[FONT=arial black,avant garde]
Our Pet Chickens[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]We got started with our pet chickens this Spring. My son and I went to the local farm supply store. Guess what they had right inside the door of the store? My 7 year old said he would like to have one of the baby chicks, so when my husband called me, I told him what the little guy wanted. My husband said, "Get him a chick. No, get him 2 chicks." So I happily ablidged, and I was hooked. To make a long story short, I'll just tell you after 2 trips to Tractor Supply, another trip to the local farm supply store, a trip to a local show, accidently getting cornish chicks, finding a home for them, losing 3 babies, rehoming 2 roosters, and an order from My Pet Chicken(MPC), we currently have 20 chicks of various ages. [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]After the 2nd round of chicks, my husband started making our first tractor. Then he made an additional run to add to that tractor. After my MPC order with 6 bantams, he also made a mini-tractor. My 7 year old said, "I love being a chicken person!" I think that sums it up for our entire family.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]We got started with our pet chickens this Spring. My son and I went to the local farm supply store. Guess what they had right inside the door of the store? My 7 year old said he would like to have one of the baby chicks, so when my husband called me, I told him what the little guy wanted. My husband said, "Get him a chick. No, get him 2 chicks." So I happily ablidged, and I was hooked. To make a long story short, I'll just tell you after 2 trips to Tractor Supply, another trip to the local farm supply store, a trip to a local show, accidently getting cornish chicks, finding a home for them, losing 3 babies, rehoming 2 roosters, and an order from My Pet Chicken(MPC), we currently have 20 chicks of various ages. [/FONT]
Our First Chicks From The Farm Supply Store - "Come See, Come Save"
After loosing one to our Lab (my husband did it!), I had to get Sarah some friends. She was so lonely!
Then my husband decided we needed our first Chicken Tractor, so he built one. A Chicken Tractor is a movable hen house and run.
The doors on the sides open up to the nesting boxes for collecting eggs.
The back door is so we can clean up things in there and get to them if we need to. The air ventilation around the top is a necessary for chickens to help keep them from getting respitory infections from the dust, etc.
Then he built an additional run for the daytime to add to the tractor. Curly, our Bichon Poo dog, loves to watch the chickens. See him?
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Then I heard the Farm Store had Easter Eggers (EEs) that lay blue to green eggs, so I thought I'd go get 2. Guess what, I couldn't resist, and I got 4!
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Then the boys and I went to a Poultry Show while Daddy was out fishing. I thought we might get 2 at the most. Guess what, we got 5![/FONT]
When our college age daughter came home for a break, she decided Cindy (Cinderella) our Buff Orpington (BO) was her favorite.
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Then I made the mistake of putting the new little ones in with the 3 week old EE's. I think 2 of my little ones got Cocci from me doing this. I was so sad to lose them. I'm sorry Fluffy (the splash silkie) and Snow White (Silver Laced Wynadotte(SLW)). I didn't know...
[/FONT]
I later discovered that the chick feed Tractor Supply sells is not medicated. They might be here today if I had medicated food for them.
Sarah started crowing every morning, so we put her on the back porch to make sure it was her. It was.
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Then I got my order of pullets from My Pet Chicken(MPC). 6 Bantams(1/4 to 1/2 the size of regular chickens-about 2 -4 lbs. when grown), a RIR, and a BO. I'm trying my very best not to lose one of these![/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Meet (top row, from left to right) Buffy the BO, a blue silkie, Lucy the Leghorn Bantam, a black tailed buff japanese bantam, and (bottom row, from left to right); [/FONT]a buff brahma bantam, Blizzard the light colored blue silkie, Rudy the RIR, and Susie the Seabright bantam.
Then my husband decided we also needed a Mini-Chicken Tractor for the little ones. He made this from stuff he had around or picked up from the dumpster at work, so it was all free!
Thanks, Hubby!
Four week old Pocahontas, our Partridge Rock(PR) and Joseph, a black silkie, love it. In a few weeks all the new little MPC ones can join them.
Cindy is now 4 weeks old and has almost caught up with the EE's. We have also replaced Snow White, the SLW, with Snow White 2. She came from the breeder that sold us the 5 at the show. She's about 7 or 8 weeks old here, same as the EE's. Snow White is so sweet!
The EE's, Cindy and Snow White just started sleeping in the hen house. They were sleeping in the modified dog crate you can see on the left so the older ones wouldn't have the chance to be mean to them at night. During the day, the older ones stayed in the run and the younger ones stayed in the tractor. Now that they are all together 24/7, the older ones are still bossy, but they are not being too mean. (Victoria, Cindy is at the top of the ramp next to the EE. She is growing so fast!)
What's next? Who knows!!!! Maybe shows and fairs. Guess that's up to the boys.
[/FONT]