Hi everyone! Just turned 18 and found this site. Have been raising chickens for about six years now and am addicted. Parents tolerate my poultry obsession, but won't let me expand my pen and get geese....Mom especially is afraid of geese....Oh well. It's my senior year so I won't be listening to their griping and groaning about my chickens much longer
Lost all of my birds in a tragic accident about six months ago to some sort of predator...Thought my pen was "predator proof" but apparently not. Was really depressed for awhile because something always seems to kill my birds right before they start laying. However, after a few weeks of sulking, I went to my parents and begged them to let me get a few more. They finally said yes and I ordered 25 light brahmas. At around 1 month of age, a dog got into my chicken tractor and killed all but 11 of the 25. I finally decided that the universe was against me raising chickens. But, over the next few days, five chicks came back so I only lost 9. This past February, I went to them again and asked them to let me order some more chicks. Of course they said no at first, but after begging them and showing them Cackle Hatchery's small order deal, they said yes. I ordered 10 splash silkies and 15 blue silkies and am now back in business with 46 chickens and hope to keep them from getting killed by coons, possums, etc. Recently set out two steel traps and caught 2 possums and 2 coons in one week! Was very happy about that and I now keep a trap set at all times. Hope to breed superior silkies in the future(know I'm going to have to get better stock eventually)and sell my birds to other lovers of poultry. Hope to meet new people on this site and make friends with other poultry enthusiasts. Nobody likes chickens around here.....Oh well. Forgive my long-windedness lol
Lost all of my birds in a tragic accident about six months ago to some sort of predator...Thought my pen was "predator proof" but apparently not. Was really depressed for awhile because something always seems to kill my birds right before they start laying. However, after a few weeks of sulking, I went to my parents and begged them to let me get a few more. They finally said yes and I ordered 25 light brahmas. At around 1 month of age, a dog got into my chicken tractor and killed all but 11 of the 25. I finally decided that the universe was against me raising chickens. But, over the next few days, five chicks came back so I only lost 9. This past February, I went to them again and asked them to let me order some more chicks. Of course they said no at first, but after begging them and showing them Cackle Hatchery's small order deal, they said yes. I ordered 10 splash silkies and 15 blue silkies and am now back in business with 46 chickens and hope to keep them from getting killed by coons, possums, etc. Recently set out two steel traps and caught 2 possums and 2 coons in one week! Was very happy about that and I now keep a trap set at all times. Hope to breed superior silkies in the future(know I'm going to have to get better stock eventually)and sell my birds to other lovers of poultry. Hope to meet new people on this site and make friends with other poultry enthusiasts. Nobody likes chickens around here.....Oh well. Forgive my long-windedness lol
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