Heya all -
I'm new to the forum (although I spent a considerable time yesterday reading many posts - and getting a stiff neck from staring at my computer all day, LOL).
My husband and I just bought a small "farm" (it is beginning to look like a farm, now, anyway) - 25 acres down in South Central Kentucky. We absolutely love it here - been here 6 months or so, now. Our land was an open hay field when we bought it, and now it has a house, a horse barn, (it already had an old milk barn way up by the road) and my chicken coop, which, if I say so myself, is the most pimped out coop in the 'hood. I started out with 16 chickens, and two died, so I now have 14. My coop is 8x12 and the run is 8x16. The coop has a covered porch, and a cupola with a rooster weather vane. We're putting in a brick sidewalk to it from the driveway later this spring. I'll have to post some pics when I figure out the forum better. One of my neighbors told me it is nicer than the house he grew up in, LOL.
My chickens are WAY cool. I've wanted some for a long time, but we lived in a big city in Michigan before this, and couldn't have them.
Now, when I say I have 14 chickens, they don't always all stay indoors. Here is the time for you to finish that drink (to save your monitor screen from the spray when ya laugh at me, LOL).....
I got my chickens last fall - bought some pullets from an auction nearby. I picked out my rooster - Chicken George - who is the sweetest Silver Leghorn I've ever seen. He really takes care of his girls. His favorite hen is a black leghorn named Oprah. Being new to the chicken raising world, I had no idea what they were, just that they were pretty, LOL. I got these two and a few other hens from one man at the auction (he had set up in the parking lot after the auction, so people could still buy from him). From another lady I bought 6 pullets, New Hampshire Reds, who were almost ready to lay (she assured me). "Cool!" thinks I, as I take my happy little brood off to their new home.
Well, time passed, the NH's got bigger, and bigger and bigger, and still no eggs... So, I begin to do some major research online and to check out why these particular chickens still didn't lay any eggs. Well, paint me stoopid, I have 6 roosters - and are they aggressive !!! Not to me; they adore me, 'cause I give them treats, I am the "food lady", but to the other chickens (especially the hens) they are holy terrors. Needless to say, these Bad Boys, spend a lot of time free ranging to save the stress (and back feathers) of George's girls. I was so amused at myself when I found out I had a bunch of roos, I called everyone I knew and told them. They are HUGE, too, so soon (very soon) they'll be gracing my freezer instead of terrorizing my ladies.
Now that the Bad Boys are going, I intend to get some baby chicks this next weekend. I was going to get some at TSC, because Chick Days is next week, but the local feed store has theirs coming in on Thursday, and I want to check there, first (the closest TSC to me is 25 miles away).
I am all set up with the brooder, and I am so excited to try baby chicks. (Most of my reading yesterday was the "raising baby chicks" threads.)
Now, about Leghorns, I keep reading how flighty and anti-social they are. True, George is a bit flighty - he isn't a lap chicken by any means, but he lets me walk right up to him, now, without squawking and having a fit trying to fly away. (so long as I don't try to pick him up for any reason, LOL). I am not sure what type of chicks I can get at the feed store, but I am hoping to get some Black Australorps. If I cannot find those, more black leghorns would be ok - Oprah is a good layer (although I prefer the brown eggs to her white ones.)
I had called TSC and the person I talked to told me they would have Cornish Rocks and Straight Runs. I am not sure what types of chicks they'll have in the straight runs, but I am going to that town Monday anyway, so I'll stop in and check on that then. (they have chicks now, supposedly, just the "chick days" is this coming week).
I also called the feed store, their chicks don't come in until thursday, and he said they had "a bunch of em" coming - no details, LOL. I guess I'll have to check that out too. They have a "chick days" deal, also, if I buy a bag of chick starter (which I need anyway) I get 5 free chicks. I intend to bring home about 10 chicks total, in case of some deaths and some roos. (Gawd forbid I have any more roos).
My other hens, I have no idea what breed they are - most are mutts, I believe. One is very pretty orangeish with some speckles on her shoulders (Sugar Pie). One is NH hen I got from the same guy I got George from (Honey). One is also orange, but has very white legs (Cream Puff) - so no idea what she is. They (the two orange who are laying) lay small brown eggs, and I have one speckled black and white who looks like she might be a Dominique hen. Her name is Miss Celie. The speckled hen lays medium to large brown eggs, the NH hen still isn't laying, but I'm giving her some extra time.
I also have one other NH roo who is allowed to hang out with George and his ladies, because is the lowest on the totem pole, and doesn't try to get aggressive with anyone, and one little bantam roo I got at a benefit auction - he is a bit more into the ladies, but George keeps him in line. I may have to find other quarters for him, also though. The NH roo that is allowed to stay in (we call him Urkel) kept being mauled by the other roos, they almost killed him, but he is recovering fine, and when he gets bigger he'll be stew meat, too.
So, that is my intro for now. I'm sure I'll be posting more soon. I love this forum - it has been SO helpful to me already just reading the problems and tips from everyone else.
