- Sep 23, 2011
- 11
- 0
- 22
I've browsed your threads in the past for answers to my problems. Now, I'm hooked and have more questions and stories to share.
I got my first chickens, straight run of 4 black copper marans and a straight run of 4 lavender orpingtons. As luck would have it, I got 1 bc marans hen & 3 roosters and 1 orpington rooster with 3 hens. One of my marans roosters turned out to be a birchen maran & I traded it back to the breeder for 2 partridge silkies and 2 lavender keets that hatched with her turkeys. I also have 14 guineas, a mix of coral blue and lavender but can't tell the difference. They're only 4 months now.
We lost one of the bc marans roosters, and the other lost the battle for head cock. So the orpington rooster has the hens, and the bc marans rooster has me and the guineas. He's my Gorgeous George. I'm planning on separating the orpingtons & bc marans in a few weeks. The coop opens into the chicken run thru the pop door and into the vegetable garden through my door. I'll keep the marans in the garden & the orpingtons in the run until I've collected enough eggs for incubating. Another half dozen hens would give us more than enough eggs for ourselves and to share with family and neighbors.
The guineas & chickens get along well, with the guineas a bit intimidated by the larger chickens. I suspect that once they're mature, things will balance out. Our cats don't bother any of them, but the dogs are a different matter. Our old cocker mutt is deaf and doesn't even notice them. The corgi - pomeranian mix is inconsistent. Sometimes he ignores them; sometimes he scavenges their yard & kitchen scraps heap in the run for corn husks, feathers or other tasty stuff; and sometimes he just dashes into their midst to see them scatter. Our german shepherd - border collie mix considers them his charges. When the orpington rooster chases the marans rooster, Paladin breaks it up. If he's around, there's no fighting, but George still doesn't dare get too close to the hens. Unfortunately, if the hens make much of a fuss when the rooster mounts them, Paladin thinks it's a fight and tries to break that up too. He likes to herd them around then lie near them and watch. However, with the heat, he goes indoors, but if the chickens or guineas make a ruckus, he's out there on the run.
I'm nearly 65 and retired. This is my first time with poultry, and I'm loving it!
I got my first chickens, straight run of 4 black copper marans and a straight run of 4 lavender orpingtons. As luck would have it, I got 1 bc marans hen & 3 roosters and 1 orpington rooster with 3 hens. One of my marans roosters turned out to be a birchen maran & I traded it back to the breeder for 2 partridge silkies and 2 lavender keets that hatched with her turkeys. I also have 14 guineas, a mix of coral blue and lavender but can't tell the difference. They're only 4 months now.
We lost one of the bc marans roosters, and the other lost the battle for head cock. So the orpington rooster has the hens, and the bc marans rooster has me and the guineas. He's my Gorgeous George. I'm planning on separating the orpingtons & bc marans in a few weeks. The coop opens into the chicken run thru the pop door and into the vegetable garden through my door. I'll keep the marans in the garden & the orpingtons in the run until I've collected enough eggs for incubating. Another half dozen hens would give us more than enough eggs for ourselves and to share with family and neighbors.
The guineas & chickens get along well, with the guineas a bit intimidated by the larger chickens. I suspect that once they're mature, things will balance out. Our cats don't bother any of them, but the dogs are a different matter. Our old cocker mutt is deaf and doesn't even notice them. The corgi - pomeranian mix is inconsistent. Sometimes he ignores them; sometimes he scavenges their yard & kitchen scraps heap in the run for corn husks, feathers or other tasty stuff; and sometimes he just dashes into their midst to see them scatter. Our german shepherd - border collie mix considers them his charges. When the orpington rooster chases the marans rooster, Paladin breaks it up. If he's around, there's no fighting, but George still doesn't dare get too close to the hens. Unfortunately, if the hens make much of a fuss when the rooster mounts them, Paladin thinks it's a fight and tries to break that up too. He likes to herd them around then lie near them and watch. However, with the heat, he goes indoors, but if the chickens or guineas make a ruckus, he's out there on the run.
I'm nearly 65 and retired. This is my first time with poultry, and I'm loving it!
