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the48thronin
Heavy Crude
Joined: May 30, 2008
Posts: 221
Location: On the highway, or the water somewhere!
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 Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 1:40 pm Post subject: Best chicken breed for small homestead... |
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Anyone find a better breed than comet?
good egg production with well fleshed out roosters too....
anyone have a fovorite breed that is better?
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Ludi
NeoMaster
Joined: Dec 27, 2004
Posts: 12497
Location: zombie horde wonderland
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 2:23 pm Post subject: Re: Best chicken breed for small homestead... |
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I have not tried Comet. I think my favorite so far has been Dark Cornish, though they have very loud unpleasant voices.
Second favorite - Dominique, for temperament, foraging ability, and looks. Didn't get great egg production, though. Lost my flock in a freak storm. 
I have one Araucana who has been a fantastic egg layer for years even though she's had at least two strokes.
Least favorite - White Rock
I've also had Delaware, Black Australorp, White Wyandotte, Buff Orpington
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Heineken
Expert
Joined: Sep 14, 2004
Posts: 6468
Location: Rural Virginia
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 2:23 pm Post subject: Re: Best chicken breed for small homestead... |
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You should post this on the chicken/poultry thread. Do a search and you will find it.
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WyoDutch
Tar Sands
Joined: May 24, 2008
Posts: 99
Location: Park County, Wyoming
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 4:16 pm Post subject: Re: [Food] Production - Poultry (was Backyard Chickens) |
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| SpringCreekFarm wrote: | | Got the chicken run for the coop finished today. Here is a picture of the main chicken coop and run. I had once considered tearing this building down but I'm glad I reconsidered, now that it is finished. |
Now that is one FINE coop... It reminds me of the chicken coops that were a fixture on every farm (and many small-town backyards) when I was but a yute. |
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darwinsdog
Heavy Crude
Joined: Jun 27, 2008
Posts: 170
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 4:23 pm Post subject: Re: Best chicken breed for small homestead... |
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| I need a breed of chicken that can defend itself from the weasel, the raccoon, the bobcat... Oh wait! I need a Deinonychus, not a chicken... |
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Polemic
Heavy Crude
Joined: Sep 24, 2006
Posts: 334
Location: Austin, TX
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 4:29 pm Post subject: Re: Best chicken breed for small homestead... |
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I've heard and read good stuff about Rhode Island Reds.
That's probably the breed I'll try to get when I eventually get chickens. |
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darwinsdog
Heavy Crude
Joined: Jun 27, 2008
Posts: 170
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 4:34 pm Post subject: Re: Best chicken breed for small homestead... |
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Don't shoot that chicken, Polemic !!!  |
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steam_cannon
Expert
Joined: Dec 28, 2006
Posts: 2466
Location: MA
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 6:52 pm Post subject: Re: Best chicken breed for small homestead... |
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| darwinsdog wrote: | | Don't shoot that chicken, Polemic !!! |
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SILENTTODD
Intermediate Crude
Joined: May 06, 2006
Posts: 873
Location: Tustin, CA
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 7:54 pm Post subject: Re: Best chicken breed for small homestead... |
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| Ludi wrote: | | I think my favorite so far has been Dark Cornish, though they have very loud unpleasant voices. |
Really? I'll have to look into those. I'll need something loud to wake me up in the morning when I won't be able to get batteries for my alarm clocks anymore!
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JJ
Heavy Crude
Joined: Aug 07, 2007
Posts: 347
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 7:57 pm Post subject: Re: Best chicken breed for small homestead... |
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Buff Orpington
reallly good mamas also... |
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Gothor
Tar Sands
Joined: Apr 14, 2008
Posts: 89
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 8:03 pm Post subject: Re: Best chicken breed for small homestead... |
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| Polemic wrote: | I've heard and read good stuff about Rhode Island Reds.
That's probably the breed I'll try to get when I eventually get chickens. |
I lubs RIR's |
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Ludi
NeoMaster
Joined: Dec 27, 2004
Posts: 12497
Location: zombie horde wonderland
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 8:39 pm Post subject: Re: Best chicken breed for small homestead... |
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| SILENTTODD wrote: |
Really? I'll have to look into those. I'll need something loud to wake me up in the morning when I won't be able to get batteries for my alarm clocks anymore! |
Problem is they gripe and complain loudly all day.....
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wisconsin_cur
Moderator
Joined: May 10, 2007
Posts: 2966
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 8:49 pm Post subject: Re: Best chicken breed for small homestead... |
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| JJ wrote: | Buff Orpington
reallly good mamas also... |
+1
I have four raising chicks 15 chicks right now.
