Hello from North Texas!

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machinfarm

machinfarm

Chirping
Apr 27, 2015
137
41
78
Weatherford, TX
Hello!

We're new to chickens, but raising them seems to have already taken over our lives!

We started out with 13 day old red ranger chicks (for meat) + a free Egyptian Fayoumi that we got April 2015.
We ended up with 9 cocks and 4 pullets (and the fayoumi turned out to be a roo too). We processed all the RR roos at 12 weeks, but have kept the pullets and the fayoumi for the time being.
We decided that we'd like a breed which can set it's own eggs so we don't have to repurchase chicks every couple of months. So I got 7 5-week old Buff Orpington pullets and they threw in a free Delaware cock of the same age.
Then I ordered a 'frying pan special' from Murray McMurray, 15 male leghorn chicks + a free Golden Laced Wyandotte of unknown gender.
And then, yesterday I rescued an 8 week old 'Cuckoo Maran' cockerel. I put that in quotes because while that's what they called him, he isn't cuckoo at all, looks more like a french Copper Blue Maran to me.

So in 3 months, we went from zero to 30 chickens!

We intend to keep the red rangers girls for eggs until the BOs are laying, then we'll process them and the Fayoumi and Leghorns. I'm going to attempt to breed the BOs with a two pen method, one 'family' with the Delaware and one with the Maran. As for the Wyandotte, I haven't figured that out yet!

I'm afraid I'm in way over my head but I do love all of our chickens so much!
 
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Here's the pretty maran I got yesterday. Definitely not a cuckoo as I said, but I'm loving the copper feathers coming in on his neck and back!
 
Thank you! Yes, we're keeping him, the Delaware, the Wyandotte, and the Orpingtons. I wanted to keep the red rangers pullets long term but I've read a few posts on here from people who have kept them as layers and it seems they, like the Cornish x Rocks, don't really do great into adulthood. That's part of why we decided to go with more dual purpose breeds.
 
Hello :frow and Welcome To BYC! Good luck with your flock! Your new rooster is pretty!
 
Welcome to BYC. Glad you decided to join our flock. Which part of north Texas are you from? My wife and I were both raised in north Texas. I love the chocolate eggs of the Marans. In my personal opinion, they are the prettiest eggs in the chicken world. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck with your flock.
 
Michael OShay said:
Welcome to BYC. Glad you decided to join our flock. Which part of north Texas are you from? My wife and I were both raised in north Texas. I love the chocolate eggs of the Marans. In my personal opinion, they are the prettiest eggs in the chicken world. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck with your flock.
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Thank you! We are in Weatherford, west of Fort Worth about 20 miles. We're actually both from southern CA, the high and dry desert. We moved here about 4 years ago. However I think we were meant to come from Texas all along, it fits us like a glove! :) Thank you again for the welcome!
 

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