Hobby Farms Forums / Hobby Farms Forum / Livestock

Questions about Chickens in very hot dry climat

mxw1090 — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:05:41 GMT

I'm planning on getting some chickens for fresh eggs but was hoping to get information and ideas because of the climate I'm in. I had chickens and cattle growing up but that was in a colder climate, I'm now in the desert of Arizona, in the winter we have 1 or 2 days that might dip barely to freezing, during the summer 115 is pretty common for a daytime high. Very low humidity. My neighbor has a lot of chickens so I know they can handle the heat, but my neighbor doesn't collect eggs, just has them as pets.

What breeds would be good for eggs and could handle the heat? Also, when collecting eggs how long can they sit out in the heat without going bad? I leave for work at 5:00 am so I would not be able to gather eggs until 5:00 pm so would the heat destroy them.

Any help would be appreciated.

Geriatric livestock

Cherie Langlois — Wed, 14 May 2008 13:12:26 GMT

Hi,

I'm just wondering how other farmers deal with geriatric livestock on their farms -- particularly goats and sheep. How do you ease them through those final years, as arthritis sets in and tooth problems develop? Do you contact a vet when senior health problems develop? Do you let nature take its course? Or do you take the practical approach and slaughter before they die of natural causes? And what about disposal, when that sad time finally comes?

I'd be grateful to hear any thoughts on this subject. Right now I have two 13-year-old goats and one 13-year-old sheep, plus several who are only a few years younger. They've all been incredibly healthy all their lives. A few months ago I lost a very dear old sheep (13 years old) after a bout of pneumonia, and now one of the goats is acting depressed and OLD.

Thanks so much for your help,

Cherie PS. Sue, how many years can goats live, anyway?

Caseous Lymphadenitis????

PaintedPastures — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 13:33:56 GMT

Today I noticed that one of our Does had an open spot on her neck with a thick pus discharge. She is nursing a kid, which I promptly removed from the pen. I am thinking that she has Caseous Lymphadenitis...we have only had goats for about a month so wondering what information I could get from experienced goat owners?

From what I have read online there is no cure for it??? And it is very contagious. What do I do with her kid? Keep him seperated from her? I am guessing that he is about 6 weeks old...we got them from a sale barn (yes, maybe not the best place to get them from but they are cute and friendly)

Thanks for any help with this!

New Chickens in Old Pen

still_learning — Sun, 11 May 2008 10:34:28 GMT

Ok this is my first time to post...

We recently bought a house and few acres. There was a chicken coop on the property and the previous owners had kept a few chickens.
It's been vacant for the past few months until a few days ago when we were given some chickens. We cleaned up the coop and everything and didn't think much of putting the chickens right in.
Last night there was a storm and today I went out there and we have a dead chicken.
Now I'm not sure what is the cause of it's is death whether it was the storm and the stress of moving or what. so I started looking up stuff trying to see what could prevent it happening again, and read that what I did was a no-no situation. (new chickens in old pen)
I certainly can't give them back or anything...so I guess what my question is is how can I remedy my mistake and keep my chickens healthy?

Rescued llamas?

Sue Weaver — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 11:11:34 GMT

I'm putting the final touches on a llama and fiber alpaca book in the Hobby Farms livestock book series and I'd love to include the comments of Hobby Farms forum members who have successfully adopted llamas from rescue organizations.

We planned to adopt our llamas through Southeast Llama Rescue (a super organization; check it out at www.southeastllamarescue.org) but a friend gave us two males instead. One is an adult male they bought a few years ago at a sale barn and the other is his yearling son.

The older male is a sweet guy but absolutely terrified of halters. He's obviously been badly abused at some time. We're making headway (slowly) but he's teaching us why it's wiser and less time consuming to buy a trained llama or adopt through a reputable rescue organization that evaluates their llamas before placement.

Anyway, here's hoping some of you can supply comments for my book!

Sue

dual purpose goat herds

6ncounting — Sun, 04 May 2008 17:31:40 GMT

I am looking for recommendtions and reviews. We are new to all of this so please keep that in mind. Thanks.

