Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[Nu2chooks15]

Ended up only getting the Isa's today as the others weren't quite ready. Isa's are settling into the "safe" area now so not getting let outside until they've been there for a day so they know where the safe place is.

I'll take photo's later when they're more settled in (still unsure of themselves) but they have food and water available for them and I'll take some tidbits to them later.

I would like to thank everyone for their help and guidance. I've decided I will have some RIRs too but will have 2 more Wyandottes than first anticipated.

 

[tandykins]

Ended up only getting the Isa's today as the others weren't quite ready. Isa's are settling into the "safe" area now so not getting let outside until they've been there for a day so they know where the safe place is.

I'll take photo's later when they're more settled in (still unsure of themselves) but they have food and water available for them and I'll take some tidbits to them later.

I would like to thank everyone for their help and guidance. I've decided I will have some RIRs too but will have 2 more Wyandottes than first anticipated.

Welcome to the dangerous rabbit hole of getting chickens. We all have more chickens than first anticipated. I wanted 6 total. I now have 20. So far. I have now decided that I want 40 at most. I expect to one day have approximately 300. I'm going to have to buy another property. -_-

 

[tandykins]

Okay, thank you both and thanks to everyone else. Fancychooklady that seems to be the key, Satay I take it you also sit with the youngsters like Fancychooklady. Valid points and duly taken into consideration ... hmmm, decisions, decisions (and keeping on changing my mind lol

), guess I'll go with the original but maybe increase Wyandottes and cut down Isa's by one each so I still have the same number just one less Isa and one more Wyandotte ... will let you know what I've ended up getting when I get home in a little while

Frankly if you want chickens that will lay for years - don't get Isa Browns. They have a nasty habit of ceasing all laying after about 2 years. Obviously this varies from bird to bird but it does seem to be a trend. Isa Browns were developed to lay intensively for a short period of time. My Wyandotte on the other hand is 4 years old and going strong, super healthy girl, good mum, huge old beast and I expect her (if healthy) to continue to lay for some time.

That said, I find Isa Browns to be gorgeous and sweet little birds - if a bit docile to the point of being punching bags for more dominant chickens. My little Bumblebee is an Isa Brown and she just sits on my knee and purrs. Very lovey girl. But today in the coop while I was bribing my chickens for affection with corn, she was face first in a corner, cowering from all of the other chickens. She's no longer indoors at all anymore (Except while actually changing her bandages.) so I'm really hoping she finds her place in the pecking order soon.

If nothing else, when I add Lamington the new cockerel in (after quarantine) - the chickens will have a new target for their irritability. That always seems to elevate the lowest flock members. (On a side note - I've noticed a tendency for the pecking order to be reflected in the height at which my chickens roost. Dominant chickens at the top. Fascinating. I must do science to this.)

Regarding sitting with youngsters, I totally do this too. Literally 4-5 times a day some days. Need a study break? Pet a chicken! Avoiding housework? Pet a chicken! Child napping? Pet a chicken! Drunk? Drunkenly pet a chicken!

 

[Outpost JWB]

Welcome to the dangerous rabbit hole of getting chickens. We all have more chickens than first anticipated. I wanted 6 total. I now have 20. So far. I have now decided that I want 40 at most. I expect to one day have approximately 300. I'm going to have to buy another property. -_-

That is so true. I started with 6 laying hens. That's all we need right? Family of 3, fresh eggs daily. Sometime last spring after the 2nd hatch we had 98. We are down to a more manageable number now. 53, but I am getting 5 Crested Cream Legbars today

. Chicken math.

 

[Nu2chooks15]

LOL we have a lovely large area (someone called it Palais la Chook when they saw a photo on my son's phone) for the girls, so far we have 8 nesting boxes 12 x 12 x 9 inches as we've been researching and this seemed the most common measurements, we're in process of raising the feeding and watering containers off the ground on chain (with hooks etc so we can remove easily if needed). I've just given the girls some green scraps (brussel sprouts) and while I was there they're still very insecure but one or two started to scratch and peck at not only the greenery but also the seed mix we bought too (apparently it's a good mix for them to become layers).

I understand re the short laying period and I'm fine with this with these ones, that's why I'm getting the other varieties, in particular the Wyandottes. I will slowly replace the Isa's over time with other longer lasting layers.

Another thing I've been told tonight is the Isa's carry some disease which can affect other birds in a really not nice way, is this fact, fiction or happens from time to time?

 

[sweetbeak]

Without knowing parentage I think you might have a waiting game on your hands! Lucky it shouldn't be too long

Here is a photo of Coco today, she's starting vocalizing more and waking in and out of the nesting boxes, I'm hoping she is close to lay!!!

 

[Fancychooklady]

LOL we have a lovely large area (someone called it Palais la Chook when they saw a photo on my son's phone) for the girls, so far we have 8 nesting boxes 12 x 12 x 9 inches as we've been researching and this seemed the most common measurements, we're in process of raising the feeding and watering containers off the ground on chain (with hooks etc so we can remove easily if needed).  I've just given the girls some green scraps (brussel sprouts) and while I was there they're still very insecure but one or two started to scratch and peck at not only the greenery but also the seed mix we bought too (apparently it's a good mix for them to become layers).

I understand re the short laying period and I'm fine with this with these ones, that's why I'm getting the other varieties, in particular the Wyandottes.  I will slowly replace the Isa's over time with other longer lasting layers.

Another thing I've been told tonight is the Isa's carry some disease which can affect other birds in a really not nice way, is this fact, fiction or happens from time to time?

That only applies to ex battery hens and birds that have been vaccinated . I'm assuming they were referring to marecks disease. It's not recommended that you mix vaccinated birds with unvaccinated birds. My old isa brown died when she was 7 . She stopped laying regularly at 3 years , so you wouldn't call them ' cost effective '. The heritage breeds take longer to come into lay than the hybrids but they are stayers.
I have gold laced Wyandotte that are coming up to 5 and still lay daily and right through winter.

 

[cwrite]

Here is a photo of Coco today, she's starting vocalizing more and waking in and out of the nesting boxes, I'm hoping she is close to lay!!!

That's exciting & sounds promising! How old is she? I saw one of my ara's rearrange a few pieces of straw in the nest box today but as she's only 15 weeks old she is obviously getting in some early practice. I'm looking forward to blue/green egg pics.

 

[Nu2chooks15]

That only applies to ex battery hens and birds that have been vaccinated . I'm assuming they were referring to marecks disease. It's not recommended that you mix vaccinated birds with unvaccinated birds. My old isa brown died when she was 7 . She stopped laying regularly at 3 years , so you wouldn't call them ' cost effective '. The heritage breeds take longer to come into lay than the hybrids but they are stayers.
I have gold laced Wyandotte that are coming up to 5 and still lay daily and right through winter.

Okay, I thought it might not have been for all and yes it was marecks disease that was mentioned. All our girls will have been vaccinated, the first 6 Isa's are vaccinated and all others will be as well (this is done as a matter of course) as well as being wormed at the appropriate time before being made available for purchasing by others.

 

[Outpost JWB]

From my understanding Marek's vaccination does not guarantee they will not get Marek's. Basically if you get a chicken that carries Marek's, your whole flock can get it. Vaccinated or not. The vaccine is said to lessen the chance that it is contracted.