There are two kinds of people: those that enter a room quietly and seek out someone they know, and say "oh, there you are," and then there's the kind who bursts in like they own the place and says: "Well here I am!" It probably goes without saying at this point that I am one of the latter.
I started out, like many others who found their way to chickens, with a flock of good older leftover layers whom I "saved" from butchering. Starting with hardy, seasoned layers was an excellent way to go about beginning a flock.
My second year I raised a few dozen pullets, with my SO threatening death upon any that dared to crow, fortunately none did. That fall, however, he stumbled across a rooster being tearfully dropped off at the feed store, a hand raised "not-really-a-pullet" that couldn't live in the city. My SO took it upon himself to not only take him home for me but to trade away one of my own pullets! I didn't stop him because I desperately wanted to hatch my own.
The first chicks bred on our little farm were hatched in October 2012. The hen was a first time mom (she's now my favorite broody hen) and lost a lot of chicks in hatching so we bought an incubator. I hatched chicks for the fun and cuteness of it, giving the chicks away to like-minded homesteader types. (Of which there are a plethora of in our town.) I still hear stories from friends about that first Roo's offspring.
This past winter a marauding dog, coyotes, opossums and raccoons killed almost all of my flock. I only have two of the old hens left, and a couple little banties that sort of turned up over the winter. I rebuilt the coop, fences and keep live traps set at all times.
Now it is time to rebuild my flock. I am leaning in the direction of Americaunas, specifically blue and lavender, and I am also planning on setting up a trio to breed sexlinked chicks from, as I want my chicken-habit to become self-supporting.
So, here I am! Looking for help and support and ready and willing to share what I have learned thus far, and making a simple request: please, don't be a stranger!
I started out, like many others who found their way to chickens, with a flock of good older leftover layers whom I "saved" from butchering. Starting with hardy, seasoned layers was an excellent way to go about beginning a flock.
My second year I raised a few dozen pullets, with my SO threatening death upon any that dared to crow, fortunately none did. That fall, however, he stumbled across a rooster being tearfully dropped off at the feed store, a hand raised "not-really-a-pullet" that couldn't live in the city. My SO took it upon himself to not only take him home for me but to trade away one of my own pullets! I didn't stop him because I desperately wanted to hatch my own.
The first chicks bred on our little farm were hatched in October 2012. The hen was a first time mom (she's now my favorite broody hen) and lost a lot of chicks in hatching so we bought an incubator. I hatched chicks for the fun and cuteness of it, giving the chicks away to like-minded homesteader types. (Of which there are a plethora of in our town.) I still hear stories from friends about that first Roo's offspring.
This past winter a marauding dog, coyotes, opossums and raccoons killed almost all of my flock. I only have two of the old hens left, and a couple little banties that sort of turned up over the winter. I rebuilt the coop, fences and keep live traps set at all times.
Now it is time to rebuild my flock. I am leaning in the direction of Americaunas, specifically blue and lavender, and I am also planning on setting up a trio to breed sexlinked chicks from, as I want my chicken-habit to become self-supporting.
So, here I am! Looking for help and support and ready and willing to share what I have learned thus far, and making a simple request: please, don't be a stranger!
and Welcome To BYC! Good luck with your flock rebuilding! Sorry about all the predator problems you have had over the winter. a 22 sounds like a nice way to solve the problem permanently, TwoCrows gave you some good links to the Predator forums. 
