2018 Newbie Chat!

[Anna Ranieri]

I ordered from an online hatchery. I don't live near hatcheries or in a farming area, and wanted a couple specific breeds, so online was a good solution for me.

Unfortunately we don't have that kind of service here, can get feed/supplies/accessories etc delivered, but not livestock. In some cases they can be ordered online but for collection only. I don't drive so I have to rely on family to give me lifts to places - just would be a whole lot easier if we could get them delivered

 

[ketojenn]

I started a big project today!
I’ve been letting my birds free range in specific areas all summer so they’d kill the grass for me. Today I started landscaping around the coop! View attachment 1512676 Everything I needed for it was already on my property. I even found this French Lilac starting to grow in an improper place, I yanked it out of the ground and planted it here! By the end of the day I hope to have most of it completed! I don’t think the birds know how to react with such a big change. By next summer this landscaping should look amazing!

Looks nice! I'll have to get some pictures of my landscaping tomorrow. I planted a Nanking cherry and some perennials around a month ago. I want pretty plants around the fence too.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

I started a big project today!
I’ve been letting my birds free range in specific areas all summer so they’d kill the grass for me. Today I started landscaping around the coop! View attachment 1512676 Everything I needed for it was already on my property. I even found this French Lilac starting to grow in an improper place, I yanked it out of the ground and planted it here! By the end of the day I hope to have most of it completed! I don’t think the birds know how to react with such a big change. By next summer this landscaping should look amazing!

This will look amazing when it is finished - really hope you will post your progress, would love to see the end result Love your coup and run too

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Looks nice! I'll have to get some pictures of my landscaping tomorrow. I planted a Nanking cherry and some perennials around a month ago. I want pretty plants around the fence too.

Looking forward to seeing your pictures

 

[PNW_Peepers]

Looks nice! I'll have to get some pictures of my landscaping tomorrow. I planted a Nanking cherry and some perennials around a month ago. I want pretty plants around the fence too.

That sounds beautiful! I’m sure your chooks love it too! Can’t wait to see the photos, I need all the inspiration I can get. I added 4 small lavender bushes, two mint starts, some creeping thyme, & some strange flowering ground cover I had on the property today. I still need much more to fill it out!

 

[CannedMonster]

Oh my gosh what a great idea -I wonder how long it will be until the UK catch onto this idea - I'm wanting to get two more hens while the weather is still warm so on saturday we are going to look at a couple of places to see what they have available - how much easier it would be if we could mail order them!

I hope you find some good ones!
What breeds do they have where you’re at?

Just an FYI:
We still have to drive to the post office to pick up the chicks.
The actual mailman doesn’t bring them to you.
When you order chicks, you have to give two contact numbers and they put the numbers on the box. The P.O. calls when they receive the chicks and you have to go get them.

 

[CannedMonster]

I’ve been letting the babies out into the yard about an hour before sunset lately.

They get so excited! They just explore everything.
They had an interesting encounter with Cricket, my red bantam Cochin pullet.
Cricket is very interested in the chicks.
She comes right over when she sees that they’re out.
My big Australorp cockerel tried to challenge her. She set him straight right away!
Nothing mean at all. She would just peck a chick lightly here or there if it came too close or something.
She’s a good teacher.
My two cuckoo bantams and my Booted bantam were somewhat aggressive but nothing terrible.
The large chickens also just pecked here or there.
Except a Wyandotte pecked Skye from behind for no reason.
The babies seemed to stay fairly close to me. I’m glad because wrangling chickens is not my favorite activity.

I’m so proud of Angus!! He didn’t peck any babies at all.
He just ignored them and they seemed to have an instinctive caution about him.
He went up to the feeder when the babies were eating from it and they kind of got in his face.
He turned and looked at them (I was ready with my stick just in case he needed to be scared off) and the babies moved away just from his look.

He has not rushed DH or been remotely aggressive in any way.
Very pleased with his progress as an alpha cockerel so far.

 

[CannedMonster]

Here’s a video of Silkie crowing!
Soooo cute!!

 

[Anna Ranieri]

I hope you find some good ones!
What breeds do they have where you’re at?

Just an FYI:
We still have to drive to the post office to pick up the chicks.
The actual mailman doesn’t bring them to you.
When you order chicks, you have to give two contact numbers and they put the numbers on the box. The P.O. calls when they receive the chicks and you have to go get them.

That would still be way easier for me as I live only a short walk from my main P.O. - We are way behind your country in a lot of ways, I generally find we catch up with you eventually but by the time we do you guys have raced ahead on something else lol

There are various breed but I won't know what breeds are available until I get there and look (depends who's bought what) I have a friend who is a breeder/seller He will have the biggest range of breeds out of the places I go his list usually consist of :-
Coloured Hybrids,
Skylines Pastel egg layers,
Lohmann Brown
Black Maran
Araucana
Legbar/Leghorn
White Leghorn
Cream Legbars
Brahma
Buff Orpington
Pekins - Mixed colours

He recently told me of Light Sussex which I am hoping to get one of but as I say I won't know whats available till I get there.
The other place I'm going to is the place we got our RIR's (and ducks) from, they only sell RIR's which if I have to I'll get but would be nice to have a different breed to go with our RIR's.

If no joy at these places, there are a couple of other places I can go but these two places have the best reputation for their live stock (health and well being etc) - both these places allow us to return birds and will refund if things don't work out, other places once they're bought that's it no returning them.

I hope to get them soon, as I want to get them settled in before winter comes.

 

[JMotuzick]

Anna
To add to yesterday’s ordering in, the hatchery I’ve used is so confident in there chicks and the PO they have a live chick guarantee. Of the 36 we ordered (order with friends to save shipping) 2 where not hatched. 2 died from the first batch. I called and I had a credit and 6 months to use it or, a full refund. Mind you, those two dide here!

All this happened in the first 20 the second batch was happy and healthy. Off heat in 3 days and outside with no heat in less then a week!

The sexting is so good as well of the 32 only one was wrong. Although we have our doubts on one of the 11 week old buff Brahmas.