I think I might be out of control and in for some trouble.

[HeatherLynn]

Ok so last year I started with 3 varieties of birds who ended up being all male or never laying even at a year old. Some ended up in the freezer. Some were rehomed in the hope they would lay for someone else.

I started fresh this year. I got 2 free roosters who are mystery breeds. One died and the remaining one is a feather footed beauty. He is so handsome and HUGE. I also have 4 laying hens I bought who were labeled as new hamshire reds.

Then I bought babies the first batch were BO's BR's RIR and Brown leghorns. I am pretty sure out of those 8 I have 4 roosters. Those will probably end up dinner unless they really impress me.

Ok well then there were more babies. This time a silkie and SLW's. Out of these 6 I think I got 2 hens and my mystery silkie who is staying here no matter what.

And then there were more babies. 6 polish chicks. 1 died and the other 5 are a mystery but I am pretty sure one is a male. Not positive but its a gut feeling.

I have one large coop thats 15x20 and it has 6 nesting boxes. I have 1 separate 2 story coop that has 2 "apartments" in it that is currently holding older chicks ( teenagers) Fenced in outdoor run that can be expanded during the planting off season and will be sown with foraging friendly green manure crops.

I know I am going to want more birds and probably more varieties because i can't seem to help myself so how will this all work? What do I need to build. I have 2 sizes of birds so I am sure they will need to be separate which is no issue. Can they be in the run together? Anything I need to look out for? Right now everyone is kept separate until I am sure no one has brought something unhealthy with them but eventually all need to live together. Right now I don't intend to hatch eggs simply because I can't give the time I feel like I would need to do that. Any breeds that could not cope with this kind of mixing?

Oh and I forgot there are also 4 geese sharing space atm.

I am in deep consideration of getting a rainbow layers mix next baby season. bad idea?

 

[Farmer_Dan]

sounds great!!

Oh I wish I had that much room.

GL w/ the addiction

 

[gryeyes]

You and me, both, HeatherLynn. However, I only have one grown-up roo. (Had a "teenager" bantam roo, but the dog killed it, because I wasn't diligent enough.) Because of the loss of that cute little roo, I went to a feed store that had bantam cochins and bought another - hopefully a pullet. Can't buy just ONE, ya know. Got a buff Brahma; I think it's a bantam but I'm not sure. Before the dog got the bantam cochin roo, I'd already purchased two Silver Sebright straight run chicks. I added the bantam cochin and brahma to their brooder. These four just turned 8 wks old and I've put them outside today - it's their first night out of the brooder. *biting fingernails*

Last trip to my favorite feed store, I saw a WHITE EE pullet chick - OOOOH! Want one. She'd be the ONLY white chicken, that's too big a bulls-eye for a predator, so I also bought a Delaware pullet chick. Then I looked in the Sebright bin again, and there was one Silver Sebright that nobody had bought and it was quite a bit older than the others in the bin. Probably 2 wks at least. Had to rescue it. (Feed store employees say most customers want the "cute" fluffiest day-old chicks. I always try to get the oldest ones, so I know they'll survive.)

And in the same bin were Golden Sebrights; no goldens were available when I got the first two Silvers. Want one of those, please, the oldest in the bin.....

So, now I have FOUR straight run Sebrights, with no clue as to their sex.

My signature reflects the number of fowl I now own. Only 11 over the legal limit for this size of property.