Newbie From Oklahoma

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txplowgirl

txplowgirl

Songster
8 Years
Jan 7, 2014
42
71
140
Southern Oklahoma
Hey everyone. I have been wanting chickens for years but for 1 reason or another it never happened. Well this time it's going to happen. I was raised with chickens but have no clue to what they all were. There were colors of all kinds including Bantams, I did know they were Bantams as well as we had ducks and geese also.

I had joined back in 2014 but then forgot I did. Life got in the way as usual.

Anyway, we finally got the back yard enclosed a couple of months ago. 6 ft tall sheet metal. Pretty sure if I clip their wings they won't be flying over it. Since we are in the middle of town we are only allowed to have 5 hens but no rooster.

So here I am finally to get down to business.

I am looking at the Buff Orpingtons because I hear they are more docile and friendlier than others. I have no preferences when it comes to the color of eggs. They all taste the same to me. Good. Plus they are a dual purpose bird. Looking forward to eating my own chickens that I know what goes into them.

Trying to decide if I want to order chicks now and feed them over the winter that way by the time spring gets here they'll be ready to lay or just wait until spring.

About me is that i'm 53, a widow of 1 year on the 15th of this month. Live with my 34 year old son who has high functioning Aspergers and we have 3 dogs and 3 cats and I am disabled. I have Connective Tissue Disease, Systemic Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Peripheral Vascular Disease, Fibro and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. But as my daddy used to say, i'm in pretty good shape for the shape i'm in. :)

Anyway looking forward to learning and remembering what I used to know but had forgotten.
 
:welcome

It's nice to have you here! That's great you're going to be able to have chickens again.

Buff Orps are nice birds, a lot of members have them. One thing to be prepared for is that they do go broody so just know there will be times when they only want to sit on eggs (fertilized or not :)).

Maybe a mixed flock would be of interest to you? Since you are limited to 5, it might be fun for you and your son to have a variety of breeds with different colored feathers & eggs.

Make yourself at home here and if you want to connect with other members in OK, use this link to get to your state thread: Oklahoma Other members that live in OK can be a good source for information, like how to handle your weather, where to find chicks, etc.

Best of luck!
 
N F C said:
:welcome

It's nice to have you here! That's great you're going to be able to have chickens again.

Buff Orps are nice birds, a lot of members have them. One thing to be prepared for is that they do go broody so just know there will be times when they only want to sit on eggs (fertilized or not :)).

Maybe a mixed flock would be of interest to you? Since you are limited to 5, it might be fun for you and your son to have a variety of breeds with different colored feathers & eggs.

Make yourself at home here and if you want to connect with other members in OK, use this link to get to your state thread: Oklahoma Other members that live in OK can be a good source for information, like how to handle your weather, where to find chicks, etc.

Best of luck!
Click to expand...

Thanks Drumstick, you know I guess i'm so excited I wasn't even thinking 1 each of a different breed. Duh, slap myself upside the head, LOL. That'll make this little adventure even more interesting.

Thanks everyone for the welcomes and I will check the Oklahoma page out. Thanks again. :)
 
Hi there @txplowgirl!
You're going to love being a chicken owner.


-just sharing my experience.
I was deep in the plans to get my very first chickens.
I researched. I talked to a people who actually have chickens.
I love everything about the " look" of the buffs!
My one friend has an interesting mix of about 10 hens in an urban backyard setup. 2 of them are buffs.
Oh gosh, I LOVED THEM.

She told me to consider that the buffs are a broody breed.
"Just know that the Orpingtons are one of several breeds who've earned their reputation of being broody birds. "

It's not a problem to her because she indulges her birds by obtaining fertile eggs from another friend and puts them under her broody one and let's them have a go at hatching and rearing.

What did I know!
Certainly MY chickens weren't going to have this issue and if they did, I'd FIX IT!

I bought 3 buff Orpingtons,
1black australorp
And 2 welsummers at a farm supply store

All have been loved on and handled since the day I got them.

All six of my girls are friendly as could be. All came into lay at 6 months of age.

One of the buffs went broody only 3 weeks after starting to lay!

But being new to all this, and having no idea it could happen so young, I missed all the signs.

She was really forlorn. She pulled all her underneath feathers out. She lost a lot of weight. She was petulant. She'd only eat from our hands.
I was worried and frustrated. I lost sleep.

I tried some of the "suggested methods" to reset her brain including cold water soaks but her brain and hormones would not comply.
Finally about four weeks later she started to come around back to "normal".
A few weeks after that she resumed laying.

I am buying a metal dog crate today " for the next time" to keep on hand as a broody buster - because one of the other buffs started acting wistful yesterday and I had to kick her out of the nest several times and eventually shut down the coop for a little while so she'd rejoin the group in foraging.

Already I am worried about her.

Being a new chicken owner is so much fun. It's rewarding beyond measure!

It will provide you and your son with delight, surprise, contentment and humor on a daily basis.

This IS a rosy picture I've painted, right?

My experience HAS been rosy so far!

Except for the broody part, lol. I just had no idea how serious it was. I figured if I survived raising 4 moody teenagers, a broody hen would be a piece of cake.

Turns out MOODY and BROODY are NOT the same thing!
Who knew?!?
 
Welcome to BYC Broody with chicks.jpeg
Chickens will be good for you!

When things get to be too much, go hang out with the chooks...you will feel better!
 

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