our chickens

Our Chickens

Welcome to our feather fancy hobby! We call ourselves " Roundcreek " as we live right beside "Roundscreek" which ties into the "Raven River" in our backyard in Raven, Alberta.   At Roundcreek we keep various heritage breeds of bantams and standard size birds for eggs and for breeding purposes. We keep rare heritage breeds for the conservation of them ,and of course the pure love and goodness of them!! We find poultry keeping very entertaining and rewarding! I have had chickens for @30 years , it all started for me when an uncle gave me easter eggers when I was a child and it has turned into a life long hobby. This may come as a surprise, in North America over a third of all breeds of livestock and poultry are concidered rare and are in fast decline. More people need to get involved and raise some of these old varieties of livestock that our ancestors had before it's too late. In Canada over 60 breeds of poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs, horse, ponies and waterfowl are endangered.
   These animals are our treasures, our history and hold a key to so many genetic possibilities. We need to keep these old breeds pure and save our diversification. See how fun and rewarding it is to have a basket full of different colored eggs or a freezer full of different flavors of meat or the joy of looking at your beautiful colors of animals. So many of the breeds that played a huge part of feeding Pilgrims and our grandparents are now in danger of extinction. We save so many of our other pieces of history such as historical landmarks. " Why not our historical livestock"? I was so surprised to read the lists that were formed here in Canada based on a study of poultry breeds that have been around for what seemed like "FOREVER" may not be so. Some came in from the Mayflower or were creations made from those origionals and now with commercialization are disappearing fast. Please look into it yourselves and see how fast these breeds are being replaced by the faster growing or producing animal. For example, the beautiful well known Barred Rock on the RISK list for a mere 1000-3000 birds. Being replaced by Isa browns or some other commerical hatchery bird. Other North American famous birds such as the New Hampshire Reds, The Rhode Island Reds and the Black Jersey Giants are on the Vulnerable lists meaning 500-999 birds. Columbian Rocks, Light Sussex and Canada's OWN creation the Chantecler are on the ENDANGED and CRITICAL LIST meaning super low numbers of these precious birds. On the critical list in Canada you will find the beautiful Dorking which are in the blood of many of the poultry breeds and they are sadly on the less than 100s list which are Critical and Rare. You will also find White Wyandottes, White Jersey Giants, Brown Leghorns and Delawares are also Critical LISTS to name just a few.

Please go to RareBreeds Canada www.rarebreedscanada.ca/

Please check out Society for the Preservation of Poultry Antiquities and read the articles about why the SPPA is needed and please check out there new updated for 2008 Critical list.
poultryb.dot5hosting.com/sppapage.html <http://poultryb.dot5hosting.com/sppapage.html> <http://ca.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/neo/poultryb.dot5hosting.com/sppapage.html>
      The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy has also compiled a list of livestock breeds that need conservation . The priority Lists and information can be found here on their website
albc-usa.org/ <http://albc-usa.org/>

      If you have the time and the space then try this very rewarding hobby and way of life and help save them from extinction at the same time. The way to create more of these creatures is to get the demand up by getting a rare heritage breed and keep them purebred. Try to find animals that are the closest to the "standard of perfection" for that breed as possible. This is because you will probably want to multiply and reproduce your animals and you dont want to reproduce animals with faulty traits . There is a book for poultry called " Standard of Perfection" and this will be your guideline for seeking out good quality stock and your duty if you reproduce to cull for imperfections. . Find a market for what you would like to produce whether it be to your local farmer's market or your friends & your family. Look into the different breeds and see why each one was created and the history behind it, whether it be for their beautiful colored eggs or the way they dress out or exhibition qualities. Find one that is suited for your needs and demands.   Chickens are easy and so fun to watch as they are so productive and are always busy chasing fat bugs, scrounging for food, laying eggs and taking care of their chicken families. The old breeds still have the instinct left in them where alot of the new commercial breeds dont anymore and don't/can't even naturally mate. I choose the dual purpose, productive varieties that are very quiet and make great pets as well. I am going to be hatching eggs this spring of some very rare and beautiful varieties in bantam and standard size. If all goes well I will have some extra chicks for sale. Check back often to see whats available and have a look yourself and see how hard it is to find heritage breeds of animals. Let's try to change these numbers and have fun at the same time.

   Breeds we are hatching in 2013

PLEASE REMEMBER ALL DAY-OLD POULTRY IS SOLD AS STRAIGHT RUN ONLY.
** WE HAVE NO WAY TO SEX ANY OF THE DAY-OLDS as they would have to be vent sexed.

