AndreaMcChick
In the Brooder
- Feb 8, 2018
- 4
- 15
- 26
I have had chickens several times on and off as life circumstances allowed. I think I learn and grow each time and its gets better and better. We last had chickens a couple of years ago but had to get rid of them for a move. Now we are in a new home on a larger city lot and we are gearing up to raise them again. We are thinking of getting 10 birds. In the past we only raised Red Star birds which are a Red Sex Link. They were recommended to us by some friends because they are heavy layers but this time I am planning on getting different breeds that are less aggressive. The Red birds were super friendly with people but they were not easy to integrate new birds into their existing flocks. I am looking at getting some Buff Orphingtons, White Leghorns, Easter Eggers and Black Austrolops. I have been reading this forum for years and finally decided to take the plunge the other day and make an account so I could comment. For me I love my chickens but they are not my pets, they work for me or I don't have them. I use my birds for eggs, meat, and composting. I am constantly striving to find ways to raise my birds in a way that will reduce disease but also cut down on my work load. I am a gardener and I call myself the lazy gardener, which means that I do a lot of sheet composting, permaculture practices, and see the entire garden and a system that needs to work together to create soil and plant health. We have a few children and a dog and live on an 1/2 acre lot in the city.