Colorado

[pichuris]

Welcome to all the newbies its great to see the new faces.

What kind of lizard is this? We found 2 in some wood near the coop. Is this anything I need to worry about?

We get those every so often in Strasburg. Chicken snacks.

Snake?

X2

Is anyone tired of the snow storms?  Normally I love moisture and snow storms/blizzards are awesome, but I want to get more work done on my coop and run and 12+ inches doesn't help with that plan! 

Tires of the cold is understatement.

 

[pichuris]

All this talk of everyone with new chicks has given me chickie fever. Threw couple dozen eggs in the incubator today. Will be expecting PBR, black star, red star and just for kicks some mystery eggs. Why am I more excited then my kids about this.

I've decided on building a bigger new coop. I took my husband shed he was using for saddles but Im not happy with it. So Im ready for warmer weather to make this happen.

Im looking to add more RIR to my plans this year so keep me in mind please.

 

[Chesterchook]

I know, right?! But as a first time chicken owner, I just stuck with two. I wouldn't be surprised if I added to that number eventually.

Well, with only two they can't hardly even warm each other, really need a minimum of 5 or 6.

 

[pichuris]

Once you have chickens there is no such thing as self control. Lol

 

[Chesterchook]

All this talk of everyone with new chicks has given me chickie fever. Threw couple dozen eggs in the incubator today. Will be expecting PBR, black star, red star and just for kicks some mystery eggs. Why am I more excited then my kids about this.

I've decided on building a bigger new coop. I took my husband shed he was using for saddles but Im not happy with it. So Im ready for warmer weather to make this happen.

Im looking to add more RIR to my plans this year so keep me in mind please.

Are the PBR from your own flock?

 

[Pozees]

Had to buy a couple of new heated waterers tonight for the chicks/juveniles that are out in the new coop, it isn't insulated yet and it will get pretty cold tonight so had to make sure they had water. If anyone needs any, Sweeny's has their heated waterers on sale for 30% off right now, the Blende/Mesa store still had a couple left after I bought two. Stocked up on scratch grains and got a bag each of starter and grower while I was there, saves me a trip this weekend. I decided to try rolled oats in place of whole oats in the scratch mix, I use it with crumble in my FF and they seem to be leaving more and more of the whole oats lately so hoping the change makes it more appetizing, even though rolled oats are a bit lower in protein. The layers are already consuming some bugs so they should be fine.

Getting ready to start a new FF batch with grower and scratch for the juveniles, and one with just starter. Got the bowls and now just have to get containers to feed it out in and then I'll get it started. The past several weeks have been so darned busy, I just have not had the time to start it, but now that most of the work on the coop is inside and not so weather-dependent I should be able to get it together this week. The Catdance Silkies are too adorable for words, and so curious about everything we do in the coop, very people-oriented. They are 2 months old now, and I am pretty sure I have 3 cockerels and 2 pullets. The cockerels are the silver-based white, the Blue/Splash, and the Black which came from the Lavender pen covered by a Black split to Lavender Roo, and the pullets are the Porcelain and the gold-based White with the crossed beak. Since most basic goal for the Silkies is brooding, this is not enough pullets. My secondary goal is to have nice enough Silkies to produce quality offspring, so I have done two things that will hopefully help me toward these goals. I ordered 12 Black Silkie hatching eggs from an NPIP-certified breeder with show quality birds, and <gulp> bought a group of adults from someone who has elected to migrate toward other breeds, mainly waterfowl. Shipping has been postponed three times thanks to weather, but next week I expect to received a Blue Roo, 2 Black Hens and 2 Partridge Hens.

Remaining is a decision about buying some chicks from another Show breeder who can ship as many as 50 Silkie chicks from what appears to be pretty nice parents. I can get chicks for $7 each (except Splash, which she wants $10 each for) plus shipping - shipping is almost $45 for 25 or almost $69 for 50 - so $220 for 25 or $420 for 50 if I get just the $7 chicks. I am pretty interested in ordering from this breeder (East Coast Silkies), and wondered if anyone else here would like to share an order. I can't afford 50 as much as I would like to, and even 25 would be a stretch. If anyone here is interested, please PM me. I would like to know by Thursday how many to order from her. I am mainly interested in Partridge, White, and maybe Blue since I still won't have a Blue hen.

 

[Ashdoes]

Remaining is a decision about buying some chicks from another Show breeder who can ship as many as 50 Silkie chicks from what appears to be pretty nice parents.  I can get chicks for $7 each (except Splash, which she wants $10 each for) plus shipping - shipping is almost $45 for 25 or almost $69 for 50 - so $220 for 25 or $420 for 50 if I get just the $7 chicks.  I am pretty interested in ordering from this breeder (East Coast Silkies), and wondered if anyone else here would like to share an order.  I can't afford 50 as much as I would like to, and even 25 would be a stretch.  If anyone here is interested, please PM me.  I would like to know by Thursday how many to order from her.  I am mainly interested in Partridge, White, and maybe Blue since I still won't have a Blue hen. 

Yay Pozees! I have been wondering where to get some Silkies as a gift for hubby. I would take ten silkie chicks, any color you can get. I knew you had some Catdance Silkies, but didn't think you were selling those. So, I would for sure go in on an order with you, of any breeder, as long as you think they're nice and fluffy. Hubby isn't too picky, he just couldn't believe how fluffy our two are, and would love a "herd of silkies". Let me know what your thoughts on cost are, and if I need to order more then ten for a complete order with you.

Edit-I got so excited about silkie chicks I didn't read slow enough...if you think you'll be hatching out some chicks soon, like within the next three months, I would buy from you then. Instead of you putting in a huge order for chicks, while having all those adults.

 

[FreshChick]

Hi from Northern Colorado. Don't have anything but a coop in a box at the moment. Still working on getting our permit. A little terrified and a lot excited!

 

[ktmikal]

Hey everyone! Thanks so much for all the responses about the coop and the tip on hardware cloth (I might check amazon too). Sorry it took so long - insanely busy around here! I'm hoping that by this weekend I can at least have enough of the coop constructed to get these full grown chickens out of my garage!

I have a bunch of kilz left over from sealing my subfloor, so I was thinking about doing that inside.

Good news: Coop construction is holding up to this insane wind. My patio set, on the other hand, is strewn across the backyard. I'll have to retrieve it when it calms down a bit more.

 

[Ashdoes]

Hey everyone! Thanks so much for all the responses about the coop and the tip on hardware cloth (I might check amazon too). Sorry it took so long - insanely busy around here! I'm hoping that by this weekend I can at least have enough of the coop constructed to get these full grown chickens out of my garage!   I have a bunch of kilz left over from sealing my subfloor, so I was thinking about doing that inside. 

Good news: Coop construction is holding up to this insane wind. My patio set, on the other hand, is strewn across the backyard. I'll have to retrieve it when it calms down a bit more.

We got our hardware cloth from Amazon, and lucked out with free shipping. Better prices there then I was able to find anywhere else, but if I had had to pay shipping they would not have been as cheap.