Hi everyone, I am a new member of this forum but have been visiting very often to the forum and main website for nearly a year. We just got our first chickens a little over 2 months ago. I got 2 New Hampshires, 3 Ameraucana, 3 RIR, 3 Dark Brahmas, and now we also have 3 2 week old australorps because I have heard good things about them and really wanted some
I let them free range for most of the day, when I get up and when they put themselves up. We have 5 acres and we do have some predators, we have seen foxes and cayotes (I'm pretty sure I also saw a mountain lion but i'm not 100% sure because my dog chased it off while it was at the edge of the forrest, only saw a glimpse) but I'm mostly worried about hawks because my dog, although getting old and less active chases the other things away.
I'm wondering is a nice rooster worth it protection wise? I'm not really interested in raising many chicks but a few clutches now and then would be fun
Also I'm really interested in the social structures I have read about in chickens. I can't at the moment tell which of my pullets is the most dominant though... (Any good ways to tell? Or is it just obvious?)
Any way I found someone on craigslist not far from me and he has some black copper marans, his nicest rooster is just starting to crow, how much do the young roosters go for? I might also ask for a hen, so I might have some pure chicks. So i'm asking how much do the roosters go for seperately and how much for a pair? I haven't seen any pictures yet but he assures me that they are purebred. He said he wanted $40 but would take $30.
Sorry for so many question! Only one more I promise!
Does anyone know how to make a cheap and easy isolation coop? I have a little pen that I originally bought for my ferrets, its about 12 sq foot and 29" high and I use it for the chicks when they go outside to play. Could I convert this into a temporary isolation area?
Thank you so much everyone!
-Sofia
Here's some picture of my flock I would like to share
The Coop (Now filled with sand, and btw that big door is to the well house, the indoors area is split into 2 parts 1/2 well 1/2 coop):
Foraging:
Tweety:
The Brahmas (Not yet named
):
Pikachu:
Saphira (named after a dragon, she looks just like one, in a very pretty way!)
About to eat my moms garden
Now to the other side
Emmie our lab and an australorp chick
I let them free range for most of the day, when I get up and when they put themselves up. We have 5 acres and we do have some predators, we have seen foxes and cayotes (I'm pretty sure I also saw a mountain lion but i'm not 100% sure because my dog chased it off while it was at the edge of the forrest, only saw a glimpse) but I'm mostly worried about hawks because my dog, although getting old and less active chases the other things away.
I'm wondering is a nice rooster worth it protection wise? I'm not really interested in raising many chicks but a few clutches now and then would be fun
Any way I found someone on craigslist not far from me and he has some black copper marans, his nicest rooster is just starting to crow, how much do the young roosters go for? I might also ask for a hen, so I might have some pure chicks. So i'm asking how much do the roosters go for seperately and how much for a pair? I haven't seen any pictures yet but he assures me that they are purebred. He said he wanted $40 but would take $30.
Sorry for so many question! Only one more I promise!
Does anyone know how to make a cheap and easy isolation coop? I have a little pen that I originally bought for my ferrets, its about 12 sq foot and 29" high and I use it for the chicks when they go outside to play. Could I convert this into a temporary isolation area?
Thank you so much everyone!
-Sofia
Here's some picture of my flock I would like to share
The Coop (Now filled with sand, and btw that big door is to the well house, the indoors area is split into 2 parts 1/2 well 1/2 coop):
Foraging:
Tweety:
The Brahmas (Not yet named
Pikachu:
Saphira (named after a dragon, she looks just like one, in a very pretty way!)
About to eat my moms garden
Now to the other side
Emmie our lab and an australorp chick