For awhile now the idea of getting chickens had been circling around. We rescued a handsome polish roo that somehow got lost this past winter. He was so nice, except for the crowing that we were sold on getting chickens. We found a farm for him to go to since in the town where we live there's no roos allowed. After some debating we decided to start with adults, asked around and found a farmer that sold hens alive (since all the poultry farms we called or visited acted like we were nuts!!) but since the flock was older they were all going within the week. We bought our first 2,Jenny and Penny, following week we came across another older girl and couldn't pass her up. She was from a different farm but around the same age, so in other words nearing "retiruement". We were worried about mixing them and read on here how some people handled it, surprizingly it went very well our 3 ladies are bonded and go everywhere together, you'd never know the came from different farms!
It was going so well that my daughter convinced me chicks this year would be a breeze!!
So off we go to buy our 6 little chicks, after of course looking into breeds we got 2 barred rock, 2Buff Orpingtons and (what the heck was I thinking) 2 NJ Giants. All have grown well, except 1 rock has turned out to be a male. Still trying to figure out what to do with him, he's abt 2 1/2 months old now and just starting to find his voice, everyday he gets a little louder! I found online a rooster collar, has aynyone used this? The farm we brought the other to is full, town says no roos, and we can't just "cook him up", these girls are our pets, eggs are just a bonus. Any ideas..
Another problem we ran into is mingling, not going so good this time around. When everyone is out free ranging the older girls pick on the younger crew to the point that the younger girls are scared all the time. We basically did it the same way except the younger girls are in their own run next to older girls, it's just not working. So now instead of building 1 big coop we have to keep 2 with 2 smaller runs
It was going so well that my daughter convinced me chicks this year would be a breeze!!
So off we go to buy our 6 little chicks, after of course looking into breeds we got 2 barred rock, 2Buff Orpingtons and (what the heck was I thinking) 2 NJ Giants. All have grown well, except 1 rock has turned out to be a male. Still trying to figure out what to do with him, he's abt 2 1/2 months old now and just starting to find his voice, everyday he gets a little louder! I found online a rooster collar, has aynyone used this? The farm we brought the other to is full, town says no roos, and we can't just "cook him up", these girls are our pets, eggs are just a bonus. Any ideas..Another problem we ran into is mingling, not going so good this time around. When everyone is out free ranging the older girls pick on the younger crew to the point that the younger girls are scared all the time. We basically did it the same way except the younger girls are in their own run next to older girls, it's just not working. So now instead of building 1 big coop we have to keep 2 with 2 smaller runs
