New member

Date sort Score sort
Brooksy21 said:
I’m new to chickens this year as well, and new to Western Montana. Been in Stevensville just over a year. I lurked here for a while my first few months of chicken raising before joining as well. How are your chickens doing? You have a very interesting flock, I’ve never heard of some of those, I’ll have to look them up 😁
Click to expand...
My chickens are doing well. They are all laying now. I am keeping our cockrel separated because he seems to stress the girls out. He's a good boy but has definite rooster behavior like chasing/charging people. I can't bare the thought of culling him 😔 but I also feel bad keeping him separated. I've been in Stevi just over a year. We moved from Missoula. How is your flock?
 
Moomie said:
My chickens are doing well. They are all laying now. I am keeping our cockrel separated because he seems to stress the girls out. He's a good boy but has definite rooster behavior like chasing/charging people. I can't bare the thought of culling him 😔 but I also feel bad keeping him separated. I've been in Stevi just over a year. We moved from Missoula. How is your flock?
Click to expand...
Awesome you’re in Stevi too. My birds are all laying now too. I’m completely new to chickens, so all those first eggs from each girl was so special. I have six and each egg is a little different, even with 4 medium brown egg layers. The only trouble I’ve had recently is my favorite EE, who has always been sweet and docile has recently taken to pecking or more like biting me recently. My Orpingtons use to lightly peck at me to get my attention but this is nothing like that, she almost took out my eye. 😬 I’m actually a little afraid of chickens, or I was. I searched for the friendliest breeds and did my best to handle them so that they would be people friendly. Not sure what I did wrong🤷‍♀️. Sorry about your Roo, that would be hard for me too. Did you buy all pullets and end up with a Roo? Did you by straight run? Or did you plan on getting one all along?
 
Brooksy21 said:
Awesome you’re in Stevi too. My birds are all laying now too. I’m completely new to chickens, so all those first eggs from each girl was so special. I have six and each egg is a little different, even with 4 medium brown egg layers. The only trouble I’ve had recently is my favorite EE, who has always been sweet and docile has recently taken to pecking or more like biting me recently. My Orpingtons use to lightly peck at me to get my attention but this is nothing like that, she almost took out my eye. 😬 I’m actually a little afraid of chickens, or I was. I searched for the friendliest breeds and did my best to handle them so that they would be people friendly. Not sure what I did wrong🤷‍♀️. Sorry about your Roo, that would be hard for me too. Did you buy all pullets and end up with a Roo? Did you by straight run? Or did you plan on getting one all along?
Click to expand...
I don't think you did anything wrong. My EEs are the smallest girls in my flock and a bit on the nervous side. My girls all peck at me when I go outside- my shoes, my pants, my shirt. They are just investigating. I haven't had one peck my face. That would be unnerving for sure. Maybe just hold her down a bit lower by your waist?
I am brand new to chickens as well. I bought pullets from the Country Store. They don't "guarantee 100%." I didn't want a Roo but he's mine now! We got 2 of each variety for fun. I have no intention of hatching chicks or eating my chickens. They are pets for me. I love them to pieces and I'm sure they are spoiled to most peoples standards 😁
We moved to Stevi April 2020. I love Missoula but we wanted some land and with taxes there was no way we could afford it there. Where did you move from?
 
Moomie said:
I don't think you did anything wrong. My EEs are the smallest girls in my flock and a bit on the nervous side. My girls all peck at me when I go outside- my shoes, my pants, my shirt. They are just investigating. I haven't had one peck my face. That would be unnerving for sure. Maybe just hold her down a bit lower by your waist?
I am brand new to chickens as well. I bought pullets from the Country Store. They don't "guarantee 100%." I didn't want a Roo but he's mine now! We got 2 of each variety for fun. I have no intention of hatching chicks or eating my chickens. They are pets for me. I love them to pieces and I'm sure they are spoiled to most peoples standards 😁
We moved to Stevi April 2020. I love Missoula but we wanted some land and with taxes there was no way we could afford it there. Where did you move from?
Click to expand...
I guess I just got lucky with all pullets. Although I would lay awake at night and worry that some or all of them might be a Roo. My Peaches the EE who pecks me is doing a little more than investigation. My Buff Orpingtons do what you described, they peck at my shoes, my clothes, I’ve trained them not to peck at my skin. It’s never that hard of painful but Peaches is not doing that, it’s hard and forceful like she is going for blood. 😨My Black Australorps have never laid a beak on me, and wouldn’t think of it. They are delightful. But you might be right her Peaches sister is super flighty and hates being picked up, but still will jump up into my lap. 🥰 However Peaches always seemed to like being picked up. 🤷‍♀️ I researched one of your breeds, the RIR BA mix, bet they are sweet birds. The name sounded so exotic I was surprised when it was a mix of common breeds. My girls are my babies too, I spoil them as well. When we moved in June of 2020 from a small town in Western Washington I had an extra A/C unit because our new house has it built in. So this summer I had it running in the coop to keep the birds from overheating. They are spoiled for sure. 🤣
 
Brooksy21 said:
I guess I just got lucky with all pullets. Although I would lay awake at night and worry that some or all of them might be a Roo. My Peaches the EE who pecks me is doing a little more than investigation. My Buff Orpingtons do what you described, they peck at my shoes, my clothes, I’ve trained them not to peck at my skin. It’s never that hard of painful but Peaches is not doing that, it’s hard and forceful like she is going for blood. 😨My Black Australorps have never laid a beak on me, and wouldn’t think of it. They are delightful. But you might be right her Peaches sister is super flighty and hates being picked up, but still will jump up into my lap. 🥰 However Peaches always seemed to like being picked up. 🤷‍♀️ I researched one of your breeds, the RIR BA mix, bet they are sweet birds. The name sounded so exotic I was surprised when it was a mix of common breeds. My girls are my babies too, I spoil them as well. When we moved in June of 2020 from a small town in Western Washington I had an extra A/C unit because our new house has it built in. So this summer I had it running in the coop to keep the birds from overheating. They are spoiled for sure. 🤣
Click to expand...
Glad to hear I'm not the only one spoiling my chicks! We used a portable A/C until we had our central one installed this summer. We moved the portable A/C to the coop too! With insulation it was still 80° at night. I felt so bad seeing them pant and all fluffed out. We already had fans in there. I feel much better having the A/C for them. There was an old coop here when we moved in. We tried to salvage it but it leaked everywhere so we stripped it to the frame and started over. It has 2 big windows that open and vents of course. I'm not going to worry about supplemental light in the winter so we went with big windows to get a little extra light in the coop. Do you free range your ladies? Our property is fully fenced so they are in the run until 10:30ish then I let them out to free range. We have a lot of lilacs and they have really excavated under them so they hang out there a lot. Sometimes you can't even see them they are so tucked away!
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom