2020 Flock Life

[drstratton]

Alrighty then!
I bought my own flock of laying hens in 2017. My grandpa had raised them from chicks, and when I got them they were not laying, but probably a few weeks or so away from starting. They were twelve Gold Stars (ISA Browns). I was going to start selling eggs. In March of 2018, I got my first batch of baby chicks. There were 12 Gold Stars, 2 Barred Rocks, and 2 Americanas (Easter Eggers). That August I got 12 more chicks. Actually 13, I got an extra (which was a gift from God, as one of the pullets of that same breed died.) There were 6 Gold Stars, 5 Rhode Island Reds, and 2 Buff Orpingtons. The next February one of my Easter Eggers went broody. One day after school I was at a feed store to get some chicks for her. (I ended up raising them in the house.) I got 2 Calico Princesses, 2 Easter Eggers, and 2 Sapphire Gems. One of the Easter Eggers, and one of the Calicos died early on. I ended up with four remainders. Dolly, calico p., Georgiana, Easter Egger, and Sapphire and ZuZu the Sapphire Gems. That June I got 10 more Gold Star chicks. This March I got 25 chicks: 15 Gold Stars, 2 Salmon Faverolles, 2 Easter Eggers, 2 Silver Laced Wyandottes, and 2 Golden Laced Wyandottes, and 2 Speckled Sussex. In May I got 16 more chicks! 14 Gold Stars, and 2 Easter Eggers.
I've of course lost chickens, and given some older ones away, but yet I currently have 78 chickens. I sell eggs, and hopefully with all these new pullets growing up, I'll be able to expand, or at least fill more orders.
Thanks for letting me join!
Dottie the Chicken

Here are the four from the batch last February
Georgiana
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Dolly
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ZuZu
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Sapphire
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Welcome again...beautiful hens!

 

[MysticUniKitty]

Well the new little one has some feet issues, I looked up how to help and made sure it's ok to wait till it's dry... So just waiting for it to be fluffy and then we'll need to work on fixing it's little toes.


So in figuring out how to split the coops up with girls and boys, I didn't plan on my husband getting sick and my kids all loosing interest so fast all of a sudden, think it's this quarantine for the kids.
My husband started getting sick about a month ago but we just thought reflux and didn't think anymore on it. Today we called a specialist, he's lost so much weight and is getting so sick. I've been really worried. With all that and the kids I've decided to go back to a smaller flock for my enjoyment and only offer to hatch for others, and hatch when I want to add to my flock once again.
A lady I know is coming tonight to take the ones she's interested in, the rest I'll make sure to find good homes for them too. Brahmas and speciality chickens are the ones staying.

 

[drstratton]

Well the new little one has some feet issues, I looked up how to help and made sure it's ok to wait till it's dry... So just waiting for it to be fluffy and then we'll need to work on fixing it's little toes.
View attachment 2187382

So in figuring out how to split the coops up with girls and boys, I didn't plan on my husband getting sick and my kids all loosing interest so fast all of a sudden, think it's this quarantine for the kids.
My husband started getting sick about a month ago but we just thought reflux and didn't think anymore on it. Today we called a specialist, he's lost so much weight and is getting so sick. I've been really worried. With all that and the kids I've decided to go back to a smaller flock for my enjoyment and only offer to hatch for others, and hatch when I want to add to my flock once again.
A lady I know is coming tonight to take the ones she's interested in, the rest I'll make sure to find good homes for them too. Brahmas and speciality chickens are the ones staying.

I'm so sorry to hear about your husband! I will be praying for him!

 

[drstratton]

We did a little coop and pen beautification! I still need to get some flowers for the little blue pot at the corner of the pen, I hope to pick something up tomorrow! I have Marigolds planted in front of the pen. To the right of the blue pot I planted a Lemon Balm and to the right of that are the Hosta plants...the chickens love them both! Under the nesting box we planted some red & white Geraniums! My husband put in the red pavers in front of the flowers, I finished putting the rest in front of the door today! We also have grapes growing on top of the pen...it is a volunteer plant, it starts behind the pen and it also goes almost to the top of the evergreens behind it!

