2018 Newbie Chat!

[ketojenn]

I stopped getting notifications for this thread! Need to catch up. In the meantime, I got more chicks

I went off the deep end and got a Cackle Surprise box. Lol. Three of them are turkeys, which made my husband's day. There were four different guineas too.

I don't even care what breeds there are, I'm just looking forward to watching them grow

 

[ketojenn]

Greetings to all my fellow newbs!!!

I'm a 20 year old Minnesotan gal en route to living a homestead, permaculture life style. Moving out of the city, buying a piece of land and building my house, though, are far in the future and will take much time, money, planning and patience. So, I figured the best way to get my feet planted in my goals would be taking care of my own flock of hens...and I'm so stinking excited!

I just picked up my 4 babies, and they'll be one week old tomorrow. I've got an Ameraucana, a Golden Laced Wyandotte, a Buff Brahma and a Sapphire Gem. I love hearing their little chirps and watching them play around and snuggle with one another. I cant wait to watch them grow up

I have yet to build their coop, but I know I'll be making it big enough to hold 6 hens. I figured this would be my best bet, as once these girls get old and aren't producing eggs much any more I can get 2 more chicks and that'll hold me off until these first girls pass.

I'm excited to join this community and wish you all the best if anyone is in the Minnesota- Saint Paul/Minneapolis area and are interested in being a part of a permaculture system, or just would like to chat about our hens, I'd so love to connect!!

Peace and love to all! AND HAPPY ROOSTING!

Welcome! I'm your neighbor to the west in North Dakota! Good to have you. I'm into permaculture too. I've been working on a hugelkulture bed this summer and we are planning an orchard on a vacant lot. Lots of things in the works. Just takes time.

I look forward to your posts!

 

[ketojenn]

Then I go in the house and come out to 3 birds in the coop. I have no idea how they are getting in. The netting is small and I can't find any areas that they might fit. All I know is that when I go out there at least 50 birds take off. Then I have to put away the bigger ones and chase the birds out. I got some DE to put in their sandbox where they dust bathe.

Then I found two areas that the hardware cloth was not secure to my liking. So while I'm trying to fix that, the older ones are trying to see what I'm doing but the little ones are right there, so of course they terrorized the hell out of them. I'm yelling run run to the small ones and telling the big ones they are bad. During the circus, the dogs start barking and won't shut up. I finally finish the wire and as I open the back door one of the dogs almost knocks me down to get outside. I immediately saw he had an accident and he knew better. He has not had an accident in years, so he must have really had to go--I found 3 spots he peed. Now I'm to tired to eat and I'm just going to bed..what a night.

Wow, that's quite a day. Poor pup. Mine acts so ashamed when accidents happen. Not too often these days, but nobody is perfect.

 

[Cbarr00]

Ugh catching up guys! I finally gave birth to a sweet boy so chicken duties have fallen on DH for the past 3 weeks.

He culled Dwight and Deadpool. Dwight actually tried to flog our 9 year old one evening! My boy is 5' and 140 lbs so Dwight only got at one leg but he's still 9 and it scared the tar out of him. He's in freezer camp now. Deadpool wasn't human aggressive but just not good leading roo material. Unfortunately Casper is becoming a little aggressive to DH the same way Dwight was so he will probably go to freezer camp soon too before he progresses to attacks. He was my favorite but after Dwight's episode I couldn't give a crap anymore. He's now separated in the prefab.

Big Red has been the BEST roo! He's been alpha for around a month and a half now and doesn't bat an eye our way. When the other boys were in charge they started challenging DH within a couple of weeks. DH even thinks one of the speckled let Big Red mate her. No eggs yet but I'm sure very soon as we are coming on 20 weeks now.

 

[Cbarr00]

Also who would've thought our two human aggressors would've been a speckled Sussex and a buff orpington and our two couldn't care less about human roos were our Rhode island reds. We were really expecting that to go the other way

 

[The_Miraculous_Pigmy_Owl]

I’m gonna get 8 chicks from Murray mcmurray hatchery
1x barred rock
2x white silkie
3x speckled Sussex
1x black frizzled Cochin
1x buff Orpington
I’m getting them next week!

 

[ketojenn]

Also who would've thought our two human aggressors would've been a speckled Sussex and a buff orpington and our two couldn't care less about human roos were our Rhode island reds. We were really expecting that to go the other way

That is surprising.

 

[CannedMonster]

Ugh catching up guys! I finally gave birth to a sweet boy so chicken duties have fallen on DH for the past 3 weeks.

He culled Dwight and Deadpool. Dwight actually tried to flog our 9 year old one evening! My boy is 5' and 140 lbs so Dwight only got at one leg but he's still 9 and it scared the tar out of him. He's in freezer camp now. Deadpool wasn't human aggressive but just not good leading roo material. Unfortunately Casper is becoming a little aggressive to DH the same way Dwight was so he will probably go to freezer camp soon too before he progresses to attacks. He was my favorite but after Dwight's episode I couldn't give a crap anymore. He's now separated in the prefab.

Big Red has been the BEST roo! He's been alpha for around a month and a half now and doesn't bat an eye our way. When the other boys were in charge they started challenging DH within a couple of weeks. DH even thinks one of the speckled let Big Red mate her. No eggs yet but I'm sure very soon as we are coming on 20 weeks now.

Congratulations on your boy!!!

Wow I guess your boys kinda went off the deep end.
I’m sick of cockerels right now.
I put Conan in the freezer and rehomed Frodo (he wanted to rule everyone) and the two NNs that are left are constantly breeding my 4 adult hens.
No human aggression really but Loki does invade my space a lot.
I just want things to be peaceful but my 3 SLW are always squawking and carrying on especially at bedtime.
They really throw their weight around and always chase and peck the others.

Problem is I need them because if I rehome them now I’ll only have 1 mature female for the two boys. And 2 pullets very close to POL.
I have 12 chicks that are supposed to be sexed females but they won’t be mature enough for male attention til December at the earliest.
Once the chicks are feathered out in a few weeks I plan to rehome the Wyandottes, integrate the chicks into the flock in the walk-in coop and put the two boys in the prefab to cool their ardor until December.
That’s IF it works out that way. They’ll be able to see the girls every day.
I don’t know if they’ll be freaking out in an enclosed run after free ranging for months.
Sometimes I think it would just be easier to put them in the freezer too.

 

[Cbarr00]

Congratulations on your boy!!!

Wow I guess your boys kinda went off the deep end.
I’m sick of cockerels right now.
I put Conan in the freezer and rehomed Frodo (he wanted to rule everyone) and the two NNs that are left are constantly breeding my 4 adult hens.
No human aggression really but Loki does invade my space a lot.
I just want things to be peaceful but my 3 SLW are always squawking and carrying on especially at bedtime.
They really throw their weight around and always chase and peck the others.

Problem is I need them because if I rehome them now I’ll only have 1 mature female for the two boys. And 2 pullets very close to POL.
I have 12 chicks that are supposed to be sexed females but they won’t be mature enough for male attention til December at the earliest.
Once the chicks are feathered out in a few weeks I plan to rehome the Wyandottes, integrate the chicks into the flock in the walk-in coop and put the two boys in the prefab to cool their ardor until December.
That’s IF it works out that way. They’ll be able to see the girls every day.
I don’t know if they’ll be freaking out in an enclosed run after free ranging for months.
Sometimes I think it would just be easier to put them in the freezer too.

Thanky you!

And yes I can't believe Casper and Dwight would become this aggressive. They were our favorites. Now maybe they'll be our favorite dinner. I've never had roo before so it'll be new. Our neighbor said he loves rooster but his wife hates it. I wanna say Dwight and Deadpool dressed out around 4lbs maybe. I'll weigh them when I defrost them. My husband just skinned them because plucking took too long by himself. I was the plucker last time.

I think Frodo and Deadpool could've been cousins. That was his prerogative. When we would let him out he chased the girls to no end! Casper and Big Red would have to chase him off. He was a terror.

I think separating the males will definitely help. Since Big Red is our only male with the girls things have been so much quieter. They probably won't be happy about the change but they will live. Every time we walked into the main coop the boys in the prefab would climb the walls trying to get to us. Since they were on their way to freezer cramp I didn't give too much sympathy.
I hope these next few weeks fly by for you and the transition and integrating go smoothly! Its stressful having a crazy flock and trying to find the right dynamics.

 

[Kat2141]

I've got a similar set up. Works for me. We have 52 birds in there now.
View attachment 1492761

oh I could just see my hubby now if I got up to 52 birds!