Peace -
Meriah
I'm new to the forum (although I spent a considerable time yesterday reading many posts - and getting a stiff neck from staring at my computer all day, LOL).
My husband and I just bought a small "farm" (it is beginning to look like a farm, now, anyway) - 25 acres down in South Central Kentucky. We absolutely love it here - been here 6 months or so, now. Our land was an open hay field when we bought it, and now it has a house, a horse barn, (it already had an old milk barn way up by the road) and my chicken coop, which, if I say so myself, is the most pimped out coop in the 'hood. I started out with 16 chickens, and two died, so I now have 14. My coop is 8x12 and the run is 8x16. The coop has a covered porch, and a cupola with a rooster weather vane. We're putting in a brick sidewalk to it from the driveway later this spring. I'll have to post some pics when I figure out the forum better. One of my neighbors told me it is nicer than the house he grew up in, LOL.
My chickens are WAY cool. I've wanted some for a long time, but we lived in a big city in Michigan before this, and couldn't have them.
Now, when I say I have 14 chickens, they don't always all stay indoors. Here is the time for you to finish that drink (to save your monitor screen from the spray when ya laugh at me, LOL).....
I got my chickens last fall - bought some pullets from an auction nearby. I picked out my rooster - Chicken George - who is the sweetest Silver Leghorn I've ever seen. He really takes care of his girls. His favorite hen is a black leghorn named Oprah. Being new to the chicken raising world, I had no idea what they were, just that they were pretty, LOL. I got these two and a few other hens from one man at the auction (he had set up in the parking lot after the auction, so people could still buy from him). From another lady I bought 6 pullets, New Hampshire Reds, who were almost ready to lay (she assured me). "Cool!" thinks I, as I take my happy little brood off to their new home.
Well, time passed, the NH's got bigger, and bigger and bigger, and still no eggs... So, I begin to do some major research online and to check out why these particular chickens still didn't lay any eggs. Well, paint me stoopid, I have 6 roosters - and are they aggressive !!! Not to me; they adore me, 'cause I give them treats, I am the "food lady", but to the other chickens (especially the hens) they are holy terrors. Needless to say, these Bad Boys, spend a lot of time free ranging to save the stress (and back feathers) of George's girls. I was so amused at myself when I found out I had a bunch of roos, I called everyone I knew and told them. They are HUGE, too, so soon (very soon) they'll be gracing my freezer instead of terrorizing my ladies.
Now that the Bad Boys are going, I intend to get some baby chicks this next weekend. I was going to get some at TSC, because Chick Days is next week, but the local feed store has theirs coming in on Thursday, and I want to check there, first (the closest TSC to me is 25 miles away).
I am all set up with the brooder, and I am so excited to try baby chicks. (Most of my reading yesterday was the "raising baby chicks" threads.)
Now, about Leghorns, I keep reading how flighty and anti-social they are. True, George is a bit flighty - he isn't a lap chicken by any means, but he lets me walk right up to him, now, without squawking and having a fit trying to fly away. (so long as I don't try to pick him up for any reason, LOL). I am not sure what type of chicks I can get at the feed store, but I am hoping to get some Black Australorps. If I cannot find those, more black leghorns would be ok - Oprah is a good layer (although I prefer the brown eggs to her white ones.)
I had called TSC and the person I talked to told me they would have Cornish Rocks and Straight Runs. I am not sure what types of chicks they'll have in the straight runs, but I am going to that town Monday anyway, so I'll stop in and check on that then. (they have chicks now, supposedly, just the "chick days" is this coming week).
I also called the feed store, their chicks don't come in until thursday, and he said they had "a bunch of em" coming - no details, LOL. I guess I'll have to check that out too. They have a "chick days" deal, also, if I buy a bag of chick starter (which I need anyway) I get 5 free chicks. I intend to bring home about 10 chicks total, in case of some deaths and some roos. (Gawd forbid I have any more roos).
My other hens, I have no idea what breed they are - most are mutts, I believe. One is very pretty orangeish with some speckles on her shoulders (Sugar Pie). One is NH hen I got from the same guy I got George from (Honey). One is also orange, but has very white legs (Cream Puff) - so no idea what she is. They (the two orange who are laying) lay small brown eggs, and I have one speckled black and white who looks like she might be a Dominique hen. Her name is Miss Celie. The speckled hen lays medium to large brown eggs, the NH hen still isn't laying, but I'm giving her some extra time.
I also have one other NH roo who is allowed to hang out with George and his ladies, because is the lowest on the totem pole, and doesn't try to get aggressive with anyone, and one little bantam roo I got at a benefit auction - he is a bit more into the ladies, but George keeps him in line. I may have to find other quarters for him, also though. The NH roo that is allowed to stay in (we call him Urkel) kept being mauled by the other roos, they almost killed him, but he is recovering fine, and when he gets bigger he'll be stew meat, too.
So, that is my intro for now. I'm sure I'll be posting more soon. I love this forum - it has been SO helpful to me already just reading the problems and tips from everyone else.
Peace -
Meriah
