DieterleCompound
Chirping
- Apr 2, 2022
- 12
- 77
- 69
I was given the opportunity to jump into this chicken world this winter, mid January we picked up a free 8x8 1/2 ft open sided (chicken wire and another sort of metal fencing with small squares over the chicken wire) chicken coop, along with one lone hen, who we were told no longer layed, spurs roughly 4 inch long, and marked with a pink plastic ring on one foot. The ring had broken or something and had lodged in her foot which left it looking nasty, festering, and painful. The toes on that foot were all twisted and she favored it. (I would have too if my foot looked like hers had) We got her and her coop moved and kept her in our heated garage until we could board up the sides of the coop. My husband cut away the ring while I held and calmed her. Once the ring was removed she almost immediately had a different demeanor, relief. The next day or so I spent a lot of time online trying to figure out if she would be alright alone or if I needed to quickly find her some coop-mates. (We were supposed to be picking up 2 hens with the coop, but they were 24hr free rangers with a coop that had a door propped open.
So who knows where the other lady ended up) I quickly found that they can get lonely and not survive long in a solitary life. I reached out to a gf of mine who has chickens and she was quick to help (as she always has) she just so happened to have been given some roosters and one was so mild mannered that he did not acquire any hens from her group, and was being pecked and beat up on. Things weren’t looking good for him there, and she was sad but he was headed for a soup pot. But she graciously gifted him to us! Ever since I introduced them and they quickly established that she was NOT the boss they’ve been inseparable. He’s been so perfect for her. And she’s been the most perfect starter hen ever! She’s calm, I can pet her, pick her up, although our rooster lets me know he doesn’t like this 
. A lot of balking, and flapping usually. So for the past few months we have just had the 2 birds. But this week my mother in law gifted our kids 4 black laced Wyandottes (I think?) one known male and hopefully 3 correctly gendered females. They’re maybe a few weeks old, I’m not sure how to tell how old they are. But they are in the house in a box with a radiant heat source. Just winging this as we go, and trying to read up on them as best I can. We have also been offered to purchase some Silkie pullets. I would love several different breeds of chickens. I love how unique they are. Our OG hen (Henrietta) is I believe a Golden Sexlink, our rooster (Optimus Prime) is a Plymouth Barred Rocks or something similar. I have enjoyed learning about chickens, their quarky behaviors, their individual personalities, the eggs!!, and teaching our children about them. It’s been incredibly rewarding for me. I often just enjoy sitting in the coop with them. We are interested in the homesteading movement. But unsure of how to get started. We currently raise beef cattle and are hoping to entertain selling direct to buyers. I’d love to enjoy watching my kids with more diverse livestock. They like the cattle but not hands on. With the birds thus far they’ve all been very hands on with the chickens. 
We have several barn cats, an indoor cat, and a wildly anxious dog who can’t be left alone, who has surprisingly been unfazed by the chickens and so far (knock on wood) hasn’t tried to eat them when they’ve been foraging near his tie out.
I heard about BYC from searching the internet for advice and knowledge on chickens. I was also recently referred here for some medical questions I’ve had after struggling to get answers from local sources. I look forward to meeting likeminded people, and people who are willing to share their tricks of the trade so hopefully I can be successful at this too!
So who knows where the other lady ended up) I quickly found that they can get lonely and not survive long in a solitary life. I reached out to a gf of mine who has chickens and she was quick to help (as she always has) she just so happened to have been given some roosters and one was so mild mannered that he did not acquire any hens from her group, and was being pecked and beat up on. Things weren’t looking good for him there, and she was sad but he was headed for a soup pot. But she graciously gifted him to us! Ever since I introduced them and they quickly established that she was NOT the boss they’ve been inseparable. He’s been so perfect for her. And she’s been the most perfect starter hen ever! She’s calm, I can pet her, pick her up, although our rooster lets me know he doesn’t like this . A lot of balking, and flapping usually. So for the past few months we have just had the 2 birds. But this week my mother in law gifted our kids 4 black laced Wyandottes (I think?) one known male and hopefully 3 correctly gendered females. They’re maybe a few weeks old, I’m not sure how to tell how old they are. But they are in the house in a box with a radiant heat source. Just winging this as we go, and trying to read up on them as best I can. We have also been offered to purchase some Silkie pullets. I would love several different breeds of chickens. I love how unique they are. Our OG hen (Henrietta) is I believe a Golden Sexlink, our rooster (Optimus Prime) is a Plymouth Barred Rocks or something similar. I have enjoyed learning about chickens, their quarky behaviors, their individual personalities, the eggs!!, and teaching our children about them. It’s been incredibly rewarding for me. I often just enjoy sitting in the coop with them. We are interested in the homesteading movement. But unsure of how to get started. We currently raise beef cattle and are hoping to entertain selling direct to buyers. I’d love to enjoy watching my kids with more diverse livestock. They like the cattle but not hands on. With the birds thus far they’ve all been very hands on with the chickens. We have several barn cats, an indoor cat, and a wildly anxious dog who can’t be left alone, who has surprisingly been unfazed by the chickens and so far (knock on wood) hasn’t tried to eat them when they’ve been foraging near his tie out. I heard about BYC from searching the internet for advice and knowledge on chickens. I was also recently referred here for some medical questions I’ve had after struggling to get answers from local sources. I look forward to meeting likeminded people, and people who are willing to share their tricks of the trade so hopefully I can be successful at this too!
Glad you joined.
