Neumann Farms

11/29/2024

Happy Chicken Thanksgiving.

10/27/2024

Today, my neighbor watched a lady drive up to the edge of my property and throw a hen over my fence and drive off.
When I first found the hen, I went to neighbors to see if any of theirs had run away. Because that can happen on occasion, a predator scatters them at night, they get loose, etc. When I found out somebody had dumped this hen, my first impulse was to kill it on the spot as a biohazard.

Let me explain something to people. Dumping chickens over a fence into somebody else's flock is the livestock equivalent of r**e. It is an intentional violating pe*******on of sombody's flock without consent. A breach of biosecurity, a breach of genetic purity for breeding. It is an act of agro-terrorism. There are backyard keepers and pet people who don't realize what a big deal it is. They don't get it.

I don't care if I offend people for using words so strong, but people need to understand that dumping chickens can cause chicken owners measurable and tangible harm.

1. Chickens can be carriers of disease. Many of these diseases are chronic and stay with a flock forever. Chickens that are not symptomatic can still infect other birds. When you dump a chicken into somebody else's flock, you are potentially introducing a pathogen that will infect their flock forever. They can also introduce parasites that are difficult to get rid of. For backyard keepers that get rid of all their birds and get new pullet chicks at the feed store every couple years, this isn't as big of a deal. For breeders with closed flocks that have been breeding for generations, this can destroy decades of breeding effort. It can have devastating consequences.

2. Dumping chickens can ruin their breeding program. Many people like to dump roosters because they don't want them. Roosters, if they get in and mate with somebody's hens during their prime breeding season can ruin their entire spring hatch. It takes a month to clear out hens after a rooster has been with them to ensure the offspring are pure bred. For somebody who is breeding to show or breeding to sell, this could ruin their whole year.

The dumped hen was a pretty hatchery quality blue laced red wyandotte. I looked her over and she looked healthy. She was sweet. I didn't have the heart to kill her.
So I rehomed her.
It's not hard to rehome a chicken. Post them for free on Craigslist or in a Facebook group. Take them to a swap. It's super easy to find chickens a new voluntary home, which makes dumping chickens even more obscene and disrespectful.

Dumping birds is not rehoming birds. Its a violating act that is disrespectful to both the property owner and the poor animal being dumped who is a hapless victim. The ownership of animals is a voluntary process and nobody should ever have animals thrust on them without their consent.
I will never keep a dumped animal. I will never reward or validate somebody who r**es my property with animals, then drives by and sees them living the good life later on and they think, "I found that animal a good home. I did a good thing."
Dumping animals is always a bad and despicable thing.

Show these animals the respect they deserve and make the effort to find them a home where they are wanted.

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06/24/2024

Recently, I was invited to give a presentation outside the Barkman Library in Pueblo on backyard chicken keeping. I got a chance to tell people about the dangers of burning their houses down with heat lamps, and a chance to show off some of my Light Ameraucanas. It was a fun experience.

06/10/2024

It has been unseasonably cool and rainy here in Colorado. I have another box of silver Ameraucana hatching eggs to ship out today if anybody is interested. Please PM me.

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06/03/2024

Shipping eggs is always a gamble. Some people end up unhappy, and some send me pics like this. Thanks for the cute picture Melanie Jones.

05/28/2024

Last call for hatching eggs. Cool weather is holding in Southern Colorado and my birds are laying like champs. I am still shipping out hatching eggs. Silver Ameraucanas and BBS Ameraucanas (mixed blue and splash breedings) for any who are interested. Please PM me. Once highs get into the 90's, I will stop shipping.

05/17/2024

I have mostly worked my way through my wait list for Silver and the weather is still agreeable for shipping and my hens are laying well. If anybody would like some silver Ameraucana hatching eggs, please PM me. I have a batch ready to ship today.

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05/02/2024

I have all my blues and splashes running together now. 3 splash c***s and 2 blue c***s over a flock of splash and blue. These hatching eggs may not be the best for people who are looking to breed to standard as they aren't controlled pairings for color and will probably produce more brassy splash males, but for people who want layer flocks of Ameraucanas that lay nice big blue eggs, these would be suitable. The resulting offspring would have good type and some show quality birds are possible. I am floating the idea of shipping smaller quantities of these eggs to hobby hatchers who don't want 18 eggs. Is there any interest?

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04/25/2024

People often ask what the egg color is like in my Light Ameraucana project. Here is a reference pic of them vs. my blues/splashes. Lights on the bottom.

04/23/2024

Some days are like wonky eggs. They are good for eating and not much else.

04/11/2024

I have one spring pullet (just under a year old), silver Ameraucana that has too much pattern gene and I've decided not to breed from even though she has nice type. She lays a gorgeous blue egg. First person who can pick her up today gets her. $40

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04/08/2024

I have UniHeat 40 hour small pet shipping warmers for sale that expire 12/24. These are great for people shipping small quantities of chicks. I will match whatever price you're getting them for. Please PM me.

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04/05/2024

Today, I passed along the last of my calliope project, a color I stabilized to be semi-true breeding (replicable from generation to generation). It is an emotional thing for me. 13 years ago, I hatched a barnyard mix chick with some curious patterning in her breast and she became a project to expand and replicate. I produced some stunning birds in the following years. However, the older I get, the less I can handle doing too many things well. Heck, I am not sure I can handle doing one thing well. I am at a point where I would rather focus on one project. Having to choose between this or my Light Ameraucana project was a very hard chicken decision. I am much more personally attached to these birds since I didn't get them from anybody but carved them out of a mongrel wilderness. These birds are awesome layers, and very smart. I have entrusted these birds to Echo Reimers who will continue working with them and offer birds/eggs to people down the road who might also want to work with them. I will continue to assist her with advice in her efforts to expand and improve her flock. She is a long time poultry keeper and I have confidence in her ability to do these birds justice, and hopefully they will get even better. I did pass along an F1, so blue calliopes may be a possibility in the future as well. To all of those who supported my calliope project by purchasing my off-colored chicks out of this project over the years, thank you!

04/02/2024

I have standard blue Ameraucana (blue to blue breeding, offspring will be black, blue, splash) and calliope eggs to ship tomorrow. $100 for 18 eggs shipped. PM me if interested.

02/28/2024

This never happens, but at my wife's request I am doing this. I have 3 fall broody chicks that were hatched in November. The mothers abandoned the babies after a month and they've been living in the wood pile by my back door all winter. My wife feeds them every morning. As luck would have it, two of them appear to be cockerels, and the splash got injured and walks with a limp. I have zero use for these birds, which should all be regarded as Easter Eggers. But my wife is attached to them because she's been feeding them, and wants them to go to a good home. They are free to a good home only. They really are a charming bunch. The one cockerel looks like he will be stunning with spangling in his chest.

02/26/2024

I have some Calliope hatching eggs available. 18 shipped for $100. This is my last season breeding Calliopes, after this I am passing along the project in its entirety.

01/31/2024