Recent content by animalcule

I ordered 3 doz eggs last week from Awesome Araucana/Edd Sheppard. After I hopefully hatch at least a couple from those by April, I’m going to source eggs from some members in the Araucana Club of America Facebook group. If anyone here has suggestions for egg sources I’d love them!

Gorgeous birds! I’m finally hatching mail-order Araucana eggs after wanting these birds for 20 years. I’ll be happy if I can get one male, one female.

4 cockerels... just my luck.

Black Wyandotte looks close with the rose comb and large wattles, but Wyandottes have yellow skin and in all the pictures the birds have yellow legs without black pigment overlaid. What other large black breed could the white skin and super dark legs/faces be from? 🤔 ETA: I’m pretty positive...

Hey all! I bought a dozen Jersey Giant hatching eggs off eBay for a broody hen and ended up with 4 chicks who are now 11 weeks. Seller included pics of their pen and parents, rooster definitely looked true to type for JG. However, the chicks have a mix of traits. I’m not even mad, I just want to...

I want to breed my flock but don’t want to set up more coops, runs or pens. So I have to have a “1 in, 1 out” rule once I reach my max on adult birds, which is 15 (could maybe push it to 20 depending on how they utilize their coop and run space in winter with heavy snow). I’m going to be doing a...

I have a mixed flock, as I took in 5 older hens and then got chicks of one of my preferred breeds/types (Easter Eggers). I’m planning on mixing in some Standard Old English game birds with my hatchery Easter Eggers, and then breeding my own closed flock to select for the best foragers/rangers...

I think it’s within the range of normal, but I wouldn’t tolerate it in my own rooster. It’s sad to cull a bird you’re attached to who is trying his best, but there are so many roosters who never damage or stress their hens (or who are human aggressive etc etc), I don’t think it’s fair to keep...

My 4-week-olds have been outside since they were 3w6d and it has been highs in the high 50s to low 60s, and lows in the 40s. I don’t think you have anything to worry about with chicks the age of yours.

I just did the same thing with my eight 4-week-old chicks, it was very easy. My 4 adult hens are pretty easy going (New Hampshires and a Buckeye) and while I have a 16x25 run, I leave the door open and they spend most of their time in my front yard while the chicks prefer to stay in the run. I...

I’ve read a lot about roosters, just starting out with chickens and would like to breed my own. I’m a softie but I have sworn to myself that I will cull (and enjoy eating) any aggressive roosters - to hens or people - I may turn up with. It’s not worth being injured by your own animal or...

I'm really hesitant to go down the fertile eggs route. Between the already lower hatch rates from Araucana and the difficulty of getting shipped eggs handled properly it seems more cost effective (and less frustrating) to ship chicks or adult birds. I guess it's pretty seductive to think of the...

That's a good point Stacykins. The more I look around the more hopeful I am I'll be able to get some birds shipped from a real breeder (or maybe drive to Colorado or Texas to pick up). If anyone here is in the biggest Araucana Facebook group, please accept my join request lol. I've been trying...

I really like Ed too! When I buy my own property I would love to build up to a set up like his. On his Facebook page recently he mentioned that he is probably going to stop selling to the public. I hope I can get some birds from him first. I'm pretty sure I am going to start with a few Araucana...

LGDs are the best predator protection there is. However the puppies take a great deal of experience, time and training. They are great pets too in my opinion, as long as you make the effort to bond them to you and give them socialization off the property, but they are large, loud, and always on...