Any horse Lovers in Illinois out there?

sarahsboergoats — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 13:24:08 GMT

Hi!

I'm a horse Lover in IL. I don't currently own any horses, but i do take horse riding lessons at Lazy kay's ranch.

Here's her website: lazyk.net

I'd be interested to see how many horse lovers in IL on this Forum.

Are there any Horse Lovers out there?

sarahsboergoats — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 13:19:03 GMT

I was wondering if there were any of those horse enthusiasts out there?

I personally LOVE hores!

Horse issues...advice appreciated.

wildflower4757 — Thu, 01 May 2008 21:43:34 GMT

Greetings. This is my first post to hobby farms forum. I am not sure that this is the right forum to ask this question, but I figured it was worth a shot. I recently adopted an 8 y/o quarter horse gelding who is fine with people, but the second he gets around other horses he doesn't want to listen to me (which worries me as I am a novice rider) and he is very dominant over the other horses. For example, just the other day he turned and clobberred (taking off skin) my friends horse for no apparent reason. I was watching both of the horses faces just before it happenned. My horse did show signs of increasing dominance while the other horse remained laid back in his expression the whole time; I did not see any body language that would cause my horse to react the way he did. Not sure what to do about it. He also seems to be very "herd bound" or "barn sour" and seems very anxious without the company of other horses, unless his mind is distracted by green grass to nibble on. He will pace back and forth until he works himself up to the point that sweat just pours off of him. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks. - Susan

Good buy or no? - Dexters

6ncounting — Wed, 07 May 2008 20:26:28 GMT

Dexters:
5 yr old short legged black horned dexter with heifer calf - gentle-$750
2 yr old med. legged black horned dexter ready to calve-gentle-$750

What do I need to ask before buying Dexters?

Abandoned baby chick

stackwood — Sat, 03 May 2008 13:25:17 GMT

A new mommy hen left one still-wet chick in her nest this morning (along with 3 unhatched eggs) - she has 4 very active chicks to watch.
I've brought the leftover in the house, he/she has been in a basket under a lamp for 4 hours now, and is fluffy and attempting to walk and *quite* vocal!
We've raised chicks before, but never just one... I'd really like to get him back under mommy, better for all of us. I'll try putting him under her tonight, but does anyone have other ideas?
Thanks -
Kathleen

stackwoodfarm@gmail.com

[b]FYI
[/b]
Slipped the little orphan back to mommy in the dead of night - all is well.

Eggs!

Chicken Farmer — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 16:34:12 GMT

so many to choose... which do you like best?

Chicken Photos

Chicken Farmer — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:07:09 GMT

Need Chicken Photos...

1. Needs to be one breed.

2. Need First name and state (optional).

3. Your photo will be on a website.

Turkey poult health

snoqualmiegirl — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:27:50 GMT

I have a Bronze poult that is not acting like the rest of the group. It is very lethargic and is just laying around. I have pulled it out of the brooder into a separate location to prevent it from being trampled by the other poults and I can monitor it better.

My question is what can I do to try and save it? I am giving it sugar water via eye dropper but have been unable to get it to eat food. I have already lost 2 poults and trying to keep this one alive.

What can I do to improve its odds? I know that it is just a turkey but really want to get it past this stage. This is my first time with turkeys and I am getting very discouraged.

Thanks for any information!

Which animal is right for me?

tsukii — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 21:32:38 GMT

Hello!

My fiance and I are looking at our "5 year plan," and that includes a "hobby farm."
He's a nurse practitioner and I'm going to get a vet-tech certification in two years.
I've always loved animals, and dreamed of having my own patch of land, and now that it will be a reality, I need to start thinking about exactly what I want on that land!

We live in central Texas and are planning on buying 5 to 10 acres (in the next 5 years), on which we want our house, animals, a few fruit or nut trees, and a veggie patch.

I'm not looking to have the farm be my source of income, but rather a hobby (I'm home all day), and I'd mostly keep the products for myself, unless I found some niche demand in my local area.

Anyway,

I would love (and truly need) some advice on what animals are right for central Texas, and what animals can be handled safely by a 5'3" young woman.

