New Backyard Chicken Farmers!

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Bob Gerard

Bob Gerard

Hatching
May 10, 2016
9
2
9
New Jersey, USA
Hi friends,
We just got four baby chicks at the end of March 2016 and just moved the 2-month old chickens into their new home in our back yard.
We have two Buff Orphington and two Barred Rock. One of the BC seems larger than the rest and chirps loudly... wondering if we have a rooster? Hope not!
Anyway, it was the funniest thing--- the chickens, all four of them, spent their first night last night out of the brooder (that was in our garage) and in their new home. They all packed in together into ONE roosting box! I bet they were nice and warm.. took a goof five minutes for them to settle in, and then they just peeped in contentment.
We are glad to have these new pets and look forward to some lovely eggs in a few months!



 
Your setup looks really nice.

It's crazy how keeping a small flock of backyard chickens can be so enjoyable.
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Thanks! It's a lot more work building the coup than I imagined, but it was fun. The family really enjoy the four chickens exploring their new place. They all squeeze into one of the four nesting boxes at night! I guess they are warmer that way :)
 
Your coop is so cute! You did a nice job building it. Yes, when chicks leave the safety of their brooder to first go to the new coop, they generally always huddle together like that - it's scary moving to a new place, even if that new place is only in the backyard...lol!

And just so you know, the "roosting" box you mentioned is actually called a nest box (where you hope they'll lay their eggs when they mature). The roost is a bar or board ( 2x4 or whatever width) for them to perch on at night. In a few weeks, they'll probably start using the roost for sleeping rather than sleeping in the nest box. This is preferable, as you don't want them pooping in the place where they will be laying eggs. Of course right now it doesn't matter - it's just a cozy little place for scared babies for the moment.

Best wishes with you new little flock - you picked two really nice, friendly breeds.
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You & your family are going enjoy this wonderful project.

The breeds you've chosen are two of my favorites. I started my coop project with a group of Buff Orpingtons. They were such great birds.

My current layers are Barred Rocks, beautiful birds. They have a nice disposition, they are calm and they come when I call them.

You are going to really enjoy them.
 
Thanks for sharing that. I actually saw that they started using the roost yesterday! The birds seem more comfortable going in and out of their house now also (day #2). And last night they all huddled and slept together in the next nesting box from their first one. I guess they are trying each one out!
The kids (and us parents) love watching them, and on the weekends when we are out in the back yard we let the chickens out to freely explore. They all group together, like a wee little hen-gang! We cant leave them alone however, as a hawk got one of our neighbor's chickens last year.
 
I had a falcon picking doves off my bird feeder...it was quite a concern.



After the hawk snatched this last dove off my deck, I quit filling the bird feeder causing the doves to look elsewhere for food. Once the food source went away so did the hawk.
 
Yes, we do have hawks here, mostly red tails, but also a smaller breed (not sure what kind -but it's a bold little thing that will swoop down and land on the fence posts). Our chickens are very good about heading back into their runs or under cars, or under shrubs when the hawks are out. But we do have an advantage of being directly surrounded by fields (the wood line is about 100 yards away), so my chickens typically have lots of notice.

I really don't worry about my big girls. But chicks or my really small bantams (seramas) I watch closely. By the time your girls are full sized, you will probably worry less about them (regarding hawks). Have fun with your little flock
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Thanks. We have lots of hawks, and the large bunny population here keeps them around. Just to be safe at this stagem, we let the chickens out when we're home. Hate to find one "missing".
 

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