Hi everyone--thought I'd introduce myself. I'm Lisa from SW Missouri, and I've gotten my first laying hens this spring. I bought 8 mo olds from a hatchery rather than chicks, for convenience. Right now there's 12 Buff Orpington, though 6 are for my neighbor who's working on his own tractor. The first picture is of my "Brazen Quartet", the first girls to the feed and the first to check out new space. The second picture is of the other 8 staying close to their familiar coop until I toss out sunflower seeds and other goodies into their run.
I've made the usual newbie mistakes, and learned a few lessons! Also learned alot here!
Lesson 1: don't make a tractor too heavy!! I'd intended to pasture the girls in a tractor, but... my first tractor is just too heavy for me to move, so it's become a stationary coop. I've attached it to a 6 foot wide veggie garden low tunnel made of galvanized conduit, with game bird netting. 40 feet of it has shade cloth, and 30 feet doesn't (yet). I'll take down those blue tarps this week, so never mind them! It's in a back yard with a 6 foot fence, so the only predators I really need to watch for are birds of prey. Oh and keeping rabbits out...
I do have pvc pipe to make my own tractor that's light enough (I'm disabled), and I'll get to it once my veggie garden is established to my satisfaction. The girls will make do until then. I do want to pasture them, but not just let them roam uncontained.
Lesson 2: finding local sources for organic feed in conventional farming country is not easy. Finding local soy free is impossible. Online, I pay as much to ship as I do for the feed, so it's not really an option. I could get a shipment from Arizona but that's 50 bags of feed, which would last me about 4 years! I'm checking out local natural food stores and farmers markets for sources of organic grains etc to make my own. It's tough!
I'm going to start my first trays for microgreens and sprouts for them today!! I have the seed starting set up, so I might as well use it, right? I also have seeded in quite a few beets, carrots, and turnips for the girls in the garden. It's hot, so they won't taste too great to me, but the chickens will like them!
Lesson 3: chickens dig holes. Didn't know that!! he he he. It's my hint to add more DE to the run and coop since they are trying to de-bug. I still need to add sand and DE to their new run for them, so they can get into the dust bathing.
Thanks for letting me ramble. Nice to meet ya'll.
