Hi my name is Mary

Ruffstartchickenmom · May 17, 2018

I started my little flock about eight months ago. It has been ruff. September of 2017 I purchased six buff orpington straight run, three each roosters and hens. (1) At about twelve weeks old a hen got out and my dog retrieved her and he was so proud as he placed her at my feet. I covered the run, that was the only way I could find for her to have gotten out. (2) About the same time one of the roosters tried to fly out a closed window in the coop and broke his neck. I put blue tape on the two windows. (3) I had to build an enclosure for one of my roosters to separate them. They were fighting over one of my hens hurting her in the process. After separating them the rooster in the large run killed that hen. When my husbond returns home in a week, that rooster will be introduced to dumplings. (4) In March of 2018 I purchased four black sex link (pullets) no new rooster.

I am sixty three years of age and recently retired. I have wanted to have chickens for several years, I never expected it to be this heartbreaking. Any advice that would make it easier would be wonderful. I have the sex links in a separate enclosure with coop but will be trying to introduce them soon. HELP.

Celticdragonfly · May 18, 2018

Wow, tough start. I hear you on the having wanted it for years. I'm 49 and semi-handicapped, so I'm expecting this to be a bit of a challenge, and am unsure how much I can build myself. I know I can't have roosters where I am. I'm expecting older chickens are likely to wind up with the dumplings, but I have to learn how to butcher them, I'm hoping I can find articles here. The sex link breed is one I've read good things about.