Our local farm store ordered them through Mt Healthy. Omlet's getting upgraded to a traditional coop this spring.
I'll write up a page on it when I have some downtime. It's an interesting product, but certainly not appropriate for most flocks (for exactly the reasons you mentioned).
Our Rhode Island hybrid was ridiculously smart. We taught her the command "box" to go to her dig box and wait for us to enter the run with treats (rather than getting swarmed at the door). She was also the only one to learn her name.
You can’t go wrong with Buff Orpingtons or Black Australorps. Calm, friendly and great egg layers!
That's cool! Mine know voice commands too. They listen most of the time. I can't let them free range on their own because of predators so I usually either walk them around our large yard or put them in the fenced in garden for a bit every day. Come on chickies and they know to follow me, go go go means run to the coop.
I have 2 males and 7 females in my hoop coop. So far they're getting along pretty well (10 months old).
Well I have had my 4 chicks for 3 1/2 weeks so these are definitely thoughts and not advice! We wanted the chick experience so we got our ladies when they were 2 days old. They are a lot of work but we are retired so have the time to do it. They seem to have bonded to each other and us. They will sit on our shoulders already! We have an Australorp, a Buff Orpington, a golden laced Wyandotte and I was talked into a silkie while we were picking the other 3 up! We wanted friendly chickens as well as egg producers so these were the breeds we settled on. I personally wanted the experience of a mixed flock. Again I am only a teeny tiny bit ahead of you and don't even a little bit know that much but it just makes sense to me if they are going to be a part of your family to raise them from chicks! Good Luck!!!!!
Congratulations!!!
Thanks for chiming in. Things are going well. It's been 10 days and I'm doing my best to get them to warm up to me. So far.. this guy (Hawkeye) is the only brave one that will cautiously take treats from my hand.. the last two days. We shall see how it goes as time goes by. Should I try to grab one and hold/pet it for a period of time.. or let it be on their terms?Congratulations!!!
That's a lovely solution! Same breed but come in so many different colors/feather patterns, plus the fun of different-colored eggs! Most of my flock of 8 were started pullets about 18 weeks+/- when they arrived, all different breeds, and once they settled in and learned to see us as a non-threatening source of treats and fun things to play with, they became very sociable (and worked out their pecking order very quickly, so little drama thank goodness). No problem picking them up, petting, doing health inspections, etc. after they'd been with us for 2-3 weeks.
My 2 Easter Eggers raised from chicks are very bonded to each other, do everything together, and like hanging out & roosting at night with the Whiting's True Blue - my only other pullet who lays colored eggs (the rest lay brown). I wouldn't hesitate to add more Easter Eggers in future.
The one caution is, they & the WTB are lighter-weight birds and all 3 can/will fly right over the 7-foot fence! (We have hawk net over their yard vs. aerial predators, but it keeps these girls in their safe yard, too!) I've seen them take flight and bounce off the hawk net, landing back in their yard with a very startled expression.
