Like the illusion of Wall Street, with its vast and powerful investment banks, now shuttered, China too is an illusion perpetuated by the Globalists that gave us the 15,000 mile Caesar salad, poisoned cat food and lead based paint on babies' pacifiers. Like the illusion that money would come from thin air to always push housing prices higher, China has spent a generation pursuing its illusion. Pursuing an unattainable dream to be like the West, while 6000 years of its carefully shepherded top soil blows into the sea.
Joined: Feb 26, 2005 Posts: 107 Location: By the river
Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2005 4:02 am Post subject:
ncgoatgirl wrote:
Quote:
I have learned that roosters can get mean, no matter if you have babied them, petted them or hand feed them. (puberty maybe?)
Roosters who are babied, petted, or hand fed are much more likely to be mean and dangerous than those who aren't. This seems to be true for a lot of male animals; a bottle-fed ram is supposed to be one of the meanest, most dangerous animals you can have on a farm. (OTOH, we've had several bottle-fed buck goats, and they were always babies---very sweet natured.)
Maybe being nice was the wrong thing to do? I got that backwards, lol. I haven't had the courage to get any more roosters since because they attacked my youngest daughter when she was about 2 yo. And they were barred rocks, so kind of large. The roo also spurred my husband when he went in to "take care of the problem" I talked to a neighbor and she said she normally had to go through about a dozen roosters before she got a nice one.
Maybe being nice was the wrong thing to do? I got that backwards, lol. I haven't had the courage to get any more roosters since because they attacked my youngest daughter when she was about 2 yo. And they were barred rocks, so kind of large. The roo also spurred my husband when he went in to "take care of the problem" I talked to a neighbor and she said she normally had to go through about a dozen roosters before she got a nice one.
Yes---we just ignore the roosters when they're young---give them lots of space. Even so, we still occasionally get a mean one. When it looks like a rooster is going to be a problem, we usually start out by clipping his spurs (a bloody job)---sometimes that'll take the wind out of his sails, and he'll leave everybody alone after that. But sometimes there's nothing you can do but kill him, and get another. _________________ ncgoatgirl
http://moonmeadow.blogspot.com
Joined: Dec 27, 2004 Posts: 13191 Location: naive idiot fantasy world
Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2005 7:19 am Post subject:
I'm going to look into gluing wooden balls on the end of my aggressive rooster's spurs. He spiked me pretty badly once. My other two roosters are gentle so far, one enough to hold, the other is skittish and won't let me catch him, but he isn't aggressive. The aggressive rooster is a light breed (Polish) and light breeds are supposed to have more nervous temperaments. Luckily he's very small, mostly feathers. But damn is he fast!
So far all the mean roosters we've acquired have been banished or put in the stew pot. None of them, however, were mean to us - just to the other roosters. So, we had to thin them out some. Now we have 3 adult roosters - one Arucauna, one silky, and one barnyard variety. They seem to get along well. The Arucauna won't let you pick him up, but he is pretty calm, and will let you touch him. Good thing - he's about knee high on me, with very large spurs.
Speaking of spurs, if you cut them too short, they can be very bloody, but if you just take off the tips, it does hinder their "hurting" ability, and doesn't bleed nearly as much.
Quote:
What are you doing with your ducks? Food? Pets?
Well, that's the $64K question right now. Since I've only had them a couple weeks, and they were originally pets to the lady who gave them to us - I don't think these particular ducks will end up as food anytime soon, but, I'm pretty sure their offspring will. Actually I've never eaten duck - but others in my family have, and say they didn't like it. So I'm kind of torn. I hate to butcher the ducks, and then nobody like to eat them. But, they're sort of an additional insurance policy against rising grocery prices. Since we're trying to be more food self-reliant, I figure another type of poultry on the place is a good thing, and will add some food security for us when the time comes that we'll need it.
If someone could give me good recipes, I might just try them out before we need to .
Kathy
Ducks are one of the finest birds to eat, my personal favourite. I don't cook much duck, it's expensive to buy, but I plan to in the future when the farm is up and running. If you can, go to a good chinese restaurant and have crispy roast duck. Delicious!
Recipes.. well, I'll have a good look through my books. Tbh, I think duck is a tricky bird to cook well, but my God is it worth it. (I'm not a fan of game type meats, too sweet and "gamey" (lol ) for me, but duck's not at all like that). _________________ We've tried nothin' and we're all out of ideas.
I am only one. I can only do what one can do. But what one can do, I will do. -- John Seymour.
Joined: Dec 27, 2004 Posts: 13191 Location: naive idiot fantasy world
Posted: Sun May 08, 2005 6:32 pm Post subject:
They average one egg per day during peak laying period in spring and early summer, tapering off during fall and winter, and gradually laying fewer as they age. Well kept home chickens will lay for five years, commercial chickens are usually "retired" after a year and a half, I believe.
Joined: Dec 27, 2004 Posts: 13191 Location: naive idiot fantasy world
Posted: Sun May 08, 2005 7:10 pm Post subject:
Tanada wrote:
We actually split the flock when we got 100 one year because the higher order were actually causing bloodloss and even a few deaths on the low end of the pecking order.
Natural flock size is much smaller, around 25 or fewer to each flock.
If you get picking bad enough to cause fatality, the birds are too crowded.
Joined: Dec 04, 2004 Posts: 2421 Location: perpetual state of exhaustion
Posted: Sat May 14, 2005 10:30 am Post subject:
A coop with lop sided chickens would be another source of entertainment too! if you cut all the flight feathers it has the same effect but not the entertainment value!
Joined: Apr 28, 2005 Posts: 3920 Location: West shore Lake Eire, MI, USA
Posted: Sun May 15, 2005 6:26 am Post subject:
uNkNowN ElEmEnt wrote:
A coop with lop sided chickens would be another source of entertainment too! if you cut all the flight feathers it has the same effect but not the entertainment value!
I dunno if I can agree to that, I have seen a duck with all its flight feathers trimmed evenly manage to escape a 6 foot fence. He wasn't able to fly far mind you, but he did clear the fence before he came back down.
When they are lopsided they never get more than a couple feet up before they come back down. _________________ Always appeal to a man's enlightened self interest, you can trust him to look out for himself honestly, It's when you appeal to his Honor or the Common Good that he stops paying attention.
I found another potential source of customers for my eggs - the local hospital. I have two relatives who work there currently, and one has offered to not only ask if other employees would like to buy eggs, but post a sign on the employee bulletin board for those who might work other shifts. I'm hoping I'll end up with some regular customers this way. My relative (aunt) lives about a half mile from here, and said she'll even take orders for eggs and deliver them to the hospital for me . I've got feelers out with others too. Trying to improve my marketing before the babies all start laying at once, burying me under eggs .
Kathy
BTW, there is quite a bit of pigweed (?) coming up with the ryegrass on the garden plot and I’ve been moving the pen daily across it. The birds love the pigweed and clip the ryegrass down from about 18” to 3 or 4 in a day. After I move the pen the weeds are gone and the rye comes back stronger than ever – and I’m feeding lots less grain. _________________ Make a plan and work it:
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I talked to a neighbor and she said she normally had to go through about a dozen roosters before she got a nice one.
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if you cut all the flight feathers it has the same effect but not the entertainment value!
