New Flock...Super Excited

[WickedChicksNH]

How exciting !!! Good luck on your new flock and home

 

[Citychickengal]

I got a little of everything....the only breed that I was disappointed I couldn't track down was Speckled Sussex but I'll find some sooner or later, I'm sure.

My hens are a buff orpington, salmon favorelles, blue splash maran, white leghorn, exchequer leghorn, 4 easter eggers, 2 olive eggers, 2 black copper marans, welsummer, 2 dominiques, sicilian buttercup, white crested blue polish, white crested black polish, buff laced polish, silver laced polish, golden laced polish, australorp, austra white

The 2 roos are a salmon favorelles and a dominique. I've heard the favorelles roosters are mild mannered and I loved my previous dominique hen so I'm going to give that a try and see how it goes. Hopefully it will work out, I love the way roosters look and I think we run the risk of aerial predators where we are going and I'm hoping they'll do right by their hens.

Oh wow, that’s quite a variety, I love it! I have ten hens of all different breeds, but there are many more on my someday list... Your roos sound lovely, I’ve heard good things about Faverolles, too.
Good luck with the moving and coop building!!

 

[lutherpug]

Don't necessarily count on your males to protect the females. A hawk will kill a male too. I don't free range unless I'm out working either on the coops and pens or near them, but right now with the heat the birds prefer to be in their pens because there are only a couple of trees in the pasture. There is more shade in there rather large pens.
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This is the part that is still knocking around in my head. There are very few trees on this property, particularly in the area where I envisioned putting the coop and run. I'm not worried at all about the coop, we know how to make that impenetrable. It's the run that I'm still thinking through. Our previous coop had an enclosed run and we let them free range in our fenced in yard while we were home. This is a different beast with 25+ birds. I'm sure we will figure it out but I haven't quite gotten there yet. There's a lot to consider.

 

[lutherpug]

Oh wow, that’s quite a variety, I love it! I have ten hens of all different breeds, but there are many more on my someday list... Your roos sound lovely, I’ve heard good things about Faverolles, too.
Good luck with the moving and coop building!!

The breed want list is a real issue

That's how this whole move started. We were planning to look for a different house anyway but not necessarily in a rural area or on acreage. It was the ever growing list of chicken breeds and the sudden interest in goats and mini donkeys and a bantam project and.....

Well, you know.

 

[dpenning]

Yeah, this coop build will be a different animal than our last one! We are going to do something partially pre-fabricated. A shed conversion or framing in a carport are our top options at the moment. The good news is that we have a pretty large garage/outbuilding where we can house juvenile birds longer than you'd want to if they were in the house. So, if it takes 8 weeks it isn't really a big deal. We're handy so once we figure out what we are doing I think we will be able to knock it out pretty quickly. It's still daunting!

As for the husband, I think he secretly likes them although he would never admit it. Everyone I work with, on the other hand, thinks I've lost my mind. One of my customers told me today that I need a 12 step program for chicken addicts. It's a fair point

Nonsense~ We got your back! LOL Pictures of the babies when they arrive and coop build updates are required!

 

[Citychickengal]

The breed want list is a real issue

That's how this whole move started. We were planning to look for a different house anyway but not necessarily in a rural area or on acreage. It was the ever growing list of chicken breeds and the sudden interest in goats and mini donkeys and a bantam project and.....

Well, you know.

Hahaha, I really do! We will hopefully be moving in the next year or so, and my husband & I have already agreed we’d love to have at least two acres because I also already have a list that includes goats, mini donkey, and maybe a cow. And more chickens, of course...

 

[Folly's place]

Citygal, you don't want two acres, think ten, at least!!!
And check zoning first, absolutely. We had ten acres, and felt crowded, and moved to fifty. Much nicer! Small house, lotsa land, zoned farm, so any critters are fine.
Mary

 

[RodNTN]

Yay!! So exciting! If I were you this would be my Christmas present!

 

[Rysktal]

Yay congrats!!

I also got myself chickens as soon as we moved to the country

 

[lutherpug]

Citygal, you don't want two acres, think ten, at least!!!
And check zoning first, absolutely. We had ten acres, and felt crowded, and moved to fifty. Much nicer! Small house, lotsa land, zoned farm, so any critters are fine.
Mary

We thought we wanted 2 also.... we ended up with 5 but it is surrounded by crop land which is ideal for us. Not too much to take care of but no immediate neighbors either. We had some other restrictions-my husband is on call for his job so we have a 30 minute radius we have to work with. I felt like we got very lucky with what we got but it took forever to find something we liked. My advice is be patient. It was hard advice to follow but it worked out in the end.