Last Saturday (January 8), I acquired two new chickens. They were 4
week old Turken (or Naked Neck) mutts. The best guess from the message boards is they were crossed with Leghorns based on some of the other characteristics. I don't know. Maybe. I just think they're kinda cool looking. Keep reading to find out why I know they are mutts.
How does one find Naked Neck chickens in the middle of winter in Minnesota? Craig's List. I was doing a random search for coops/sheds/playhouses - something I can get relatively inexpensively to house the chickens once they outgrow their brooder and keep them safe
from predators/etc. Instead of finding a home, I found new chickens.
The guy (I'll call him the Random Russian) said he had a few of the breeds I would like to have in my flock - Turkens, Chantecler (because they are very cold hardy), and Brahmas (I think they are cool because of the feathered feet).
On a side note, I've decided the direction for my flock is going to go in a different direction. At first I just wanted dual purpose chickens (both egg layers and good for meat) that were docile and good egg producers. Now, I've decided I want cool looking chickens. If I could have roosters, that would be much easier to accomplish, but with hens, they don't get the great coloring that the boys do.
The guy (I'll call him the Random Russian) said he had a few of the breeds I would like to have in my flock - Turkens, Chantecler (because they are very cold hardy), and Brahmas (I think they are cool because of the feathered feet).
On a side note, I've decided the direction for my flock is going to go in a different direction. At first I just wanted dual purpose chickens (both egg layers and good for meat) that were docile and good egg producers. Now, I've decided I want cool looking chickens. If I could have roosters, that would be much easier to accomplish, but with hens, they don't get the great coloring that the boys do. Back on topic....During the course of our e-mail exchanges, I asked if he had some Chanteclers, Turkens and Brahmas. He said he had Turkens and Brahmas. I thought, great. Two more breeds I wanted to add to my growing flock. He explained he'd have some Chanteclers in the spring. I told him I'd be interested when they hatched out.
After a few e-mail exchanges (which I am know discovering that the person I was dealing with did not use English as his first language), I told him I would like the Turkens and Brahmas. He said he didn't have any Brahmas. My bad, I thought, but I still decided to drive up to Blaine and pick up a couple of Turken chicks. Before heading up there, I was trying to figure out how he kept chickens in Blaine. Is there farm land? I didn't think so, but what do I know
After a few e-mail exchanges (which I am know discovering that the person I was dealing with did not use English as his first language), I told him I would like the Turkens and Brahmas. He said he didn't have any Brahmas. My bad, I thought, but I still decided to drive up to Blaine and pick up a couple of Turken chicks. Before heading up there, I was trying to figure out how he kept chickens in Blaine. Is there farm land? I didn't think so, but what do I know
I enlisted a friend of mine to go with me on the trip to Blaine. You never know with this Craig's List stuff who you may run into. I had to promise her I would go out for cocktails the night before, so she stayed in the guest room so we'd be ready to go early.
I readied a box with some pine shavings and we left on the 45 minute road trip at 8:15. I met the Random Russian at his home - which turned out to be just a regular house in the middle of a suburban sub-division - and he directed me to wait outside the garage. Ah...now it is making sense.
He opened the garage door, we slid in - keeping an eye on the neighbors so we didn't look too shady. In a corner of the garage was a pretty sweet set up for the chicks he was trying to sell. It's what gave me the idea for my brooder. Anyway, in the brooder are a bunch of chicks. Right away I noticed one of the Turkens had feathery legs. That's not right.
Then it dawned on me that when he was telling me what breeds he had, the Brahma was a rooster only. This lead me to the conclusion that all his chickens were actually mutts. The Random Russian confirmed this over a couple of exchanges about how he kept his flock - the boys/girls all roamed together - he didn't keep his breeds separate. No big deal. The chicks were still pretty cool looking.
Now I'm up to 14 chickens. Based on the size of the combs on some of them, I think I have five boys in my original batch(es). I'll know more in a couple of weeks as more feathers come in and I can post pictures on the message boards to get help from the experts.
To help feed my new addiction, I will be going to a chicken swap in New Ulm in a few weeks to see if anyone has any of the other breeds I'm looking to get. In addition to the Brahmas or Chateclers, I'd like to get Wyandottes (preferably Blue Laced Red), Black Copper Marans (they aren't very cold hardy, but if someone local has them, then I can ask questions about their line), or Ameraucanas (they aren't particularly neat looking, but produce colored eggs) or their crosses. Ameraucanas produce blue eggs, but crosses - called Easter Eggers - do produce blue and green shades. I also like Plymouth Rock (the Barred variety) and Opringtons (the buff one).
I readied a box with some pine shavings and we left on the 45 minute road trip at 8:15. I met the Random Russian at his home - which turned out to be just a regular house in the middle of a suburban sub-division - and he directed me to wait outside the garage. Ah...now it is making sense.
He opened the garage door, we slid in - keeping an eye on the neighbors so we didn't look too shady. In a corner of the garage was a pretty sweet set up for the chicks he was trying to sell. It's what gave me the idea for my brooder. Anyway, in the brooder are a bunch of chicks. Right away I noticed one of the Turkens had feathery legs. That's not right.
Then it dawned on me that when he was telling me what breeds he had, the Brahma was a rooster only. This lead me to the conclusion that all his chickens were actually mutts. The Random Russian confirmed this over a couple of exchanges about how he kept his flock - the boys/girls all roamed together - he didn't keep his breeds separate. No big deal. The chicks were still pretty cool looking.
Now I'm up to 14 chickens. Based on the size of the combs on some of them, I think I have five boys in my original batch(es). I'll know more in a couple of weeks as more feathers come in and I can post pictures on the message boards to get help from the experts.
To help feed my new addiction, I will be going to a chicken swap in New Ulm in a few weeks to see if anyone has any of the other breeds I'm looking to get. In addition to the Brahmas or Chateclers, I'd like to get Wyandottes (preferably Blue Laced Red), Black Copper Marans (they aren't very cold hardy, but if someone local has them, then I can ask questions about their line), or Ameraucanas (they aren't particularly neat looking, but produce colored eggs) or their crosses. Ameraucanas produce blue eggs, but crosses - called Easter Eggers - do produce blue and green shades. I also like Plymouth Rock (the Barred variety) and Opringtons (the buff one).
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