Our adventures at Chateau Plumeau

[DutchChickMom]

So, starting that great adventure called 'chickens', I'm sure there will be much happening here (and consequently many pictures ).

It's a bit of a thing here in NL to call your coop 'villa kakelbont' (kakelbont means 'of many colors', but 'kakel' also means clucking), but I never really like going mainstream, so I decided on a different name; Chateau Plumeau.

I'll copy-paste the relevant part of my intro story here (yes, lazy) as a starter, and ofcourse will update as soon as something comes up, promise!

" I, and we, have had many different pets over the years, though lately it has just been some fish (tank and small pond). We moved to this house 1,5 years ago, and back then, the whole back- (and front-)yard was paved shut So ofcourse first things first, ripping it all out and turning it into something worthy of the name 'garden'. Right from the getgo I kept a designated area bare, which was to become...you guessed it.... room for

I already researched a bunch of breeds, and fell in love with the adorable little Serama's. But well, those eggies aren't really noteworthy ofcourse, so I decided I wanted a couple of hens of a bigger breed for the eggs also, but which one? Well, there was still time to decide on that, as I hadn't even built the run yet. Right?
Well, I wouldn't be me if I wasn't a tad impulsive sometimes, so when I saw a local ad offering exchequer Leghorn chicks, a few quick research moments later I replied and had an appointment to pick some up. Whoops!
Ok, it made the decision easy, but messed up my building-planning by a month or 2, luckily they still had to be kept warm, so there was still some time to build. And luck was really on my side (sometimes everything just falls into place) as a week ago I found an offer to help build the run, ánd he could get the materials for it, which is a big plus if you live on minimum. So this week the frame was erected, and now we're waiting for the mesh/netting? (what is it called when its from steel wire?), so it will be ready just in time for the Leghorns to, at least during the day, go out.
Anyway, the seller also had Serama A-class, but that current batch was spoken for, so 3 weeks later I got an email I could come and pick out the next little ones. As I was selecting a nice various group, I grabbed a little jetblack thing that seemed a bit different in its feathering. "Oh, that one is an Ayam Cemani, it was the only one, but you can take it for the same price". Yup, you guessed it, I was so taken by that little black sheep, I decided to take it instead of another Serama. What is 1 more bigger chicken anyway?
So here we are; run in the making (external coop will be added later, till then they'll have to make due with a converted rabbithouse inside the run), and 1 cage with now 5 weeks old Leghorns and 1 cage with 1,5week old? 6 Serama's and 1 Ayam Cemani in the livingroom.

Kiddo is also totally smitten with the little ones, and already named one of the little fluffballs Elsa ('"and if it's a rooster it's Olaf, 'cause he's also white'" )..yup, 'Frozen'. Fine by me, going by the plumage there's a fair chance it's a girl, so go ahead and name it. The rest doesn't have names yet, exept for the AC, which I named Onyx (genderneutral, though I *do* hope it's a girl), as ( s)he is so frigging adorable and already comes to me for cuddle-time. "

 

[Ted_Harrell]

Decent looking coop and run

 

[DutchChickMom]

Decent looking coop and run

Thanks, I hope the external (elevated) coop can be ready before the big ones reach full size, because that rabbithouse will be way too cramped by then.

First the door and wire needs to be done, and some roofing over part of the run, then I can start with moving some plants, logs and stones in, adding some opportunities for them to go up also, toss in a bag of sand (bag excluded ofcourse), and sow some veggies and herbs in the planter along the long side for them to graze off.
As soon as the rest of the backyard is closed off well with privacy fencing, they'll get some supervised yardtime also

 

[DutchChickMom]

Friend that's building the Chateau was here for a brainstorming session. Been a bit of a puzzle to make everything workable, but! the plans are pretty complete now, so now I'm doing my best to draw it out in paint with my limited (3d)skills.
Will show ofcourse as soon as that's done

 

[DuckGirl77]

What a pretty flock
Interested to see the development of the coop

 

[DutchChickMom]

The little ones had their first time on the floor instead of couch this morning, just some (crappy) phone-pics

Very interesting

Onyx

Elsa

Brown & yellow and Black & blue

 

[BDutch]

Great introduction.
Beautiful chicks and setup.

Sure this will become a great flock, but you can’t t rely on 50% male for each group. I am curious what you can keep and how you’re flock look like in a couple of weeks.

Succes building the coop and run.
On ‘marktplaats’ you often can find second hand materials. Rebuilding an old wooden playhouse can be great for a chicken coop.
By the way I think this is the chicken language you are looking for: ‘gaas van staal en 1 of 2 cm vierkant’ = hardware cloth (hwc) and ‘kippengaas’ = chicken wire. Hwc is definitely best for a chicken coop and run if you want to keep all predators out. Use this at least for ventilation in the coop. And for the run too if you want to leave the chicken door to the run open at night.
Best make the hwc 30 cm in the ground too if you want to keep out predators (including rats). Or put ‘stoeptegels’ = sidewalk tiles around.
Mesh can be anything even plastic which is not suitable for a chicken run. Netting is ‘net’. I use hwc/ chicken wire and sturdy netting (cat netting and netting for birds of pray) for the outside run. At night they are in a coop/covered run combination.

 

[DutchChickMom]

@BDutch Thanks for the translations/explainations. It's the HWC I ment (vogelgaas/volieregaas/centimetergaas). After that's put on, the plan was indeed to put in tiles around the outside bottom. Roof will also be hwc (and partial waterproof roofing) as we have a sparrowhawk in the vicinity, one of the reasons they'll only get supervised yardtime.

I know I can't rely on 50/50, but I already started out with 6 Leghorn, of which 2 turned out to be obvious roosters very quickly (behaviour and big bright combs), it's just with these remaining 4 I'm completely unsure what they are. They're pretty confusing, but then again with 5,5 weeks, I guess I just have to be patient a bit longer. I'll post solo/detail pictures and more info of them soon, to see if the experts here can help with seeing whats what.
The goal was/is, to keep 2 layers max, as it's just me and my son (and giveaways), and I figured a layer would be happier with an alike sister as company among all the little Serama's ☺ (little did I know I would take an AC home too )
For now the biggest hope is that Onyx the AC is a hen, as are these Serama's, as I know for sure these are Aclass. With highest hope on Elsa(white) and the brown one (as that's one of the breeders special show lines). An aquintance living closeby will have Serama chicks (I believe A/B mix) in max. a couple of weeks too, so I can get some more to add to the group if there's too many boys in here. Though I'll probably will give 1 rooster a chance, see if he won't be too loud and can stay.
But, time will tell on all that

 

[BDutch]

Chances are you have 4 pullet leghorns. It would be nice to keep 2 and sell 2 as a pair.

 

[DutchChickMom]

First intro between the Leghorns and lil' ones, went amazingly well