Love these birds
I've ordered 10 of this line of Barred Plymouth Rocks, for next spring, and 6 Dominiques that I will pick up here, next spring, in New Hampshire...I am sooo excited to be getting into these two lines of Heritage birds!!! I am pretty sure that my hatchery "barred rocks" are a mix and not true BR's. I could be wrong, but they will never be as gorgeous as these birds!!! We are almost done with the current coop ( just cosmetics left ) and run! Run should be done this week-end, then on to the rest of the building projects for next spring!
I did it backwards this year. Had been contemplating getting back into chickens for 2 years and this year made the jump, but got the chicks first, then started on their coop and run...next year, the new chicks will have housing up and ready first!!! I am also currently working on an outside brooder system that will be in the run, so double protection! I am going to brood them in the house again, ( hopefully for the last time ) unless I get a really good broody hen out of the hatchery lot...not holding my breath, for the first few weeks, then into the outside brooder....depending on our spring weather, which is very unpredictable up here in the mountain's !
The coop is 8' by 8' and run is 10' by 20'. ( figure that is a good size for the rest also, but we will see, being a female, I reserve my right to change my mind and build bigger ) Still debating on whether to free range or not. Years ago, I had a fox attack, middle of the day, right at my feet, and disappear back into the brush before I knew what was happening...were I live now, we have lots of predators, so unless I can get the guys to let me put up some deer fencing around where I want to free range, to atleast slow the predators, I am thinking maybe not free range...I really want them to, so might try the hatchery chickens, next spring, and see how it goes....still on the fence on it though! We have also built our coop like fort knox !!! Double walls, double flooring with wire underneath flooring!!!
Going to go with the nipple system for watering also. It just seems to be the best system I have found and some DIY gravity feeders out of the PVC pipe, so cleaning them is easier than trying to clean out the wooden ones I have seen! What a great journey this is. I am really enjoying this more than I had expected..the whole process is just great!!!
Thank you all, for your knowledge, and willingness to share it. I have learned so much from you all!!! So many new, neat things to try out!
This picture is from the Good Shepard thread on here and are true Plymouth Barred Rocks. Don't they make you drool? I think they come from a gentleman named Jeremy? But you should check that out to be sure...just want to give correct credit for these birds. Our poor little hatchery chicks will not be near as beautiful as these are...I soooo want to breed these and the Dom's!!!
