Chicken breeds

[ninnymary]

Oh Cat, I'm so sorry. I can't imagine what it must have been like to see what you did. I can barely stand it when I find one dead by natural causes. I'm glad that the others were safe.

Mary

 

[Just-Moxie]

Oh..that's terrible Cat! To lose one is bad enough. Like that is worse!

 

[buckabucka]

Ugh. Sorry for your loss, Cat.
I have not had to deal with that experience yet, although yesterday I think I saved one from the rest of the flock. She has a bare spot from the rooster, and either he gave her a scratch, or the others picked at it.
I saw a little blood on her and sprayed her with bluekote. Several still pecked at her, but were quickly deterred by the taste. Somewhere, I think I have a chicken saddle.....

 

[ducks4you]

I'm sorry for your loss. I culled my flock down to 6 for this winter and I have them holed up in a 10' x 10' dog enclosure with a roof made from 2' x 4''s and chicken wire. I'm not tempting fate. Whenever it's warmed up a little during this winter several hens decide to roost on top of the makeshift coop that we originally built for 3 turkeys. It is 4' high, and the dimensions of the base, which is a pallet. I took a used 4' x 6' rubber mat for the floor, and I built them a roost from the handles I saved after taking apart an old wheelbarrow.
When I check at night and there IS a hen on the roof, I put her inside and block the door until morning.
I have had, in the past, both a mini massacre and an owl get in my outside enclosures, though none have tried to get through this roof or the chain linked fencing. The only wildlife that makes it close are starlings and sparrows who have gotten inside when it the temperatures were brutal. I HATE cleaning up after Them!
Seems everybody loves chicken...

 

[thistlebloom]

I went and did what I was determined not to do.
I bought some day olds at the feed store last week.
Not an impulse buy for a change!
I sold my old flock, just keeping my two pet hens and my Cochin bantam rooster and have been looking for POL Red Stars.

No luck on that breed and POLs are going for a bag of gold.

They just got a shipment of them in at the feed store and I rushed down and got in line.
One little chick died a few hours after I got home, so yesterday I went into town again to get a few more.
They didn't get the Red Stars that they were expecting so I picked out 3 Golden Sexlinks.

Came home to look them up (that's how I do things, buy first, look later ) and according to Meyer Hatchery anyway, they are just an alternate name for Golden Buff, Red Star, Cinnamon Queen, and Golden Comet.

So it appears I now have 8 hens of the breed I was looking for.

 

[Ridgerunner]

They are not a breed. They are crosses, hybrids, a mix. And normally very nice hens with good production. Congratulations.

 

[thistlebloom]

They are not a breed. They are crosses, hybrids, a mix. And normally very nice hens with good production. Congratulations.

Oh, well I guess that accounts for all the synonym names! Sort of like all the "doodle" breeds of dogs which are a cross of something with a poodle?

It's the egg production I'm after, so I think I'll be happy with them.

 

[ninnymary]

Thistle, my red sex link was the only one of 3 pullets that laid all through winter. Nice size eggs too. But she's the mean one of the group.
Mary

 

[thistlebloom]

Thistle, my red sex link was the only one of 3 pullets that laid all through winter. Nice size eggs too. But she's the mean one of the group.
Mary

Mine are all going to be sweet.

 

[Smart Red]

Mine are all going to be sweet.

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Of course they will. It is nurture not nature, right?

I haven't have any problems with my sex link this past three years.