Livestock Thread

[Rakovnik]

I only have experience with laying hens, but after trying a few breeds I found that ordering the hybrid egg layers (ISA Browns because the winters are cold here and they do well in the cold) was the best options. The others might be fun, but the ISA Browns are tough and lay a lot of eggs.

ISA browns are great layers but if he's not selling the eggs it might be better to go with a heartier breed over maximum laying numbers. ISA browns will lay ~300 eggs per year for 2 years and then nothing. Compared to a barred rock that can lay 3 or 4 years at 250-280 eggs per year.

 

[GungusDingaling]

Chicken hawk attacked our bantam today trying to nurse her back

 

[Nigger Caviar]

Chicken hawk attacked our bantam today trying to nurse her back

I had a couple of Bantam hens.

Honestly, I'm surprised she wasn't killed. They are so small.

I hope she heals up good.

 

[147573952589676412927]

Is it worth finding a weird local heirloom breed or is it better just to buy standard livestock from big companies?

I wouldn't worry too much about local heirlooms when it comes to chickens, chickens are simple and pretty hard to kill, (though you might have one or two keel over from time to time, just happens.)

My recommendation for your climate would be leghorns or rhode island red since they are both pretty heat resistant and heat is your main concern. They both are high egg producers and very hansom birds as well. You'll get about 7 years out of leghorns, maybe 10 out of a rhode island red.

I have bought from Myers before and was very happy with the quality. Most of my current stock at the decedents of Myers birds.

https://www.myerspoultry.com/product-white-leghorn
https://www.myerspoultry.com/Product-Rhode-Island-Red

Meyers also has a good reputation. (I do not know why their names are so similar)

https://meyerhatchery.com/products/light-brown-leghorn-day-old-chicks
https://meyerhatchery.com/products/rhode-island-red-day-old-chicks

I would not recommend buying from Tractor Supply. It might be tempting as they sell chicks right out of the store front, but every single chick I have bought from them has been dead within 2 years. I do not know what they do to them to make this happen but it's been every single one.

 

[GungusDingaling]

I would not recommend buying from Tractor Supply. It might be tempting as they sell chicks right out of the store front, but every single chick I have bought from them has been dead within 2 years. I do not know what they do to them to make this happen but it's been every single one.

We bought ours from Tractor Supply (straight run - we did not realize there was a a difference and ended up with 3 roosters out of 8 chicks) and they all ended up living. I think it depends on the tractor supply but I’m not sure. The lady that works at ours really cares so that may be why

 

[Nigger Caviar]

though you might have one or two keel over from time to time, just happens.

This does happen and when I first got chickens and lost a couple I genuinely felt terrible and thought I was bad at taking care of them. I literally cried one time because I had a chicken that got an infected beak and she couldn't eat and I was trying to feed her with a syringe and she died in my arms.

So its definitely good to let people who are new to this, know that yes they will lose a few from illness and that can happen even when you are trying your best. I felt so defeated when I lost a few of them but after that my birds didnt have many problems and I learned more about trying to nurture them when health problems arise.

 

[fanutresignu]

ISA browns are great layers but if he's not selling the eggs it might be better to go with a heartier breed over maximum laying numbers. ISA browns will lay ~300 eggs per year for 2 years and then nothing. Compared to a barred rock that can lay 3 or 4 years at 250-280 eggs per year.

I would say it's not just if you're selling eggs or not but if you're looking to get the most eggs for your money. You can either eat them after two years or sell them cheaply to people who want chickens but don't eat very many eggs. Even without selling the chickens it has still been cheaper per egg for me to use ISA Browns since not only do they lay more eggs but they don't eat as much and with more eggs per chicken you can have a smaller coop. For people in the south I think White Leghorns are probably a better bet, but they just aren't as cold hardy so they're not useful to me.

 

[8reallybigbirds]

I personally think Bard Rocks and Rhode Island Reds are the best

I second this, barred rock are hands down my favorite, just because of how pretty they are. Can't go wrong with the classics.
Also had some araucana hens and they're a little more nervous/standoffish in their general disposition but, come on. You don't want to show off your blue eggs to people? You're lying.

