- May 15, 2012
- 17
- 0
- 24
Hi, my name is Kim.
(you) Hi Kim...
So, I am (we are) new to BYC, and so far I am loving it. We moved to WA from OR in December. We rented in Spokane for a few months until we found the place of our dreams in Newman Lake, WA. (1 mile from the Idaho state line) . The property had a "shooting shed" that we converted into a chicken coop while friends visited from Oregon. They bought us 6 chicks and then we bought a few more to get started. They are in the brooder box growing like weeds! There are 6 barred rock, 4 amber star (?), and 1 brown wyandotte.
We were so eager to see eggs that we bought 3 Rhode Island reds off of Craigslist. They are 14 months old and they kept laying even after being moved to a new home.
This purchase was so successful, we bought 3 more. Only I made a "live and learn" situation for us. We home school, so this was a great learning experience for all of us!
We brought the Araucana's home and put them right in the pen with the others. Oops! Well, the "order" was established QUICKLY. They pecked and fought for a little while and that was it. I have heard this is not so in every case. I felt pretty good about everything. All were laying except for one of the Araucana's. I think.
Reading and researching more about chickens on this website and more, I discovered chickens can have lice, mites, fleas, etc. Eww. Meanwhile, we are keeping a close eye on the black Araucana. She's ragged and looks as if she's been abused. Actually, all three Araucana's looked like it. Then I remembered they guy selling the chickens said he didn't want us to go TO the farm to pick them up, we met him at a restaurant half way. It also became clear that these "free range" chickens were battered by the previous owner. It looked like they had been pecked by numerous roosters and other chickens. They didn't know what scraps were, how to drink water from the hanging waterer, eat from the food bin and they ran every time I entered the coop. The black one was always trying to push through the chicken wire to get out. After having the Araucana's here for 3 weeks, I can walk in without them running to a corner, they eat, they drink, and I can even pick them up. I think they like it here.
We have had them for a few weeks now, but a few days ago I discovered lice on the chickens and lice on the eggs! Yuck! So I read and researched....
It took me 4 hours to do it, but we completely cleaned the coop, dusted the chickens and the yard they scratch around in and put them back. They are HAPPY chickens! The reds didn't have any issues, just the newbies. They scratch together, they eat together and it looks like they'll be lice free soon. I LOVE Diatamaceous Earth (food grade). I bought a 50lb. bag from Aslin finch for $40. I even read that it works on ants, so I have sprinkled it around the house. I really love that stuff! Although it's edible, I wore a mask and protected my eyes. Inhaling it seems to be dangerous.
Today, I went out to open the coop into the big yard. They all ran to the coop door hoping I had scraps. No one ran away from me. I am amazed at how fast they have adjusted. I thought maybe we would have to let them go because they didn't know how to eat. And one Red, we call her G.I. Jane, is the boss of the hen house. She makes sure her lady friends eat first, THEN the others can come in. It's hilarious.
Cookie, Peanut, G.I. Jane, Spooky (the black one), Eagle and Dusty are doing well. WE are doing well. The eggs taste great and the kids are learning to care for the chicks. So far, this has been a great experience.
I do have one question though.....can ONE Araucana chicken have different colored eggs? Say, one day she lays a pink egg and the next day is green??
Kim
(you) Hi Kim...
So, I am (we are) new to BYC, and so far I am loving it. We moved to WA from OR in December. We rented in Spokane for a few months until we found the place of our dreams in Newman Lake, WA. (1 mile from the Idaho state line) . The property had a "shooting shed" that we converted into a chicken coop while friends visited from Oregon. They bought us 6 chicks and then we bought a few more to get started. They are in the brooder box growing like weeds! There are 6 barred rock, 4 amber star (?), and 1 brown wyandotte.
We were so eager to see eggs that we bought 3 Rhode Island reds off of Craigslist. They are 14 months old and they kept laying even after being moved to a new home.
This purchase was so successful, we bought 3 more. Only I made a "live and learn" situation for us. We home school, so this was a great learning experience for all of us! We brought the Araucana's home and put them right in the pen with the others. Oops! Well, the "order" was established QUICKLY. They pecked and fought for a little while and that was it. I have heard this is not so in every case. I felt pretty good about everything. All were laying except for one of the Araucana's. I think.
Reading and researching more about chickens on this website and more, I discovered chickens can have lice, mites, fleas, etc. Eww. Meanwhile, we are keeping a close eye on the black Araucana. She's ragged and looks as if she's been abused. Actually, all three Araucana's looked like it. Then I remembered they guy selling the chickens said he didn't want us to go TO the farm to pick them up, we met him at a restaurant half way. It also became clear that these "free range" chickens were battered by the previous owner. It looked like they had been pecked by numerous roosters and other chickens. They didn't know what scraps were, how to drink water from the hanging waterer, eat from the food bin and they ran every time I entered the coop. The black one was always trying to push through the chicken wire to get out. After having the Araucana's here for 3 weeks, I can walk in without them running to a corner, they eat, they drink, and I can even pick them up.
I think they like it here.We have had them for a few weeks now, but a few days ago I discovered lice on the chickens and lice on the eggs! Yuck! So I read and researched....
It took me 4 hours to do it, but we completely cleaned the coop, dusted the chickens and the yard they scratch around in and put them back. They are HAPPY chickens! The reds didn't have any issues, just the newbies. They scratch together, they eat together and it looks like they'll be lice free soon. I LOVE Diatamaceous Earth (food grade). I bought a 50lb. bag from Aslin finch for $40. I even read that it works on ants, so I have sprinkled it around the house.
I really love that stuff! Although it's edible, I wore a mask and protected my eyes. Inhaling it seems to be dangerous. Today, I went out to open the coop into the big yard. They all ran to the coop door hoping I had scraps. No one ran away from me. I am amazed at how fast they have adjusted. I thought maybe we would have to let them go because they didn't know how to eat. And one Red, we call her G.I. Jane, is the boss of the hen house. She makes sure her lady friends eat first, THEN the others can come in. It's hilarious.
Cookie, Peanut, G.I. Jane, Spooky (the black one), Eagle and Dusty are doing well. WE are doing well. The eggs taste great and the kids are learning to care for the chicks. So far, this has been a great experience.
I do have one question though.....can ONE Araucana chicken have different colored eggs? Say, one day she lays a pink egg and the next day is green??
Kim
