Kristen’s Chickens and Farming Ventures

[Kris5902]

Good skill to learn.
Don't run it while tired.

Or under the influence! yeah, my teacher didn’t share any wine with me durning my first foray into firewood making... not a problem at all thanks. I did accept a little lunch though, kippered herring and bread. I am a little short on the upper body strength, I got the smallest and lightest full sized saw I could, a husqvarna 435 with an 18” bar. There was one with a smaller engine, but it was actually heavier... I’ve had the saw for two years now, so I figure it’s about time I started learning to use it safely. I still plan on getting a log splitter. Not getting any younger here

 

[Kris5902]

I must have smelled your hatch all the way down here today to just asked you about it.

It's been so nice down here that I've been spending more time out there with the flock. My 8 chick's from my last hatch are all doing great!

Yay! Gotta love the little Chickies!

 

[BlueBaby]

It's sooo exciting Nice to see you back at the keyboard. Since you are the "Rooster Lady" I'll give you an update. Nobody's been sent to the 'Freezer camp'. Things are going much better with my psycho Rooster, even gave him a name (drum roll ,,) "Jack" after Jack Nicholson in 'One Flew over the Cuckoo's nest". Changed my tactics. I leave the stick outside and talk nice to him and don't get upset when he pecks my shoes. usually give him a few pets or grab him and just hold him briefly. Then he stops or settles way down mellow. Shake a little food out onto the ground and leave him be. View attachment 2043408

I guess that I'm lucky with the rooster's of the breed that I have. They are mellow. I can walk around anywhere in the coop and run and my Naked Neck rooster's have never tried to even peck me nor attack me, not even when I am out there cleaning thing's out. Whenever I'm out there, I talk to them constantly in a soft voice and they know me. Maybe that help's, as they know I'm not just trying to sneak up on them? When I had the hatchery black Australorp's before, I couldn't trust the rooster's with them. It was probably because they don't selectively breed with only the mellow rooster's so that mean genes don't get passed on to the future generation's.

 

[Kris5902]

And my little “bad boy” is also my big daddy chicken... sire of most of my flock. So far no agressive tendencies in his boys, they were all quite gentlemanly, especially the ones that looked the most like him. I’m not so sure I can buy into the “mean genes” idea. Sure there are some tedancies in different breeds, flightiness, protectiveness, calmness and the like; which play into the “aggressive/mean” behavior. But I’m fairly certain that husbandry, human reactions and the rooster’s individual personality also has a lot to do with it. That said, I don’t trust Chickie Hawk with strangers or small children,

 

[MaryJanet]

I'm enjoying all the rooster stories! So interesting.

 

[pspatbyc]

And my little “bad boy” is also my big daddy chicken... sire of most of my flock. So far no agressive tendencies in his boys, they were all quite gentlemanly, especially the ones that looked the most like him. I’m not so sure I can buy into the “mean genes” idea. Sure there are some tedancies in different breeds, flightiness, protectiveness, calmness and the like; which play into the “aggressive/mean” behavior. But I’m fairly certain that husbandry, human reactions and the rooster’s individual personality also has a lot to do with it. That said, I don’t trust Chickie Hawk with strangers or small children,

He's one of four BO roosters all about 1 yr old. He was moved for his own safety as things were out of hand in the smaller tractor. He was placed with 2 hens. Del was the original occupant and I added an injured hen Ebony from the hen flock. I built a subpen in the tractor and kept her there till she healed (bad leg was limping) I was able to integrate the two hens and then put Jack in the subpen. He was there about three days and managed to integrate himself after he escaped. Things were fine until Del died and I moved Ebony back with the other hens. I can see I made some mistakes but we're getting through it. I had planned to move all the boys together but am worried I'll end up with a fight to the death cock fight. I am planing to process one of the other three as he is an agitator #1 and attacks the zeta male #3 (made that up ) mercilessly. Any thoughts whether it can be done? Pic is #1 and #2 on floor and #3 on roost bar. they never let him down. Jack is in the background in the adjacent tractor

 

[Ribh]

He's one of four BO roosters all about 1 yr old. He was moved for his own safety as things were out of hand in the smaller tractor. He was placed with 2 hens. Del was the original occupant and I added an injured hen Ebony from the hen flock. I built a subpen in the tractor and kept her there till she healed (bad leg was limping) I was able to integrate the two hens and then put Jack in the subpen. He was there about three days and managed to integrate himself after he escaped. Things were fine until Del died and I moved Ebony back with the other hens. I can see I made some mistakes but we're getting through it. I had planned to move all the boys together but am worried I'll end up with a fight to the death cock fight. I am planing to process one of the other three as he is an agitator #1 and attacks the zeta male #3 (made that up ) mercilessly. Any thoughts whether it can be done? Pic is #1 and #2 on floor and #3 on roost bar. they never let him down. Jack is View attachment 2044545in the background in the adjacent tractor

@Shadrach has a lot of experience with roosters too.

