I reccomend asking your grocery stores if you can collect their produce scraps. I get over 100lbs a week of leftovers from the pre-cut melons and stuff they sell. They throw out a lot of whole watermelons if they have a soft spot or blemish. Fruit isnt a good staple for chickens but it's good for free, also attracts more insects to their area.
Nice. I learned that how to tell a real watermelon is with a paper towel. If you cut it open and place a paper towel if the red bleeds of it on to the towel it is real. If the towel is jot red it is engineered.
Chicken now.
Just fyi: those chicken capes if they are beautiful and the right quality will fetch a pretty premium penny for fly fishing fly tiers like my self roaster capes and hens if the right breed can go anywhere from 50$ to a few hundred dollars each.
Ps
The feathers would have to be on with the skin.
A fly tying website of feather for sale. Take a look
http://www.worleybuggerflyco.com/WAPSI/WapsiFeathers.html#gsc.tab=0
10 days ago3 points(+0/-0/+3Score on mirror)1 child
Notes for chickens:
* They really like bugs. Make a trash pile they can access, they'll pick through the garbage to find the bugs.
* In summer heat, they drink a lot more water than you think. Make sure they always have access to water. It's how they stay cool.
* If you're making eggs (those look like egg layers) be sure to give them extra food. Never let them run out. If they get short on their food they'll stop laying eggs for a while.
10 days ago2 points(+0/-0/+2Score on mirror)1 child
I have a few, I just wanted to be sure. Personally mine are very good layers, out of the original 10 I lost two and bought a group of Rhode Island Reds to recuperate the losses and make up for the Rocks getting older.
10 days ago2 points(+0/-0/+2Score on mirror)1 child
What's your experience with the reds? I had looked them up and saw something that they can be... kinda jerks lol. I have young kids I don't want getting pecked.
My experience is they can be a little jealous, but overall mine have never been mean that I can recall. Granted both them and the rocks I handled while they were chicks, so that could have an impact.