Minnesota!

[AmericanKraut]

oh and the garden beds we've not filled with dirt yet! we don't have a truck so we've had to buy bags constantly when we go into town and load up our cars as much as we can

You guys have been busy! Looks great! I love raised beds.

 

[AmericanKraut]

My DH was out working on the coop/run today and he told me that by his calculations we could fit 71.5 birds comfortably.   I hope he realizes that he gave me his blessing to aquire a few more chickens   

LOL!! Uh oh!! Chicken math is going to mass multiply out at your place!

 

[duluthralphie]

71.5 birds is rounded up ( chicken math) to 168

 

[AmericanKraut]

Just an introduction. My name is Angel, and not new to poultry but never owned my own flock (parents and both grandparents had poultry) I was born in St. Cloud and raised for five years in Foley. My father then got a job on the iron range. Lived in Biwabik, Virginia, then the Tower end of Lake Vermilion.
I am now back in Foley (inherited my grandparents home) have a huge old coop that is probably as old as the house ( built in 1890) I am sprucing it up and intend to breed a closed flock of Isabelle/Crele English Orpingtons. I figure old hens will become stewing hens and extra roosters will be roaster fryers. The eggs are huge and brown. A good duel purpose bird, super cold hardy and docile. Huge birds 8 lbs+. I may sell unneeded hens or roosters that I feel may be breeding or show worthy. But that will only happen after a few years of breeding and culling.

Welcome! I am long ago from St Cloud, too. Sounds like you have a nice family homestead and great place and opportunity for chickens. Are they like Isabel Lavender Orpingtons?

 

[AmericanKraut]

Do we need to be concerned about this at all:

http://m.startribune.com/local/299350031.html

I have two wild turkeys in my front yard right now, staring right at me here in my living room. The article says there has not been any findings of H5N2 in the wild turkey population yet but they're asking turkey hunters to report any sightings of sick birds to the DNR. Wild birds of all breeds are being tested in quarantined areas of the state.

Just curious if in the past years when this avian flu stuff was a big deal if it ever was a concern for anyone here or any anticipated affects to chooks?

 

[DigMyChicks]

I hope not ...we have 5 turkeys that go back and forth between our place and the neighbors. They look healthy from what I've seen.

 

[Cluckies]

It is odd that so far only turkey farms have been affected? Maybe it only affects turkeys?

 

[Bogtown Chick]

The media says it most likely does not pose a threat to backyard flocks. Phew!

Well 21 days later at about 9:30 tonight there are two new little cream legbar chicks in the world. It was great fun watching them zip ( one we assisted.) Kids loved it and so did us adults.

 

[Cearbhael]

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome.
Ok, Isabelle Orps are Lavender. They are the lavender dilution of the Crele. The Crele is developed by covering partridge with Cookoo. So technically Crele is a Cookoo-Partridge. Very beautiful and rich coloring. The Isabelle is the same but has the lavender gene added so it is very diluted. Pale lemon head and neck, where the gold feathers normally are, cream where the red feathers normally are and of course all black feathers are lavender.
I am going to get them from Fancy Chick.com since she started chatting with me here on backyard chickens and she has been giving me tons of advise on how to breed a self sustained flock. There are a couple of other places with English breeding programs that have lavender and Crele breeding pens. I feel, however, that her enthusiastic and generous nature has won me over (and no she didn't even hint that I should buy her birds)
As to my old coop, looks like a small barn. V shaped roof. Has an attic I used to play in as a child. There was a female cat who always had kittens up there. There even was an attached covered shelter for a tractor. That is falling apart so eventually I will pull it down. Two large rooms inside. We had it converted to a 2 horse stable with attached Paddock. That will help in protecting them from 4 legged predators. I intend to add hardware cloth and restring the electric fence. Have a real powerful fencer. Got zapped a couple of times...NOT very pleasant. The enclosed runs will be Inside the paddock. With the threat of avian flu being so high the open parts of the paddock will be utilized ONLY when they can be supervised by me and possibly my standard poodle. I have to train him (read Brainwash) to recognize the birds as 'family' so he will protect them as he does the cats. They have to override their natural prey drive. We succeeded doing it with the cats and he is seriously protective with any animal that meets his criteria of 'family'. He is scary smart and his desire to please me is huge. All it took was for me to catch him once squatting to pee as a 4 month old puppy. He stopped mid pee, finished outside and never messed in the house again. He will wait, has waited over 12 hours to go out without an accident. Wonderful dog.

 

[Cearbhael]

Sorry, my barn has an inverted v shaped roof