tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post6193909479688442486..comments2024-03-18T22:33:57.339-04:00Comments on 5 Acres & A Dream: The Up and ComingLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-27274151364458865682015-07-30T02:11:37.937-04:002015-07-30T02:11:37.937-04:00No truer words ever spoken, Leigh! Because of our...No truer words ever spoken, Leigh! Because of our continuing drought I've poured over books and blogs to see how our friends in Australia are overcoming their years of drought and I've learned so much. I've put together a 2 nice wicking beds...thank you Aussies!Lyndahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14189157322930654023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-48423881266995400882015-07-25T04:35:42.789-04:002015-07-25T04:35:42.789-04:00Me too! :)Me too! :)Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-2276473175725884142015-07-25T04:35:32.133-04:002015-07-25T04:35:32.133-04:00The Aussies have more to offer the homesteading wo...The Aussies have more to offer the homesteading world than anybody! Chickens, water recycling, permaculture, (just to name a few :)Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-22612553607891988202015-07-25T04:34:31.608-04:002015-07-25T04:34:31.608-04:00Not a pleasant chore to be sure! All ours to be pr...Not a pleasant chore to be sure! All ours to be processed are older hens, so we'll wait for cooler weather. We'll have goats and pigs to do too, but the freezer will be full once again. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-79616987087356660852015-07-25T04:33:28.204-04:002015-07-25T04:33:28.204-04:00It is so much fun to choose and try out different ...It is so much fun to choose and try out different breeds of chickens! I think Buffs are popular everywhere, which speaks well of the breed. Our feed stores all order chicks in the spring and we can usually have quite a choice. Actually i would rather buy from feed stores, but the timing wasn't good this year. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-86976365664103234592015-07-25T04:31:32.110-04:002015-07-25T04:31:32.110-04:00Harry, the clans speak well of free ranging, as lo...Harry, the clans speak well of free ranging, as long as they have plenty of room to roam. Interesting that yours have developed the way they have. Nice that they are good layers! (As long as you can find the eggs. :)Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-35506237539017926922015-07-25T04:29:28.821-04:002015-07-25T04:29:28.821-04:00In some ways it's been kinda nice not having a...In some ways it's been kinda nice not having a rooster around. They can wear the hens ragged! And they can be way too noisy. Would love to find a crowless rooster. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-53834414033845446742015-07-25T04:27:58.845-04:002015-07-25T04:27:58.845-04:00You're right, Nancy, they are wonderfully ente...You're right, Nancy, they are wonderfully entertaining! And they don't lay well when stressed, that's true too. I hope your neighbor is able to keep her chickens safe and that laying picks up soon. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-20626562623373823832015-07-25T04:26:43.246-04:002015-07-25T04:26:43.246-04:00Well, if they don't, I will try your trick and...Well, if they don't, I will try your trick and get a couple of bantam hens! At least there would be no confusion about the eggs and I could still raise a single breed. :)Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-12372270455035012082015-07-25T04:25:41.926-04:002015-07-25T04:25:41.926-04:00I had Welsummers a number of years ago, and that b...I had Welsummers a number of years ago, and that breed isn't supposed to go broody. But I had one go broody and she was an excellent mama. We'll just have to wait and see!Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-6761443220086882122015-07-25T04:24:23.684-04:002015-07-25T04:24:23.684-04:00Sounds like your in the same boat as us, Izzy. I&#...Sounds like your in the same boat as us, Izzy. I've not heard of the 236s! And never tried the Reds. So many breeds and too little time. :)Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-41284879755866865782015-07-25T04:22:51.250-04:002015-07-25T04:22:51.250-04:00Oh Barb, you had a bad experience and that was rea...Oh Barb, you had a bad experience and that was really too bad. It would take some real doings to keep chickens safe at your place. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-84854670497296831492015-07-25T04:20:26.744-04:002015-07-25T04:20:26.744-04:00Yes, a standard brown egg. They really are sharp l...Yes, a standard brown egg. They really are sharp looking aren't they? And it's amazing how different the breeds are. Lots of fun to experience. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-89506084688491028332015-07-24T22:20:55.838-04:002015-07-24T22:20:55.838-04:00hope that your girls get broodyhope that your girls get broodyRenee Nefehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08167893445846427824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-59208793213174771742015-07-24T21:22:26.648-04:002015-07-24T21:22:26.648-04:00Good ole aussie chookies. Good ole aussie chookies. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12605358521258969537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-41597026735691686692015-07-24T21:05:24.442-04:002015-07-24T21:05:24.442-04:00Nice! We just finished processing our spring chic...Nice! We just finished processing our spring chicks for meat and I'm always glad to have that chore behind me.Meredithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06519586222546188281noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-91296329224989728162015-07-24T16:14:55.496-04:002015-07-24T16:14:55.496-04:00Rhode Island Reds & Buff Orpingtons are what m...Rhode Island Reds & Buff Orpingtons are what most the locals grow around the country house. Although the local feed store had some Black Australorp chicks last spring. Humm ... I can't wait to 'experiment'.DFWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18345712839702427280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-3274570947191204422015-07-24T12:13:27.142-04:002015-07-24T12:13:27.142-04:00My chickens were originally English fighting chick...My chickens were originally English fighting chickens. In 1999 a friend gave us three hens and two roosters. Then a few years later, a black banty hen showed up out of the forest. Now our chickens are smaller, mostly black and some white. They are good layers.<br /><br />I don't kill the roosters. I guess I would if I needed to eat them, but since my chickens are free range, I wind up with little "clans" and not much rooster on rooster mayhem.Harry Flashmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05071021900005041592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-18511608139940064612015-07-24T11:38:30.771-04:002015-07-24T11:38:30.771-04:00Pretty birds! I had to get rid of my little roo, n...Pretty birds! I had to get rid of my little roo, not allowed. His trying crow was too funny, his trying to mount the hens- not so much, ew...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00576053785355324560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-72341239647331340292015-07-24T10:01:27.558-04:002015-07-24T10:01:27.558-04:00I don't have chickens but it seems they provid...I don't have chickens but it seems they provide a lot of entertainment. My neighbor who I have been getting my eggs from had trouble with raccoons and coyotes so her hens have not been laying well. Discouraging for her. Me too as less eggs for me! Nancy Cozy Thyme Cottagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03933769393226611441noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-40430264894449174652015-07-24T08:28:10.310-04:002015-07-24T08:28:10.310-04:00My favorite variety (after trying many, many diffe...My favorite variety (after trying many, many different ones as you have done) is the Black Australorp, too. My husband is not quite as enthusiastic about them as I am because . . . oops, we've never had one go broody on us. Sigh. But we always keep a couple bantam hens because they will sit on the Australorp's eggs and act as surrogate mothers. Your Australorps may turn out to be broody though and if so, we're coming down to steal them! ;o}Mama Peahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03649357184167949247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-15397199665824308332015-07-24T07:41:21.536-04:002015-07-24T07:41:21.536-04:00I hope your Australorps get broody. I adore black ...I hope your Australorps get broody. I adore black chickens and would love to have a sustaining flock. This raising up chicks in a brooder is for the birds.Erika kellerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02086673285608786783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-48242671194375861962015-07-24T07:13:47.574-04:002015-07-24T07:13:47.574-04:00We decided to change the genetic makeup of our flo...We decided to change the genetic makeup of our flock too. The ones we have now are getting upwards of 2-3 years old and the number of eggs is starting to slow. Which has been OK, since we can't eat all they lay anyway. So we picked up 12 New Hampshire Reds and 3 Ideal 236. Yep that's what they are called. Ideals special, really great egg laying variety. So we'll see how they do. We will start to cull the flock later this fall when these new ones are older and the weather is a bit cooler for that "fun" activity.Izzyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07750628123685151713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-8620266442650090682015-07-24T06:50:04.602-04:002015-07-24T06:50:04.602-04:00My kids have been waxing nostalgic about when we h...My kids have been waxing nostalgic about when we had chickens. Two days ago a raccoon dug out the sheep grain bottle (old pretzel container) from its hiding spot between the hog panel and the hardware cloth. It was able to snap the lid and pop it off instead of unscrewing it. The grain was all over the ground, clearly not what it wanted. <br /><br />It is just waiting for me to get more chickens.Farmer Barbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07596672416236302171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-63961185167879653372015-07-24T00:30:37.661-04:002015-07-24T00:30:37.661-04:00Love it!!! Can't wait for someday when we can...Love it!!! Can't wait for someday when we can do this. Those black hens are nice looking. I love that first picture. What color eggs to they lay? Standard brown? 1st Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04861609647607912193noreply@blogger.com