Thank you

A Crazy Obsession

crazy4chickens — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 08:16:21 GMT

I have had this crazy obsession to raise chickens for eggs for quite a while now. It must be in my genes because I have several relatives who raised chickens in the past. I would welcome any advice before I begin so that I don't make ALL the beginners mistakes and god forbid, kill chickens. My questions (the ones I know to ask) are: 1. Should I start small (4-6) chickens or more say 20. 2. Should I get a rooster or will I be sicing the dog on him at 2 am? 3. What breed of hens are best in terms of productivity, immunity to diseases, easy going? 4. What will the chickens teach me in the first year? Any advice is welcome.

Buying Hens

RottnDawg — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:51:28 GMT

Hopefully some-one can help answer question. Im looking for where to buy hens for eggs. I'm wanting 3-6 hens just to harvest my own eggs

Chickens and Ducks together?

DGourdess — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:28:56 GMT

I'm picking up our Roen ducklings next Wed. (my son's first 4-H project)!

We currently raise chickens. Our original coop which grew into an L-shaped building is now in two sections (divided by a door and chicken wire). Can we use this building for ducks this winter or should we build them a seperate shelter?

Thanks for any input!

Tracy

Sharing my good news!

Sue Weaver — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 08:18:50 GMT

Some of you know I raise Miniature Cheviot sheep in a very small way, so I want to share my glad tidings with you, my Hobby Farms friends.

I breed primarily black and black dilute sheep and have been selecting for "fairy kisses", meaning flashy, white facial markings. Some Miniature Cheviot folks frown on white markings but I love my colorful sheep.

Well, yesterday afternoon one of my young, home-raised ewes, Wolf Moon Baatiste, gave birth to two lovely lambs: a white ewe lamb (who now belongs to my partner in sheep) and a spotted black ram lamb! As far as I know, he is the first spotted, pedigreed Miniature Cheviot on record. Because of his body spots he isn't eligible for the main Miniature Cheviot registry but my sheep partner, Lori Olson (who owns the lambs' sire), and I have been keeping a private flockbook that may just grow into a supplementary registry for colorful little sheep!

In any case, I am over the moon with Maxx (named in memory of Wolf Moon Miracle Max who died in his new home last autumn) a.ka. Wolf Moon Fin Bheara--and here he is!

Sue

How To Start Raising Miniature Herefords

KKid — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 13:50:16 GMT

This is my first post so please bear with me. I'm 54 years old and I want to use the farm to supplement my income when I retire in 2014. After reading extensively I have decided I want to raise Miniature Herefords for beef production. I'm not really interested in showing, but that might come later I suppose. I figure two cows and a bull to start, but I'm finding that the prices of these animals are greater near me than far away. I reside in western PA and most of the breeders I have talked to are into breeding show animals and the cost more than I can afford. On the other hand I have found what I'm looking for in OR at a price that is more fitting with my budget, but then there is transportation issues.

I guess my question is does anyone know where I could buy a starter package, nearer my farm. I can buy what I'm looking for out west for the cost of one animal in the east. I'm a little frustrated.

Does anybody know where a good place to sell Boer kids would be? Must be in IL!

sarahsboergoats — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:50:46 GMT

Hi!

I have had goats for awhile and I just wanted to know if any of you guys would have an idea on where to sell Boer kids and adults. It must be in IL. Or someone that will come get them. I've mainly got wethers and bucks, but I've got a few does. Some are nubian crosses. A few can be registered also. Check out my website: http://www.freewebs.com/sarahsboergoats

Thanks so much!

Sarah's Boer Goats

Here are few pics:

Runny egg whites

money108 — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 10:07:45 GMT

I am posting this message on behalf of my mom who has a small farm in Idaho. Her chicken egg whites are runny and she doesn't know why. These eggs are fresh and the chickens are under a year old. She hasn't given them any greens in about month. Someone suggested that may be the cause. I read that it could be a genetic trait. Does anyone else have this problem? I know it doesn't effect the quality of the egg but I worry the people she sells her eggs to may think the eggs are old. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Pygmy Goats

gcwpapillon — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:43:31 GMT

Ok, in the next two years my sister & I are going to be getting a pygmy goat each.

