About time I actually joined

[Parront]

Thank you very much, I really appreciate it. We are loving the country life, it is so quiet and peaceful (well up until we got the cockerel).

Do I post the pictures in here or do I create another thread/article in a different section showing my setup and everything else??

Posting here is fine! Glad to meet you. You can start a new thread under a different heading, too. Everyone loves to see how others are set up, and photos of your birds are always welcome, too!

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

Welcome to our FUNomenal community! Best wishes and have lots of fun!

 

[Cyber Smoggy]

That is how I currently have them located.

I slowly moved the Welsumer's coop closer to my Rescues coop day by day, I kept the Welsumer's segregated on the grass in the coop/run for around a week.

The Rescue coop is apparently a 2-4 large chicken and the Welsumer's is a 8-10 large chicken.
They are both on wheels so I guess they are classed as "Tractor Coops"??

 

[cheekychick3]

Hi Dean.
Beautiful pics, and love your homestead, we also had our own farm, for
years, 26 acres, in all. lol We had cattle horses pigs, chickens geese turkeys ducks.
it was our living. I use to breed our chickens ducks, then one year, like you took some
x battery hens in bless them. Started with 10 because we had the space and buildings,
then following year it went to 30 lol. My husband used to dread April coming around, lol
But to see some was heartbreaking. until they seen grass and freedom for first time.
We never lost any of them, when they arrived. And within weeks the diffrence on them,
were amazing. Also laid the best eggs. lol We are pensioners now, retired 16yrs ago.
But it was the best life , you can live. Yes, it can also be hard especially in the winters.
But all that we take in our stride, cause it is the best life you can live. I still miss it. lol
So glad you and your wife, chose it to bring your daughter up. Good luck., on your journey, you have a lovely spread.

 

[Cyber Smoggy]

Our land and layout, we have plenty of water stations dotted around as well as some feeding stations.

The muck heap that they love to rummage through.

This is the sandpit/hay store, Neville was straight on top of the hay cock-a-doodle-dooing. The girls love to dust bath in here.

This is one side of the back garden/yard.

This is at the side of the house looking right towards the front garden. A little further around the house is an apple tree with loads of bird feed stations, the girls love to linger around here eating anything that the birds drop.

This is at the side of the house looking left towards our grade 2 listed "windmill".

This is the windmill garden, this never really gets used by the chickens (god knows why).

Looking up the paddock alongside the house. The rescue hens sometimes jump over the chicken wire fencing and into here to escape Neville hounding them.

Looking across the paddock.

Looking down the paddock alongside the field shelter (where the hay and coops are). It extends right down the hill probably another 30-40 metres out of sight (the horses are down the bottom).

 

[Cyber Smoggy]

Hi Dean.
Beautiful pics, and love your homestead, we also had our own farm, for
years, 26 acres, in all. lol We had cattle horses pigs, chickens geese turkeys ducks.
it was our living. I use to breed our chickens ducks, then one year, like you took some
x battery hens in bless them. Started with 10 because we had the space and buildings,
then following year it went to 30 lol. My husband used to dread April coming around, lol
But to see some was heartbreaking. until they seen grass and freedom for first time.
We never lost any of them, when they arrived. And within weeks the diffrence on them,
were amazing. Also laid the best eggs. lol We are pensioners now, retired 16yrs ago.
But it was the best life , you can live. Yes, it can also be hard especially in the winters.
But all that we take in our stride, cause it is the best life you can live. I still miss it. lol
So glad you and your wife, chose it to bring your daughter up. Good luck., on your journey, you have a lovely spread.

Thank you very much, we are really loving it here so far. We might get some more chickens but not for at least another year, then we can get everything sorted out and organised. I bet my wife would have some more in a heartbeat.
The eggs are definitely a bonus but since we introduced the Welsumer's we are only getting 2 eggs a day from our 4 rescue hens and the Welsumer hens have only laid 2 eggs in over a week between the 3 of them.
I'm hoping in time once everything is finally calm again they will continue laying as normal.

 

[drumstick diva]

Welcome to the Backyard Chickens flock, so glad you joined us. Hope you will enjoy it as much as we do.

 

[cheekychick3]

Your new pics are beautiful. I would not worry, to much of your girls laying. Within
a few weeks they would have all settled with each other. Then the eggs will start. lol
Laughed at when you said, your girls loves the muck heap. When we had the farm,
our girls would crowd around me, telling me to dig for worms. lol Yes course i did every
time lol Would drop everything just to please them. lol So clever.

 

[BullChick]

 

[Cyber Smoggy]

Feeding, watering, vitamins and minerals...




This is their main diet (as well as the free range foraging). It is what I put in the feeders and little troughs.

I alternate days throwing a big scoop of these out then a big scoop of these .


It seems to go down well and whatever the chickens don't eat the birds do so I never have leftovers laying around for long.

I occasionally crumble one or two of these up and sprinkle it around too.

I have a couple of grit stations as well, these are mixed oystershell grit and flint grit.

Once a fortnight I put this in their water stations, just in case I'm missing something from their diets.

Is there anything you would do differently, less or more?
Any feedback is always appreciated.