Hello BYC peeps!
I've been reading BYC for a while and have decided to join in.
We had leghorns when I was a kid and i used to spend time watching them and wondering what they were thinking. Now I've got my own place (in Australia - very hot summer coming up) and I couldn't wait to get chooks. I'm in the suburbs, so they really are "backyard" chickens.
I started a year ago with two ISA brown crosses and a leghorn cross. Sadly they were all killed in a fox raid. I was heartbroken for a while but got myself a fox-proof coop a few months back and added further fox proofing. In october i got a barnevelder and an australorp, both pol pullets.
They seem happy and healthy. Coop + run = 17m2 but there's no natural shade in the mornings. They eat a 50/50 mix of red hen grain mix and pellets (both for layers), and treats like lettuce, tomato, meal worms and whatever they can dig up. The Australorp has given me seven eggs in a row, maybe she'll make it eight for christmas! The barnevelder gives me 5 or 6 a week. The Barny is queen and the Aussie does her bidding
Strangely, the Barny doesn't mind a hot day but the Aussie hates the heat. I've tried all sorts of things to keep her cool and a misting system is next on my list.
Very nice to meet you
I've been reading BYC for a while and have decided to join in.
We had leghorns when I was a kid and i used to spend time watching them and wondering what they were thinking. Now I've got my own place (in Australia - very hot summer coming up) and I couldn't wait to get chooks. I'm in the suburbs, so they really are "backyard" chickens.
I started a year ago with two ISA brown crosses and a leghorn cross. Sadly they were all killed in a fox raid. I was heartbroken for a while but got myself a fox-proof coop a few months back and added further fox proofing. In october i got a barnevelder and an australorp, both pol pullets.
They seem happy and healthy. Coop + run = 17m2 but there's no natural shade in the mornings. They eat a 50/50 mix of red hen grain mix and pellets (both for layers), and treats like lettuce, tomato, meal worms and whatever they can dig up. The Australorp has given me seven eggs in a row, maybe she'll make it eight for christmas! The barnevelder gives me 5 or 6 a week. The Barny is queen and the Aussie does her bidding
Strangely, the Barny doesn't mind a hot day but the Aussie hates the heat. I've tried all sorts of things to keep her cool and a misting system is next on my list.
Very nice to meet you
BYC is a helpful site providing all of the information you need to know about poultry. There is always space for members on the BYC roost!
Where are you located since you were just mentioning the heat? Providing them shade, cold water, dust bathing material and maybe frozen berries will help them to tolerate it a lot better. Hosing down their area/run with cold water is an other suggestion, it makes the surrounding area not so dry and hot. Hope you enjoy it here as much as we all do!
Merry Christmas!
and Welcome to Backyard Chickens. 
