- Apr 7, 2014
- 7
- 0
- 9
Hello! Brand New to BYC, but have been reading the site for months. So excited to say that today I am a new chicken mama! I can't believe it! Have been searching for the right coop, mainly on craigslist which has been one disappointment after the next and finally connected with someone who had not already sold theirs to someone else. The hitch was that he wanted someone to take the flock, the food, the fence, the coop...everything. Although I had only wanted the coop, we visited with them yesterday to see how it went. I was worried that they would run from us (I have two sons, 10 and 15) and it would be hard for us to have them be friendly, we want sweet pets that we can cuddle and hold not just lay eggs. I was told to get babies so they will know us and like us and listen to us. So we met this flock anyway as they looked healthy in the photos and the man said he was very interested in having us meet them as he was more concerned with them going to a place where they would be loved. 4 Hens total, 2 beautiful Jersey Giants, 1 Golden Sex Link, and 1 Buff Orpington. The golden girls, (about 6 months old) are so friendly, took to us right away, and both boys were able to draw their attention and even pick them up and cuddle with them! The two larger hens with black and blue feathers sparkling in the sunshine (almost a year old) were friendly too and allowed some petting although a bit more reserved with the cuddling. They talked to us and the boys learned how to pick them up and hold them the right way... and how to put them back down. It was love at first sight! (And an amazing bargain!) So, they had a big move today! Once here we had a great project together in reassembling a run out of the materials we were given. Had to be a bit more robust than their city backyard as I have 5 acres with plenty of creatures that could cause trouble, including a new mama coyote with her two pups! The boys checked on the girls in their roomy coop and kept them company while I built the run and fortified the coop a bit. They petted and hand fed them while their curious heads popped up from the nest box to see what was going on (post driving, hammering, stapling, drilling) and what new surroundings they had to look forward to exploring. The boys renamed them after characters in our favorite "Chick Flick!" Ginger, Babs, Bunty and Mac! Despite the stress from the move we even got our first egg! Building the run was a great project to work on together and although this has been my obsession, I think that now the idea is suddenly a reality, these four girls just might be more interested than the Xbox! Julie
and Welcome To BYC! Wow, what a great ending, both for the hens and for you. Sounds like it was really meant to be. Good luck with the girls and hope you get plenty of those fresh eggs once they settle in!
