Joining BYC all started with these guys:
They came from Murray mcmurray Hatchery by way of some smaller subsidiary in southern California... They are 2 pilgrim goslings; Godfrey and Manfred (a straight run=2 male goslings, no eggs from these guys), one fawn&white indian runner-Earnestine, & 2 gold star laying hybrids-Bernadette and Henrietta
I started on their coop when they were a week old and finished when they were 5 weeks old:
I put them into their enclosure at 6 weeks (they seemed to have quite enough feathers and the weather was a balmy 65-75 during the day in April-Hey I live in California, I can't help it!
The first day they were in their yard (easter sunday) it looked lush and pretty, I had grown nice fescue grass and watered all the weeds for weeks
By the end of 3 days, there was nothing green left in their yard, save for the tree in the corner which has now been chewed to the point where all the foliage is 3 feet and up...I don't mind though, I want the tree to grow taller.
At 9 1/2 weeks i installed a better watering system with BYC members' help on the technical side
This is a gravity feed system with little giant waterers fed by a rainbarrel that has been cut down to about 38 gallons, I fill it every 3 weeks....sooooo happpy! I don't have to deal with their gross waterers and filling up water 5 times a day anymore... they even have water at night in side their coop from this system
And that about sums up my set-up.
Now, since my geese were male I had to order another goose-Geraldine, but to ensure the sex, I had to go with tolouse as my breed, and since you can't ship one goose alone, I oredered 2 more ducks, one buff duck-Samantha, & one blue indian runner-Josephine. Next spring I will be getting chickens (2 speckled sussex and one black australorp-and maybe one easter egger), all of them hens of course, and I will build an accompanying coop that is situated to the rear and to the right of the duck and goose yard...It will look like a guest house compared to the duck and goose coop. I also will be putting a facade on the water tower, to make it look more attractive and give it a proper roof... My plan is to have a mini homestead or city for my birds.
Later this summer I will be building an attractive fish pond in which I will allow the ducks and geese weekly visits (My backyard is small, so I can't have a huge pond that can take the abuse from a flock every day, also, I would like to have somethingvisually pleasing and lush in my backyard-I have mostly gardening plots and their yard and a patio...as well as a future outbuilding for my other hobbies...
My more specific personal profile:
So this is where you find out a little more about me, I guess. Well, read on...
I'm 25, newly married, own a home in my favorite city and I am a conservative Christian. I usually identify more with people who are in their 50s and 60s, and I dream of having an urban farm one day.
Something that difines me; I like doing everything myself: I'm a DIYer hard core; If I can make it, I generally do-from bread to tools to soap, that goes for fixing things and growing/raising my own food too: hence the egg layers I love-and also why I'm ripping out my front lawn next year. I think I was meant to live on a farm...I feel like a whole bunch of BYC members have the same thought-which is why I'm here too.
I have a small backyard compared to some of you folks, its 60'x25'-plus a covered 15'x18' patio. Even with this tiny plot of land, I swear I'll have a productive farm complete with chickens! I have plans to wall off most of my front yard (a 4' wall, nothing resembling a hermit's blockade), and grow more food and utilize my Sq. Footage... Basically, I have plans and I'm on my way.
as of May 31st 2011, I currently have 5 ducks; 1 fawn&white indian runner, 1 blue runner, 2 gold star hybrids, 1 buff duck, 3 geese; 2 pilgrims-but both ganders (so they have to go soon), and 1 female tolouse. This will start me out; 5 ducks and 1 goose (as soon as the ganders have gone to their new home) and then if all is well I'll get 3 chickens; Black Australorps and Speckeled Sussexes-because they'r quiet!
I built my very first fenced yard and coop for the waterfowl all by myself out of 2 sheets of plywood, leftover roofing material, old rusty screws and nails and salvaged palletts and I'm pretty dang proud of myself. The total cost was under $100. I've never had ducks or geese or chickens before, and I got a few ideas off BYC when i was first starting. I then became addicted so here I am...
I recently found out that the municipal code in my area allows for 5 domesticated pets (and this includes domesticated birds such as chickens and ducks and geese providing they have an enclosed yard and their coop is maintained), but I didn't count on regular, loud goose honking, so as a safegaurd that I hope will minimize the noise of the 1 remaining goose and ducks, I plan on installing a loud fountain in my backyard this summer (which may be on a timer since the birds are quiet all night). My neighbors all seem pretty chill, except they all have multiple dogs that bark all day when they are at work-I'm usually working in my backyard during the day lately-so I know they bark all day, they are actually barking right now and its 12:30 in the morning. I guess I'm used to it and I'm not about to complain now... They also have harly davidsons and odd work hours, or a 30' rvs in the driveway 2' away from my house and blocking my view of half the neigborhood (and its a god-awful color)... . The way I see it, they aren't perfect, they all have something or other that could constitute a complaint, but none of them get angry with eachother, they're a pretty accepting crowd-hence, they won't likely mind my birds...RIGHT? We'll see.
Other things I enjoy; Car shows, fairs and festivals, Holidays, My birthday, drive in movies, road trips, traveling with my husband, seeing new Cities and States (and countries), camping, fishing (prefferably fresh water streams because its the only time I can catch more fish than my husband), building things, remodeling my house, baking-A LOT, spending time with my husband, sisters, mom and aunts, learning new things, and watching movies and sleeping. There are a million other things I like to do, but I can't write them all down. I really like 'antiques' anything early 60s or prior. I also love polynesian themed stuff-tiki things-you know?
I see a lot of people I agree with and like on here, I would love to get to know some of you- trade recipes and tips, talk shop... I'm a chatty person...can you tell?
