What do you have in your flock?

[Sylvester017]

Thank you for the kind words! We are lucky to live a rural area where there are no ordinances on chickens that I know of. Yeah, baby girl keeps my wife and I busy most of the time. She loves being outside playing in the mud and chasing the chickens out of the flowerbeds. They have plenty of cover around the yard, I just caught them late in the evening when they were making their way back to the coop. They usually forage in the open early in the morning and late in the evening but you won't hardly see them in the middle of the day. They seem to have a sixth sense when it comes to hawks because they disappear under my shed when a hawk is anywhere near the area. Now the neighbor's dog on the other hand, not so much. He got one of my barred rocks and almost killed my wellsummer a couple of weeks ago. I'm hoping he doesn't get out again

Your place sounds so idyllic! Your flock sounds very predator-savvy! I'm sorry about the loss of chickens. We had our backyard coop only a month when a neighborhood German Shepherd and 2nd mutt broke down our fence gate and attacked our little coop - a good neighbor chased off the mutts. We didn't free-range yet because of flimsy fencing. It was good we didn't decide to free-range until all the fencing and gates were fortified. Dogs are just the worst around chickens. Like Raccoons they just chase for the kill and dismembermet and not for food. We had a paver stone walkway all around the coop so they couldn't dig under but the mutts mangled the flimsy poultry hex wire beyond repair. At night we've got city Raccoons the size of small goats coming out of the city gutters so we keep the backyard light on over the coop and put predator eyes lights on the outside of the pen.

I found out from a couple friends that it doesn't make any difference if there are ordinances allowing poultry. All it takes is one snotty neighbor complaint to the city/county. Just like nuisance dogs can be filed against, neighbors can file nuisance complaints re: poultry and either fines or disbanding can be ordered. Best not to complain to the neighbor about his nuisance dog and fortify your yard and that way the neighbor won't retaliate with a nuisance complaint about the chickens. A dog in another yard is a predator but a chicken in another yard is prey - not very equal in my mind but people are very touchy about their mutts. Hey, chicken manure is much better for the garden then dog poops!

 

[Sylvester017]

Have you ever considered Phoenix? I have two, and they are the best. They can fly, but mine aren't really flighty. My kids can catch them easily (and I have a 2 year old).

As a matter fact I have. Dan Honour on the Buff Leghorns BYC thread is a long-time specialty breeder of buff poultry and wrote several respected and published articles. He used Phoenix to increase the beauty of Buff Leghorn cock/cockerel tails (Dan's Legs are featured on feathersite.com's Leghorns page). However I told myself not to expand to ornamentals. I love so many breeds that I had to compartmentalize my choices since now I live where we are zoned for only 5 hens and no roos. I know Phoenix are a gentle breed and gorgeous. So many birds and so little space!

We are expecting a gentle Breda pullet from a breeder in my State next week which will bring my flock total to 4 chickens. I have just one final bird to add next year or the year after - when all this Interstate avian flu ban is finally lifted. With AI rampant it gives me a few months to ponder on my 5th and final breed. I've narrowed the 5th choice of a rare breed down to either Russian Orloff, Pavlovskaja, Dominique, or GL/GP Hamburg. I've had a Dom before and loved the smallish body and curious outgoing friendly temperament but I'm still not certain Dom would be docile enough for my gentles flock - not really really totally convinced a Hamburg would be gentle enough in a flock environment either - still considering it. ROs and Pavies are practically timid breeds and need saving but they're not good in the egg laying at all. I mean I don't mind feeding and caring for a rare breed but I need a little something in return from them in production. Even my Silkies lay more eggs per year than ROs or Pavies. I would love a brown egg layer and Doms are it but I still have many more months to ponder and appreciate all suggestions as I might've missed researching another good gentle breed somewhere.

 

[cajun chicken]

Your place sounds so idyllic!  Your flock sounds very predator-savvy!  I'm sorry about the loss of chickens.  We had our backyard coop only a month when a neighborhood German Shepherd and 2nd mutt broke down our fence gate and attacked our little coop - a good neighbor chased off the mutts.  We didn't free-range yet because of flimsy fencing.  It was good we didn't decide to free-range until all the fencing and gates were fortified.  Dogs are just the worst around chickens.  Like Raccoons they just chase for the kill and dismembermet and not for food.  We had a paver stone walkway all around the coop so they couldn't dig under but the mutts mangled the flimsy poultry hex wire beyond repair.  At night we've got city Raccoons the size of small goats coming out of the city gutters so we keep the backyard light on over the coop and put predator eyes lights on the outside of the pen.

I found out from a couple friends that it doesn't make any difference if there are ordinances allowing poultry.  All it takes is one snotty neighbor complaint to the city/county.  Just like nuisance dogs can be filed against, neighbors can file nuisance complaints re: poultry and either fines or disbanding can be ordered.  Best not to complain to the neighbor about his nuisance dog and fortify your yard and that way the neighbor won't retaliate with a nuisance complaint about the chickens.  A dog in another yard is a predator but a chicken in another yard is prey - not very equal in my mind but people are very touchy about their mutts.  Hey, chicken manure is much better for the garden then dog poops!

