Hello I"m james and I'm a chickenholic

[jsr5]

Well since I last posted we have added substantially to our flock The wife got a couple dozen Cornish Crosses for meat this spring And I succumbed to cuteness at the farm and home and have now brought home Three ne Batam's (nobody told me there were hobitses chickens) Cutest darn things just couldn't pass. Gonna get a couple more as I actually brought home 4 and one died suddenly the next day. I'm gonna make these into pets I mean I already pick up pet and play with our chickens but these I want to make especially docile for the grand kids some of whom are still a bit skittish of the full size ones. But all those are excuses for the fact that I was immediately smitten by the cute lil bogers. Is there anyway to increase the chances of getting females when picking them out? It seems to be luck of the draw but thought there might be some kinda sorta indicators. Also I want to carry treats for the chickes so I can help increase their desires to come and be picked up and held anyone have any suggestions on what works well for that? Think we are well over 60 chickens total now with the incubator hatching a new batch as we speak four out since yesterday more breaking free now. They are working us to death but we are loving it for the most part well except for the little piggies the cornish crosses was not prepared for how they eat how fat and ugly they get (they start so cute) and how much the little stinkers poop and stink. But it is reasonable if they are expected to produce meat so quickly. We get about 15 eggs a day right now but that should start exploding into 2 to 3 dozen very soon as some of our earliest hatchlings will soon be laying age. Kinda excited about the whole thing right now. Have been fairly lucky we have lost none to predators yet though we are still watchful. and only a few to chicken SIDS as I am calling it when ckicks seem to inexplicably either just die or weaken and die. We have tried unsuccessfully to nurse some of the wekening ones. until they are obviously in so much distress we can't force them to suffer any longer. (still a tough part for me having to do that for em) and I have grown up a country kid hunting and farming all my life just tougher when you are there when they come out of the shell. The don't count your chickens before they hatch has so much more meaning now. As even after they hatch you have a while before you can count them as part of your flock. Anyway Cheers. Didn't want you to think I had disappeared.

P.S. just got a nice new phone with good camera and stuff so I"ll try to start sharing a few pics as soon as I figure out how to use it. At least a few general pics of the coop and operation and the flock in general and of course my pet babies the hobitses (my nasty hobitses as I call my bantams)

 

[Lazy Farmer]

 

[jsr5]

I like that even better than my pets poop breakfast. If I can save some money from buying chicks and treats and feed I'll have to get us some

 

[BBZZZZTT]

Hah! I love the hobbit chickens. I only have full size since I'm only allowed to have 4 in the city but I wish I could have some hobbits too.

I had read not to give too many treats to young chicks since they need the right nutrition balance. That said, I'm totally new to this so don't take my word.
My chicks are 7 weeks old now. I start feeding them their regular chick starter from my hand sometimes just to get them used to my hand. I eventually started giving them little bits of dried mealworms from my hand too. That's what really made them love seeing me walking up. Haha
I also let them jump up and crawl around on my hand and lap without grabbing them so they don't immediately have a negative association with me or my hand reaching in and grabbing them. This is a bit easier once they're a little older. Eventually they started hopping up onto the side of their brooder and onto my lap or shoulder. All the while I feed them worms so they know being around me pays off.
Now when I bring a guest to see the chickens (I live in the city so it's not normal here hehe) they are totally relaxed with being touched and will sit right on the visitors lap.
A few are definitely more friendly than others but that's just difference in personality I guess.

I just figure I'd share what I did since I think my chicks ended up pretty friendly!

 

[jsr5]

thanks that is what I"m thinking not too soon as you say they are still peeps but in a little I"ll start getting the dried meal worms and am gonna try my hand at raising my own worms too see if I can make my own treats. .

Love their little furry hobits feet. too too darling. If they didn't poop everywhere I'd keep inside with me. Gettin really fond of my birds i know big guys aren't supposed to cry but I can forsee a tearful harvest when I"m forced to kill some of my older birds. And we already aknow a handful of our older birds with unique personalities and even some humanesque qualities will live out long lives as we could never kill them. I"m gonna be a lousy farmer I can see it now. Was looking at rabbits the other day decided to skip it. Unless I take up knitting and raise angoras

 

[BBZZZZTT]

I already knit and for a brief moment considered angora's... Until I learned that in order to get a good soft fiber you need to pluck the hairs instead of just cut or shave them. That sounds like not a good time to me. XD

 

[drumstick diva]

Bantam Cochins really do look like baby hobbitses - I wonder why that didn't occur to me.
Of course it's been years since I watched LOTR .

 

[jsr5]

I have grand children and three boys who are still kids when it comes to movies like LOTR so I am kept reminded of such things. And I"ll admit to likeing the movie too. Of course I started my love of LOTR with the books many many years ago. Love my lil hobitses