karbo
In the Brooder
- Aug 22, 2016
- 14
- 1
- 22
I finally decided to join this site as I have been reading and finding answers for a while now. Mostly to do with what I can feed them other than their normal feed. I was raised on a mid-west farm and we raised chickens mainly for butchering among other livestock. I haven't been on a farm for some time now (since '79) but started raising chickens and ducks this Spring (March 2016) for eggs.
I have 6 chickens (2 Spotted Sussex (one is my rooster I call KFC), 2 Americanas, and 2 Rhode Island Reds) and 2 Rouen ducks. I really enjoy them. My ducks both turned out to be males. I was hoping to have one each male and female, but am glad to have both as we almost had the smaller one die the night we brought them home (Easter weekend). He wouldn't eat or drink and wouldn't hardly move. I was sure he wouldn't live. Every so often I would try to get him to eat or drink, but he just laid there with his head down. I ran to the store and got some electrolytes and worked some down him every 30 minutes. After hours of this I left it up to nature expecting to find him dead. Then when I checked on him one more time before I went to bed, I was surprised to see him romping around eating/drinking etc. and playing with the other duck, It was my Easter miracle.
While they were in the brooding boxes, we made sure to hold each chicken and duck every day so they would be used to it. The ducks were allowed to swim in the bathtub once they were big enough. They would start excitedly quacking as soon as they heard the water running. Then when done swimming they would sleep in my lap wrapped in a towel.
For the first time, tonight I let them run free in my front yard (not fenced) to eat the many grasshoppers and was very entertaining. They usually run loose in my back yard which is fenced, but they have decimated the numbers of bugs there so I let them at the ones in the front.
I finally started getting fresh eggs at the end of July (almost a month earlier than I expected) yum! The Sussex was the first one and she sometimes lays 2 eggs a day. Once when they were in the backyard, I "lost" the Sussex hen. I could hear her, but couldn't see her. I walked up to the Rubbermaid trash can and found her inside it. I lifted her out and put her down and went back to what I was doing. This happened 3 times before I realized she had laid an egg in the trash can!! So I put her and the egg in the coop so she would know where it was. LOL.
They always come running as soon as they see me or if I call them. My rooster gets out often (from the back yard) but as soon as he sees me, he runs to the gate and dances until I open it. Then he struts in. They are allowed out of the coop area (inside the dog kennel) when ever I am home so I can keep an eye on them and watch for predators.
Here are some pictures:
My dark Americana (She will sleep in your lap when petting her)
My light Americana
My Rouen ducks (they don't need papa any more)
My flock (the ducks have to be with the chickens now)
My Sussex Rooster (he chases any bird out of the yard and sleeps between the hens and the coop door. Very protective of his harem)
My Sussex hen (She is the best egg layer)
Their coop (I am programming a raspberry pi & arduino to automate) in a 12x18 dog kennel
Hope you enjoyed.
Larry
I have 6 chickens (2 Spotted Sussex (one is my rooster I call KFC), 2 Americanas, and 2 Rhode Island Reds) and 2 Rouen ducks. I really enjoy them. My ducks both turned out to be males. I was hoping to have one each male and female, but am glad to have both as we almost had the smaller one die the night we brought them home (Easter weekend). He wouldn't eat or drink and wouldn't hardly move. I was sure he wouldn't live. Every so often I would try to get him to eat or drink, but he just laid there with his head down. I ran to the store and got some electrolytes and worked some down him every 30 minutes. After hours of this I left it up to nature expecting to find him dead. Then when I checked on him one more time before I went to bed, I was surprised to see him romping around eating/drinking etc. and playing with the other duck, It was my Easter miracle.
While they were in the brooding boxes, we made sure to hold each chicken and duck every day so they would be used to it. The ducks were allowed to swim in the bathtub once they were big enough. They would start excitedly quacking as soon as they heard the water running. Then when done swimming they would sleep in my lap wrapped in a towel.
For the first time, tonight I let them run free in my front yard (not fenced) to eat the many grasshoppers and was very entertaining. They usually run loose in my back yard which is fenced, but they have decimated the numbers of bugs there so I let them at the ones in the front.
I finally started getting fresh eggs at the end of July (almost a month earlier than I expected) yum! The Sussex was the first one and she sometimes lays 2 eggs a day. Once when they were in the backyard, I "lost" the Sussex hen. I could hear her, but couldn't see her. I walked up to the Rubbermaid trash can and found her inside it. I lifted her out and put her down and went back to what I was doing. This happened 3 times before I realized she had laid an egg in the trash can!! So I put her and the egg in the coop so she would know where it was. LOL.
They always come running as soon as they see me or if I call them. My rooster gets out often (from the back yard) but as soon as he sees me, he runs to the gate and dances until I open it. Then he struts in. They are allowed out of the coop area (inside the dog kennel) when ever I am home so I can keep an eye on them and watch for predators.
Here are some pictures:
My dark Americana (She will sleep in your lap when petting her)
My light Americana
My Rouen ducks (they don't need papa any more)
My flock (the ducks have to be with the chickens now)
My Sussex Rooster (he chases any bird out of the yard and sleeps between the hens and the coop door. Very protective of his harem)
My Sussex hen (She is the best egg layer)
Their coop (I am programming a raspberry pi & arduino to automate) in a 12x18 dog kennel
Hope you enjoyed.
Larry
! Happy you joined us. You have some beautiful and healthy poultry. And KFC (best rooster name ever!) is a handsome devil. Thanks for all the great pics and best of luck to you and your flock! 
. His name is Churchill. He's brought me back a few doves and ducks as well. I think labs are the best.
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