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Chickens!~

Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2003 9:40 am
by Chris Todd
Hi All,
Has anyone had any experience with Japanese Bantam chickens? Have a couple Pearl Guineas that free range the yard and want them to go to roost EVERY night , not every 3rd or so as they do now. Had heard running a chicken(s) with will help bring them to roost. Scratching is not an option (because of wifes landscaping) which is why I have my Guineas instead of chickens now. I guess because of "Japs" very short legs scratching is not an issue. Also tossing around thoughts of a Peacock or 2. Any ideas or experiences? :idea:
Chris Todd

Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2003 11:27 am
by John *.?-!.* cub owner
No experience with the japanese chickens, but I have an uncle that raises peacocks, and if I lived close I would shoot them because of their constant hollering. sounds like someone yelling for help, and cna be heard for 50 or 60 yards easily.

Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2003 2:41 pm
by Rudi
Chris:

No experience with the Japanese bantams, but the wife and I have raised Silkies and Aracanas, both of which were a lot of fun.

The Silkies were kind of furry and the colour variations were interesting, the Aracana's on the other hand laid some really beautiful multi-coloured eggs. Never got to eat those, my wife saved them all for Easter and Christmas decorations.

We raised a few pheasants as well - Ring Necks and Chinese. Very difficult birds to raise though. Mortality rate in the upper 80 percent.

Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2003 4:52 pm
by George Willer
No experience with the japanese chickens, but I have an uncle that raises peacocks, and if I lived close I would shoot them because of their constant hollering. sounds like someone yelling for help, and cna be heard for 50 or 60 yards easily.


A neighbor has cut down on the number of peacocks he has, but they really are noisy! He got the the first ones about the time of an un-solved murder on the R R right-of-way adjoining our other place, less than a mile away. He's about 3/4 mile away in the same general direction. I was hearing that woman's cries for help for a long time.

When we first moved here from a subdivision in 1991, I wanted to get some guineas for watchdogs. We had them on the farm where I was raised, and they do sound an alarm. Marilyn nixed the idea, since health problems keep me away from any poultry. We have a rubber hose driveway alarm instead.

Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2003 7:42 am
by phantom
rudi is right about the japanese silks being cute, and he didn't miss a thing by not eating the colored eggs. they taste just like any other egg. scratching is not usually a problem with silks, but not because they dont try. their feet are usually so deformed that they are not very effective. all birds and fowl will try to scratch. if you watch a sparrow they even try to scratch. i would suggest locking your present birds up for a week or so in the location you want them to roost. it will become home to them.

Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2003 10:11 pm
by littlered_tractor
Chris, They are right you don't want any peacocks they are great watch dog but they hollor at other birds as they fly by. I have had the black japs and all kinds of fowl. I had Wild Turkeys, Red Burbon, White, Bromze, Ring Neck Phasents, Amherst, Golden,and Ruffed Grouse. Bobwhite quail,
Conturnex, Button and Gamble, Wild doves, Ringneck and White doves.
I hatched all of these and really enjoyed them untill I had to get rid of them when I moved. My Wife had to get closer to WAL-MART. The ruffed Grouse were the hardest to raise I hatched them under a bannie.

I envoy you and good luck with your fowel
Donnie

Chickens

Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2003 7:09 pm
by Chris Todd
Thanks for all the replys fellas. I got the Guineas as 8 wk old Keets and kept them in shed for 7 wks before letting them range and they roosted every night for about a month. LOL....Then they discovered the joys of a 40 ft. white pine. Was usually an every other night thing and of course the day I posted this message they have come in every night. :lol: "Go Figure"
It is going to be 60 or so by Sunday here and think I'll check out those Bantams just to say I did. If wife and I like em, will bring a few home....if they scratch....will just pen them up.
"Sure do like to have birds roaming the yard" Kind of like "Living Landscaping" to me.
Chris Todd