Illinois...

[cavemanrich]

I only have Rouens. Mostly yellow is interesting... there might be something hidden in the genetics.

Could it be a visiting Drake was in your grounds???

So I have to say the cliche phrase... chicken math happened.

That condition seems to affect many of us here,,, regardless how we did in arithmetic in grammar school

So right now I don't have much to offer in the realm of chicken advise!

Here on the Illinois state thread subjects vary from anything to anything.
WELCOME TO

 

[24Elsinore]

You look familiar but just to be safe " welcome to the thread".
Congrats on the chicks, what did you order?
I hope this year to make a (real) garden and want an area of chicken friendly plants.
Keep us updated on what you have, I'm sure someone will be interested.

I ordered 15 barnevelder chicks: 12 females and 3 males (if they all make it). Being in town I'll be able to keep four of the hens and I'll be sending the rest to my in-laws' farm after a month or two. They are in need of some new genes in their flock.

On plants, I still have a lot of seed stratifying in the fridge. So based on what germinates I'll have many more species growing through the summer. I'll keep people updated.

 

[BReeder!]

Hi all,

I just wanted to drop in and say to my fellow Illinois folks on here. I live in the Chicago suburbs. I don't have any chicks yet but I have some ordered from Cackle Hatchery that are supposed to be delivered in June. So right now I don't have much to offer in the realm of chicken advise!

However another hobby of mine does provide me with something I can give away, trade and bargain to any interested people. I raise plants native to the Chicago regions for various people and projects, and I often have lots of leftovers. If anyone is ever interested in starting a pollinator garden or native flower garden, let me know and I'll see what I can help you with. Currently I have a couple dozen wetland plants from last year, including bluejoint (a grass) and wild mint. Both of these would work well in a rain garden, and bluejoint is excellent for erosion control in wet soils or along river banks. Let me know if you are ever interested.

Me! Me! Me!

I am actually starting a pollinator flower bed already. Nothing in the ground outside yet, but I started prairie onion, columbine and hyssop in starter sells - all IL natives too my knowledge and limited research. I also started some sunflowers that will be planted in another spot. If you want to trade or are giving anything away, I'll be happy to deal.

I'm in Plainfield btw. Your profile says Downers Grove. That's not too bad of a drive. I meet with a friend from the city in that area often since it's equal drive time for us both.

 

[BReeder!]

ant an area of chicken friendly plants.

Established trees. That's it. My chickens destroy every plant they can reach with their feet and beaks. Chickens in the garden is fine in the late Fall after harvest and early Spring before planting. If there are plants I want to grow, I keep the chickens out. If you find something that they ignore and can grow in their run other than a tree, let me know.

 

[24Elsinore]

Me! Me! Me!

I am actually starting a pollinator flower bed already. Nothing in the ground outside yet, but I started prairie onion, columbine and hyssop in starter sells - all IL natives too my knowledge and limited research. I also started some sunflowers that will be planted in another spot. If you want to trade or are giving anything away, I'll be happy to deal.

I'm in Plainfield btw. Your profile says Downers Grove. That's not too bad of a drive. I meet with a friend from the city in that area often since it's equal drive time for us both.

My in-laws live outside of Yorkville and I often go through Plainfield on the way there, so I have reasons to go out that way!

 

[BReeder!]

Could it be a visiting Drake was in your grounds???

That is possible. Ducks fly over all the time and I have had them land in the yard a few times, but never seen wild ducks in the duck pen. There's no roof on it though, just a picket fence around it and there is a 5'x10' pond that might attract a wild duck.

I'm also thinking there's a possibility of my drake hiding some Pekin genetics. It's doubtful, but not impossible. We had two Pekin drakes last year for a while. They always stayed together and away from the Rouens by choice - birds of a feather stick together. @Faraday40 hatched some duck eggs for me last year. They all came from Rouens females and didn't show signs of any Pekin in their color, shape, etc. I later culled all extra drakes and only kept our current drake. I thought he was the original Rouens drake, but it's possible I kept a new one from last Spring. Afterall, the spring hatchlings were full grown and colored in the Fall when I culled the extra drakes so it's possible I confused them and that I kept a younger drake that was unknowingly fathered by a Pekin and hid all signs of Pekin genetics.

 

[BReeder!]

My in-laws live outside of Yorkville and I often go through Plainfield on the way there, so I have reasons to go out that way!

Yep! Right down route 126. You would go right past my subdivision on your way. Do you know the YMCA in Plainfield? Right after you pass that on route 126 my subdivision is on the left.

 

[Faraday40]

@BReeder!
Your ducklings are fluffy (and adorable) so I took them out for pics

Here's the light one. She has some black on head and tail

Rest of the ducklings have the usual Rouen pattern but in diff shades.
Here's a Medium and dark one.

All 5 in a bucket

 

[Faraday40]

@homeschoolin momma
Here are your 3 Spitzes:

 

[Faraday40]

Here are a few backyard mixes for another friend. They mostly look like australorps to me. I guess he's the top rooster.

The expression of Chick on left made me laugh