[Jacob-list] Broken tails and heritage chickens

[Sharon Hill]

I think Neal was right about a dog causing the broken 
tail on my sheep.  Now that he mentioned it, I
remember one of my dogs got in with the sheep a while
back and there a patch of missing wool near her
backside.  That must have been it.  Thanks Neal.

As for chickens, I really like my Buff Orpingtons.
They are large pretty birds, good layers. I also have
some Rhode Island Reds. They are also a good size and
I like them.  No violent specimens here.  Both of
these breeds are listed as recovering.

When I first started raising chickens about 10 years
ago, I got a few Lakenvelder.  They are classified as
"threatened."  They were very pretty.  The description
of them on the poultry site doesn't sound very nice,
(They are quite small, non-broody, lay white shelled
eggs and are rather wild and flighty.)
but I liked mine. They were dispatched by a fox quite
a while ago, so I don't remember anything about their
laying habits and their eggs.  I would get them again,
but I don't want to order another 25 chicks as I have
plenty of chickens as it is.

I hope this helps.

Sharon Hill
--- Ralene Mitschler <rmitschler at gmail.com> wrote:


> Hello allI have been happiest with my standard-sized

> Brahma chickens--

> whites and darks (haven't tried the goldens though

> they are rarer.)  Just

> ordered a new set of whites from Murray McMurray

> hatchery for middle of

> March.  They are big chickens; big birds are very

> calm as Susan mentioned.

>  I haven't had very many willing to set on eggs

> though (perhaps a function

> of coming from that hatchery)?  Anyway, I have

> experimented with Cochins,

> the smaller and perhaps more delicate polish crested

> etc and prefer the

> brahmas.  They are good eating as well as nice brown

> egg layers.  I also

> have lost fewest big birds to clever foxes who for a

> while were making new

> holes in my large fenced chicken yard.  The brahmas

> are on the watch list on

> ALBC

> (http://www.albc-usa.org/cpl/wtchlist.html#chickens)

> --one category

> closer to recovery than our jacobs.  The brahmas lay

> all year round and

> continually too.

> 

> We had our wonderful chaotic shearing party

> yesterday.  SO amazing to see my

> black and white flock again.  Cannot ever get over

> how the fuzzy balls shear

> down to little sheep!  I was happy to see the good

> conditioning they were in

> given the drought etc.  I was worried even though I

> was feeling the

> conditioning through the fleece.  Seeing was

> believing : )  Lambing pushed

> back to middle of April so am excited to look at all

> your pictures

> meanwhile.  Boy do 58 fleeces make a fine big pile :

> )  My wonderful friends

> as 'volunteers' so enjoyed watching the shearer (Tom

> Horton of PA) and were

> incredible as sweepers, fleece fetchers, skirters

> and wranglers.  WOW.

> 

> about rams and ewes:  just put my whole flock back

> together before shearing

> so have 8+ rams with 40-some ewes; no breeding

> activity thank goodness.

>  Will pull the boys back out once the spring

> pastures start growing and send

> them to the bottom pastures.  (that way I can play

> with lambs without having

> to split my attention to anything but lambs).  I

> have left rams in with ewes

> from August to December and find a few lambs made

> from that whole range

> though personally now prefer the November window

> just so lambs come later.

>  I don't show so I don't have to have lambs by the

> early age show dates; I

> like seeing other people show but just can't fit

> that in with everything

> else!

> 

> impatient for spring!

> Ralene

> 

> 

> 

> On Sat, Mar 1, 2008 at 6:29 PM, Linda

> <patchworkfibers at alltel.net> wrote:

> 

> > Two separate subjects - I'm not looking to tan

> chicken hides.

> >

> > Has anyone used Rittel's ewe-tan-it kit for

> tanning washable sheepskins?

> >  Also, are Buck's, Stern's and Lonestar really the

> only three tanneries?

> >

> > Is anyone raising chickens from the ALBC

> conservation priority list?

> >  We're going to get chickens again and I'd like to

> get select a heritage

> > breed. Suggestions?

> >

> > Linda

> >

> >

> >

> > *www.patchworkfibers.com*

> <http://www.patchworkfibers.com>

> > *Registered Jacob Sheep, Angora Rabbits, Handspun

> Yarn*

> >

> > _______________________________________________

> > Jacob-list mailing list, sponsored by Swallow Lane

> Farm & Fiberworks

> > Jacob-list at jacobsheep.com

> >

> http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/jacob-list

> >

> >

> 

> 

> -- 

> Ralene R. Mitschler, Ph.D.

> Associate Professor of Biology

> McDaniel College

> 2 College Hill

> Westminster MD  21157

> 410.857.2406

> 

> Ralene Mitschler

> Chicory Lane Farm Jacob sheep

> www.blueflowerflock.com

> 687 Oxford Ave

> Hanover PA  17331

> rmitschler at gmail.com

> 717.630.2988

> 717.817.3794 cell

> > _______________________________________________

> Jacob-list mailing list, sponsored by Swallow Lane

> Farm & Fiberworks

> Jacob-list at jacobsheep.com

> http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/jacob-list

> 




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