Tab's Flock

[tabs_flock]

I just realized that I've never actually started a thread just for documenting my silly little flock of babies. Backstory time: I'm an urban person who lives in the Bay Area of California. Luckily, the area I live in is still about 40%-60% agricultural so I'm allowed 1 hen per 1000 sq foot of property for a max of 6 hens for my humble suburban home. I've wanted chickens basically for forever but first my wife had to finish college and then we had to get settled into a spot where we intended to live for longer than 1-3 years at a time. When my job went 100% remote due to COVID I decided it was time for me to finally make the plunge and start my flock. This was in March.

I started with 4 chicks I picked up a Tractor Supply Co, which has mixed reviews on here it would seem. I got a Red Speckled Sussex, a Black Australorp, and two Red Sexlinks. The red was named Alanna, the Australorp is Daine, and the two red Sexlinks are Link and Zelda. Yes. I'm a nerd.

The OG crew. Clockwise from top: Alanna, Zelda, Link, Daine.

Sadly, Alanna turned out to be a cockerel not a hen. She (he) has been rehomed and has a flock of his very own. Alanna was my favorite bird, the friendliest of the quartet and definitely the one willing to sit in my lap and coo at me. His new name is Alanno and his new humans send me pictures every once in a while because I'm sentimental and I appreciate it.

The three remaining are now about 5 mos old and I've loved nearly every minute I've spent with them. Excepting the unfortunate realization that I don't have nearly enough space for as many chickens as I want, that is. I recently extended my flock by getting 2 Easter Eggers and another Black Australorp, because I have a huge thing about symmetry and even numbers. With the addition of Numair, Kel, and Neal, I now have 2 Easter Eggers, 2 Black Australorps, and 2 Red Sexlinks!

My wife laughs at me as I post this, because as she puts it, only I could go into a feed store intending to buy food (and oyster shells, someone said I need to provide oysters shells for my girls) and come out with 3 more birds. In my defense, they were already 2 wks old and only a dollar each. I can't stand the idea of older animals not going into loving homes. And I'm a sucker. SUCH a sucker. I already have a new, bigger coop and I'm looking at how I can redesign my garden to be chicken friendly next season, so I don't have to worry about them getting into plants they shouldn't.

Allegedly all 3 are pullets so I won't have to re-home anybody. After having to give up Alanna I don't want to give up anyone else!

Hoping to actually document my chicken misadventures (and adventures!) here. Everyone has been so kind and gracious with their advice and I feel like all I do is ask questions and learn new things from more experienced chicken keepers!

Stay tuned for more from Tab's flock!

 

[Aunt Angus]

Looking forward to it!

I'm a Bay Area refugee (that's what they call us out here in the Sierra Foothills). From the East Bay originally. Hubby is from the Jo. Pleaded to meet a fellow Golden Stater!

 

[Aunt Angus]

Oh - and I oughtta warn you: I started with 4. I now have 12.

And 4 ducks.

And 4 goats.

And I'm thinking about getting a turkey and maybe some geese.

It's a slippery slope from here, my friend.

 

[tabs_flock]

Oh - and I oughtta warn you: I started with 4. I now have 12.

And 4 ducks.

And 4 goats.

And I'm thinking about getting a turkey and maybe some geese.

It's a slippery slope from here, my friend.

Hahaha my wife caught me eyeing the ducklings, who were also "too old" and therefore on sale! And she was like "Not if you're getting 3 more pullets" because one of us has to have self control.

We'll see how long it lasts.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Lemme also warn you about duckies. They're awesome!

But they're MESSY. They double in size in days. Literally. And they are ridiculously messy with water. No matter what I tried, those little darlings managed to make a huge, stinky, sloppy mess. I had to clean that brooder out 3x a day to keep the smell at a tolerable level. If I were to do it again, I'd get them in summer when it's warm enough to brood them outside.

But they are awesome.

 

[fuentemoon]

Watching babies grow is the best

 

[tabs_flock]

Watching babies grow is the best

These three are spunky!

 

[tabs_flock]

Updating on Tab's Flock here. The little babies are getting big and fluffy but it's getting cooler at night. For the first 3, I was getting them used to the Great Outdoors while nights were warm, so this will be an interesting transition. I also didn't have 3 six-month old hens when I got the last ones habituated to the Great Outdoors.

I went ahead and got one of those Omlet coops, because while I have some skill at building things, I have no design chops or really a place for building a coop (no room to put in my table saw, no workbench that hasn't already been dedicated to other projects, etc.). I knew if I tried building the coop, we'd be here approximately forever in the tiny one.

Right now the plan is to move the Big Three to the Omlet coop. Then I can put the Littles in the smaller coop that has an enclosed run. They are just about fully feathered, and I am debating if I want to try leaving them out overnight but haven't made a decision.

Once the newbies are fully integrated and big enough to stand up for themselves, I'll use the smaller coop for quarantine or chicken jail as needed. They are about 6 weeks now, so they still have a little while to go. The funny thing is that their "brooder" (a kiddie pool with a wire cage around it and a sheet on top- I'm resourceful like that) isnt very far from my screen door...which the Big 'uns like to lay in front of in hopes that I'll bring them snackies.

They're getting big! Soon it will be time to transition to the great outdoors!

 

[tabs_flock]

Sooo I think I have my first broody hen. I hadn't realized that Daine had been in the nesting box all afternoon and when I went out to find her, she had all the fake eggs and her own egg under her. She...growled? at me? When I took her egg. So I took her out of the nesting box and closed it off but then she friggin climbed into the coop itself and plopped her feathery butt down (they've been known to lay in the coop itself, not just the boxes). So I closed that off too. Not sure what else to do except...keep an eye on her?

 

[Aunt Angus]

If you don't want her to be broody, you'll probably have to break her. Most folks do it by putting them in a dog crate with food and water, something to perch on (luke a piece of wood), and no bedding at all. Leave the crate in the coop, and leave them in the crate for a day or two. The idea is to keep their underside cooled off.

And, boy, does she sound stubborn! Haha!