Hello all. When I started to create my post, the first word...Mossyrock... got a hit. Hello to all of you chicken mothers here. I am originally from Olympia and moved here part time a few years ago. I was caretaker for my mother who recently passed so now I am here full time.
About me: I am a retired educator, gardener, knitter, and recently took up weaving. My boyfriend and I have a lovely home out of town near the water. That's about it for me. Now as for my chickens....
We had talked about having some chickens and 2 years ago I was given an Omlet (cube) coop for Christmas. In the spring, I started my flock, 2 barred rocks, 2 welsommers and 2 barnvelders. They all get along but were cramped in their 9 ft run. So I bought a walk-in run. And then I began to create chicken tunnels out to my garden and around the backside to help me keep the weeds down. And then I got an extension to the walk-in run. And then I got portable fencing (and an aviary net to keep the eagles away). You get the picture.... chickens take over your life. It's a good thing.
I was so happy with my chickens that I thought I would get more this year. And another coop. Omlet came out with a new, larger coop that would hold up to 15 chickens. I got them in 2 groups, about 4-5 weeks apart. The first group consisted of 3 copper marans, 2 blue-laced red wyandottes (I am still waiting to see any blue on them) and 2 cream legbars. They quickly outgrew their brooder and moved into the larger coop with their 12 foot run. It is up against the walk-in run, but not open yet. My second group consisted of 2 salmon favorelles, a cochin bantam (I NOW know what bantam means...very small) and 2 polish. One died. Last week I discovered that little Lara is now Yuri (Dr. Zhivago...furry hats...get it?) When they came out of the brooder, I partitioned off part of the walk-in run, turned their brooder on its side, put my shih zhu's old dog carrier in and that is their coop for the summer. I may need to get another smaller Omlet coop for the babies is my other plan doesn't work out.
I had originally planned to merge the "babies" with the "kids" and eventually open the coops/runs to mingle with the "girls". Last month I tried put the favorelles in with the "kids" and one of the marans terrorized them. They huddled in a corner giving me this pleading look and I quickly put them back in with their original flock. This marans is not especially the leader of that flock, in fact I have not noticed a pecking order with the "kids".
The "kids" will start laying sometime in September and the big merge will need to take place.
That's my introduction. My question will be posted in another thread...how to take the "girls", move them in with the "kids" so the "babies" can have their own coop.
About me: I am a retired educator, gardener, knitter, and recently took up weaving. My boyfriend and I have a lovely home out of town near the water. That's about it for me. Now as for my chickens....
We had talked about having some chickens and 2 years ago I was given an Omlet (cube) coop for Christmas. In the spring, I started my flock, 2 barred rocks, 2 welsommers and 2 barnvelders. They all get along but were cramped in their 9 ft run. So I bought a walk-in run. And then I began to create chicken tunnels out to my garden and around the backside to help me keep the weeds down. And then I got an extension to the walk-in run. And then I got portable fencing (and an aviary net to keep the eagles away). You get the picture.... chickens take over your life. It's a good thing.
I was so happy with my chickens that I thought I would get more this year. And another coop. Omlet came out with a new, larger coop that would hold up to 15 chickens. I got them in 2 groups, about 4-5 weeks apart. The first group consisted of 3 copper marans, 2 blue-laced red wyandottes (I am still waiting to see any blue on them) and 2 cream legbars. They quickly outgrew their brooder and moved into the larger coop with their 12 foot run. It is up against the walk-in run, but not open yet. My second group consisted of 2 salmon favorelles, a cochin bantam (I NOW know what bantam means...very small) and 2 polish. One died. Last week I discovered that little Lara is now Yuri (Dr. Zhivago...furry hats...get it?) When they came out of the brooder, I partitioned off part of the walk-in run, turned their brooder on its side, put my shih zhu's old dog carrier in and that is their coop for the summer. I may need to get another smaller Omlet coop for the babies is my other plan doesn't work out.
I had originally planned to merge the "babies" with the "kids" and eventually open the coops/runs to mingle with the "girls". Last month I tried put the favorelles in with the "kids" and one of the marans terrorized them. They huddled in a corner giving me this pleading look and I quickly put them back in with their original flock. This marans is not especially the leader of that flock, in fact I have not noticed a pecking order with the "kids".
The "kids" will start laying sometime in September and the big merge will need to take place.
That's my introduction. My question will be posted in another thread...how to take the "girls", move them in with the "kids" so the "babies" can have their own coop.
and Welcome to Backyard Chickens.
to have you here with us. Enjoy your time here at BYC!
