Kya's Farm Fun

[Kyanite]

Well, in just four days I'll have been a member of BYC for a year. I figured that a good way to celebrate that, and the successful move of the site, was to purchase myself a membership. This will be easier on my boonies internet with a data cap, and also make viewing on my phone much nicer. It also called for a journal of sorts. So much during my chicken adventure I've thought about journaling, so her we go!

I've had my current laying flock for a little over a year. I had chickens and about all other livestock imaginable as a kid, then I joined the Army at 18, then I got married and had a kid, moved around working my tail off... and now the kid is 16!!! Hubby dearest and I have 5 acres of paradise and are building a little hobby farm with the goal of being as sustainable as possible.

Here's my current crew:
3 Black Australorps
4 Silver Laced Wyandottes
5 Easter Eggers
3 French Copper Marans (Blue & Black)
3 Cream Legbars
3 Svart Honas
4 Swedish Flower Hens
5 Icelandics
2 Ducks, Muscovy and Muscovy x

We are getting two doelings in July once they are weaned. They are 1/2 Alpine and 1/2 Nubian. Twins.

We've also got 8 Red Rangers that will be ready for the freezer very soon. We're contemplating keeping back a cockerel and pullet to hatch some eggs for a second batch, or possibly just the cockerel and crossing him with our Wyandottes for meat birds.

OK, methinks that's enough for post one. Plenty to come, including pics of the crew as my data allows!

 

[Kyanite]

Here's the Muscovy duckling I got a week ago. He/she is trying really hard to be friends with that little Swedish Flower. My daughter thinks that the Muscovy should be called Theo.

Here's a little Blue Copper Marans that I hatched. He's affectionately known as "Crapper" because that's precisely what he did the minute my daughter set him on her chest when he was two days old.

And one of my older gals. This is Blondie the Easter Egger. Her eggs are the most gorgeous blue. No green from this gal.

 

[ChickenCrazyCanadian]

That Muskovy is stealing my heart!!

 

[Kyanite]

That Muskovy is stealing my heart!!

I know right? Those ducks are converting me. I already want more! I'll find some pics of the little sibling muscovy x. The seller said it hatched from a Muscovy egg, but she didn't think it was pure. She has several breeds of ducks. I'm thinking possibly Cayuga since the other chick is almost all black.

 

[Kyanite]

I gave the little duckies peas in their water today. They had a blast getting them out. A couple chicks helped.

The ducks having a blast. I refill this with clean water more times in a day than I'd like to admit. They foul it nearly immediately.

This little white chick is an Icelandic. She thinks that she's a duck. She's the only chick that gets in, but she's done it many times.

 

[Chicknbootz]

Blondie is beautiful!

 

[Kyanite]

Blondie is beautiful!

Thanks! She's one of my favorites. She's so much smaller than the other Easter Eggers I bought at the same time, but she makes up for it by being gorgeous and laying beautiful blue eggs. Some of my others are more blue-green.

 

[Kyanite]

Today I gave the little chicky-doodles something to play on. The buggers were getting bored and sorting through their feed for choice bits while wasting the rest.
They took right to it!

 

[PennyM]

Your birds are beautiful, chickens and ducks! Sometimes I wish I had a farm but I have 3/4 of an acre and that's enough for me at my age, lol. We're allowed 6 hens and no roos. My hubby, sis and I are new chicken parents since the end of April and I cant believe how much I love them already! We recently got 2 EEs and I can't wait to see what color eggs they give us!

 

[Kyanite]

Your birds are beautiful, chickens and ducks! Sometimes I wish I had a farm but I have 3/4 of an acre and that's enough for me at my age, lol. We're allowed 6 hens and no roos. My hubby, sis and I are new chicken parents since the end of April and I cant believe how much I love them already! We recently got 2 EEs and I can't wait to see what color eggs they give us!

Thank you!
You can do quite a lot with 3/4 of an acre. And yeah, chickens surprise you on how you get attached to them. Their little personalities and antics are so much fun to watch.