The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Community => Introduce yourself => Topic started by: langdon on September 02, 2009, 10:56:21 am

Title: hi new on here!
Post by: langdon on September 02, 2009, 10:56:21 am
hi all smallholders!!!!!

Langdon here, just  new to website and new to smallholding!!  we got our own veg garden plus a small bit of land in which we are developing to keep livestock (really exciting)  ;D at mo we got lowman brown hens 8 and our wellsummer cockerel called eddie!!!! he is great!! we are also getting saddleback pigs :pig:, goats :goat:, ducks :&> and more hens. :chook:
We would love dog but are looking for a breed that doesnt lose fur as my wife is allergic.
Any advice on why my cockerel is losing his tail feathers?
Thanks
Langdon
Title: Re: hi new on here!
Post by: Dan on September 02, 2009, 11:11:34 am
Hello Langdon and welcome aboard!  :)

Sounds like you've got great plans and lots of work ahead - how much land have you got? (I warn you in advance that we've got land envy!)

Our cockerel Hector is also losing his tail feathers - it's most likely just the moult at this time of year. It's all about resting the reproductive system and restoring healthy levels of nutrients and recovering zing (a technical term). You'll also notice he loses interest in his hens - he'll be infertile during the moult so doesn't bother them.  :o

In a couple of months he'll be back to his best. Rosemary gives our chooks extra sardines during the moult on the basis that the oil will help with the new feather growth.

Hope this helps,

Dan
Title: Re: hi new on here!
Post by: Troubled Waters on September 02, 2009, 11:27:19 am
Helloo and welcome.
Enjoy getting your  :pig: :goat: :&> :chook:
Title: Re: hi new on here!
Post by: Rosemary on September 02, 2009, 12:41:47 pm
Hi and welcome
Title: Re: hi new on here!
Post by: langdon on September 02, 2009, 07:55:21 pm
Thanks for the welcome and the advice. Be in touch soon  :farmer:
Title: Re: hi new on here!
Post by: MiriMaran on September 02, 2009, 08:03:53 pm
Gordon lost his tail feathers a few weeks ago and there are feathers scattered all over the field from our hens.  One of our white leghorns has one tail feather left that is sticking straight up in the air like a native American squaw!  All our hens are looking a bit moth eaten, but all the feathers will grow back and they'll be all snug and ready for the winter.

Welcome to the forum by the way!
Title: Re: hi new on here!
Post by: Hilarysmum on September 04, 2009, 08:31:31 am
Roger is losing his tail feathers, but Wally who has up till now never had a tail, is finally developing a couple.  Welcome to the forum, looking forward to hearing about your pigs when they arrive  :pig:
Title: Re: hi new on here!
Post by: carole on September 04, 2009, 10:50:23 am
Hi and welcome from me too

Carole :pig:
Title: Re: hi new on here!
Post by: doganjo on September 04, 2009, 02:32:28 pm
Jamie lost some of his a good few weeks ago when my three Brittanys all wanted to retrieve him at once.  However, he still has quite a few but lost some in the moult last week.  The ex batt girls are more like ex batts then when I got them!
Title: Re: hi new on here!
Post by: sandy on September 09, 2009, 08:28:38 am
 ;D ;D WOuld love a Cockeril but my neighbours would go mad!!!!!! Welcome from me and me rowing flock 1516 hens,2Ducks, 2 Dogs!!
Title: Re: hi new on here!
Post by: MiriMaran on September 09, 2009, 07:40:19 pm
looks to me like you've accepted your new hen as a member of the family! ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: hi new on here!
Post by: sandy on September 09, 2009, 08:44:06 pm
Yup!! 8)
Title: Re: hi new on here!
Post by: Padge on September 09, 2009, 08:52:12 pm
Helloooooo and welcome from another newcomer ;D ;D

Everyone has such maaaanly   names for their cockerels lol.....ours is Andrew!!
Title: Re: hi new on here!
Post by: doganjo on September 09, 2009, 08:55:44 pm
Andrew is a good strong MANLY Scottish name - does this sound appropriate for him?

Andrew:
Very much the individual you have enormous energy and vision and must find a suitable use for your talents. You have great potential for success in business if you can guard against indecision and worry. Your generous nature means that you are never short of friends and with cooperation your relationships can be very rewarding. Perseverance and firm decision making will ensure you achieve your objectives.
Title: Re: hi new on here!
Post by: little blue on September 09, 2009, 09:47:25 pm
Our is Lenin, like the bolshevic cockerel in "the good life" who got on a bus! He escaped from a cage destined for market and chatted up our girls for two days and nights before we caught him.
To follow the theme, the 2 we sent to new homes were "Che" and "Franco"  the hen from that hatching is "Eva" (Peron)
Title: Re: hi new on here!
Post by: doganjo on September 09, 2009, 11:26:23 pm
Bet nobody can guess who MY cockerel's named after?(http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Laughing/drunk-irish-048.gif)