 

[Nigger Caviar]

I second this, barred rock are hands down my favorite, just because of how pretty they are. Can't go wrong with the classics.
Also had some araucana hens and they're a little more nervous/standoffish in their general disposition but, come on. You don't want to show off your blue eggs to people? You're lying.

Fuck dude, when I rebuild my flock Im definitely getting birds that lay blue eggs.

 

[Hamstirer]

Is it worth finding a weird local heirloom breed or is it better just to buy standard livestock from big companies?

Eggs pretty well taste similar for any chicken so if doesn't make much difference.

If you want meat you are better off getting one of the breeds that are bred just for butchering. They grow fast and are lazy little retards that just want to sit and eat, so they don't get tough or stringy like regular chickens.

If you just want some interesting chicken to have, try polish, cochin, silkie, and seramas .

O and Get some Guinea hens too, they help keep the predators away.

 

[Dago]

My mother in law has a few hens & roosters she wants slaughtered. Aside from quail I have never killed a chicken, is it easy?

 

[Rakovnik]

First snow of the year and it's somewhere between 10-12" right now, the chickens in the cow pasture got moved to the indoor coop today and yesterday we moved the remaining turkeys to the center of the barn where we normally hold feed and bedding. The cows and ducks are loving the snow though!

 

[AMHOLIO]

I'd like to thank all kiwis for treating their livestock better than the tranch, may you have a good yield from well treated animals.

 

[catpetter]

I had chickens at one point, but I had to move to a smaller house and couldn't take them.

 

[marlimar]

A feinting goat, year old, really wants a mate but I'm not going to be birthing goats. William Randolph Tan is more popular than I am, everyone loves him, especially the homeless as he doesn't judge people any farther than if they will give him grass or a pat.

 

[Plus Size Polka]

I'd like to thank all kiwis for treating their livestock better than the tranch, may you have a good yield from well treated animals.

Seconded. It’s oddly comforting to be in a place where humans can be snarly with other humans but they love their chickens.

 

[Kate Tokamak]

Thinking about building some nest boxes for the birds of prey in my area, like hawks and owls. Anybody have any experience with it? Hoping to build them in a way that
A: keeps wasps and other pests from nesting inside
B: Can be opened from the outside (hoping to put registry bands on any chicks that hatch)
C: Has room for a camera to monitor the inside
If I get really into the hobby, I'll make a new thread for nest boxes, but for now I just want to know where to start

 

[Plus Size Polka]

Thinking about building some nest boxes for the birds of prey in my area, like hawks and owls. Anybody have any experience with it? Hoping to build them in a way that
A: keeps wasps and other pests from nesting inside
B: Can be opened from the outside (hoping to put registry bands on any chicks that hatch)
C: Has room for a camera to monitor the inside
If I get really into the hobby, I'll make a new thread for nest boxes, but for now I just want to know where to start

Registry bands? For tiny chicks? I don’t know about falconry and the like, but won’t those bands cut into their legs when they grow? Are you planning to keep the chicks?

 

[Dagoth AMOGUS]

Okay what is the deal with the hate on raw milk? Depending where you go, people have had it their entire childhoods and are alive. Or it’s arsenic mixed with enriched plutonium that will make you explode the moment you imbibe it.

Is there any truth to the overreaction against raw milk? Red pill me on it.

 

[Forgive Me Im Retarded]

Okay what is the deal with the hate on raw milk? Depending where you go, people have had it their entire childhoods and are alive. Or it’s arsenic mixed with enriched plutonium that will make you explode the moment you imbibe it.

Is there any truth to the overreaction against raw milk? Red pill me on it.

I think the most basic way to explain it is
- the bacteria/enzymes that make milk extremely beneficial for your gut health are destroyed when you pasteurize milk.
- pasteurizing milk also kills Ebola and other bad bacteria/sanitizes it.

It’s mostly down to risk assessment, and what’s legal in your area. There’s some cases where it’s a personal choice to drink raw milk, and other instances where health board has ruined milk with real poison to prevent rural neighbours from sharing unprocessed milk