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Poultry Projects 2004 Plans Geese We are again getting geese from Metzer for 2004 but I have decided to get only Buff and Pilgrim breeds this time. We have ordered 8 Buff and 8 Pilgrim goslings. We've pre-sold about half the birds we plan to have for 2004 but are still taking orders. See our sales list for how to reserve a goose or come to the North Fork Farmers' Market in Paonia, Mondays from 4-7pm, and order one. Go To Top Chickens For 2004 we are getting three batches of 25 chicks each. We have been taking orders for chickens from some of our lamb and mutton customers. I've already pre-sold most of the chickens we plan to have available for this season but we still have a few birds that are not spoken for. See our sales list for how to reserve chickens or come to the North Fork Farmers' Market in Paonia Mondays from 4-7pm and order some. The first batch will again be from Murray McMurray hatchery and will consist of 10 White Jersey Giants, 10 Buff Rocks and 5 Columbian Wyandottes for butcher. We liked the Wyandottes and maybe the Columbian pattern will combine mostly light feathers for a clean carcass without attracting unwanted hawks, eagles and other predators. Historically white chickens have not survived very well here. The Jersey Giants will be our trial white birds for the season. Buff Rocks are another favorite of mine so I want to see how they grow and taste. I want to try to keep a few hens over winter for eggs and to see how they do in preparation for keeping geese next year. So I am also getting 2 Buff Orpington hens and two Golden Campine hens to keep. The Buff Orpington's are a brown egg layer and I know they will do well here. When I showed chickens I showed Hamburgs but I also like the looks of Campines and I've never had any so for a white egg layer I'm getting the Golden Campine to see what they are like. White Jersey Giants Buff Rocks Columbian Wyandottes Buff Orpington Golden Campine Our second batch of chickens will come from Ideal Poultry. This batch will consist of two varieties of Cornish, Buff and White Laced Red. Cornish are the parent of the commercial Rock x Cornish meat birds. Obviously the commercial parent strains are different. I hope that by going back to the older types we will still have decent foraging ability but gain the larger breast and heavy carcass that our customers want. Our second batch of chickens is due to arrive 16 June 2004. Buff Cornish White Laced Red Cornish Our last batch of chickens will again be from McMurray and will consist of White Laced Red Cornish, Partridge Rocks, Gold Laced Wyandottes and Speckled Sussex. I want to compare the Cornish from the two different hatcheries and the remaining breeds are known as dual purpose birds that I want to try. White Laced Red Cornish Partridge Rock Gold Laced Wyandottes Speckled Sussex Go To Top