Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[PAchickenlover]

update on my coop construction project...........creep! I have been working on the "back deck" of the dresser...................turns out this coop will be more like a triple wide than a regular dresser! ( who knew?) I have been putting miscellaneous boards of various thicknesses and lengths together to create a back wall............I think it works......... I have the floor board and a side wall. I have 2 posts that are supporting the walls and hopefully will contribute to a roof...........once I figure out HOW!!! I also have put together roof boards for the back deck. This may sound like a long winded way of saying I almost made a rectangle out the back -----but I have you all know this is hard work and ITS HOT........and I have to find the pieces first. Luckily as I was on my way out to home depot today to buy some supplies .............my neighbor was having a tool and yard sale! I got more wood, screws, hinges, even blades for my saw, some pvc pipe with the cap, and a few hand saws I liked! This was surely convenient! Now I am rehydrating, cooling off, and wondering if I can move the project in two pieces to its designated location to continue construction. It will be too heavy to move as one unit! I will have pictures ---------but at this point I just don't. I also have to figure out how to put hinges on and make a door for one wall..........hope its as easy as just attach the hinges on one piece and then line up on the other...........tell me it is? I did score some free linoleum the other day.............so I want to put that on the floor too! I still have not begun the run! or the lean too roof.............gonna have to use a plastic tarp until I build the roof. I hope I will get to the chicken part soon!

[COLOR=0000FF]Tarps are a girl's best friend. Hardware can get pretty expensive, we have a Habitat for Humanity store near us, so I check there for hinges and stuff from time to time. [/COLOR] [COLOR=0000FF]I'm almost completely finished the run on the coop we got from Craig's List I have before and after shots...[/COLOR] [COLOR=FF0000]ATTN: RACCOONS -[/COLOR]

. Love it!!

 

[PAchickenlover]

love that basket of eggs!


So I am reviewing the info in the breeds section-----as I get excited about actually getting my chickens!

My top favorites are:  Easter Egger, Barred Rock, Gold laced Wyandotte,  light Sussex, and Marans.

I also like Olive Eggers, New Hampshire, Partridge Plymouth Rock, and Barnevelder.

These views are based on info in the Breeds sections.

I probably can only have 5 max  ----maybe 4-5?
[COLOR=FF0000]If I get a 5 different chicken breeds-----will they get along?   Or do they need a like minded chicken to share space with?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=FF0000]I loved the Gold laced Wyandotte that Stake has...........totally loved her---so beautiful![/COLOR]

[COLOR=FF0000]I want the easter egger for the different color egg,  same idea with the olive egger( not sure how easy it is to get them)..............I like the way the barred rocks look.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=FF0000]Marans with dark brown eggs---that sounds cool too!  [/COLOR]


I am not particularly fond of the feathery legged varieties............and I am hoping for friendly social birds..............

loved to hear your experiences with any of the above!

Thanks, those eggs came from 3 Speckled Sussex, 2 White Plymouth Rocks, a mixed breed hen, 3 ducks, and oh, the little eggs on the top came from my White with Black tip Japonese bantams.

 

[LisaYolkUm]

Blarney----your run looks really nice!

I wont be able to make a run that tall----------I don't have the wood and I need to keep the set up kinda less visible.

I think my run will more like 3 ft tall. and 8 or more feet long..........depends.

I want them to have enough space.

Plus I will build a smaller moveable run that I can have the birds check out different parts of the yard on the weekends when I can supervise!

 

[LisaYolkUm]

Thanks, those eggs came from 3 Speckled Sussex, 2 White Plymouth Rocks, a mixed breed hen, 3 ducks, and oh, the little eggs on the top came from my White with Black tip Japonese bantams.

Do you find that your bantams live happily side by side with bigger birds?

 

[wingstone]

love that basket of eggs!


So I am reviewing the info in the breeds section-----as I get excited about actually getting my chickens!

My top favorites are: Easter Egger, Barred Rock, Gold laced Wyandotte, light Sussex, and Marans.

I also like Olive Eggers, New Hampshire, Partridge Plymouth Rock, and Barnevelder.

These views are based on info in the Breeds sections.