Thanks! It sounds like you are protecting your flock very well. I really don't want to fence in my entire place, mainly because it would cost a small fortune. Even chain-link would add up quickly. I knew going in that there would be some loss to dogs or predators when free-ranging so I guess we will continue like we are and deal with predators as needed.

 

[JFreeman]

As a matter fact I have.  Dan Honour on the Buff Leghorns BYC thread is a long-time specialty breeder of buff poultry and wrote several respected and published articles.  He used Phoenix to increase the beauty of Buff Leghorn cock/cockerel tails (Dan's Legs are featured on feathersite.com's Leghorns page).  However I told myself not to expand to ornamentals.  I love so many breeds that I had to compartmentalize my choices since now I live where we are zoned for only 5 hens and no roos.  I know Phoenix are a gentle breed and gorgeous.  So many birds and so little space!

We are expecting a gentle Breda pullet from a breeder in my State next week which will bring my flock total to 4 chickens.  I have just one final bird to add next year or the year after - when all this Interstate avian flu ban is finally lifted.  With AI rampant it gives me a few months to ponder on my 5th and final breed.  I've narrowed the 5th choice of a rare breed down to either Russian Orloff, Pavlovskaja, Dominique, or GL/GP Hamburg.  I've had a Dom before and loved the smallish body and curious outgoing friendly temperament but I'm still not certain Dom would be docile enough for my gentles flock - not really really totally convinced a Hamburg would be gentle enough in a flock environment either - still considering it.  ROs and Pavies are practically timid breeds and need saving but they're not good in the egg laying at all.  I mean I don't mind feeding and caring for a rare breed but I need a little something in return from them in production.  Even my Silkies lay more eggs per year than ROs or Pavies.  I would love a brown egg layer and Doms are it but I still have many more months to ponder and appreciate all suggestions as I might've missed researching another good gentle breed somewhere.

I understand with limits. thankfully I have none. I told myself three phoenix, since all I wanted was a pretty roo. Sadly, my rooster died within days of arriving. I only have two hens, but I still adore them.

The bans I've been reading about though... I hope they get a good hook on that thing, and soon...those poor birds they have to cull, it's in the millions now?

 

[Sylvester017]

Thanks! It sounds like you are protecting your flock very well. I really don't want to fence in my entire place, mainly because it would cost a small fortune. Even chain-link would add up quickly. I knew going in that there would be some loss to dogs or predators when free-ranging so I guess we will continue like we are and deal with predators as needed.

There are advantages & disads to a large property just as with a smaller property. There are some netting fences or rabbit fencings that might be cheaper to contain your flock and give them a chance to flee while a mutt is trying to get through the makeshift fencing. Chickens will fly up onto a coop or shed or tree to get away from ground predators and a makeshift portable fence might just give them the second of time they need to get away from a dog. Hey, we do what we can. GL!

 

[sweetlife]

I should mention that I originally started out wanting 6...and that in a few weeks I'll be adding 2 golden comets and hopefully 2 or 3 purebred Ameraucanas. Chicken math got me, too. Lol

Lol, the notorious chicken math is quite stealthy! I would add at least another 10 if my husband didn't already give me the stink eye for "mistakingly" getting 15 instead of staying within 8-12 lol

 

[mixedUPturk]

You see what had happened Was...
I got three white leghorn for free

I found out i really enjoyed my first ever chickens...

Chicken math fast forward one month,

I now have 4 white leghorn
9 gimme mutts
4 gold sex link
4 silkie
A very handsome buff roo
3 BR turkeys
And 6 baby quail...

0.0 Chicken MATH?! Lol i love this site and the understanding you guys have!

So my next are 8 cajuna ducks, and thats a sure desire. I had ducks within this month, someone wanted them for his drake but i miss the quacks Every Day like i would my turkeys peeps and my quails coos mostly though Mr Trace's good mornin crow

 

[mixedUPturk]

Ps: my family thinks ive lost my mind. I always hated birds after i was bit by a macaw when i was a kid. They have no idea how different these birds are then a mean ole macaw!

 

[JESSLYNNA]

My family also thinks I lost my mind!! I was afraid of birds too as my grandmothers parakeet used to chase us kids around the house when I was young! I love my girls tho!!

 

[mixedUPturk]

Love isnt the word for some of the hard times im overcoming with these animals. I lost my grandma recently, after being her caregiver for almost a year, and then "giving up" and putting her in a home. My family almost lost me, but ive found a new love and im very happy exploring this way of life, it seems so much like home, so grounded. I had no idea but i was one of those kids that farmers watch for in their young ones, so that that one can take over. In every way, this seems to be my calling.

I was reading an AI post just now. Im slightly terrified of loosing my flock, and my mind again. I live in south LA, an hour from the people who recently went under quarenteen with their quail eggs. We used to have wild geese who lived in the neighbors pond, but i dont hear them today and i cant remmember the last time i did hear them.