Murray McMurray reports shatter proof safety coated light bulbs are a source for toxic fumes that have “mysteriously” killed whole flocks of chickens….
Read more at: Shatter Resistant Bulbs: A Potential Danger to Your Chickens | McMurray Hatchery Blog.
Goldie at four weeks
Buff Silkie week three
Here’s my silkie chick at week four, she is about a third bigger than last week.
For a name I am thinking about Goldie if she’s a hen, or Nugget if he’s a cockerel.
S/he has been living in our coop for most of the week, the weather is mild here so she is doing just fine with her two siblings and the Mystery Bird (probably a dark cornish)
The interesting thing is that they all crawl under Cornish at night and Cornish spreads his/her wings and let’s them all under. A very sweet bird that cornish.
This week we ordered more chickens, this time from Murray McMurray. I am getting a dozen Buff Orpington Pullets and a cockerel.
Buff Orpingtons
One time years ago at our Hamilton County Fair the poultry judge was asked to describe the correct plumage color for this variety. Taking out his gold watch he said, “That’s the color for Buff Orpingtons.” And pure gold they are, symbolic of great value and high quality. Introduced from England in the late 1800′s, they became one of the most popular farm fowls in this country. These are large, stately birds of quiet disposition. Easy to dress for the table they are white skinned, plump, and juicy, a beautiful eating bird. Their heavy, full plumage make them excellent winter layers, shelling out brown eggs right through cold weather. They also make excellent setters and mothers. These “Golden Beauties” have been one of our most popular varieties for years and years with their glistening plumage and pinkish white skin. Baby chicks are a soft light buff color.
They are due the first week of April. I can’t wait until this is the scene in my brooder.
My roomate has ordered 6 pullets and 6 cockerels of the Dark Cornish breed.
The name Cornish indicates the origin of these handsome birds in Cornwall, England and they belong to the English Class. At one time they were known as “Indian Games” because of the use of both Old English Game chickens and Asells from India in developing this breed. They are unique because of their thick, compact bodies, unusually wide backs, and broad, deep breasts. These super meat qualities have made the Dark Cornish a truly gourmet item to raise for eating. The hens are nice layers of firm-shelled brown eggs and wonderfully hardy. This variety will come as close as any to rustling for themselves under rough conditions and also make good setters and mothers. Another very distinctive character is the close fitting, rather hard textured feathers with unusual lustre and brilliance. The close feathering and compact build will fool you on weight. They are always much heavier than they look. Baby chicks, all purebred and from the same strain, can vary greatly in color from a light reddish buff to a darker reddish brown with dark markings on the head and sometimes a dark stripe on the outer edge of the back.
Brooder Light
Yesterday we bought a brooder light, previously we just used a desk lamp with a standard light bulb…
I am really looking forward to raising my egg layers, and it is really exciting to see my silkie growing up…
Now if only we could have some nice weather here….
3 inches of rain before dawn
Hapuna at Sunset
Hula kahiko performance at the pa hula in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park - Photo by Ron Ardis
As you may know this word has multiple meanings hello, goodbye, i love you…. I was once told the true meaning by an old hawaiian medicine man.
In the original Hawaiian language each “word” may be a combination of ideas or root words. he said aloha means A = I, LO = give you HA= breath, like as in if you were drowning i would save you and give you mouth to mouth.
This connotates a deep respect for someone that you watch out for them, and if they are drowning (figuratively or literally) and reach out your hand to save them.
Others have said “Alo means to share in the present moment. Oha is joy. Ha is life energy Therefore Aloha translates to meaning “The joyful sharing of life energy in the present” or “joyfully sharing life.” Viewed another way, Aloha means living in harmony.
I feel that it can really mean either depending on the circumstance. By bringing more positive energy and respect in my daily actions I plan to bring more joyful sharing of life energy into my life. Through thoughtful understanding and respect I want to show my friends more aloha.
My roommate and I just moved back to the Big Island, Hawaii. The house we rented came with a chicken coop and we like chickens so we have decided to start a chicken farm. We went to the local feed store and purchased 4 chicks, 1 Cornish and 3 Buff Silkies. They are about 10 days old. Chickens are known as peeps from the time you get them as day old chicks until the show sex, sometime before 20 weeks when they become pullets and cockerels. After they mature and start laying eggs the females become known as hens.
We have been reading The Kellerstrass way of raising poultry by Ernest Kellerstrass from 1910. Although the book is old but chickens have not changed so it contains lots of good information. I would like to find a copy/ebook of “The Kellerstrass Way of building poultry houses brooder houses incubator cellars coops and appliances.” but it is out of print, I have not been able to find a copy other than one from Australia on Amazon for $418.
I also have been reading Chicken Raising Made Easy by Paul W. Chapman, both of these books recommend getting the best chickens available. That having quality genes is of the highest priority. These guys spent $500 or more on their first chicken, in 1910 dollars. which adjusted for inflation would be over $10,000 today. We may not be able to afford that nice of a chicken but we are looking for a quality breeder that can and will send chicks to Hawaii.
Got a pet chicken today, a Buff Silkie, he or she is about a week old…pictures to come, for now a picture of a hen of the same breed.
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