FRESH MEAT!! I need Help!

[TheFreundFlock]

Hi My name is Annette!

I did 4-H when I was in High School, but ONLY did larger animals! I have always wanted to raise chickens, but my hubby fround

at it until he saw BYC on the news and one of his guy friends talked about all the hormones in commercial eggs.

So now he gave me the thumbs up to get some chickens. Well, I really would like to have them as pets as well as egg layers. I am REALLY looking at all the breeds, but think I have fallen in love with the Buff Orpington.

Seeing my kids are young 4 yr and 19 months old personality is everything!
I read that getting them as eggs and being their for them when they hatch is the first step in forming a bond.
IS it true?

Also what are the jars of water in the incubator for? I get the water pan for humidity, what is the sponge for?

I am also building my coop, and any tips, make sure you do and such would be great!

Thank You in advance!

 

[ashyannehand]

First off -

I was a new chicken owner this time last year and this BYC is a life saver!!!

I love my Buff Orps, but I love ALL my chickens, all 30 of them, oh and two turkeys!

My advice is to read all the information in the learning (https://www.backyardchickens.com/lcenter.html)section of this site and read, read, read the forum. You will learn so much just by reading.

Also - I have handled my chickens from birth and some of them are very loving, letting me pick them up, carry them around and others run off when I come near them. I think it depends on the chicken. You will soon find out they all have their own personality!

I use just a sponge in my incubator but I do "dry" incubation. There is tons of info on this in the learning section.

As far as your coop and so on, again read the learning section to see all kinds of coops and how they were made. I would recommend the homemade waters and feeders. Mine are made with five gallon buckets acording to the plans on this site and work very well and are SO MUCH cheaper than what they sell locally.

Again - Welcome to the wonderful world of chickens and GOOD LUCK!

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

!!! I absolutely love my buff orps - they are super friendly but I think alot of it depends on how much time you spend with them. I work all day but they run to greet me when I get home. Of course I've bribed them with treats which is why! Alot of people on here have chickens that will jump in their laps and like to be held and while mine are friendly, they don't do that. Depends on you and the birds.

You'll love the fresh eggs - we won't eat store bought or even restaurant eggs anymore! And chickens are a constant source of entertainment and enjoyment

Like Ashy said, read all you can. You'll find everybody has their own opinions and ways of doing things but it's all good!

 

[Mom2Cool]

Hi Annette, Oh you're going to love chickens and all that goes with it I can assure you....

I did not hatch out my chickens but I bought them from a local poultry store as chicks. I believe he works with a breeder for his supplies but his is a store as in the "old time butcher" but is poultry instead of beaf/pork. Anyway he took care of al the deliver & receiving of them etc. & yet when I went to pick up they were still day old chicks. Mine are Buff Orpingtons & you will *just love them*. They are curious, cute & very sweet natured..... I've heard if you're going to have more than one kind of chicken & you want the BO's you want them first because as the younger they might be picked on...

Anyway having them as day olds I thought we all bonded very well... I also had a Austrolorp that I'd gotten as a day old & she too bonded to everyone really well...

Hatching chicks is a lot of fun & a bit of work, but frankly I have to say that if you're showing an interest this quick in hatching I'm afraid you're going to have the same addiction as many of us here. Many have their greetings read "ehllo my name is ______ I'm a hatch-a-holic" because truly we just can't stop.... & I'll also point to all of the subject heading that go something like "My husband is going to kill me." or "Hold do I tell my husband I bought more eggs to hatch?" etc.

Oh & of course BYC is an addcition in itself... Last but not least.

 

[leonie]

I've got a great bond with my turkey stag (he's such a sweetheart) and I didnt have him from an egg - I can't remember how old he was, but he was a decent size, but not quite adult. I'm sure that hatching them yourself helps with the bonding, but it might be easier to just buy some young friendly hens and start from there.

 

[R@ndy]

Welcome to the BYC and the best of luck to ya

This site is Awesome and has many, many great people willing to help

 

[IggiMom]

I like Rhode Island Reds, but I really do love those Buff Orpingtons. They are such a pretty splash of gold on the lawn.

They are very docile and calm. And they have the cutest chicks imaginable.

I think that the Rhode Island Reds lay quite a few more eggs, though. They are great brown egg layers.

Catherine

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

Quote:
I have to agree - while the BO's are very docile, their eggs aren't as big as the RIR and they tend to go broody which cuts down on the amount of eggs you'll get.

 

[TheFreundFlock]

Thank you all for the welcome!

I have to admit I have been reading and looking at the site for the last 4 days and I am already addicted! AND I DON"T EVEN HAVE AN EGG YET!!! LOL!
I am learning so much and I am sure I will learn more!
Thank you so much!

 

[Mom2Cool]

Well I've not had any RIR's but my girls are only 10 months old & they're giving me what would be a large from the super market. I have 5 hens right now & I get 2 to 4 eggs a day. They do go broody & I've got 2 hens that are sitting on nests right now & so yes I've just learned that's why the egg faucet was turned off here for a couple of days, but they give me enough eggs to give em a break on occassion. I'm normally giving eggs away. I actually have a picture some where of them & I'll see if I can find it.

Speaking of eggs Annette they are a lot healthier than store bought & when you crack open a egg from a chicken who's kept like ours are you'll just be dumb founded... I know I was! My Black Austrolorp was a couple months older than the BO's & so she started laying first & I swear the yoke was the color of a blood red orange it was so dark.... And that's when you start to really understand the magnitude of how big of a difference there is from super market eggs to ours... the flavor is just so much better &/or it's a lot richer.... My husband made scrambled eggs one night for dinner as a quick meal & I'd thought he'd added cheese to them & so did my son. I'd asked him "did you add American cheese to this? It's really good." & he just shook his head no...... You're husband will LOVE the eggs.....

ok I found the pic so I'll add it here.

Of course I also just hatched out some Speckled Sussex & they too are suppose to be sweet & docile & I would agree with that. I haven't had any eggs from them yet so I can't speak there but I'm told they lay a med. to large egg. And I have to add that my Black Austrolorp is an egg laying machine at times. I've seen that girl lay eggs for 3 wks straight & that is no exagerating... She started laying in the beginning of Jan at 5 months old & she laid her first egg & then gave me an egg for 2 weeks straight. They were a little smaller but not all that much for pullet eggs & she has several times given me double yokes. They're very docile as well & she's got a bit of a crush on my hubby & she is just beautiful..... It's hard to see the glissing of her feathers in pictures but boy they are something.... Oh yea did I mention this is an addiction? LOL