Post by frankl on Feb 1, 2012 21:35:45 GMT 8
Hi All!
I just had to have a quick vent about my lovely flock and the joys of adding to it. Lately I have acquired some eggs, day old chicks as well as supposedly 'healthy birds'.
We are crazy but love our chooks and are trying to keep about 8 different breeds and keep their bloodlines nice and clean. As a result we have to keep adding to it so no-one is related. These are not show birds but just a very indulgent hobby.
My vent is.... you just dont get told the truth! I dont know about anyone else but if I put a RIR rooster in with my Orpington hens then I know the offspring are x's......but why do people sell them as purebreds? or my favorite... they are not sure (after you have responded to an ad and driven 150kms).....I have grown up some 'pure' orpington chicks which have lacing on them just like a gold laced wyndadotte, my white leghorns have orangy feathers in random places and the last 'healthy' hens we bought made half the pen sick and the birds are all on antibiotics! . Thats not to mention the day old chicks we put in with our own hatched ones and 10 have since died....never happened before (but to be fair could be the heat)
and the fertilised eggs we have bought that basically aren't.
We are not new to chooks (has ISA's for 20 years) but are new to all these different breeds and it is really frustrating! One of the worst things I find is...what to do now?
Has anyone else had these drama's or is it just beginners 'luck'? And what did you do with the chickens that were not what you were expecting? I know there is the obvious answer but I am struggling with doing them in. I dont want to onsell them because I dont know what they really are!
I have been on the lookout for poultry shows to see if there are more 'reliable' sources but there isn't really that many (we are near Albany).
Be interested to hear about any others experiences and tips!
I just had to have a quick vent about my lovely flock and the joys of adding to it. Lately I have acquired some eggs, day old chicks as well as supposedly 'healthy birds'.
We are crazy but love our chooks and are trying to keep about 8 different breeds and keep their bloodlines nice and clean. As a result we have to keep adding to it so no-one is related. These are not show birds but just a very indulgent hobby.
My vent is.... you just dont get told the truth! I dont know about anyone else but if I put a RIR rooster in with my Orpington hens then I know the offspring are x's......but why do people sell them as purebreds? or my favorite... they are not sure (after you have responded to an ad and driven 150kms).....I have grown up some 'pure' orpington chicks which have lacing on them just like a gold laced wyndadotte, my white leghorns have orangy feathers in random places and the last 'healthy' hens we bought made half the pen sick and the birds are all on antibiotics! . Thats not to mention the day old chicks we put in with our own hatched ones and 10 have since died....never happened before (but to be fair could be the heat)
and the fertilised eggs we have bought that basically aren't.
We are not new to chooks (has ISA's for 20 years) but are new to all these different breeds and it is really frustrating! One of the worst things I find is...what to do now?
Has anyone else had these drama's or is it just beginners 'luck'? And what did you do with the chickens that were not what you were expecting? I know there is the obvious answer but I am struggling with doing them in. I dont want to onsell them because I dont know what they really are!
I have been on the lookout for poultry shows to see if there are more 'reliable' sources but there isn't really that many (we are near Albany).
Be interested to hear about any others experiences and tips!