Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi
are there any point of lay chooks for sale at BYAP?
I'm after a couple of good layers , 2 of my Australorps are not pulling their weight and are destined for the chop...

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my bathtub and IBC system
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=9848

Try a pm to Faye ,
or Comps poultry at Hearn hill , 40 different poultry to choose from... mmm....turkey
http://www.poultryandbirdswesternaustralia.com/

Sorry, I must have been having a day off. We have some 3 week old Hylines, so they may be point of lay in about 17 weeks. Often they sell before that.
Gumtree is always good for chooks too, I love Gumtree.

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http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum ... a&start=45 (Fayes system)
http://backyardfarming.com.au/phpbb3/vi ... f=24&t=119 (Fayes garden) https://www.facebook.com/Botanic.Obsession

haha i have been there a few times, she immunises her birds now but before it was a PITA, my chooks got chronic respiratory disease from chooks I got from there that were infected.

If you just want hyline type chooks, then a guy out near beeliar that advertises in the quokka sells them for a good price, from a egg farm. I avoid the backyard hyline breeders as they dont lay as good as the commercial cross.

At the moment im running hylines and a ancona/hyline cross who lays OK and have some aracanas that are about to start laying over the next couple of months, one has just started laying.

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My IBC Systems
Nothing beats eating your own homegrown stuff and going out and catching your own meat to eat with the family.

+ 1 I bought some off her too and all but one died with in a month.

Chooknet is always good too http://www.chooknet.com.au/

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Simo

My system : http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=12922

The good thing about science is that you don't have to believe in it for it to be right.

Sorry gorot , it wasn't a recomendation just an option. When buying any livestock I go in with both eyes open , always.

Both "backyard" and "commercial" operations have +'s and -'s.

I've never immunised a chook , and over the years have only lost 'em to fox's and old age...

Anyways , fired up a few responses for ya...

Cheers

I've got a few different breeds silver sussex, australorp, silver grey dorkings, rhode island red

Most of my chooks I've found from http://www.backyardpoultry.com/index.ph ... reeder.php

Aracanas normally lay attractive blue or green eggs, Kangaroodog - how are yours looking?

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∞ ∞ PLJ's Big Concrete Tank System ∞ ∞
∞ ∞ ∞ The 'Puddle' ∞ ∞ ∞

Yeah, we've bought a lot through chooknet.. Kattscluckers seems pretty reasonable, got a few lots from her.

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www.havehomewilltravel.com
Life on the road

I think they must have heard me sharpening the axe. One of them started laying again

_________________
my bathtub and IBC system
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=9848

has anyone had chooks from forrestdale egg farms?
http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/forrestd ... /345684718

I know they are likely ex-battery hens past their prime laying age but how well do they still lay?

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my bathtub and IBC system
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=9848

These chooks are like Isa browns, according to the sales blurb. That tells me that they are a hybrid hen specifically bred to lay like a machine in the first laying season in order to maximise profits for commercial growers, who are rarely interested in keeping birds for a second year. ( I think they used to keep Australorps, etc for two seasons.)
My experience with Isa browns is that they lay reasonably well in year two but then typically die in their fairly unproductive third year. It is only a few years since I was aware of these 'old' chooks being unloaded for $2 a head. At least one bloke that I heard of would drive all over the place delivering the chooks, much as Troutman does with his fish. Perhaps I am out of date but $5 seems a bit steep for these old girls.

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∞ ∞ PLJ's Big Concrete Tank System ∞ ∞
∞ ∞ ∞ The 'Puddle' ∞ ∞ ∞

I would say "you couldn't go wrong at that price". We bought day olds at $7-50 each, laid straw, fed them chick starter, heated their environment, lost 1 and they wont lay for another 13 weeks at least so mmmm. $5-00 Sounds like a bargain to me Gorotsuki!

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http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum ... a&start=45 (Fayes system)
http://backyardfarming.com.au/phpbb3/vi ... f=24&t=119 (Fayes garden) https://www.facebook.com/Botanic.Obsession

I agree with faye. Ex battery hens will provide a few good years of laying eggs. Plus you are giving them a happy retirement which would otherwise probably be an early death. 5 dollars is pretty good. Point of lay isa browns are 18 dollars where I live.

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Ben

Bender's System

Bender's Backyard

Light blue egg at the moment, typical ara colour.

Ex egg layers i would not buy, they are usually bald as their bodies go into a hard moult as the farms give extended lighting to make them lay longer and once they hit an age they flog em off, the chooks then moult so wont lay for a bit. Funny things too having never been out of a cage most of their lives even putting them on a dirt floor freaks them out initially and they stay in the one spot trying to figure it out.

Getting pure chooks also means breeders have a market for them which helps keep those breeds alive, think of it as heirloom varieties

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My IBC Systems
Nothing beats eating your own homegrown stuff and going out and catching your own meat to eat with the family.