4 years ago this month I brought home my first babies. 2 lavender orpingtons and a blue orpington - Pea Pod, Melody, and Piper.
I had just moved out to the country from my city life and had no idea what I was doing. I knew a lot about animals in general from ownership and working in a pet store, but nothing about chickens.
We built a coop and did our best.
1. The coop was built too late.
2. I wish it was a walk in
3. It only holds 10 chickens
My gray babies were so precious that…
I NEEDED MORE!
I didn’t have a colorful egg layer! All of them were gray! I didn’t have a rooster! So many chicken math problems!
So came, the Fab 5! All purchased as day-olds. And one was my pride and joy cockerel.
He was a gorgeous sweet boy until one day he wasn’t. It got bad. Worse than I’d like to admit. I let it go on for too long. A kid got scratched in the face. She’s fine, but I learned my lesson.
Sad lesson moments:
My dog was sick for a week. I free ranged anyway. Piper was taken by a hawk. It was my fault. I pay better attention now and it’s been 3 years with no losses.
4. I ignored a horrendous cockerel’s behavior for too long.
5. I learned to do the deed. He was my pet. I didn’t eat him, I buried him. His name was Cameron.
6. My white French marans, Squeaks, decided she HAD TO HAVE BABIES. I bought her eggs.
7. 5 babies hatched. Mistake 1 - my chicken protecting super dog helped me collect the babies to put them into the coop. She closed her mouth too hard and killed one.
8. All 4 remaining were cockerels. Ugh.
9. It was an amazing experience and I want to do it over and over and over again!
10. The boys were our first farm-raised meat. It was a good learning process (no pun intended).
I made the happy mistake of discovering the $2 pullet bin at Meyer hatchery!
I picked all the chipmunk colored girls.
11. Selling blue egg laying chickens is amazingly easy and fun.
I kept a wellsummer and a speckled Sussex.
11. Bantams are a girl’s best friend
I bought my first banties this past summer and am in LOVE.
12. Banties are adorable, they can fly really well, they’re smart, and I’m in love with them!
13. Next year I’ll do meat birds for the sustainability and learning.
Thank you for listening to my journey! I’ve loved BYC from the start and I hope to stay in the community forever!
—Lizzzyjo
I had just moved out to the country from my city life and had no idea what I was doing. I knew a lot about animals in general from ownership and working in a pet store, but nothing about chickens.
We built a coop and did our best.
1. The coop was built too late.
2. I wish it was a walk in
3. It only holds 10 chickens
My gray babies were so precious that…
I NEEDED MORE!
I didn’t have a colorful egg layer! All of them were gray! I didn’t have a rooster! So many chicken math problems!
So came, the Fab 5! All purchased as day-olds. And one was my pride and joy cockerel.
He was a gorgeous sweet boy until one day he wasn’t. It got bad. Worse than I’d like to admit. I let it go on for too long. A kid got scratched in the face. She’s fine, but I learned my lesson.
Sad lesson moments:
My dog was sick for a week. I free ranged anyway. Piper was taken by a hawk. It was my fault. I pay better attention now and it’s been 3 years with no losses.
4. I ignored a horrendous cockerel’s behavior for too long.
5. I learned to do the deed. He was my pet. I didn’t eat him, I buried him. His name was Cameron.
6. My white French marans, Squeaks, decided she HAD TO HAVE BABIES. I bought her eggs.
7. 5 babies hatched. Mistake 1 - my chicken protecting super dog helped me collect the babies to put them into the coop. She closed her mouth too hard and killed one.
8. All 4 remaining were cockerels. Ugh.
9. It was an amazing experience and I want to do it over and over and over again!
10. The boys were our first farm-raised meat. It was a good learning process (no pun intended).
I made the happy mistake of discovering the $2 pullet bin at Meyer hatchery!
I picked all the chipmunk colored girls.
11. Selling blue egg laying chickens is amazingly easy and fun.
I kept a wellsummer and a speckled Sussex.
11. Bantams are a girl’s best friend
I bought my first banties this past summer and am in LOVE.
12. Banties are adorable, they can fly really well, they’re smart, and I’m in love with them!
13. Next year I’ll do meat birds for the sustainability and learning.
Thank you for listening to my journey! I’ve loved BYC from the start and I hope to stay in the community forever!
—Lizzzyjo
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