My somewhat urban flock.
I am very new to raising chickens. I have been reading through the Backyardchicken Forums for a few months to get a grasp on how to raise a backyard flock. I originally stumbled upon this site while reading up on ways to live a more sustainable and organic lifestyle. The...
I have 2 Barred Rock hens that are each over a year old. One is more motherly than the other but neither is broody. I'm wondering if I get a small order of Cornish Xs if my hens will take care of the chicks? Does anyone have experience with this?
I have been consistently getting two eggs a day but one is in the morning and the other is after noon. It would seem hard to believe that one hen is laying two eggs within 6 hours of each other. So I'm gonna say that they are both female. I guess one is just a bit more butch looking than the...
Up until a couple of days ago I had 2 barred rocks and one that was laying at 24 weeks. I was very concerned that the other may be a rooster. I have posted pics below of the bird in question. But today I found 2 eggs in the nest box so I guess my question has been answered. I just thought that...
I have always used the Greener Pastures recipe. You can get all of the ingredients from your local health food store in the bulk bins. Then if you decide you like the recipe you can order the 55lb bags of the bulk items and save some money. My chicks really enjoy the recipe. When I sat a bowl of...
I'm just outside Springfield. I have a couple of Barred Rocks and I just put my first 3 Cornish Xs in the freezer yesterday! I'm very excited for eggs this spring, my birds are only a few months old now.
I purchased my first batch of chicks from Estes Hatchery here in Springfield. Has anyone...
My two cents.... I live in a rural subdivision. We don't have too many predators, just the neighborhood cats & dogs, etc.. I came home one night to see a 5" hole through the chicken wire. Given the location of the hole and size I really think one of my barred rocks chewed through the wire and...
Regardless of what anyone says, the organic movement is upon us. For those of us that have taken the time to understand how important our food is I congratulate you. It is just a matter of time before "organic" is the standard. I encourage everyone to watch any of the food documentaries that...
Just thought I would let you know that my local hatchery usually has birds available until late October. I just checked any they will be hatching on the 7th and for 2 more weeks.
Here is their site.
I planted a 12' plot of hard red winter wheat a few weeks ago. I used about a pound of wheat from my market. It has germinated and is about 3 inches tall right now. I don't know how much I will get from it, I think I might just let the chickens have their way with it once it is ready for harvest!
Most stores have these in bulk so you can scoop as little as you need. And yes this recipe isn't going to save anyone any money. Organic feed is expensive. The reason I am paying that much for feed is that the price for organic eggs is almost $4 a dozen and a pound of organic chicken breast is...
I agree with the others here. A little common sense will go along way. I too found "chick grit" at the feed store and I offer it free choice and a little sprinkled over their food. Today I introduced worms and small crickets to my 3 day old chicks. 5 out of 6 loved the worms and crickets. There...
On average I spent around $1.50 a pound on the organic whole grain. Compared to the $1.25 per pound non-organic chick starter my hatchery sold me, the extra expense was nominal.
I just dug up 10 worms from the garden and hand fed one to each chick. They were in heaven. The chicks seem to be a bit more active than the past couple of days. Maybe it is due to the worms.
I just picked up 3 barred rock and 3 cornish X chicks on Wednesday from Estes Hatchery. I picked up 5lbs of their chick starter while I was there. When I got home I put a small bowl of the Greener Pastures recipe that I soaked for a few hours in the brooder along with the feeder full of the...
It rained today and on my way from the mailbox I noticed a small worm on the driveway. I brought it to my 2 day old chicks and dropped it in the brooder. At first they all just stood around it checking it out. I stopped watching the after a couple of minutes and sure enough, after I walk away...
I have been considering the investment into the Whizbang. Did you buy his book? Did you buy any parts from him, the featherplate, etc? I know I can build a whizbang my only hold up is whether or not to buy his featherplate or fabricate one myself.
I just found out that I have a hatchery just a couple of miles from my house. It is called Estes Hatchery, their website is esteshatchery.com and they are very friendly over the phone. I called asking about chicks and they told me to just show up on hatching day and they will be happy to get me...