Benny and Bilbies

[whiteunicorn4]

Sad but interesting story:

http://www.site.missywryn.com/Benny_the_Autistic_Horse.html

And speaking of autism and animals, here's a terrifying and fascinating story from Temple Grandin's website.  (By the way if you don't know who Temple Grandin is I HIGHLY recommend her books...very interesting reads, especially if you're in to animal behavior.):
The

Comments

[champloo4u]

I've raised broiler chickens; they're exactly as she describes. They eat nonstop to the point that they'll literally lay at the feeder and stuff themselves (even sleeping there), only getting up occasionally to waddle to the drinking fountain. Their legs grew crooked, they horrific developed keel sores and breast blisters, and a lot of them simply "flipped" (died of heart failure)- some as young as three weeks old. I lost nearly half of mine to "flip," even after putting them on a restricted diet (which they hated- they'd scream nonstop). I tried to free range them, but it was useless, because all they'd do was lay in one spot at the feeder & wouldn't move. I'll be honest, I was glad to put the poor misshapen mutant things in the freezer.

The turkeys were marginally better. They tended to develop slipped tendons, which looked horrible but didn't seem to affect their walking. Unlike the chickens, though, they actually did very well on free range.

[falnfenix]

i'm just starting to research chickens for when we actually have enough land for a flock, so this is helpful info. thanks.

[champloo4u]

If you're wanting to raise meat birds, then breeds such as White Rocks, White Wyandottes, or White Cornish will probably work (better still, cross a White Cornish rooster to White Rock hens & raise the offspring for meat).
Other dual-purpose breeds will also work; a good pick might be males of the various sexlink breeds (such as Black Stars/Black Sexlinks) because they're cheap and are usually available in good supply.

Granted, they aren't as meaty as broiler hybrids, and they're nowhere near as economical performance-wise, but they aren't nearly as prone to problems.

[falnfenix]

would any of the above be decent egg layers, or should i stick with the popular egg birds?

thanks. :)

[champloo4u]

They'll all lay moderately well, although few come close to white Leghorns (which are spazzy, skinny things that absolutely SUCK for meat production). If you want something for meat and eggs, get one of the sexlink breeds. I had fantastic luck with black sexlinks, as the hens are very good-natured, lay extremely well, and the males do okay for meat production. Red sexlinks should be good as well, plus the males have lighter color feathers (which makes dressing them out somewhat easier).

[falnfenix]

i'll definitely look into the sexlinks - thanks so much for your info. it's greatly appreciated. :)

[champloo4u]

BTW- request a catalog from that hatchery...it's great. I've ordered from a lot of hatcheries, and that one is one of the best IME. Their prices per bird are a bit higher, but you don't have to calculate shipping/boxing charges (which add up bigtime). Good folks, good service, good birds- can't recommend them highly enough.

[falnfenix]

already done. ;)

[blasphemusfish]

DEHEEHE SEXLINKS

A buddy of mine had skylines(BLUE EGGS :D), bluebelles, rhodeys, and a bunch of other hybrids. They seem popular with small time chicken keepers.

[champloo4u]

I had "Easter Egg" chickens (hatchery mutts that lay eggs varying from brown to pink to olive to khaki to turquoise to sky blue). They're also great birds to have, as they're generally excellent layers and the colorful eggs are a lot of fun. Although, I did have a helluva time trying to sell them at the local farmer's market- people were suspicious and kept asking me if they were even edible (DURR KANSAS LOL).

[blasphemusfish]

AHAHA I used to think all white eggs were duck eggs, blue ones were from geese etc... When I was a tiny child, that is :I I'MMA LAUGH ATCHU TOO KANSAS HURP

I think skylines are mutts xD I'm fond of certain hybrids as all rounders, and they're often so perdy too(bluebelles o: I WANT). I imagine their genetics probably provide better health too, but truth be told I know shit all about chicken genetics other than the good egg production genes are passed on by the male bird lawl.

The eggs my friend's birds laid though. OMG they tasted better than the local free range farm eggs we get delivered from up the road(those are rhodeys), but those farm eggs are like 50% double yolkers too. Mmmnn unfertilised twins.

[champloo4u]

TRUSTORY: I once got a panicky phone call from this woman who was desperate for me to take a batch of peafowl eggs. It seems she & her husband (a typical citiot couple) had bought a Mcmansion out in the country, and got peafowl to "decorate" their estate. Well, she was shocked to find a big nest full of eggs...and wound up calling me. BUT WAIT! She said, "I didn't know they laid eggs!" BTW THIS MORON WAS A TEACHER- DURR HURR DERP HURP KANSAS

Bird genetics are totally bassackwards, lol. (Probably because they're dinosaurs in drag?) I found that feeding ground corn gives by far the best flavor, both to the eggs and the meat. Mmmm...now I'm hungry (can't have eggs right now, though, as I'm saving 'em to put in the incubator).

[blasphemusfish]

AHAHAHA dayum. I'm surprised they didn't freak out at their creepy noises before then.

Cornfed chicken is yoms indeed. Aaa I want to see pictures of chicks D: SO CUTE

[champloo4u]

I was just blown away that a freaking TEACHER didn't understand that birds actually lay eggs. (srsly wtf did she expect? that they divided like amoebas or something?) I wanted to facepalm and headdesk until my brain exploded. But OTOH I managed to hatch close to 2 dozen peafowl chicks & sold 'em for a good price. ;)

I gave up chickens, because I have OCD and their behaviors drive me crazy (OMG_TRIGGURZ). I raise ducks now, so I won't have chicks but ducklings D'AWWW. (They lay just as well as chickens, are easier to keep, and are hilariously silly things...and their eggs are so freaking good I don't even)

[blasphemusfish]

It's both sad AND scary. Her poor students :c Noice one on the peafowl sales, I've seen year old birds selling for around £120 a pair here, depending on variety?(yeap, one day I decided I -needed- to know how much peafowl cost, just in case :U).

Holyshit I love ducks even moarrrrr and let's be fronz and you must post duckling pictures >:C NAO. AND THEIR EGGS AHDSHJD.

[champloo4u]

I added you...tho I rarely post (and when I do it's usually boring LOL). I got $80-$140 per chick, since some were really rare colors (white-laced something somethings). Not bad at all! :D

I don't have a camera but I'll try and borrow my mom's & post duckling pix when (if?) hatch day rolls around (the eggs are just plain ol' white duck eggs). Some of these eggs are getting kind of old, so I'm not really expecting a huge hatch % (maybe 20 out of 60 eggs). I may call around and see if I can buy a couple dozen eggs to fill the incubator up the rest of the way, since it'll take them at least a week otherwise (I'm only getting about 2 eggs a day). And my friggin' automatic egg turner is b0rked- it goes so far and gets 'stuck,' probably because some of the eggs are OMG McLargeHuge & are overloading the motor. Hand turning that many eggs is such a pain in the ass...