drdoct
Songster
Well I guess I need to introduce myself. I'm Doc and this is my wife Charity. She doesn't post here (yet) but we're proud chicken parents.
My wife is getting more in tune with self sufficiency and so we've started gardening and these chickens are our first farm animals. We had no idea how to raise them so Youtubed and Youtubed some more. Then went to TSC and they were winding down chick days. They had a few water tubs left and picked the Easter Eggers mainly because they were sexed and I didn't want a rooster. At the time I was thinking livestock. Just grab the birds and go. But the TSC lady got us all different colors and said we should get them in 2's so instead of 5 chicks... we walked out of there with 6.
Here are their baby pictures around late August:
Little did I know how exciting chickens would be. Turns out Wise One is a rooster.
He's a very good rooster though. Even if he's irritable in the morning because I didn't get up to let him out soon enough.
All the girls now are laying and their eggs are steadily getting larger. They free range all day and the rooster keeps them under cover and protected. We even let them have the remaining cabbages that didn't ever mature.
We did have one chick who didn't make it. Flash died while laying her first egg. She was the 2nd one to start laying and by the time we saw it was too late. She basically pushed all her insides out instead of the egg. I realize it gets a good chuckle from people, but we were devastated. I didn't know what to do or how bad it was. So we just waited until the morning to see. Honestly prayers went up for that chicken. In the morning we found her dead in the coop. So with my wife crying, we buried her. This 'livestock' had become our pets. And by pets I mean children. Everything we do for them is to keep them alive. And yet by some freak accident we had let Flash suffer. Now we know though. I'm sure we will have many more chickens but these girls and of course our boy will be special to us. We were relieved once all the hens started laying with no problems. Some days we just go out and watch them forage for food. It's hard to explain but it's just so interesting to see how they mobilize when they perceive a threat or how the rooster moves them.
So we're proud chicken parents. We have teenage boys that we're proud of as well, but let's face it... the chickens are friendlier and actually want to be seen with us.
My wife is getting more in tune with self sufficiency and so we've started gardening and these chickens are our first farm animals. We had no idea how to raise them so Youtubed and Youtubed some more. Then went to TSC and they were winding down chick days. They had a few water tubs left and picked the Easter Eggers mainly because they were sexed and I didn't want a rooster. At the time I was thinking livestock. Just grab the birds and go. But the TSC lady got us all different colors and said we should get them in 2's so instead of 5 chicks... we walked out of there with 6.
Here are their baby pictures around late August:
Little did I know how exciting chickens would be. Turns out Wise One is a rooster.
He's a very good rooster though. Even if he's irritable in the morning because I didn't get up to let him out soon enough.
All the girls now are laying and their eggs are steadily getting larger. They free range all day and the rooster keeps them under cover and protected. We even let them have the remaining cabbages that didn't ever mature.
We did have one chick who didn't make it. Flash died while laying her first egg. She was the 2nd one to start laying and by the time we saw it was too late. She basically pushed all her insides out instead of the egg. I realize it gets a good chuckle from people, but we were devastated. I didn't know what to do or how bad it was. So we just waited until the morning to see. Honestly prayers went up for that chicken. In the morning we found her dead in the coop. So with my wife crying, we buried her. This 'livestock' had become our pets. And by pets I mean children. Everything we do for them is to keep them alive. And yet by some freak accident we had let Flash suffer. Now we know though. I'm sure we will have many more chickens but these girls and of course our boy will be special to us. We were relieved once all the hens started laying with no problems. Some days we just go out and watch them forage for food. It's hard to explain but it's just so interesting to see how they mobilize when they perceive a threat or how the rooster moves them.
So we're proud chicken parents. We have teenage boys that we're proud of as well, but let's face it... the chickens are friendlier and actually want to be seen with us.
Glad you joined.
Poor girl.
Hello Doc and welcome to BYC. You found an Amazing Poultry Community to be a part of, with many knowledgeable members who are willing to help you along your journey with any questions you may have. Enjoy 