Bantam Breeds -very limited

Blue Wyandottes
Belgian Antwerp Quails
Rhode Island Reds

Large Fowl

Barred Plymouth Rocks(brown eggs)
White Leghorns( white eggs)
Brown Leghorns(white eggs)
Rhode Island Reds(brown eggs)
Light sussex-(light tint eggs)
Easter eggers-(blue/green eggs)



** Note my breeds are Heritage- dual purpose breeds. If your looking for meat , I recommend getting a cornish cross from a hatchery as they are going to give you alot more meat for your time and feed. If your buying chicks for the pullets ( hens) and you happen to have the extra cockerals around at 6 months to a year .. they will probably be worth butchering instead of wasting their bodies.
for current brochure click here: Brochure

   Please email me " Chickie Vickie" at rndcreek@yahoo.com <mailto:rndcreek@yahoo.com>   breed availability , current brochure, directions and to reserve your baby chicks.
**We are small backyard hobbyist/stewards with the love for farm animals , especially chickens and horses.
This is for farm pick up . We are located in Spruce View ( Raven) , AB.
Come by and see our " Chicken Park", where you will get a chance to see rare heritage breeds of chickens and turkeys.

***Cash sales   " Please no cheques for chickens. "

We are feather fanciers, we are NOT a hatchery and cannot ship.

I do not have any hatching eggs for sale .

If you dont hear from me, please try again.

******Helpful TIPS
I ask everyone that is getting chicks to please get a coccidiosis medicine for them, especially in the hot, humid summer months. I really recommend North Star Doves located in Ponoka, AB. They have medicine and products for pretty much everything! I really love their 4 in 1 for reducing mortality in the young chicks.
http://northstardoves.com/Coccidiosis.html

   If you do not use the 4 in 1, please at least add apple cider vinegar to the chicks water @ 2 TBSP per Gallon.You can use it along with the 4 in 1 as well or start the vinegar after using 4 in 1 for 1-2 weeks. Apple cider vinegar can be used for chickens and turkeys of any age! Apple cider vinegar helps reduce coccidiosis and harmful bacteria and algae growth in the water. This can also be mixed with vitamins. You can add a vitamin and electrolyte supplement to their drinking water,@ 1/4 tsp. per liter of water. For stressed chicks I recommend adding a tsp. of brown sugar per liter of water or the electrolytes for a couple days after arrival for a quick energy boost just to help them recover from shipping stress of being moved and of course the 4 in 1 to go along with it for 1-2 weeks @ tsp per gallon. You can pick up vitamins for chickens at most Peavy Marts, UFA or Co-Op feed stores. For the 4 in 1, you must contact Northstar doves! Giving baby chicks a boiled egg chopped up is very good for them also. These tips will greatly reduce mortality in chicks that have been stressed due to moving to their new homes. Its very sad when baby chicks die and I want to inform you the best I can to reduce mortality.

** Birds can and do get parasites from wild fowl and vermin pests so please treat your birds each season to be sure they are kept clean. You can treat chicks as young as 4 weeks and up without any adverse effects.. I use liquid pour on ivermectin as it kills internal and external parasites.. What you do is put 1 part ivermectin to 10 parts water in a spray bottle and spray the birds next to their skin.. so spread apart some feathers above their vent and below and spray a few sprays.. and do under their wings.. or you can just put the straight ivermectin in a syringe and put 2 to 3 drops on the large fowl birds in various places on the skin such as under wings and above vent.** use only 1 to 2 pure drops of pure ivermectin on bantam fowl. Diamataceous earth is great to add to nests for keeping parasites away as it acts like glass to bugs! Also you can using dusting powders from your local farm stores too.. I prefer to handle and treat birds at nite when they are settled.. I LOVE those flashlight hats!!

   **Domestic poultry also picks up sickness from infected wild birds such as Avian Pox/Fowl Pox, Fowl Cholera, Mycoplasmosis/CRD/Air Sac Disease. IF your birds are not feeling well, and have cold like symptoms, try Oxytetracycline -or Terramycyin, you can also get this at your local farm store such as CO-OP.
Here is a link for different diseases- <http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/common-chicken-illnesses-and-treatments.html>

***Terramycin is often the first drug poultry growers use when it comes to treating bacterial infections. It is readily available at farm supply stores and veterinarian's offices. Terramycin has been proven to be safe and effective in treating many bacteria-born poultry diseases. Terramycin is easy to administer and has no serious side effects.

Enjoy the photo gallery

Photo gallery, enjoy the shots!