[FONT=georgia,palatino]Cluck-Addict here..... 6/12/10[/FONT]
Summer number two of having chickens. I asked the hubby today if I could quit my job and start a chicken farm. He asked how I'd cash flow the investment. DUH!
I've got more birds and breeds than I can count this year. The boys' show birds are in the grower pens! I've decided I want to really work on the coop this fall and winter and get some breeder pens ready for next spring. I'd like to focus on just a few breeds but I have NO idea how I'll pick!
Hope everyone is having a great summer. Wish us luck at the county fair this year. If it goes well the boys and I are going to start getting into the APA show circuit.
OLD POSTS:
I've always wanted chickens. After 18 months of begging, pleading and stealthy convincing my husband agreed. Afterall, this city girl gone country finally had the chance to have some chickens.
I ordered 35, no wait, I added more to the order.....49 chicks from McMurrays. 25 were straight run heavys for the hubby to butcher. Needless to say, food was my barganing chip. MMM actually ended up shipping us 56.
They arrived the same day they were hatched and I'm in LOVE!!!!
We have only lost two. Dear Hubby finally told me he found them and disposed of them so I didn't have to be bummed out.
Today is the end of week 1. I'm hooked. I already want more....Geez.
Courtney
Mom to three sons, 10,9 &8 and 1 kitty w/her 7 new babies. Wife to one amazing farmer. 7/24/09
Well we had a major breech of security a little over a week ago. We lost over 20 chickens and I couldn't bear to actually count them. We picked up the pieces,,,,, me and the kids and dried our tears.
This meant WAR!!!!!!!!!!!
Our oldest now has a 4H project for next year. He is going to set up a motion sensor camera to track chicken predators. HOW CUTE!
We have sealed ever tiny crack and reinforced with hardware cloth. The chickens must be calming down now because the are finally starting the use the roost my wonderful husband built and they are going all over the coop again now. They were only staying in one little corner for the past week. They wouldn't even venture around the coop for food or water. They would only eat outside. Poor little dears.
The hubby has been great though. he helped reinforce things, he's been "marking his teritory" around the coop to deter the weazel and hung his stinky farm shirt on the coop door so it smelled like a big animal.
I caved and bought an incubator and my first hatching eggs will be on there way in two weeks. I CAN'T wait!
8/19/09 Photos of the coop and chickens. Butchering in three weeks and our first hatch in only 8.5 days
11/08/09
We have butchered, combine our flocks and gotten rid of all but 2 roosters. They all seem to be getting along really well and I'm so pleased. We are going to be ordering soon for our Spring order for 4H. Wish us luck!
Summer number two of having chickens. I asked the hubby today if I could quit my job and start a chicken farm. He asked how I'd cash flow the investment. DUH!
I've got more birds and breeds than I can count this year. The boys' show birds are in the grower pens! I've decided I want to really work on the coop this fall and winter and get some breeder pens ready for next spring. I'd like to focus on just a few breeds but I have NO idea how I'll pick!
Hope everyone is having a great summer. Wish us luck at the county fair this year. If it goes well the boys and I are going to start getting into the APA show circuit.
OLD POSTS:
I've always wanted chickens. After 18 months of begging, pleading and stealthy convincing my husband agreed. Afterall, this city girl gone country finally had the chance to have some chickens.
I ordered 35, no wait, I added more to the order.....49 chicks from McMurrays. 25 were straight run heavys for the hubby to butcher. Needless to say, food was my barganing chip. MMM actually ended up shipping us 56.
They arrived the same day they were hatched and I'm in LOVE!!!!
We have only lost two. Dear Hubby finally told me he found them and disposed of them so I didn't have to be bummed out.
Today is the end of week 1. I'm hooked. I already want more....Geez.
Courtney
Mom to three sons, 10,9 &8 and 1 kitty w/her 7 new babies. Wife to one amazing farmer. 7/24/09
Well we had a major breech of security a little over a week ago. We lost over 20 chickens and I couldn't bear to actually count them. We picked up the pieces,,,,, me and the kids and dried our tears.
This meant WAR!!!!!!!!!!!
Our oldest now has a 4H project for next year. He is going to set up a motion sensor camera to track chicken predators. HOW CUTE!
We have sealed ever tiny crack and reinforced with hardware cloth. The chickens must be calming down now because the are finally starting the use the roost my wonderful husband built and they are going all over the coop again now. They were only staying in one little corner for the past week. They wouldn't even venture around the coop for food or water. They would only eat outside. Poor little dears.
The hubby has been great though. he helped reinforce things, he's been "marking his teritory" around the coop to deter the weazel and hung his stinky farm shirt on the coop door so it smelled like a big animal.
I caved and bought an incubator and my first hatching eggs will be on there way in two weeks. I CAN'T wait!
8/19/09 Photos of the coop and chickens. Butchering in three weeks and our first hatch in only 8.5 days
11/08/09
We have butchered, combine our flocks and gotten rid of all but 2 roosters. They all seem to be getting along really well and I'm so pleased. We are going to be ordering soon for our Spring order for 4H. Wish us luck!