 

[rjohns39]

Good morning Kris

 

[Kris5902]

He's one of four BO roosters all about 1 yr old. He was moved for his own safety as things were out of hand in the smaller tractor. He was placed with 2 hens. Del was the original occupant and I added an injured hen Ebony from the hen flock. I built a subpen in the tractor and kept her there till she healed (bad leg was limping) I was able to integrate the two hens and then put Jack in the subpen. He was there about three days and managed to integrate himself after he escaped. Things were fine until Del died and I moved Ebony back with the other hens. I can see I made some mistakes but we're getting through it. I had planned to move all the boys together but am worried I'll end up with a fight to the death cock fight. I am planing to process one of the other three as he is an agitator #1 and attacks the zeta male #3 (made that up ) mercilessly. Any thoughts whether it can be done? Pic is #1 and #2 on floor and #3 on roost bar. they never let him down. Jack is View attachment 2044545in the background in the adjacent tractor

Any reason why you don’t give him some hens?

 

[Don 27]

Thanks!

So this whole journey started for us back in 2017, when we sold our house in the city and moved to my husband’s family farm. They bought the property back in the 1930’s, and have been living and farming here since. Our Parents are getting older and (they are in their mid to late 60’s) it’s getting to be time for another generation (namely us) to start taking on the responsibilities of the farm.

The farm is about 600 acres in the Southern Gulf Islands of BC Canada (like the San Juan islands in the USA). The Northen side of the farm is a cliff that is a rookery for Turkey Vultures... and we have way too many bald eagles. Our southern property line abuts a thin strip of parkland (they sold to the government). Our eastern property line borders a beautiful beach, the Western one a Vineyard established when about half the original farm was sold off in the 90’s. The island also has a huge Feral goat population as well. We farm Sheep and beef cattle, and have a licensed abbatoir operated by the farm owners. Current owners of the Farm are my husband’s Father, two Aunts, and his cousin.

We are building an off grid house about two miles away from the original farm house and surrounding out buildings. We’ve been struggling with our municipal government, and the build. Mostly the regulations, permits, and the fact they keep not reading our geotechnical engineering reports, and forgetting to request we fill out forms and covenants against the property. We plan on pouring the foundation this spring, only a year and a half or so behind our predicted schedule. In the meantime we are boondocking in a 25’ 5th wheel RV on generator and solar power, as well as propane.

I’ve always wanted chickens, and have spent the last 3 or 4 years watching you tube videos and researching them. Having them though is an entirely different experience. There are chickens on the farm already, but they have health issues and I don’t like the way they are housed and cared for. Back in September I got hatching eggs and set them in the incubator, and on October 20th my hatch was complete. There were problems with my humidity, and that’s how I found my way to this site.

This little guy hatched on day 18, just before lockdown and surprised me immensely. I’m certain it was partially set when I got it, because my temps were either good, or a little low, and everyone else hatched day 21,22, and a few stragglers on day 23.
View attachment 1695772 View attachment 1695773

Some others catching up to my “lil peeps” boy
View attachment 1695778 View attachment 1695775

And their doggy #1 fan, he was fascinated by the chicks, but is known to kill ducks and attack ravens and even eagles, so I trust him not at all... plus he would always drool suspiciously when watching them!
View attachment 1695776

It was a struggle, and I had to cull four chicks, but ended up with 14 healthy chicks, from 48 set eggs. 10 were clear or early quitters. Most made it almost full term, and my humidity issue at lockdown was most likely to blame for their failure.

Chickie Hawk is the little yellow guy in the Centre with the brown wings. I assisted his hatch.

600 acres!!. That's huge .especially considering that some of the farm was parceled off in the 90s... What would someone do with 600 acres? Was it originally bought for hunting land or agriculture. Clearing that much land in the 30's for agriculture would be a big job. Unless it was already cleared when they bought it. At one period of time when north America use to have a bunch of smaller family farms around 60 to 120 acres. One guy could handle that much as a full time job of clearing and planting. But as time went on and larger equipment became available horses were no longer needed. Smaller farms became less common and one guy handled more . He would buy another man's original, smaller farm and add it on to his farm. The benefit was it already was cleared and ready for planting .the older farm house on the property was often knocked down or repurposed and tree lines were taken out, the two farms were then considered one. This went on for a while. If it's 600 acres and a lot of its plantable that could be one of the ways it came about. Eventually when farming lost popularity the smaller farms that still remained were then parceled off into small plots . The only farms that still remain on our street are the bigger scale farms that bought more land and were able to make a substantial income.sorry for the rant. ...why was some of the land sold to the government for a park? . Then half of the farm was sold as well?..