I probably can only have 5 max ----maybe 4-5?
If I get a 5 different chicken breeds-----will they get along? Or do they need a like minded chicken to share space with?

I loved the Gold laced Wyandotte that Stake has...........totally loved her---so beautiful!

I want the easter egger for the different color egg, same idea with the olive egger( not sure how easy it is to get them)..............I like the way the barred rocks look.
Marans with dark brown eggs---that sounds cool too!


I am not particularly fond of the feathery legged varieties............and I am hoping for friendly social birds..............

loved to hear your experiences with any of the above!

Are you near me, I just hatched out 8 dominique today,,,very similar to barred rock..

 

[PAchickenlover]

For the most part yes they do get along just fine. The oldest hen we have is a bantam she knows who to stay away from and who she can boss around. It is quite funny actually to see a little barman biasing big chickens around. However I would only allow adult bantams to be in with my adult large chickens. I would say if you are going to have bantams and larger chickens in the same coop raise them up from tiny chicks all together for best results.

 

[PAchickenlover]

I have a Speckled Sussex chick and two w&b Jap bantams that are being raised by a Speckled Sussex hen right now. Are you interested in any of these breeds?

 

[cskotek]

keep us posted,,,I have encountered this....also an older duck that came from elsewhere.......I did not try to figure out why,,,It went to freezer camp.....so i will be watching with interest...

Today it didnt do it. At least not so much to draw blood. It just did the quick peck and it wasnt constant.. I put a little oyster shell in their feed and allowing free range. I think the extra grass munching is helping..

 

[tweetr1979]

Ty, hopefully it works for 6 weeks. I got the idea for the drawer from an Aussie that I have been following, bens-hens. He is alot like you, first time chicken farmer learning as he goes. Here's a link to his thread https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ns-the-highs-the-lows-and-pics-of-our-journey. I have also been following another Aussie's thread Oz, He is transporting eggs from Cali to his home in the Phillapeens where his wife and children live. They both are a really great read. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...k-out-of-here-a-diary-of-a-crazy-chicken-man/.

Thanks for the links! I'll go have a look before I go to bed tonight

Tarps are a girl's best friend. Hardware can get pretty expensive, we have a Habitat for Humanity store near us, so I check there for hinges and stuff from time to time.

I'm almost completely finished the run on the coop we got from Craig's List I have before and after shots...








ATTN: RACCOONS -

LOVEEEEEEEEEE the raccoon sign!!!

love that basket of eggs!


So I am reviewing the info in the breeds section-----as I get excited about actually getting my chickens!

My top favorites are: Easter Egger, Barred Rock, Gold laced Wyandotte, light Sussex, and Marans.

I also like Olive Eggers, New Hampshire, Partridge Plymouth Rock, and Barnevelder.

These views are based on info in the Breeds sections.

I probably can only have 5 max ----maybe 4-5?
If I get a 5 different chicken breeds-----will they get along? Or do they need a like minded chicken to share space with?

I loved the Gold laced Wyandotte that Stake has...........totally loved her---so beautiful!

I want the easter egger for the different color egg, same idea with the olive egger( not sure how easy it is to get them)..............I like the way the barred rocks look.
Marans with dark brown eggs---that sounds cool too!


I am not particularly fond of the feathery legged varieties............and I am hoping for friendly social birds..............

loved to hear your experiences with any of the above!

I was originally going speckled sussex but I missed the order date for them, so I went with barred rocks instead - I wanted them because 99% of the reviews on here said they were friendly, so that was a must seeing as we have a 4yr old. They have been great, they were 4 weeks old last thursday and all have their own little personalities - they are so funny to watch. I walk over to their run and they all come to the door and i'll go sit down and they will come hop on my lap or sit up on my shoes, very friendly!! There are others that I eventually want to get, I like the look of the swedish flower hens but i'll have to wait a while before thinking about getting more chickens lol doesn't take long for chicken math to catch up with you!! The other kind I would like are the EE's just for the novelty of the eggs, i think our son would love that lol

 

[LisaYolkUm]

Are you near me, I just hatched out 8 dominique today,,,very similar to barred rock..

I am in SE PA ----suburb of Philly------I am not really sure where you are?
I read good things about Dominique too.......