We're going to be getting it within the first week of it's life and and I was wondering...

After hand feeding your "kids", did they think of you as your mother and never wanted to be seperated or did they grown up and move on? (It will be only me bottle feeding mine and my sister bottle feeding hers).

Will the doeling always follow me (that would be so cool)?

Would she favor me over my siblings?

I read this one lady said her pygmys would come to her looking for treats but that's it............thanks for help.

LAMAS

stevemaharry — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:36:42 GMT

Anyone know about LAMAS.

I've been thinking of raising them. Mainly for their wool to make my own sweaters, blanckets, ect. Thew would be different than sheep and I think they would weather the ND climate well.

Goat questions

Bayberry — Thu, 21 Jul 2005 14:32:54 GMT

I have a few questions because I am considering getting a goat.

1) People always say get 2 goats. Can I onoly get 1, or will it be affected by loneliness?
2)What size barn should I have for 1-2 goats? Around 10'x10' or more/less?
3) Are Pygmy goats, Nigerian Dwarf goats, or LaManche goats better for first time owners? (I have heard LaManch are friendlier, but that was someone's opinion so...)

Any ideas would be great.

Thanks, Bay

Raising sheep

ferndell — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:03:32 GMT

We recently bought 2 ewes and 1 ram California Red sheep to raise as pets. Having never raised sheep before, we would greatly appreciate any tips/info that anyone could share with us. thank you!

Turkey Breeding

jbird120 — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 16:29:00 GMT

I have some Bourbon Red Turkeys left over from last year and was wondering if I can breed them I have two hens and one tom the hens are laying eggs. Is it even possble for them to mate naturlay I know that the Broadbreasted turkeys cant

Which chicken coop?

stephhassler — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 08:16:51 GMT

I'm going to try to raise some laying hens this spring and need to build a coop for them. There are a bazillion coop plans available through books and the internet. Any feedback on what type works well, what doesn't? I'm thinking of a small flock 15 - 25 hens. Thanks.

goats dead

sdurante712 — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:39:45 GMT

i had a herd of goats 12 and now im down to 4 some were killed by dogs and lately im not sure what is killing them..i have had 2 die within days that were walking around just as good as ever that morning and that afternoon just lay down and die i have looked through the feild and i dont see anything that could hurt them...theres no swelling (snake bites)..but if anyone knows what this is or has the same problem any help would be great...thanks sammy

heritage cattle photos needed

bridgetchisholm — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 11:56:25 GMT

I am in search if good quality photos of the following breeds:

Highland

White park

Red Devon

Randall Linebacks

Dexters

Galloways

Piney woods

Beef shorthorn

Angus

Red Poll

Livestock Train Deaths

leoherder — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:20:23 GMT

I recently had two valuable horses killed by a train. This is open range country, so I initially thought I'd be absorbing the loss. However, it turns out that the railroad is liable for their deaths and will pay a claim of value on them.

I had no idea of this and I wanted to let other rural folks know about this, in case this awful event happens to you. I do not blame the trains, as we all know there is no way they could have stopped in time.

If this does happen to you, find out who owns the tracks, contact them to get claim forms sent to you. Document everything, including pictures of the accident.

Regards,

leoherder

dirty egg, etc. questions

sandyrachx — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 06:17:32 GMT

I got my first chickens last spring-8 hens, 1 rooster. I still haven’t figure out who is laying what egg, but one of my hens is laying a dirty egg each time. The nesting material is clean, it’s just the egg has waste on it when I pick it up. Also, I have now had 2 hatchings with 13 chicks. Will they instinctively start using the nesting boxes? They seem to follow the lead of the older hens in other situations. Lastly, when you feed them egg shells, do you was them out to save them and then crush them? Do you save a bunch or give them a couple each day as you eat them? Thanks!

how long to wait for a hatching egg?

chicken dancer — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 08:20:48 GMT

I can't seem to find how long it should take for an egg to hatch-I keep getting how long it takes to incubuate. I know it's not advisable to help a chick hatch, but how long to let it struggle?

Scottish Highland Cattle

pheasantknoll — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 20:29:35 GMT

We are looking at adding a few cattle to our farm and are wondering if anyone has experience with Scottish Highland cattle. Their meat is supposed to be very low fat and they are fairly low maintanence.......is this true? And how does the meat taste?

Getting a new piglet

Pigs R so cool! Don't get me started. — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:56:00 GMT

I need info on taking care of and bottle feeding a 4 week old piglet, also any additional info on raising pigs would be greatly appreaciated. I will be getting a 4 week old Chester White piglet to bottle feed. By the way, I am looking for advice not critasisom, one forum I went to and asked this question on I got chewed out about taking a piglet from it's mother. I have bottle raised 3 other piglets before and they did fine but I am looking for as much advice as I can get.

does anyone keep ducks?

chicken dancer — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 09:50:20 GMT

I'm looking at having just a couple as pets. Can you tell me about it?

Buying baby bucklings as pets or working goats

Sue Weaver — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 09:27:10 GMT

I'm a goat person (I wrote Hobby Farms Goats as well as a recent packgoat article in Hobby Farms) who truly loves goats and who hopes to make a difference for them. This is the time of year when goat dairies are kidding out their does for the year. If you've ever wanted a packgoat or a goat to pull a cart, now is the time to act. There are lots of boys available and a large proportion will be killed a birth or sent to auction as tiny "shoebox kids" unless someone speaks for them now.

Bucklings are a byproduct of the goat dairy industry. A recent thread at NubianTalk discussed how to dispatch male kids at birth--is it better to drown them, break their necks or what? A responsible dairy goat friend tells me that some producers simply throw newborn bucklings in an empty stall to die (one of my beautiful wethers was seized as a less than day-old kid in an animal neglect incident exactly like that). She raises hers to butchering age and processes them at home for her family to eat; her little bucklings enjoy a happy babyhood and don't know the fear of being ripped from their moms and taken to an auction when they're less than a full week old.

As I write this, a beautiful kid I bought from my friend is snoozing in a giant-size dog crate here in the living room behind me. He's a purebred Nubian from fantastic bloodlines and is slated to become a packgoat wether. He cost $15 and my friend was happy to see him go to a working goat home. I'll attach a picture. His name is Uzzi (a Biblical name meaning "my strength, my kid"). He's typical of the many little guys needing good homes.

So if you've been considering goats (and have facilities for them--granted, goats are notoriously hard to contain), now is the time to touch base with goat dairies in your area to arrange to buy a new baby fresh from his mom. Be sure he's healthy and had the opportunity to ingest colostrum (for more information, read my bottle baby article in the current issue of Hobby Farms or email me at ozarkgoattrek@gmail.com).

Or, if you're located in the Ozarks or willing to drive here to pick up a baby, I can direct you to two breeders with lovely babies at rock-bottom prices--providing they go to responsible homes. :o)

Make money breeding animals?

anemone — Sat, 08 Apr 2006 22:56:30 GMT

Hello,

I've always been fascinated by genetics and pedigree research, but I know in dogs, if you do it right, you don't make money. Only the puppy mills and disreputable breeders make money.

I'd be interested in the possibility of other animals, but I don't know them too well. Which animals can you actually make money from breeding? I sound like a puppy miller, I know, but I really am interested in the details of breeding quality stock, and was curious what other options are out there. Even the most fabulous breeders need to pay the bills.

A hobby farm is a dream of mine, but won't happen for a couple years, anyway. I'd appreciate any feedback on this regard.

Jessica

cows

sdurante712 — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 16:13:37 GMT

i have goats chickens and pigs and i was considering getting a few cows because i have 115 acers and im just bored i got tthe goats to clean up the land and make a few dollars...the price when up i sold most of them now im down to 10 goats and i would love to get cows but i dont know much about them except them go mooo and would love to eat all the coastal grass i have grown in my feilds....any web sites or help would be great thanks,

cows

sdurante712 — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 16:13:14 GMT