They came from Murray mcmurray Hatchery by way of some smaller subsidiary in southern California... They are 2 pilgrim goslings; Godfrey and Manfred (a straight run=2 male goslings, no eggs from these guys), one fawn&white indian runner-Earnestine, & 2 gold star laying hybrids-Bernadette and Henrietta
I started on their coop when they were a week old and finished when they were 5 weeks old:
I put them into their enclosure at 6 weeks (they seemed to have quite enough feathers and the weather was a balmy 65-75 during the day in April-Hey I live in California, I can't help it!
The first day they were in their yard (easter sunday) it looked lush and pretty, I had grown nice fescue grass and watered all the weeds for weeks
By the end of 3 days, there was nothing green left in their yard, save for the tree in the corner which has now been chewed to the point where all the foliage is 3 feet and up...I don't mind though, I want the tree to grow taller.
At 9 1/2 weeks i installed a better watering system with BYC members' help on the technical side
This is a gravity feed system with little giant waterers fed by a rainbarrel that has been cut down to about 38 gallons, I fill it every 3 weeks....sooooo happpy! I don't have to deal with their gross waterers and filling up water 5 times a day anymore... they even have water at night in side their coop from this system
And that about sums up my set-up.
Now, since my geese were male I had to order another goose-Geraldine, but to ensure the sex, I had to go with tolouse as my breed, and since you can't ship one goose alone, I oredered 2 more ducks, one buff duck-Samantha, & one blue indian runner-Josephine. Next spring I will be getting chickens (2 speckled sussex and one black australorp-and maybe one easter egger), all of them hens of course, and I will build an accompanying coop that is situated to the rear and to the right of the duck and goose yard...It will look like a guest house compared to the duck and goose coop. I also will be putting a facade on the water tower, to make it look more attractive and give it a proper roof... My plan is to have a mini homestead or city for my birds.
Later this summer I will be building an attractive fish pond in which I will allow the ducks and geese weekly visits (My backyard is small, so I can't have a huge pond that can take the abuse from a flock every day, also, I would like to have somethingvisually pleasing and lush in my backyard-I have mostly gardening plots and their yard and a patio...as well as a future outbuilding for my other hobbies...
My more specific personal profile:
So this is where you find out a little more about me, I guess. Well, read on...
I'm 25, newly married, own a home in my favorite city and I am a conservative Christian. I usually identify more with people who are in their 50s and 60s, and I dream of having an urban farm one day.
Something that difines me; I like doing everything myself: I'm a DIYer hard core; If I can make it, I generally do-from bread to tools to soap, that goes for fixing things and growing/raising my own food too: hence the egg layers I love-and also why I'm ripping out my front lawn next year. I think I was meant to live on a farm...I feel like a whole bunch of BYC members have the same thought-which is why I'm here too.
I have a small backyard compared to some of you folks, its 60'x25'-plus a covered 15'x18' patio. Even with this tiny plot of land, I swear I'll have a productive farm complete with chickens! I have plans to wall off most of my front yard (a 4' wall, nothing resembling a hermit's blockade), and grow more food and utilize my Sq. Footage... Basically, I have plans and I'm on my way.
as of May 31st 2011, I currently have 5 ducks; 1 fawn&white indian runner, 1 blue runner, 2 gold star hybrids, 1 buff duck, 3 geese; 2 pilgrims-but both ganders (so they have to go soon), and 1 female tolouse. This will start me out; 5 ducks and 1 goose (as soon as the ganders have gone to their new home) and then if all is well I'll get 3 chickens; Black Australorps and Speckeled Sussexes-because they'r quiet!
I built my very first fenced yard and coop for the waterfowl all by myself out of 2 sheets of plywood, leftover roofing material, old rusty screws and nails and salvaged palletts and I'm pretty dang proud of myself. The total cost was under $100. I've never had ducks or geese or chickens before, and I got a few ideas off BYC when i was first starting. I then became addicted so here I am...
I recently found out that the municipal code in my area allows for 5 domesticated pets (and this includes domesticated birds such as chickens and ducks and geese providing they have an enclosed yard and their coop is maintained), but I didn't count on regular, loud goose honking, so as a safegaurd that I hope will minimize the noise of the 1 remaining goose and ducks, I plan on installing a loud fountain in my backyard this summer (which may be on a timer since the birds are quiet all night). My neighbors all seem pretty chill, except they all have multiple dogs that bark all day when they are at work-I'm usually working in my backyard during the day lately-so I know they bark all day, they are actually barking right now and its 12:30 in the morning. I guess I'm used to it and I'm not about to complain now... They also have harly davidsons and odd work hours, or a 30' rvs in the driveway 2' away from my house and blocking my view of half the neigborhood (and its a god-awful color)... . The way I see it, they aren't perfect, they all have something or other that could constitute a complaint, but none of them get angry with eachother, they're a pretty accepting crowd-hence, they won't likely mind my birds...RIGHT? We'll see.
Other things I enjoy; Car shows, fairs and festivals, Holidays, My birthday, drive in movies, road trips, traveling with my husband, seeing new Cities and States (and countries), camping, fishing (prefferably fresh water streams because its the only time I can catch more fish than my husband), building things, remodeling my house, baking-A LOT, spending time with my husband, sisters, mom and aunts, learning new things, and watching movies and sleeping. There are a million other things I like to do, but I can't write them all down. I really like 'antiques' anything early 60s or prior. I also love polynesian themed stuff-tiki things-you know?
I see a lot of people I agree with and like on here, I would love to get to know some of you- trade recipes and tips, talk shop... I'm a chatty person...can you tell?
