Kentucky people

[briarpatchfarms]

Im ordering 25 Blue Cochin chicks from Mt Healthy this March and will have them hopefully this April is anyone interested in some! I am ordering all pullets but there sexing rate is 90% so there sould be some roosters Im going to raise them till there old enough to tell then ill sell some if anyone is interested in some. I wont be selling many I am keeping 19 pullets and 1 roosterso there will be 5 ill let go maybe more it depends on how much room ill have

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

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Well that's too bad. That's one thing I hate about this area, if they can't eat it, they don't want it!! I used to go to petsmart all the time in Florida just to look at the birds and stuff, I kinda miss that

Thanks Cindy

Maybe if ya try a larger town - does Glasgow have any pet stores?

Bowling Green isn't that far - maybe you can find one there to sell them at.

eta - I miss V.I Pets - best reptile pet store in Grand Rapids, Michigan - they had just about anything you'd ever want - had fish and furry pets too, but I went for the snakes. They had some fantastic salt water fish, too - stuff ya don't just find anywhere.

meri

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

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It's tempting, but hubby would have a fit if I drove that far for chickens

Shelley might get talked into it, though, I know she wanted blues - but maybe it was bantams she wanted... can't recall exactly.

meri

 

[KateOfSteel]

Hi! I'm new to the forum, and to the whole concept of yard chickens. I'm really excited about it though. I think I want Black Australorps because they are supposed to be good layers and hardy in the winter. Also, being docile helps because I've really never spent that much time around chickens.

Right now I'm working on a design for a chicken tractor and also trying to find a place within driving distance to pick up my chicks. I'm in Louisville, incidentally. Any advice that people have would be great. My specific concerns at the moment are:

1. Where can I get decent organic grains to sprout to supplement my regular chicken feed?

2. If I want to end up with 5 chickens, do I need to get 6? A guy told me recently that they establish dominance by killing the weakest one, which seems kind of terrible. I'd like to start out with five and end up with five, if possible.

3. Is it okay to keep the chicks in the house while they are babies? I think I would have fewer problems keeping them at the right temperature and making sure they don't knock over their water or whatever if I just kept them in my bedroom.

4. If I build them a chicken tractor, how big does it need to be to allow five chickens to run around contentedly all day? I want to be able to move them around my yard every day or so, but I worry that any tractor design that would be easily mobile would be too small for happy chickens.

Any advice? I'm all ears.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

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Welcome to the forum

1) not sure on grains - maybe try an organic food store or health food store - they could tell you better than I can

(nothing like that down by me, I live near a very small town)

2) they won't kill the weakest one, usually - it can happen, but it is rare that they actually kill it. I've never personally seen it or known anyone who had it happen. They do institute a pecking order, but unless you have a rough breed, they won't get that violent. The Australorps are pretty easy going, I have two hens (had a couple of roosters before I got rid of them) and they are sweethearts - the friendliest hens I have - they come right up on the porch looking for treats.

3) I have a houseful of chickens at the moment, and yeah, you should probably keep them inside for awhile, til it warms up outside. Although, if you keep them in your bedroom, you may regret it

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I have mine in the "sewing room" and they are ok - but they get smelly and dusty and they make noise - not something I would want in my bedroom. Two of the ones I have inside would be outside by now, if it hadn't turned so dang cold recently. They can stay inside til they are 5 weeks old (longer if you can stand it) by 5 weeks, if it isn't too cold out, they can go out in the coop. Just make sure that you acclimate them to the cooler temps by then - try turning off their heat a week before they go out in the cold - they won't have such a shock that way.

4) I don't know much about tractors, but each chicken should have 4 square foot per bird. If they don't get out to free range, then I would double that, myself, just so they had more room to move in. But that is just what I would do

Is it possible to free range them at all? even if for just a few hours in the evening after you get home from work or school? Australorps are pretty big sized birds, and they would probably want to move a little more than a (moveable) tractor would allow. If they can freerange for a few hours, then you could get by with a tractor that is 4 square foot per bird, and they could get some exercise that way. (4 square feet per bird for 5 birds would be 8x10, I believe. But make it tall enough for them - they get taller than some chickens do. I would go at least 2 foot tall, 3 foot tall would be better).

meri

 

[shelleyd2008]

Mojo Chick'n :

Quote:
It's tempting, but hubby would have a fit if I drove that far for chickens

Shelley might get talked into it, though, I know she wanted blues - but maybe it was bantams she wanted... can't recall exactly.

meri

Ok, just to set everyone straight, ALL Shelley wants is bantams!! Unless you have some blue ameracaunas or Golden Lakenvelders, cause those are the only standards that I plan on having

Maybe the welsummers I have cooking in the bator, haven't yet decided on those.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Oh!! guess what I scored on the other day? I was out at Mite as Well Shoppe (love that place) and I got an old fishing net for 2 bucks - needs a new net, but I can make one of those - I've made nets before.

Has a nice long handle, too. It would have come in handy for those dang guineas

 

[shelleyd2008]

8x10 would be 80 square feet I believe, you multiply the length by the width. 5 birds would need a 4x5 run, with at least 2 feet of roost space per bird. So you could have a pen that is 4x5, with a 'coop' that is about 4x3, nests on one side and roosts on the other. Make the roosts like a ladder and there would be plenty of room. You would only need 2 nests for that many birds. Just make sure to get some lawn mower tires to ad to it so it is easier to move. And use 2x2's instead of 2x4, that would make it lighter.

And Meri's right, I have never had the bigger ones kill the weaker one, and I raise OEG and OEGB, and those guys are pretty tough! I don't know where you would be able to get only 5 chicks though, unless you use mypetchicken.com or buy from someone who has them. If you plan on having a roo, you would only need one, or the girls would get beat up pretty badly.

And like Meri said, you would probably have to keep them in the house for a while. They need heat till at least 4 weeks, some say 6 weeks, but till they have at least all their body feathers. Their head feathers take a while to come in. I also wouldn't keep them in my bedroom, but I do have 2 seramas in my bathroom, which is right next to my bedroom! They aren't too bad, but there is only two of them.

You might be able to get some grains from the feed store to use to grow the supplements you are wanting.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Mojo Chick'n :

Oh!! guess what I scored on the other day? I was out at Mite as Well Shoppe (love that place) and I got an old fishing net for 2 bucks - needs a new net, but I can make one of those - I've made nets before.

Has a nice long handle, too. It would have come in handy for those dang guineas

Oh, and only 4 of the quail are sold, the others are still here. There are 11 of them, would have been 12, but one decided to go swimming in the ducks waterer.

The ducks didn't like that, so they killed it

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

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Oh, and only 4 of the quail are sold, the others are still here. There are 11 of them, would have been 12, but one decided to go swimming in the ducks waterer.

The ducks didn't like that, so they killed it

is that 11 plus the four that sold, or minus the four that sold?