Howdy, neighbor.
We're in Ashby! This (BYC) is the place to turn when your friends, coworkers and family are tired of hearing about chickens
My husband made me wait three years after buying our house to finally get chickens. It was torture! We have ours now, and the eggs are GORGEOUS!! We're "Foodies", too (or "Food Nazis", as my brother calls us), and you have many local sources from which to get fresh, pastured eggs while you wait. One is North Forty Farm (http://www.northfortyfarm.net/), but you'll find neighbors, too, if you keep your ears open.
One suggestion: hardware cloth the DAYLIGHTS out of your shed, including the floor, as you retrofit it for the chickies. I've had two local friends lose many, many chickens to weasles in the last year. One lost 25 in a single night. The other lost 10 total, one each night, until only the rooster (wounded) was left. Both found two-inch diameter holes, and no other access. I lost two to coyotes last fall. My girls were flying over the electric flock fencing every day. Since they've decided to quit that bad habit (thank GOD!), the fencing has done its job, and they all get plenty of grass and bugs.
Happy Spring!
We're in Ashby! This (BYC) is the place to turn when your friends, coworkers and family are tired of hearing about chickens
My husband made me wait three years after buying our house to finally get chickens. It was torture! We have ours now, and the eggs are GORGEOUS!! We're "Foodies", too (or "Food Nazis", as my brother calls us), and you have many local sources from which to get fresh, pastured eggs while you wait. One is North Forty Farm (http://www.northfortyfarm.net/), but you'll find neighbors, too, if you keep your ears open.
One suggestion: hardware cloth the DAYLIGHTS out of your shed, including the floor, as you retrofit it for the chickies. I've had two local friends lose many, many chickens to weasles in the last year. One lost 25 in a single night. The other lost 10 total, one each night, until only the rooster (wounded) was left. Both found two-inch diameter holes, and no other access. I lost two to coyotes last fall. My girls were flying over the electric flock fencing every day. Since they've decided to quit that bad habit (thank GOD!), the fencing has done its job, and they all get plenty of grass and bugs.
Happy Spring!
