Eight new baby Blues - Orpingtons!

[gclark94560]

Still too young to venture a good guess....as the old saying goes....."patience, grasshopper" !!! 

 

[gclark94560]

My Blorps are losing baby fuzz and growing half formed feathers. They poke out all over and are quite funny looking!

 

[gclark94560]

Well - as usual - you feed them well and they grow! Today my wife, Kati, and I caught all of the little chooks and banded them with colored cable ties. None were too happy about this!

Here's a shot of three of them playing on a cedar tree trunk we put in the "play pen" for them.

 

[kimberly35042]

HEY GREG!!! I can't believe I worried about those little babies (always do!). They look awesome and really no reason in the world not to keep 1 or 2 males. They are a gentle breed and the males are equally lovely as the females.
Great job!
Kim

 

[gclark94560]

Hi Kim! All 8 are doing just fine and packing in the food. Here's a few shots of the "Winchester Chicken House"!

For an explinaiton of the name go to - http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/

The construction never quits.



I just poured a concrete pad tor a 4'X4'X8' tall extension. Two 4X4X4 rooms, one on top of the other. The upper will be another coop and below will be a storage area and a "Lunch Room" for the girls and boys.

I'm also adding a 2' hardware cloth skirt all around the Play Yard.

 

[gclark94560]

A few more shots of the coop -

 

[gclark94560]

The original coop part was made for 3 to 4 hens. With the addition I can handle 8 in the new coop and still have the other coop for isolation or nesting. If I convert the "lower floor" to coop space, add 8 more.

I also have 14 acres to expand into! Chicken Math!

 

[kimberly35042]

That is so AWESOME!! Living like little kings and queens but boy they get HUGE in a hurry. Check into Premier 1 electronet fencing as "range" space. They shouldn't cross it, and will keep them close to you and the house once they are too big to be hawk bait. I love the netting-- so easy to put in and can be moved around.!!

 

[gclark94560]

That is so AWESOME!! Living like little kings and queens but boy they get HUGE in a hurry. Check into Premier 1 electronet fencing as "range" space. They shouldn't cross it, and will keep them close to you and the house once they are too big to be hawk bait. I love the netting-- so easy to put in and can be moved around.!!

I have bigger issues than hawks! I have killed 7 raccoons and the wild dogs get in my "perimeter" from time to time. Foxes have been spotted near by.

I have 10 acres inside a chain link fence but things can (and do) get under the wire. I lost all 4 of my free ranging BOs and BAs in one attack a few months back. So, I'm afraid they will all stay"cooped up" to some extent.

Their Play Room is 100 sq ft and I could add or make an additional one if needed.

 

[gclark94560]

Change that - 8 dead raccoons!