Looking for Advice - As Usual

[Beth C]

Sherry: I know what you mean - a year ago I thought all I had to do was get a male & female of the same variety from a reputable breeder and I\'d be in business. Then I learned a little more, started seeing my birds\' faults and got so discouraged. Reading here I\'ve realized all birds have faults and all varieties need work, formed a plan and set some goals, so I\'ve kind of come full circle.

Mike: I LOVED your post (even if I did choke on my coffee, lol)! I totally agree - reading some other forums I seem to be in the minority because I don\'t \"love\" my chickens. I love the breed, but, with the exception of my first hen (little game hen named Penny, because she wasn\'t worth a nickel), I don\'t get attached to individual birds. Wish I could be as detached with the mammals around here. Baby goats have a way of casting a spell over me...

Royce: I\'m glad you posted about the black tails, because I was wondering about that, too.

I have 2 wheaten hens I\'d pulled from the pen, because they had sparse beards & muffs. But I didn\'t get rid of them, because one of them has the most black in her tail of any of my wheatens. The more I read, I\'m thinking I should put her back in. If I understand correctly, sparse muffs mean the bird received one copy of the gene instead of 2, so, in theory, if I breed her to a cock with full beard & muffs, 50% of the offspring should receive 2 copies and have full beards & muffs, and hopefully more black in their tails. It seems like, compared with getting a blacker tail, the beards & muffs wouldn\'t be that hard to correct. At least that\'s how it seems to a newbie - what do you guys think?

[Mike Gilbert]

I have 2 wheaten hens I\'d pulled from the pen, because they had sparse beards & muffs. But I didn\'t get rid of them, because one of them has the most black in her tail of any of my wheatens. The more I read, I\'m thinking I should put her back in. If I understand correctly, sparse muffs mean the bird received one copy of the gene instead of 2, so, in theory, if I breed her to a cock with full beard & muffs, 50% of the offspring should receive 2 copies and have full beards & muffs, and hopefully more black in their tails. It seems like, compared with getting a blacker tail, the beards & muffs wouldn\'t be that hard to correct. At least that\'s how it seems to a newbie - what do you guys think?

Absolutely agree.    Muffs and beards are easy to correct, good tail coloring in wheaten & blue wheaten females not so much without bringing in the unwanted male hackle striping.

[Jean]

Besides the Lavenders, I\'m now really interested in working with the Silvers.  I\'ve always liked them.  I just got 3 pullets from Jean, and a Black/Silver split cockerel.  She said that crossing to the blacks should improve both the egg color and the size of the birds.   I\'m really pleased with them, very pretty birds.  I had to get a Wheaten pullet too while I was at it!

Sherry,

Let me know how the cockerel turns out.  I would like to see a picture of him when he is more mature.

I have a couple very large cockerels growing out with lots of silver in the saddles and hackels and a couple that are completely black still.

As for my suggestion to Royce on the non laying hens: I discussed with you at the Monroe show what I felt may be the problem and I really hope you try what I suggested.

As for feed, I use Purina.  My chicks get Chick Start, growing birds all get Flock raiser until they are up laying in breeder pens and layers get Layena.  Occassionally they get some scratch, red wheat or some oats which I have around for the geese.  I would say the main diet of my show birds is 99.9 % layer pellets.

[verycherry]

Mike: I LOVED your post (even if I did choke on my coffee, lol)! I totally agree - reading some other forums I seem to be in the minority because I don\'t \"love\" my chickens. I love the breed, but, with the exception of my first hen (little game hen named Penny, because she wasn\'t worth a nickel), I don\'t get attached to individual birds. Wish I could be as detached with the mammals around here. Baby goats have a way of casting a spell over me...

I do tend to get attached to some of mine truth be known, but it\'s usually the \"important\" ones, so I wouldn\'t call it LOVE!  My daughter got mad at me once when one of the extra roosters we have around here died and I said something insensitive like, \"At least it wasn\'t one of our good ones\", or something close to that.  Boy, if looks could kill I\'d have dropped dead right then and there!

