamama]

I am surprised to hear that there are other crazy people with ducks in my area. I may need to meet these people someday

 

[Javamama]

My newest pullets are starting to lay and I get so excited to go out to the coop and see the smallish, perfect new eggs. I run out there every hour or so just to see who is checking out the nest boxes. I love seeing what new colors they lay and I'm loving that this batch of hens know exactly where to go to lay their first egg.
We have one chicken that I'm still questioning roo or hen, and I was sure it was a roo, but it hasn't crowed and it's chatting at me like the hens do, so for hen - especially because it's an EE. 2 of those ugly giant black chickens I got at TSC are croaking, I mean crowing now. It is the most awful sound ever. I have never heard a worse crow. Sounds like a broken toy horn. Eeek. They will be dinner quite soon. At 12 weeks they are already as big as my brahma hens.

And it's HOT out there now! But it's bringing the veggies along nicely - I've got a handful of cherry tomatoes, a cuke, and lots of peppers. I'll be making jalapeno poppers today

Listening to Fleetwood Mac today - it's the perfect hot weather music. The kids haven't even told me to turn it down yet

Hope you all are staying cool.

 

[savingdogs]

I love Fleetwood Mac. It is funny when you think the KIDS will be the ones to make you turn the music down.

How exciting your new birds are laying. I have a ways to go with my new ones still but I'm enjoying seeing their adult feathers. I love the EE colorings, so beautiful and different. I like having a mixed flock so much better, it is easier for me to count them and such. When I had almost half Buff Orpingtons and half Rhode Island Reds, it was hard to figure out if I had them all penned up. EEs are so unique.

I'm glad things are finally growing for you!

 

[Javamama]

He cut down my friggin' hibiscus bush AGAIN! Every flipping year. I tell him - that's something I want, don't cut it down. It was 4 feet tall and didn't resemble a weed in any way. It was going to be so pretty. I need to just let it go...breathe...OK, not yet Seriously, he seems to have it in for that bush. He doesn't touch anything else in the yard, even the stuff that looks awful.

For pete's sake, I put in the fence corner to cover all the ugly wiring where it goes into the house.

 

[Wifezilla]

I would make him go to a nursery and get me a 4' hibiscus ASAP. Once he forks over the full retail price for a 4' hibiscus he will NEVER cut it down again.

 

[Javamama]

I am considering doing that WifeZ... I'll drag him all over the place looking for just the right one. Then head back to the first place we visited and buy 4 of them Except I'm really not sure it would work