Depending upon your situation it can be a positive or a negative but they can be a bit passive (until they have chicks, then they become very protective). I have small children so this is a positive. But even when protecting chicks they knocked my 1 year old down but did not hurt him. This would not have been the case with a more aggressive breed.
A more aggressive breed, however, might take care of mice or chipmunks looking for a free meal from the feed tray. My buffs will share the tray with them. |
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the48thronin
Heavy Crude
Joined: May 30, 2008
Posts: 221
Location: On the highway, or the water somewhere!
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 9:44 pm Post subject: Re: Best chicken breed for small homestead... |
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| wisconsin_cur wrote: | | JJ wrote: | Buff Orpington
reallly good mamas also... |
+1
I have four raising chicks 15 chicks right now.
Depending upon your situation it can be a positive or a negative but they can be a bit passive (until they have chicks, then they become very protective). I have small children so this is a positive. But even when protecting chicks they knocked my 1 year old down but did not hurt him. This would not have been the case with a more aggressive breed.
A more aggressive breed, however, might take care of mice or chipmunks looking for a free meal from the feed tray. My buffs will share the tray with them. |
Typical of orpintons...LOL they are good yard birds if you have a good fence and a guard dog...LOL
Comets are sex links that can be read in the shell, this makes for easier deciding which eggs to eat and which to slide over into the brooders ( We used a couple of banti hens that couldn't stop setting any egg in sight). The hens don't gain much weight and are small and fiesty... The roosters are more than average in aggression and unfortunately have the distinct impression that they alone call out the morning sun when they are tired of resting in the dark.
Training a good yard dog to defend rather than eat the chickens is a great investment in time.. ( I won't mention my own method because it is effective but will say that a friend of mine used one of those training collars and eventually it did work.)
Thank you to the moderator who placed my post where it belonged...
For those thinking of chickens, a hint a couple of adult geese will help both in training the yard dog to respect anything that wears feathers...(lol) but will also discourage most small preditors.... and even many 2 legged ones from raiding your yard. make sure you have a couple of females and one or more male gees and your guardian supply can double as a treat meat.
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Courtesy and Courage, Sincerity and Self-control, Honor and Loyalty...a Code to Live By!
Where is my wooden pitchfork and torch anyway? I may need them for a visit to the castle soon! |
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the48thronin
Heavy Crude
Joined: May 30, 2008
Posts: 221
Location: On the highway, or the water somewhere!
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 10:08 pm Post subject: Re: [Food] Production - Poultry (was Backyard Chickens) |
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| gwen2 wrote: | This has been an interesting thread. Thanks to all the veterans for posting all their experience. We are moving this fall and will want to get chickens next year. I would like to free range the chickens. Most of the books say that you can free range them to replace about 30 percent of their feed, but from first hand accounts, I have heard people say that they free range and barely have to give anything other than scraps, spare veggies, etc.
I was wondering if anyone here free ranges their chickens. Does anyone completely free range with no store bought feed? I know they need salt and grit and calcium, but I am talking about grains or lay ration.
Thanks for sharing your wisdom.
GWen |
Before we moved from the old farmstead to our new home on 20 acres we free ranged all our birds... BUT we also fed them vegy scraps and peals etc so that they would continue to think of us as food.
Yard birds are a delight to own as well as a necessary food source for white meat. You should have stories to tell in a few years that will have non rural people scratching their heads in dis belief..
Just as we do...LOL Ask my wife about her favorite hen and she will regale you for hours about Henrietta the banti hen who was our main brood hen for years.. That hen would come into the house each day in time to sit on the living room floor and watch her favorite soap opera ( I am not kidding).
As to free ranging replacing all feed if you have salt out for the horses and mules, and oyster shell or baked egg shell available to them, they can of course fend for themselves in our part of the country.
I sold our buggy and all the live stock when we moved, but I still have my horse drawn farming equipment and remember well how to use it...LOL I have a chicken house and a small shed to convert to a stall, but have not put in fences even though we have built several houses on the property for children and their families...
We have a pig pen we use to raise wild hogs that are available in the woods localy...
I have two year around springs, and about 1/3 of the orchards planted... I am hoping to add to the orchards this fall.
Possibly we will go back to owning horses, but in reality I don't think planning to survive is where I wish to put my efforts... at my age personal survival is less important than trying to preserve our country in some state allowing liberty to me..
_________________
Courtesy and Courage, Sincerity and Self-control, Honor and Loyalty...a Code to Live By!
Where is my wooden pitchfork and torch anyway? I may need them for a visit to the castle soon! |
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