SageMama
In the Brooder
Greetings fellow poultry keepers! I've been lurking on BYC for a few months now and thought that it was about time for me to come out of hiding. I have found the forums to be very helpful in answering all of the questions that I've had so far. So a big THANK YOU to the administrators and members who share from their experience for the sake of newbies like me.
When I was a teenager, my family moved from a city dwelling into a rental on a farm that had a chicken coop. Before my mom had a chance to unpack any boxes in our kitchen, my dad had called a hatchery and ordered 50 straight run chicks in assorted rare breeds. Talking to him today, he says that he was buying an education that day. Well, he was buying an education for me as well because he had an office job and my mom couldn't physically do any chores for the animals. I was pretty much done with school and had all the time in the world. Plus I was pretty excited about the chicks coming in the mail. So my dad bought a book about raising chickens and gave it to me to read. That book and a friendly Amish neighbor was all the reference we had other than a helpful clerk at the feed store from time to time.
We only lived on that farm for three years. In that time I kept a huge kitchen garden, raised Chickens, Turkeys, and Steers. And had a handful of barn cats. I wanted to get ducks for the pond but never was able to talk my dad into it.
Fast forward 14 years later, I'm married, have two children and we're renovating a house that sits on a little over an acre lot in town. I've wanted a chicken coop since living here but working on the house has been our priority. I researched town ordinances and such to make sure I can keep chickens. And have consulted with surrounding neighbors with success! They are all excited about my keeping chickens and actually have no problem with my free ranging my flock and possibly finding chickens scratching in their yard. I've actually had several people ask to buy eggs from me. Wow, I'm blessed! Not in a place to sell eggs yet but hope to be there soon.
So this January while I was routinely checking craigslist ads for chicken coops, I came across an ad only hours old that was unbelievable. These people were moving and couldn't take their coop or two year old laying flock of ten chickens with them. I went over the next day to look at the coop and I think my secret weapon was my two little girls who were gushing over the newly layed egg in the laying box and petting and talking to the hens. These people were satisfied that we would give the hens a good home and that we were willing to haul the 8'x8' coop off their land that they had sold. They even came down in price for me.
These are the hens that came with the coop.
1 Partrige Plymouth Rock. 1 Barred Rock, 1 Silver Laced Wyandotte, 1 Buff Orpington, 1 Black Australorp, 2 Buff Brahma Bantams, 2 White Silkie Bantams, and 1 Easter Egger Bantam. We get an average of 6 eggs a day from these girls. I'm not a fan of the bantams though and plan to find new homes for them.
I ordered 15 chicks. 10 Speckled Sussex and 5 Black Australorp. Plus I have ten fertilized eggs (from a friend who has roosters) under the Buff Orpington who decided to go broody. I just couldn't resist.
I know this is ambitious with the limited space that I have for the flock. Hopefully I'll be able to find a good balance when they all grow up.
We are waiting for our yard to dry up before moving the coop that just got plopped down at the end of our driveway in the middle of winter. When we establish a more permanent home for the coop, we'll sort out and build a more secure run. I plan to compost in the run and occasionally free range the flock.
I already find myself telling chicken stories to my friends and enjoying every bit of it.
We also have a cat Alphie and a rabbit Patches both sort of rescued/adopted from situations where the owner was unable to continue keeping them.
When I was a teenager, my family moved from a city dwelling into a rental on a farm that had a chicken coop. Before my mom had a chance to unpack any boxes in our kitchen, my dad had called a hatchery and ordered 50 straight run chicks in assorted rare breeds. Talking to him today, he says that he was buying an education that day. Well, he was buying an education for me as well because he had an office job and my mom couldn't physically do any chores for the animals. I was pretty much done with school and had all the time in the world. Plus I was pretty excited about the chicks coming in the mail. So my dad bought a book about raising chickens and gave it to me to read. That book and a friendly Amish neighbor was all the reference we had other than a helpful clerk at the feed store from time to time.
We only lived on that farm for three years. In that time I kept a huge kitchen garden, raised Chickens, Turkeys, and Steers. And had a handful of barn cats. I wanted to get ducks for the pond but never was able to talk my dad into it.
Fast forward 14 years later, I'm married, have two children and we're renovating a house that sits on a little over an acre lot in town. I've wanted a chicken coop since living here but working on the house has been our priority. I researched town ordinances and such to make sure I can keep chickens. And have consulted with surrounding neighbors with success! They are all excited about my keeping chickens and actually have no problem with my free ranging my flock and possibly finding chickens scratching in their yard. I've actually had several people ask to buy eggs from me. Wow, I'm blessed! Not in a place to sell eggs yet but hope to be there soon.
So this January while I was routinely checking craigslist ads for chicken coops, I came across an ad only hours old that was unbelievable. These people were moving and couldn't take their coop or two year old laying flock of ten chickens with them. I went over the next day to look at the coop and I think my secret weapon was my two little girls who were gushing over the newly layed egg in the laying box and petting and talking to the hens. These people were satisfied that we would give the hens a good home and that we were willing to haul the 8'x8' coop off their land that they had sold. They even came down in price for me.
These are the hens that came with the coop.
1 Partrige Plymouth Rock. 1 Barred Rock, 1 Silver Laced Wyandotte, 1 Buff Orpington, 1 Black Australorp, 2 Buff Brahma Bantams, 2 White Silkie Bantams, and 1 Easter Egger Bantam. We get an average of 6 eggs a day from these girls. I'm not a fan of the bantams though and plan to find new homes for them.
I ordered 15 chicks. 10 Speckled Sussex and 5 Black Australorp. Plus I have ten fertilized eggs (from a friend who has roosters) under the Buff Orpington who decided to go broody. I just couldn't resist.
I know this is ambitious with the limited space that I have for the flock. Hopefully I'll be able to find a good balance when they all grow up.We are waiting for our yard to dry up before moving the coop that just got plopped down at the end of our driveway in the middle of winter. When we establish a more permanent home for the coop, we'll sort out and build a more secure run. I plan to compost in the run and occasionally free range the flock.
I already find myself telling chicken stories to my friends and enjoying every bit of it.
We also have a cat Alphie and a rabbit Patches both sort of rescued/adopted from situations where the owner was unable to continue keeping them.
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