This is the first part of the article I am trying to get submitted to publishing. Please give me feed back...
My First Year with Chickens
In 2009, we moved to a house that was on the outskirts of town, but with in a 1/2 mile to everything. It is a smallish, bi-level home with a large yard. Just over an acre, surrounded by woods that are the property of the guy who lives a few housed up the neighboring street. There are also a lot of trees in the yard. We have a neighbor to the east, well two, but the farther neighbor is never home. To the west, through a copse of trees is an elderly lady and her father. Both are widowed and have moved together to save expenses and keep company. Across the street, lived another elderly couple, but they have since sold to a younger couple, and moved on. Also, there is a large apartment complex that is very dog friendly and quiet.
At the time of our move, my sons were 3 and 3 months. We had a pit bull, 4 cats, and a bird. My parents also lived with me as both were disabled in such ways that living by themselves was not possible.
The first year we lived here, we fenced the backyard for the dog, cleaned the mess from the previous owners, of which there is still quiet a bit of trash left in the back shed. My neighbors to the east had chickens and rabbits. They never really let the chickens out that first year, so we really didn't even know they had them. The second year they started letting them run the yard and my Dad and I loved to see them all over our yard.
In 2010, I told my dad that I wanted to have a small veggie patch. Give it a try, and see if I could handle it. My youngest was no longer nursing, and he was also walking, so more independent, which left my hands less tied. Since we have so many trees in the backyard and a drain field in the front, we built a 4x8 raised garden box. My dad also built a 4x8 table out of landscape timbers to hold pots of various sizes so we could try potted veggies also. We grew, or tried to grow, tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, watermelon, cantaloupe, Brussels, broccoli, cauliflower and radishes. We did not have the best of luck that first year. We were total newbies to the "Grow your own food" life. The only things that grew well were the tomatoes, cucumbers, beans and melons. Our broccoli and cauliflower bloomed. Our Brussels.. Well, like I said we didn't know what we were doing. Didn't even have a book or someone to teach us. We were flying by the seat of our pants.
We did some talking to the neighbors about the birds. We ate a lot of eggs, about 2 dozen a week. Breakfast, baking, breads, etc...We decided that maybe we'd build our own coop and get about 6 girls for eggs and a few boys for chicks and dinner. We'd do this project in the Spring of 2011.
My Dad, best friend, grandpa... He passed away October 30, 2010 in my car on our way to deliver Saturday mornings GR Press. He never got to see his dream of small farming and self sufficiency become a full reality. And I thought, maybe I won't do the chickens after all.
Winter came and went. I still wanted chickens.
In April of 2011 I started looking into the different types of chickens. I wanted something that would be easy, lay well, be particularly docile, child friendly. I decided I wanted Faverolles. I got silkies.
I started looking on-line for types of coops. I could not afford to buy a shed like the neighbors had. There was still too much garbage in the back shed that I have been ignoring. Also, there was a lot of securing that I'd have to do in order to use it. I didn't have the tools or skills required to build a coop. I did have hammers, nails, hand screw drivers, a drill with dead batteries and a roto-zip. Actually, I had more than this, but didn't know the extent of the tools my dad had in the massive mess that was my garage.
I went to the local Tractor Supply and bought a dog house with a hinged top, a roll of chicken wire, chick feeders, and water-ers and a bag of pine shavings and chick starter. I then went to the Lakeshore Resource store and bought a cupboard door, hinges, and lock. I also picked up a bunch of wood to build an under-run frame to set the dog house on. The dog house had a removable floor. I took all of this home, and got out my roto-zip, yes roto-zip, and started to cut 2x4s to length for the frame. I had to get it finished quick like, since I had already contacted a lady named Heidi to buy silkies. We are now into the end of May.
Heidi showed up with a dozen un-sexed silkies. Being ignorant, I picked the biggest, thinking they were obviously the healthiest. I picked five birds. Two black, and 3 buff. Both the blacks ended up being boys, and one buff roo as well. Boy can I pick 'em.
I installed them in there new home. They were seven weeks old, so only required food and water. OH, the were so cute! A week or so later, the neighbor kid brought over two white leghorns pullets that he had hatched out in a class project and dumped them in my coop. Okay, I know have 7 chickens. I also have two very ticked off black silkies who were picking on the leghorns relentlessly. Yes.. The silkies.
A friend of mine saw the silkies and decided she wanted some too. I contacted Heidi again and asked her if she had any left. She brought them over, and again I picked the two largest blacks. I kept them, and foisted the two meanies off on my friend. They were going to be her only chickens, so, all was good. There was harmony in the coop again.
Note: As of this time, I still had no clue as to the sex of the silkies. Out of seven hand picked birds, I picked 5 boys. WOW!
Well all is happy in our little coop and run. I had still had no real egg layers. I went on Craiglist and found an add for silver and gold laced Wyandottes. I went on Feathersite, looked up what they were and decided that, yup, these were it. I got two of each, brought them home, and dumped them in the coop. I had no idea of quarantine procedures at this time.
But I still wanted faverolles...
Lets back up a bit... In March of 2011 I had to put my Babi to sleep. It was a very sad time. Being a dog lover, I couldn't wait for a new dog. I think I managed a week with out one before I found an ad for a Boston Terrier. I brought Argus home. At the beginning of June, I brought a puggle named Ruby home so he'd always have constant companionship. I had never, ever, had little dogs before. Do not care for them much. But Argus stole my heart.
Argus and Ruby got loose, and I had my first chicken loss. They killed one of the leghorns by playing with it.
OK... This is what I am sharing for now... Please give me your feedback.
