Since I know absolutely nothing about raising your own food - other than playing at gardening a few times - I have been doing lots of reading. Hubby knows, or knew, a lot about it, having grown up on a farm; and I expect it's like riding a bike - you never really forget.
His grandmother raised chickens. A bunch of big white chickens, haha. I saw pictures of them and that's all I know about them. I do know that we tore down the chicken coop the year we lived there in 94, because hubby said it couldn't be salvaged. It hadn't been used in decades. :/
Anyway, I read blogs of interest to me to see what other people do and think; as well as Grit, Hobby Farms, Countryside and Small Stock Journal, and Backyard Chickens. I'm also reading Old House Journal. And whenever an issue grabs my attention, I read Mother Earth News, Hobby Farm Home, and other random magazines. Sometimes I wish I had a photographic memory, but I guess I read all this stuff hoping that some of it will stick.
He wants a chicken that lays Jumbo brown eggs. From what I've read, you only get jumbo eggs from chickens that are just starting to lay eggs. Then again, there is a place that advertises in Backyard Chickens, claiming all their chickens always lay jumbo brown eggs. Braggs Mountain Buff, I think it was. My memory is definitely not photographic, haha. But I've read differing opinions - normal, I'm sure - some have not had a problem, some have had lots of egg bound hens. Many haven't tried them because they're a small strain available only from the one breeder. They're a strain of the Buff Orpingtons.
The reading I did today, for some heritage breeds, I liked Australorp, Dominique, Sussex and Wyandotte. They all have brown eggs, not sure the size. But they're adaptable, the Dominique is recommended as a good free range breed, while the Sussex and Wyandotte are supposed to be good tempered.
Oh well. Much more reading to do. Still have a year or so, I think, before we can actually have any. We're also thinking some ducks - he wants domestic mallards. Likes the color. And probably a couple of guinea hens and a pig. He says we'll get a couple calves from one of the local dairies, but from what I've read about dairy farms, I'm not real comfortable about that. Maybe if they're small local dairies it'll be okay.
I thought about goats, too; not just because Pam's are so darn cute, but because they're supposed to be good for eating poison ivy and other brush. And we definitely get a lot of poison ivy around there. Maybe we can just 'rent' some when we have stuff to clear.
I am really hoping we'll get the poison ivy cleared before we get a lot of animals. Right now we rely on Round-up and calm burn days.
Oh well, that's enough contemplation for today. ;)
About Me
- LindaG
- Retired, housewife, mother of three. Picking up the pieces after God decided the 145 year old farmhouse was no longer the house for us. Praise God for His mercy and love!
hmmm, I never thought of you as a farmer. ;-)
ReplyDeleteLove the flowering quince background!
We have two varieties of Plymouth Rocks - white and barred and they lay anywhere from medium to x-large brown eggs. I've always wondered if the size of the eggs depends on the breed of birds.
ReplyDeleteWe, too would like to eventually raise some of our own meat, but, it's still out for debate :)
Have a great weekend!
We used to always have chickens. It's been my experience that young hens lay smaller eggs and as they get older the eggs get bigger. Kind of like ladies, me anyway, the babies got bigger the more I had. I think the producing part of the hens stretches out. Of course, small breeds like Bantams always lay smaller eggs. And larger breeds would have larger eggs.
ReplyDeleteWe tried leghorns, good layers-poor-eating, skinny, skitterish, white birds, white egss (brown eggs aren't really any better but they are cuter although Iricana's green/blue eggs are the cutest). I liked the dual breeds that laid eggs, not as many, but there was enough meat on them to butcher and eat if you needed to.
I do like dark yellow yolks instead of the sick pale yellow that comes from eggs I buy in the store. That all comes from what they eat. Free range hens will have darker yolked eggs.
Free range doesn't mean the run of the place (makes it darn hard to find those eggs) but rather it means a large wired in run. I used to always lock mine in the hen house at night to protect them from fox and coyotes, always a problem in the 'wilds' of Alberta.
I'm a little concerned about H1N5 (bird flu) and have quit raising chickens. Probably just a little paranoia.
Oh, and you know roosters aren't a neccessity but they are fun. I have had them attack my little girls fuzzy topped winter boots. Really scared her. And those spikes on their legs worry me. Still, my favorite was an Irricana called Er-er-er-earl. Loved him, what a character. Chickens, I swear, are the comedians of the barn yard. They used to always make me laugh.
ReplyDeleteHaha. What a great name for a chicken. :) I am just hoping my hubby can make up for what I don't know, even though it was his Grandma who had the raising of the chickens for them. :)
ReplyDeleteHey Linda, I am enjoying reading your older posts...looks like you love reading as much as I do, but it sure seems like I am learning at warp speed with my first set of backyard chickens. I've got a long way to go...but it's fun!
ReplyDeleteLana, I would love to have some now - I think ;) - but here in Havelock they aren't allowed. A teacher tried to get them to change it last year, but they still said no. (And no to me too.)
ReplyDeleteI'm enjoying reading your blog though. :)