Jean, I\'ll keep you updated on the cockerel, and take photos from time to time as he matures.  I think he\'s a nice looking boy.  

[Beth C]

Sherry: I do have to admit that I truly was attached to Penny, and was upset when I lost her, but my son loves all of his chickens. He has a rooster he\'s named \"Mr. Chicken,\" a crooked-toed cull with more lives than an alley cat (including but not limited to finding him half-frozen trapped under a pile of snow) who has claimed the goat barn as his bachelor pad. He carries that fool thing everywhere. Sometimes I feel sorry for him, but I suppose there are worse fates for a cull rooster.

[Tailfeathers]

Thanks to Beth & Mike for the cont\'d dialogue on breeding traits.  They were helpful.

Jean, I don\'t want you to think I just dismissed your advice.  I really didn\'t.  I\'ve just decided I ain\'t doing any more treatments.  I\'ve heard good things from others about Denagard but I don\'t seem to be having any problems with my other breeds and I have a few Ameraucanas that aren\'t having any problems so even if the others have MG, and that\'s why they\'re not laying, I\'m getting rid of them and will continue to breed only the strongest survivors that don\'t seem to be plagued by whatever.  I\'ve talked to several folks about Barnevelders in particular where the whole breed seems to be overly susceptible to many diseases and MG being one of the worst.  So that\'s a battle I just ain\'t willing to continue to fight.  At least not now.

Sherry, the comment \"At least it wasn\'t one of our good ones\" actually made me LOL.  I can see myself doing the very same thing and getting the very same reaction!  LOL

Btw, just as an update, I still have only four birds laying.  The #11 that did give me 2-4 eggs has stopped again.

God Bless,

[verycherry]

Btw, just as an update, I still have only four birds laying.  The #11 that did give me 2-4 eggs has stopped again.

God Bless,

Well shoot, sorry to hear that, but I guess you gotta do what you gotta do then.  I didn\'t know about the problems with MG.  I fought this a little last year.   Some birds only sniffled a time or two and bounced right back, but some had a harder time shaking it and kept relapsing.  I didn\'t want to baby them to much, but did try giving them a round of meds in their water, but then winter came and did the culling for me.  Now (knock on wood) no one has been sick for months, which is sooooo wonderful!  I guess it\'s best in the long run that those with low resistance or a poor immune system aren\'t able to pass it on.......but there I go beintg insensitive again!

Beth, long live Mr. Chicken, lol!  What a cute story.  

[eliz]

Hello Royce, I wonder if the special diet you have has become a bit rich or unbalanced as a *layer feed*. this may not bother some breeds but maybe a thought for your beautiful wheatons. maybe trying some basic layer ration only for a week or two. It would be a shame to have to almost begin anew. Kinda like gardening. too much of some nutrients promote more leaves than fruit or flowers.

I recently had been feeding my birds what i had and could mix together because of family difficulties but now am back on layer feed, I am not saying that this was the problem, but i too had sparse egg production but am having noticeably  more now....except for the free rangers who never let up.  eliz

[eliz]

Hhmm, last 2 days i have been getting lots of eggs, including from those that haven\'t previously laid. Lots of warmth and sunshine. Could that be spring????eliz

[bryngyld]

Being a lazy animal husbandry person, I long ago realized that selecting from the highest producing hens sort of happens on its own.  I always hatch early and late, which selects for the hens with longer laying cycles.  If a hen lays every day, she has 7 potential chicks in the \'bator.  If a hen lays one egg a week (or none)... you get my drift.

Then again, I was dismayed that my lovely lavender bantams didn\'t lay one single egg this spring.  My dog told me there were some hidden eggs in the Phoenix pen.  Sure enough, the little hens snuck out every day, laid in the Phoenix pen (and consorting with the handsome Phoenix) and then snuck home with lame excuses for the husband left at home.

Seriously, I agree with the feed having the most affect on laying... and the weather.  If one hen doesn\'t lay... cull her.  If most or all your hens don\'t lay, change something.