Hello From West Central Wisconsin, Updated: August 2011
My name is Julie and I am very new at being a chicken mama. It all started last year in September when my wonderful husband, who just happens to be a very skilled carpenter, started to build me a new chicken coop. We bought plans and away he went. (Actually I've been thinking about getting chickens for a couple years, so I did much research first.) By the way, my hubby just finished that beautiful coop a couple days ago. That's almost one year, but the result was amazing. Then in February I ordered my first batch of chicks. I ordered 3 Easter Eggers, 6 Buff Orpingtons, 3 Silver Laced Wyandottes and 4 Black Autralorps. I set delivery for the week of March 21. Which became my first mistake in this whole chicken adventure. I was looking more at my schedule and not thinking about how cold it could be. We got the call from the post office during a major snow storm. 3 were dead on arrival and then 3 more died in the next week. That brought me down to 10. I really wanted more then that, so 3 weeks later I got 4 Rhode Island Reds at the local Purina Pets Foods Plus store. As of August 13, 2011, I have two hens laying. Milly, one of my SLW and Hazel, one of my BO. They are doing a very fine job giving me eggs almost everyday.
We have lots of property for them to free range on, but I have decided against it for now. I am going to wait till next spring. My reason is because I want them to establish a good laying habit first. And we need to get a guard dog. Hoping to get a Great Pyr in the spring, but we need to think and research before we take that step. As you can see from my pictures, there is lots and lots of room for them to roam and I do not want to lose any. But for now, they are very happy in their run and I give them lots of "green" stuff from the garden.
We just got some hardware cloth to "beef up" the chicken run. My in-laws live across the street and until very recently they had a lab/border collie mix female dog that would frequent our place to hang out with my kids. We lost her to heat stroke *we think*. So no more dog, means more potential predator activity. So now I'm not feeling so comfortable with the chicken wire. So hardware cloth will be installed soon!
Isn't my coop beautiful?
Oh, I wear many other "hats" too. I am the wife of a wonderful husband, Jeremy and homeschool mama to five beautiful children. Grace-11 Benjamin-almost 9, Alivia-5, Anna-3 and my baby Elsie 10 months. They all love the chickens too. You can check out my daughter Grace on Youtube. She is a beautiful singer.You can find her videos by doing a You Tube search with this username: JPichler09
I finally picked out names for my sweet hens: Esther the EE. Milly (my favorite) and Martha the SLWs. Rhoda, Ruth, Ruby and Rosie the RIRs. Pearl and Agnes the BAs. Hazel, Charlotte, Liza, Dorothy, and Mabel the BOs.
My first egg!!! July 17, 2011- Laid by Hazel, one of my Buff Orpingtons.
This is my only Easter Egger, Esther!