My First Year with Chickens
In 2009, we moved to a house that was on the outskirts of town, but with in a 1/2 mile to everything. It is a smallish, bi-level home with a large yard. Just over an acre, surrounded by woods that are the property of the guy who lives a few housed up the neighboring street. There are also a lot of trees in the yard. We have a neighbor to the east, well two, but the farther neighbor is never home. To the west, through a copse of trees is an elderly lady and her father. Both are widowed and have moved together to save expenses and keep company. Across the street, lived another elderly couple, but they have since sold to a younger couple, and moved on. Also, there is a large apartment complex that is very dog friendly and quiet.
At the time of our move, my sons were 3 and 3 months. We had a pit bull, 4 cats, and a bird. My parents also lived with me as both were disabled in such ways that living by themselves was not possible.
The first year we lived here, we fenced the backyard for the dog, cleaned the mess from the previous owners, of which there is still quiet a bit of trash left in the back shed. My neighbors to the east had chickens and rabbits. They never really let the chickens out that first year, so we really didn't even know they had them. The second year they started letting them run the yard and my Dad and I loved to see them all over our yard.
In 2010, I told my dad that I wanted to have a small veggie patch. Give it a try, and see if I could handle it. My youngest was no longer nursing, and he was also walking, so more independent, which left my hands less tied. Since we have so many trees in the backyard and a drain field in the front, we built a 4x8 raised garden box. My dad also built a 4x8 table out of landscape timbers to hold pots of various sizes so we could try potted veggies also. We grew, or tried to grow, tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, watermelon, cantaloupe, Brussels, broccoli, cauliflower and radishes. We did not have the best of luck that first year. We were total newbies to the "Grow your own food" life. The only things that grew well were the tomatoes, cucumbers, beans and melons. Our broccoli and cauliflower bloomed. Our Brussels.. Well, like I said we didn't know what we were doing. Didn't even have a book or someone to teach us. We were flying by the seat of our pants.
We did some talking to the neighbors about the birds. We ate a lot of eggs, about 2 dozen a week. Breakfast, baking, breads, etc...We decided that maybe we'd build our own coop and get about 6 girls for eggs and a few boys for chicks and dinner. We'd do this project in the Spring of 2011.
My Dad, best friend, grandpa... He passed away October 30, 2010 in my car on our way to deliver Saturday mornings GR Press. He never got to see his dream of small farming and self sufficiency become a full reality. And I thought, maybe I won't do the chickens after all.
Winter came and went. I still wanted chickens.
In April of 2011 I started looking into the different types of chickens. I wanted something that would be easy, lay well, be particularly docile, child friendly. I decided I wanted Faverolles. I got silkies.
I started looking on-line for types of coops. I could not afford to buy a shed like the neighbors had. There was still too much garbage in the back shed that I have been ignoring. Also, there was a lot of securing that I'd have to do in order to use it. I didn't have the tools or skills required to build a coop. I did have hammers, nails, hand screw drivers, a drill with dead batteries and a roto-zip. Actually, I had more than this, but didn't know the extent of the tools my dad had in the massive mess that was my garage.
I went to the local Tractor Supply and bought a dog house with a hinged top, a roll of chicken wire, chick feeders, and water-ers and a bag of pine shavings and chick starter. I then went to the Lakeshore Resource store and bought a cupboard door, hinges, and lock. I also picked up a bunch of wood to build an under-run frame to set the dog house on. The dog house had a removable floor. I took all of this home, and got out my roto-zip, yes roto-zip, and started to cut 2x4s to length for the frame. I had to get it finished quick like, since I had already contacted a lady named Heidi to buy silkies. We are now into the end of May.
Heidi showed up with a dozen un-sexed silkies. Being ignorant, I picked the biggest, thinking they were obviously the healthiest. I picked five birds. Two black, and 3 buff. Both the blacks ended up being boys, and one buff roo as well. Boy can I pick 'em.
I installed them in there new home. They were seven weeks old, so only required food and water. OH, the were so cute! A week or so later, the neighbor kid brought over two white leghorns pullets that he had hatched out in a class project and dumped them in my coop. Okay, I know have 7 chickens. I also have two very ticked off black silkies who were picking on the leghorns relentlessly. Yes.. The silkies.
A friend of mine saw the silkies and decided she wanted some too. I contacted Heidi again and asked her if she had any left. She brought them over, and again I picked the two largest blacks. I kept them, and foisted the two meanies off on my friend. They were going to be her only chickens, so, all was good. There was harmony in the coop again.
Note: As of this time, I still had no clue as to the sex of the silkies. Out of seven hand picked birds, I picked 5 boys. WOW!
Well all is happy in our little coop and run. I had still had no real egg layers. I went on Craiglist and found an add for silver and gold laced Wyandottes. I went on Feathersite, looked up what they were and decided that, yup, these were it. I got two of each, brought them home, and dumped them in the coop. I had no idea of quarantine procedures at this time.
But I still wanted faverolles...
Lets back up a bit... In March of 2011 I had to put my Babi to sleep. It was a very sad time. Being a dog lover, I couldn't wait for a new dog. I think I managed a week with out one before I found an ad for a Boston Terrier. I brought Argus home. At the beginning of June, I brought a puggle named Ruby home so he'd always have constant companionship. I had never, ever, had little dogs before. Do not care for them much. But Argus stole my heart.
Argus and Ruby got loose, and I had my first chicken loss. They killed one of the leghorns by playing with it.
OK... This is what I am sharing for now... Please give me your feedback.
I love reading stories about how people came into getting animals. I also like to ask people how they met their significant other 
)
