| Archive for countrytalkandtips.myfreeforum.org ........................ smallholding, crafts and country life ................................................... IN IRELAND ....................................................... |
| chook |
Hi from North ClareHi there,just joined after having found the link on the River Cottage forum. I already "know" Camile but I'm quite sure there'll be other familiar names/faces. Myself and my other half are in North Clare on 2.5 acres, grow some veg and fruit, and keep goats for milk and meat and chickens for eggs and meat. I sell some eggs as well as hatching eggs and occassionally young nanny goats. I'm self-employed, working as a technical translator, REPS planner, and occasional lecturer, other half works as a walking tour guide. My interests are .... pretty endless  ... hmmm, let's see ... organic agriculture, agroecology, agroforestry, permaculture, willows, goats, chickens and poultry genetics, apples, soft fruit, hedgerow fruit, seedsaving... We love good food, preferably our own and/or organic.
Looking forward to fruitful exchanges, information and perhaps even material and to meeting new folks. Ute |
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| tringle |
Hi chook, Im tringle. Im across the lake from you in North Tipp. I used to post very regularly on RC but havent in the past year or so (to much one upmanship).
You dont by any chance sell at the Killaloe market do you? |
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| wayoutwest |
hi chook, nice to 'meet' you. we're just a bit down the way from you, south of the massive cliffs! | ||
| tringle |
Oh morning wayoutwest | ||
| wayland |
Hi chook. Nice to hear from you. I see your into alot of stuff 
Morning Wayoutwest and Tringle. |
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| roiphil |
hi chook how do you find time to do everything | ||
| chook |
Thanks for the nice welcome, lads and lassies.
@tringle, nope, I usually man (or rather woman) the Seedsavers stall at the Kilfenora Organic Fair and sell a few pots of jam while I'm there, that's all. There is another Ute here in North Clare of Poulataggle Free Range eggs, perhaps that's her? They have a lovely setup, 400 hens I think. I only have 22. @wayoutwest - Do I know you, then? @roiphil - I don't 
Best, Ute |
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| Camile |
Good morning Chook ..
Nice to "re-meet" you again .. I believe we crossed roads on different poultry forums regarding the Barnevelders didn't we ? You seem to have loads of informations for us regarding your interests ... tell us more ! Camile |
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| chook |
Hi Camile, yes that's right. They are my main breed. I'll be adding Jubilee Orpingtons this year as another old breed worth preserving. Saw your pics. Nice. 
Ute |
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| Camile |
Jubilee orpingtons sounds great .. any pictures of them ?
Also, please post pictures of your other birds ! |
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| chook |
@ Camile
only got 2 boys so far, more hatching eggs coming at the end of the month! 
Some Barnies: 
For anyone with an interest in that breed: I wrote (most of) an entry at wikipedia on them. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnevelder chook |
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| Camile |
They are gorgeous birds Chook !
both breeds .. but the barnevelders are really good looking .. I might look into them in a couple of weeks when the silky goes broody again. She started laying again about 4/5 weeks ago .. and is now laying an egg a day again .. which is a bad/good sign for this silky .. it means business ! |
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| jon |
Hi Chook. Very nice pictures.
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| wayoutwest |
no chook, I don't think we know one another, but if you're in north clare, and I'm in west clare, it made sense that I was down the way a bit from you... 
nice pictures. I have a hankering for another breed of chicken, but himself seems ot think we have enough. (obviously, we don't! ditto books and plants...) |
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| chook |
@wayoutwest
I agree, you can't really have enough chooks or books or plants ... What breed do you keep?
The reason why I was asking is that you never quite know who is behind a forum nick... and we know a fair few folks in North, West, and East Clare. Not in South Clare, there is no South Clare, oh my! Where is South Clare? It must be like West Craggy Island - it fell into the sea! Silly mode off. |
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| wayoutwest |
just 3 layers (RIR) and we get eating babies (cross between light sussex and ross cobb) and raise them into chickenasaurus rex sized monsters. however, read your bit on the site there, and it looks like a good dual eat/lay bird. So pretty too - and hardy... himself agreed that they were pretty, and asked what they were like as eaters? so maybe he's considering more? eventulally I fully intend to have tons of rare breed chucks and different breeds, but this property isn't exactly ideal for them, so we have the barest minimum. (Strangely, he thinks that's enough.) Maybe just sneaking in one little breeding pair................... |
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| chook |
Mornin' wayoutwest, They are fine IMHO but obviously they don't grow as fast and into the same proportions as Ross Cobb's and such. Males yield a carcass of about 2.3-2.5 kg oven weight (5-5.5 imperial pounds) at about 26 weeks with quite a long leg and not as much breastmeat, compared to the typical broiler crosses. I've crossed a Barnevelder on some Orpingtons (buff, blue, splash) and these give a yet nicer table bird, same weight but more breast-meat. The Jubilee Orpington in particular was highly prized by farmers about 100 years ago for crossing onto pretty much any farmyard hen to yield a good meat bird. I had a third cockerel of those which was bought by a gentlemen in Kerry for that very purpose. We don't fatten the males, just take them right out of the pen (those not kept or sold for breeding) and for that I think they make a fine table bird. Personally I prefer that approach to buying in broiler chicks as it is an industry I would not like to support. The highly bred broilers also seem to suffer from leg problems and heart trouble on account of growing so incredibly fast. I raise quite a lot of chicks and there is a limited market for cockerels so we have plenty for the table anyway. No chickenosaurus, but not bad at all at all. I have 3 little cockerels in the brooder (2.5 weeks now) if you want to try one. Ute |
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| gai |
Hi and welcome chook. Nice pictures. | ||
| wayoutwest |
thanks for the offer, ute, and when we have the right space for them I'd be biting your arm off, but having thought it through I think we're at maximum really, for the shelter.
by 'fatten', do you mean keep in a smaller space and feed well? We never bothered doing that as they don't seem inclined to go running around the place too much... |
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