SMT1369
Hatching
Hello - I'm new to both the site and raising chickens. I recently moved to a very densely packed area, Fairfax, CA, to a very rural area, Colfax / Weimar, CA and one of my conditions on the move was... if I move there, I WANT CHICKENS!! Two years ago my partner and I went to one of our favorite areas, the Yucatan peninsula in eastern Mexico. Instead of staying in a hotel we rented an apartment and cooked many of our own meals, mostly ceviche and... EGGS!! the eggs were incredible - smaller than the ones we get here at the grocery stores with dark yolks and the most delicious flavor... almost like there was cheese in the fluffy scrambled eggs. I'm sure these fabulous orbs of awesomeness sound familiar... free range eggs! We were hooked and I decided that I wanted to raise chickens of my own. Now I eagerly await the day my girls start laying!
Being a total newbie and having absolute crap internet service in our new home (nothing wired available out here, only option is satellite internet connection... blech), I have to admit I was a bit clueless about where to actually GET chicks. I shied away from shipping them, it just seemed unnecessary - everyone raises chickens here! I tried our local feed store but their chicks were already a month old and (me being me) i wanted those precious, tiny fluff balls that are day old chicks. I ended up finding a breeder about an hour away on craigslist who had 4 day old chicks. I paid $12 a chick (which seems steep in retrospect) and I'm not actually entirely certain what breeds I got. I know. How do I not know, right?? I only know what the (very nice) lady who sold them to me told me. I got a "sex-link" chick who was all black with a white stripe on her head... at the time i didn't know what sex-link even meant so i don't actually know what mix she is. She's now about 6 weeks old and her adult feathers look a lot like a barred rock but not so clearly defined. The bars are faded/blurry looking. She has a tiny pea comb and is the largest so far. Next, I got 2 leghorns... cutest chicks EVER, they reminded me of fluffy chipmunks.
They are, I believe, light brown leghorns, based on my research. I'm disappointed - when I bought them I had no idea that they didn't produce eggs like the white leghorns. Then I got what she called ameraucanas, one a sort of creamy color and the other solid grey. I've since learned that true ameraucanas are a bit rare and that are more likely to be "easter-eggers." That being said - they certainly LOOK like ameraucanas.
So... that's me and my girls!! Sorry for my long, detail riddled post, I'm afraid I'm a talker / typer!
One thing I am wondering - what is the absolute best automatic, on demand chicken watering system? My partner and I like to have the freedom to take vacations and long weekends whenever the mood strikes us, so we want something that will allow the girls to be healthy and happy in our absence for as long as possible. I'd love to avoid anything with a reservoir. So far I've found The Chicken Fountain and Backyard Flock. Anyone else have any suggestions - perhaps a less spendy one?
Thanks!
Shannon
Being a total newbie and having absolute crap internet service in our new home (nothing wired available out here, only option is satellite internet connection... blech), I have to admit I was a bit clueless about where to actually GET chicks. I shied away from shipping them, it just seemed unnecessary - everyone raises chickens here! I tried our local feed store but their chicks were already a month old and (me being me) i wanted those precious, tiny fluff balls that are day old chicks. I ended up finding a breeder about an hour away on craigslist who had 4 day old chicks. I paid $12 a chick (which seems steep in retrospect) and I'm not actually entirely certain what breeds I got. I know. How do I not know, right?? I only know what the (very nice) lady who sold them to me told me. I got a "sex-link" chick who was all black with a white stripe on her head... at the time i didn't know what sex-link even meant so i don't actually know what mix she is. She's now about 6 weeks old and her adult feathers look a lot like a barred rock but not so clearly defined. The bars are faded/blurry looking. She has a tiny pea comb and is the largest so far. Next, I got 2 leghorns... cutest chicks EVER, they reminded me of fluffy chipmunks.
They are, I believe, light brown leghorns, based on my research. I'm disappointed - when I bought them I had no idea that they didn't produce eggs like the white leghorns. Then I got what she called ameraucanas, one a sort of creamy color and the other solid grey. I've since learned that true ameraucanas are a bit rare and that are more likely to be "easter-eggers." That being said - they certainly LOOK like ameraucanas. So... that's me and my girls!! Sorry for my long, detail riddled post, I'm afraid I'm a talker / typer!
One thing I am wondering - what is the absolute best automatic, on demand chicken watering system? My partner and I like to have the freedom to take vacations and long weekends whenever the mood strikes us, so we want something that will allow the girls to be healthy and happy in our absence for as long as possible. I'd love to avoid anything with a reservoir. So far I've found The Chicken Fountain and Backyard Flock. Anyone else have any suggestions - perhaps a less spendy one?
Thanks!
Shannon
Shannon 
I'm sure you will enjoy them very much, they sure are lots of fun and very rewarding too. 