We have the sprinklers set up and the ground in the new pen all ready for the grass seed...we will be spreading it tonight when Dale gets home from work!!! Then hopefully we will be able to let the chicks out to enjoy it in a couple of months!

 

[Fur-N-Fowl]

We did a little coop and pen beautification! I still need to get some flowers for the little blue pot at the corner of the pen, I hope to pick something up tomorrow! I have Marigolds planted in front of the pen. To the right of the blue pot I planted a Lemon Balm and to the right of that are the Hosta plants...the chickens love them both! Under the nesting box we planted some red & white Geraniums! My husband put in the red pavers in front of the flowers, I finished putting the rest in front of the door today! We also have grapes growing on top of the pen...it is a volunteer plant, it starts behind the pen and it also goes almost to the top of the evergreens behind it!

We have the sprinklers set up and the ground in the new pen all ready for the grass seed...we will be spreading it tonight when Dale gets home from work!!! Then hopefully we will be able to let the chicks out to enjoy it in a couple of months!

View attachment 2187510

Your coop looks lovely!

 

[drstratton]

Your coop looks lovely!

Thank you! I love it, my husband did such a great job when he designed & built it...that was over 20 years ago, amazing how time fly's. It's finally gotten a little TLC!

 

[Fur-N-Fowl]

Thank you! I love it, my husband did such a great job when he designed & built it...that was over 20 years ago, amazing how time fly's. It's finally gotten a little TLC!

Wow he obviously did do a good job because it’s still standing and still looking great! Sometimes a little bit of TLC can being them back to life

 

[Dottie the Chicken]

It's been raining tonight. Praise the Lord though, rain is good for growing hay, and the garden! One of my older hens, Zesty, seems to be having an issue. I think it has something to do with egg laying difficulties. Hopefully she will have passed what ever is bothering her by morning. I did add some corid to the layers water though, hopefully even if no body has coccidia, it will help to keep them free of it with this wetness.

Dottie the Chicken

 

[MysticUniKitty]

Thanks @drstratton for the kind words! I'm kinda frustrated as i wanted a bigger flock and we did all this work to make it work, and now this and it's not the first time this has happened. my husband was telling me that maybe it's a sign that we just need to stay small for now, after hearing what i was thinking about doing.

Just gonna love on these guys for now!

And good news! baby chick is self correcting it's little feet! So excited for it!

Still a little close when it stands on a surface but i'm going to keep an eye on it.


moved it in with its buddies, only a little squabbling and was quickly corrected and now everyone is taking a chickie nap!


And if you're into memes.... here's cat tax! Only cuz the stinkers woke me up this morning at 6:45am and all i wanted was to go to sleep...

Aslan is the orange one and Momo is the black one. Both were tussling when i snapped my fingers to get them to pose LOL!!

 

[drstratton]

Thanks @drstratton for the kind words! I'm kinda frustrated as i wanted a bigger flock and we did all this work to make it work, and now this and it's not the first time this has happened. my husband was telling me that maybe it's a sign that we just need to stay small for now, after hearing what i was thinking about doing.

Just gonna love on these guys for now!

And good news! baby chick is self correcting it's little feet! So excited for it!
View attachment 2188640View attachment 2188641
Still a little close when it stands on a surface but i'm going to keep an eye on it.

View attachment 2188642
moved it in with its buddies, only a little squabbling and was quickly corrected and now everyone is taking a chickie nap!


And if you're into memes.... here's cat tax! Only cuz the stinkers woke me up this morning at 6:45am and all i wanted was to go to sleep...
View attachment 2188643View attachment 2188644
Aslan is the orange one and Momo is the black one. Both were tussling when i snapped my fingers to get them to pose LOL!!

You're welcome!
I'm glad your little is getting better and is now with it's flock.

We lost our cat last year...I miss him, but I definitely don't miss him waking me up! He always woke me before my alarm was supposed to go off and that was at 5am...I didn't need to get up any earlier than that...the little beastly!!!