An excuse to talk chicken with yaw'll . . . flock plans

[samanthaoverton]

You sound like me...hubby can build another he has built several in two years Now I have an 8 by 8 the turkeys have a mobile and my extra roo has a small coop too.. Hooray for men with building skills that raise there eyebrows and think why is she having me build another coop and do it anyway I am the painter..dang exterior paint ain't cheap..but if ya want it to last..

I actually literally just purchased more myself and they will be here this coming Wednesday. I have 3 speckled Ameraucanas, one being a roo, a Blue, Buff, and Lavender Ameraucana, 2 cuckoo Marans, 2 Barred Plymouth Rock, either a Road Island Red or a New Hampshire Red (still not sure which), a White Leghorn, 2 Easter Eggers, a French Black Maran, 2 Brown Leghorns, and a Black sex link.

I ordered 5 more French Black Marans. The one I have is just the sweetest and so pretty. One of the five will be a male. Even if I end up with more than one male that is ok. My husband can just build to the coop .

I am going to be ordering the Light Brahmas in the spring. I’m only waiting on those because my husband and I will for sure have to build a whole different coop for them because of how big they get. And since I will be getting one Roo for them, I will be having babies.

Oh chicken math how I love you!

Edit to add that the ones I already have are my first and are 8 weeks old….

 

[samanthaoverton]

I hate those minimums. My co op doesn't have any though. But they only get a couple shipment a year and they go FAST. I got 2 Wyandotte this year and three Easter eggers (labeled as ameraucanas)..it's so much fun picking them out glad you're having fun "chickening".

Congrats on first egg! How exciting.

Okay, so check it . . . I have two carts going (one McMurray the other Cackle). Hoover has FREE shipping (difficult to ignore). Cackle has some cool birds in it. I tell ya, those breed minimums are killing me. I don't see why they can't have their minimum purchase, but let ME choose exactly what I want. For instance, I may want a breed but not 5 of 'em. Ughhhh. The Cackle cart has: Barred Rock, Dark Brahma, Cherry Egger, Easter Egger, and female Brown Leghorn. The Hoover cart has:

ASSORTED MARANS (unsexed)​

DARK BRAHMA (unsexed)
RAINBOW (Female)
WELSUMMER (Female) for a total of 20 chicks



Update: Hoover won out! The above allows for only two more chicks going forward. Perhaps I can get a Sultan and a Polish. Oh, I forgot, the minimums; ughhhhh!

ETA: Wonder how many roos I will get from the 10 unsexed. Squealing with eggscitement.

 

[Kiki]

My 2cents - not raining on your parade, but a bit of reality check? Do not get roosters if you do not think you can cull roosters.

Cockerel chicks are the most darling, brave as brass, and will appear friendly. They get big fast, and without older bigger birds, often become bullies. Add a good dose of hormones and the darlings become the nightmares. BEWARE

Mrs K

I was just about to mention this when I noticed the question about "how many rooa do you think I will get out of 10 birds."

I highly recommend canceling that order unless you are prepared to deal with seven or more roosters.

 

[Kiki]

That's the hubby's job. Right on up there with the deer.

Oh good. You do have a plan.

 

[Hip Hillbilly Acres]

You sound like me...hubby can build another he has built several in two years Now I have an 8 by 8 the turkeys have a mobile and my extra roo has a small coop too.. Hooray for men with building skills that raise there eyebrows and think why is she having me build another coop and do it anyway I am the painter..dang exterior paint ain't cheap..but if ya want it to last..

Uwww, I can't wait to paint a coop. Our first will be hoop style with a buncha chicken fabric (or whatever that stuff is called); basically a bunch of wire in varying sizes so babies can't get out and preditors in. But, I have my eye and heart set on one I can paint, have a door, maybe even a lil porch, hang funny chicken signs (can't wait to get one for the house about an old rooster and a foxy hen live here" or some such working. It's in my cart over at eBay.

But yeah, looking foward to coop painting. Classic red and white would do me fine; but hey, I'm open to something different. Pink and purple camo (naaaah; just kidding).

 

[samanthaoverton]

You sound like me...hubby can build another he has built several in two years Now I have an 8 by 8 the turkeys have a mobile and my extra roo has a small coop too.. Hooray for men with building skills that raise there eyebrows and think why is she having me build another coop and do it anyway I am the painter..dang exterior paint ain't cheap..but if ya want it to last..

Yeah! I ordered all of mine from Cackle. They are the only ones I can find that I would trust as a breeder that had French black Marans, not to be confused with French Black Copper Marans. The ones I ordered and the one I have don’t have the copper feathering. I do wish their minimum order was less than 15 but I just paid the extra $20. I really don’t want to wait too long. And each female is 11.20 a pop so it wasn’t gonna get any cheaper even to add more birds.

I just talked to my husband too. He came up to me and told me he was gonna get an area ready for my Brahmas and start to coop. I told him I didn’t order any yet and he says “yeah I know, But I know your gonna”

Here are some pictures of our coop. We made our own. My first order was. 15 but we got 18 and all of them have survived. All the coops pre manufactured were well over 1,000 dollars and non were even close enough to fit all our birds. It cost us a little over 1,000 for materials. And some we got little to nothing going to auctions. Some of the fencing we got for $1 for the roll. And some my step dad and mom gave us. The wood we are putting over the plywood came off and extremely old barn. We had to tear it down because it wasn’t very sturdy anymore. It was built in the 1890’s-early 1900’s. But the wood is in such great shape and tongue and groove. I didn’t have the heart to just throw it away, so we found use for it. We are adding an electrical fence too and just ordered some solar exhaust fans to put in on the south side of the building.

Is that linoleum? I like your coop Hubby works at a furniture company and my coop is all scrap ply. Thank God..the price of wood is through the roof.

 

[Hip Hillbilly Acres]

Oh good. You do have a plan.

Most def; but I now some folk are sensitive about eating their birds. Trying to stay politically correct here. But YOU know what's up!!!!

 

[Hip Hillbilly Acres]

I was just about to mention this when I noticed the question about "how many rooa do you think I will get out of 10 birds."

I highly recommend canceling that order unless you are prepared to deal with seven or more roosters.

Along those lines, I was wondering would they do that to somebody. Make MOST of the order roos???? They know don't nobody want a buncha roos. Some are cool; but not 7/10. Geeesh. I could see even half; but not most. Really??? Speak to me.

 

[Kiki]

Most def; but I now some folk are sensitive about eating their birds. Trying to stay politically correct here. But YOU know what's up!!!!

A lot of people order straight run and end up will wayyyy too many males then complain about all of the issues too many males brings. Best to have a plan in place before the issues arrive.

 

[Kiki]

Along those lines, I was wondering would they do that to somebody. Make MOST of the order roos???? They know don't nobody want a buncha roos. Some are cool; but not 7/10. Geeesh. I could see even half; but not most. Really??? Speak to me.

Yes... They actually probably don't do it on purpose but it is highly likely you get more than half males.