New Here at BYC and I have Chicken Fever!

[liz9910]

Welcome to BYC!

 

[PrepShepherd]

Some of my younger chickens are laying now, one of my Americanas lays Brown eggs and the rest blue. I found 2 brown eggs 2 days ago, at first I thought maybe she laid double, but that night I found another. It had black feathers so I think its my Black SLs laying the eggs. Nothing yesterday then today 2 more Brown eggs, thrilled they are laying eggs finally since I got them in april/may. No clue which are from the Americana and which is the Black SL, their more then likey Cross bred with my Sliver wyandotte so that should be interesting!. Also I got some Cochin eggs, Columbian, Sliver Lace, mille fleur, Molted colors, later I want some Golden Lace and other colors.

 

[rheston]

ProShepherd, what I meant by prohibitive was both the time and the space. I am working things here toward having something to occupy my time once I retire (hopefully in five years) and I want to expand the livestock that I have without too much disruption for the lay of the land. What I'm hoping to have fully established when I retire is a greener operation with recycling everything to go back into the land to augment the soil for the orchard, vegetable garden and the two acres I have in wild flowers (this is for my wife's viewing pleasure from the dining room window). I must say that I'm envious of all the people on BYC who have larger operations.

My chicks arrived in three shipments from the end of May to the first part of June (4 if you count the first 8 that were DOA). Most of them started laying around 21 October and the two Rhode Island Reds started laying just this past couple of days.

Question to anyone who might know, most of the eggs I'm getting are smallish - is this normal and if so how long does it take for the eggs to start becoming normal sized? I am getting large eggs every now and then with double yolks but they're not a regular occurrence.

I have two Silver Wyandottes, two Gold Wyandottes, two Rhode Island Reds, three Easter Eggers, two Buff Orpingtons, one Welsummer, and two Delawares. I only just let them out of the run area for the first time this past weekend while I was hanging new gutters on an adjacent out building. I was very surprised at how close they stayed to me and even climbed the ladder with me (almost making me trip off of it at times).

I'm really enjoying their company.

 

[PrepShepherd]

Ahh Ok, yeah I'm trying for the same thing. Some advice on the flowers, plant some Buckwheat and sunflowers their pretty and will make good chicken feed! My wheat is growing now and I'm hoping it will produce food for my chickens in spring. I put 40lbs of seed down so I'd asume I'd get a decent amount back 160-300lbs (conservative guess by the size of the plot) which would last between 2-4 months. I'm planting oats right after wheat harvest which takes about 3 months to mature and then ethier Oats or Buck wheat after that. I'll also be rasieing corn for them and I buy corn from a local farmer (100Ibs for $10) for feeding the chickens during winter as well. Also the added bonus is Wheat and oats make straw which can be used for the other animals. As far as land goes... I was saving to get a 23 acre place with a large creek that was cheap....but lost my job before I could get it....the things I could of done with that place :'( . About the chicken Eggs, its normal mind are about the size of bannie eggs, had one real long looking one too. They will lay practice eggs for a while, but keep in mind I through mind in the Incubator and some where fertile. Lol yeah some of them like helping, my Turkeys where helping me today and by helping I mean biting me.....My little barred rock Hen would ususlly follow me around and watch me to see what I was up too while working....she drowned the other day trying to get water out of the sheep/horse bucket I'm going to miss her! I've had no luck with Barred rocks, 3 died out of the ones I got back in spring, hoping my 5 bady barreds don't have the same bad luck.....I know I need to install a ramp or something in the water buckets.

 

[sourland]

Hello

and Welcome to BYC! You have a very colorful flock there.

X 2 Welcome to BYC.