NH Homesteader's journal

I like the heritage breeds of chickens but, not looking real hard for the rare ones. The barred rocks, RIR & BOs have done well enough for me. The may not lay like a leghorn but, then, you won't get a big meal from a leghorn! Yes, food consumption & conversion is different but, with all the free range, I'm ok. This year I obtained a beautiful BO roo and already had 6 hens. 4 of those went broody this year but, only let one hatch out. In Spring they will be in their own pen & I hope they go broody again! The eggs are nice, large & they do well confined -- as in, they don't try to fly over the dang fence! Barreds are the same but have only 1 hen now.

The Marans I have are nice but odd shaped eggs (longish) and they do fly well. No more of those but, nice birds and not hard to work with. Have a lot of the blue egg layers as they sell well to the "backyard chicken" people. Will hatch some of the Maran eggs where the hens were serviced by an Ameracauna for some green egg layers....same deal, backyarders.

Otherwise, my egg buyers don't care. Just fresh, free range eggs! And I don't do butchering often but, this year will increase due to hatching chicks to sell and the excess roos.
I've heard the Marans have nice, tasty meat. Don't know.

You can get a rat trap that holds multis....just a thought. Try Jeffers for info/price/etc. No snap, so safe around other animals. I hope you get those last birds finished fast. But, might still consider a trap.

BO-buff orpington? I'm very interested in those as well. I've heard they're great birds. I would like to get some at some point as well. I have no interest in flighty birds or production birds.
Right now we have Dominiques, a couple of Jersey Giants and one hen that I think is a partridge Wyandotte. Then we hatched out some dominique and some crosses with our Dom roo and the Wyandotte.

I am planning on getting a rat trap, I am working on cleaning up my husband's mess (aka hoarder stockpiles), and we will in the long run be looking for a rat terrier. They have to go regardless, and shooting them doesnt work fast enough! Those traps work well?

Oh yeah and Rhode Island reds are mean! At least the ones we've dealt with. My husband butchers for some people and the Rhode Islands he did were brutal attack birds! Haha

Yes, buff orpingtons. They are quiet, friendly, easy to handle. They do come in other colors, LOL. Mine are buff. GREAT moms! I do find that I have to separate the hens once they set or they will allow others to lay in theirs, then some eggs won't hatch as dates are different, etc. So, I pull the eggs couple times a day and when she's growling at me, I put the fertile eggs under her one evening & put her into a box with a small "yard" caged off...she can get up & eat/drink from own bowls, others can't get in to add to her clutch. Mine have been very devoted nesters. I use a wooden box & wire, a dog box & wire, etc. They don't need much as they sit constantly!

You lose egg production but, I find the hen raised chicks just do better with foraging, attention to danger, etc. Besides, less issues for me -- just some extra housing/fencing for a few weeks. And the BO roos do not normally become aggressive with their people.

RIRs can be aggressive but, not always. I find most adapt when they are in a situation where they have contact with people daily. Even my 2 NASTY leghorn roos have reduced their attack mode after a few showers with the hose when they came at me! They are "stewpotbound". one worse than other, prob dominant roo thing. But they are sex nuts & the hens catch heck. Have 6 Jersey Giants and like them, also. Nice hens.

Maybe I'll throw in some orpingtons next spring too! Right now our hens are not broody, I've actually never had one sit. They're slackers! I have an incubator and two brooders but it would be nice for them to do it themselves! We have one silkie hen for the sole purpose of hoping she sits when she matures.

Spent most of the day continuing yard cleanup and regular inside cleaning while I pre-cooked dinner for tomorrow. Having dinner at my parents' house tonight.

Hoping my husband gets in touch with the pig buyer tonight.

Orpingtons are all around great chickens. I need some more buffs - I've got black and lavender right now. They lay well, they go broodie and they're great moms.

I need some buffs because I only have one hen that isn't black, white or black and white. Oh, is that not a good reason?

Even my turkeys are black, white and gray.

Works for me, lol!

I get a kick out of people talking about negotiations with their significant other. You know, negotiations about which restaurant to go to or fighting over TV channels. This is how my husband and I negotiate.

I tell my husband I don't want two pens of chickens this winter. I want to cull all the roosters except our primary rooster and put all the hens in with him. Husband does not agree. I kindly remind him that I do nearly all of the chores. He counters with this agreement... We can keep one pen of chickens if he gets to choose the breed of our new tom instead of getting what I want. I accepted.

Me, too!!!! Doesn't take much to convince us.

So tired! We spent the morning working outside. Husband finished the new nest boxes, sorted out more stuff and started moving things around before snow flies. Which, sadly, could happen soon.

This afternoon it poured, which it should continue to do all weekend. forecast ssays up to 2.5 inches. I hope we get that. My well is still so low! So we did inside jobs. Moved furniture, he got all the tools that don't belong in here relocated to his work shed.

Now we are going to build a castle. Out of blocks, with our soon to be 4 year old