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omahalostpunk

omahalostpunk

In the Brooder
9 Years
Sep 9, 2010
70
0
29
Council Bluffs
I'm not really sure what to put down here, so I'll just explain my plan and so of the questions I'm coming up with. I'm currently in the Navy out in Washington state, but in a few month will be moving back to Iowa. I plan to buy a small acreage when I get back there and want to start up a small farm. Goats, guineas, and couple pigs, cows, and horses. However this has all come from me wanting to have a big bright colorful flock of chickens. After reading more and more about raising chickens and such I've decided that I may want to breed a purebreeds down the road. I've found 6 breeds I really like the look of. Sumatras, Pheonix, Sultans, and one of the Brown Polish are the ones that come to mind right now.

I want to free range them, but worry that might not work having to keep seperate flocks.

I plan to start with an assortment and go from there. I'm already dreading having to "thin" the flock from a straight run of chicks... if anyone who's a butcher in the Omaha area that would be great to know, but from what I've read it seems I'm not the only one at a loss there.
 
Just keep reading; there is a wealth of info on here.

Sometimes other livestock go a long way toward protecting chickens from predators. I'm not sure which ones, though; goats seem to come to mind.
 
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from south carolina/fla.
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from middle Tennessee. First off, what is your idea of 'small acreage'? If you plan on having cows, goats, and horses you will need more than a small acreage or they will eat everything and you will be left with nothing but dirt and have to feed hay all the time. That can get quite expensive. As to the chickens...you can have separate coops and runs for each breed, and maybe free range them one breed at a time. Also, you could find a breeder/hatcher who will sell sexed chicks instead of buying straight run. That will reduce your likelyhood of getting too many roosters. Good luck with your plans, it sounds very exciting! I hope you are able to find enough land to suit your plans! In the meantime...read, read, and read some more about coops, predators, illnesses, etc on this site...then you will have more definite ideas about what you want to build/buy for your chicken adventure!
 
My idea of a small acreage is around 5 to 20. As for the bigger livestock I really only want a pair of them. I will deinately check the coop design and diseases. I will be getting a lot of feeders, waterers, bedding nest, and cages from my grand parents.
 

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