Rock Feathers-Surock Farms

12/14/2024

Come on Solstice!
I seriously have like no eggs right now. The cold hit, my automatic door froze shut one day. That usually doesn’t happen but it’s incredibly muddy right now and the chickens step in the door track all day and it can freeze overnight.
It doesn’t help the cows keep unplugging my lights to the main coop. 🙄
I found the cord clear out past my water trough the other day. Roughly 6 feet from where it was plugged in. It’s now tied twice and zip tied on both ends.
Ready for winter to end already.

12/07/2024

Pumpkin Seeds as a Poultry Dewormer-BUSTED
Here’s the Study!

Every fall, man chicken keepers feed pumpkin seeds to control worms...but does it work? Scientists test this to see if it is myth or fact. Read on

12/06/2024

I’ll reshare this today because I saw someone selling eggs that were not stored correctly.

Egg Storage in Cartons
A lot of people don't know that eggs should be stored pointy end down in egg cartons.
The reason being, the blunt end of the egg has an air pocket between the inter and outer shell. The pocket of air can allow bacteria to reproduce in the egg. Every egg has an air pocket and some amount of bacteria in it. The idea is to keep any amount of possible bacteria as far away from the yolk as possible because the yolk is more susceptible to bacterial infection.
The Albumen, or egg white, contains bacteria killing enzymes but the yolk does not. The yolk needs to be centered and the air pocket needs to stay away from the yolk in the egg. Storing them blunt end up reduces the risk of the yolk touching the air pocket because air rises while the yolk stays centered away from the air pocket.
This also helps the egg to remain fresh longer.

11/30/2024

What do we have here? 😉
Ya, something else I’ve been working on.

11/28/2024

Happy Thanksgiving

11/15/2024

Thank You everyone that bought the auction birds. I guess the Showgirl Cockerel was a pretty popular guy. I will have more of these available next season. And all you need is one to get those in your flock.
Funds from the auction birds are going towards a new Australian Shepherd boy for the farm. Hank is getting up there but still spry enough to pass down his awesome poultry/farm knowledge to his successor.
No, he doesn’t have a name yet but we are picking him up Saturday.
We will have to meet him.
Pics to follow.

11/13/2024

🤣
Best silkie I’ve ever had in the truck.
Handmade by a friend. ❤️

11/11/2024

Thank You Veterans

11/10/2024

Birds have already been dropped off this morning.
Truck was loaded, double stacked!
Blue, Black, Splash, White, Blue Cream
20 cages of 40 silkies
2 cages of bantams
5 total pullets are there (PQ-4silkies,1booted bantam)
ONE Showgirl (Naked Neck) silkie Cockerel
❌ONLY THE PENS WITH PULLETS ARE BRIGHTLY TAGGED. PENS WITH NO TAGS ARE BOYS ONLY!❌
Go look at them, have a good time, happy Bidding!!!
Sale starts at 1:00

11/09/2024

Early day tomorrow
Cages are made and ready outside the barn. Gonna be a long morning.
As always, birds will be there early for you to go look at and make some decisions.
I’ll admit I had a hard time letting these two boys go.

11/08/2024

Only cages with pullets will have my tags on them. Easy to see!!
All other pens will be only cockerels. And these should not come off until cut!
I’ve taken extra precautions for lost tags.

11/08/2024

Going to the auction Sunday:
There are over 20 Whites
ONLY 4 pet quality pullets
COCKERALS ARE:
White
Blue Creams
Splash
Black
Blue
ONLY ONE Black Showgirl Cockerel
MF d’Uccle
One Porcelain d’Uccle
ONE Porcelain Booted Bantam Pullet
All birds will be paired to save on cages.
No-I did not take a pic of every single bird! That’s A LOT of birds.
See previous post for a little more info.

11/06/2024

Auction information:

I think 3 pullets are white one is blue. All pullets are pet quality.
This time of year I’m sorting through to keep next seasons breeders.
The Showgirl cockerel is black with no faults.
Numerous white cockerels only a few with faults.
Some splash, just had better quality boys. I don’t think any of those had faults. Just liked the color better on the boys I kept.
Few blue cream boys. Couple of those with leakage, one with to much red for me but would probably make a good calico project boy.
I think a couple blues one may have had leakage.
Few C***s in all colors. Probably easier to tell those guys since they are molting.
Pullets will be paired with a boy. The rest of the boys will be paired two to a cage.
Some MF d’Uccle boys, one porcelain and one porcelain booted bantam Pullet. She will be with a few boys to keep from making a bunch of cages.

I will not be taking pics of all of them but as soon as I have a day off pics will be consigned to Weston Livestock and also on my farm page.
Get there, go look at the birds. See what you want and make sure you write the pen # down that you want. I won’t know the numbers the auction puts on the pens. Every pen will have an auction tag number.
All these birds were bred and hatched by me. All Cockerels & Pullets are from this spring hatch.

11/03/2024

Started on auction cages today. Far from finished.
And plastic welded a cracked chicken waterer. Things are to expensive to replace anymore. They don’t care what it looks like. 🤷🏼‍♀️

11/02/2024

A couple of the “Keepers” today.

11/02/2024

Oh my
Sorting Auction silkies today. 🤦🏼‍♀️
Around 40 silkies and 5-7 d’Uccles
4 or 5 pullets. One Showgirl Cockerel
Now that I have a count, I’ll start making their cages.

11/02/2024

Probably 🤦🏼‍♀️

10/30/2024

Big fella on the cam.