- Apr 16, 2011
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I bought a house in a rural-flavored suburban area of hampton roads. As soon as I heard the crowing from neighboring lots I wanted some chickens! My husband resisted the idea for quite a long time, but recently he and a buddy got cracking on refurbishing the old storage shed that I wish to turn into a coop. Yesterday I went chicken swap and chicken store roaming, and wound up bringing home six chix born last Monday: A Cinnamon Queen, two Buff Orpingtons, a White Leghorn, and two White Wyandottes. All six made it through the night well and it's amazing how much bird behavior they are already exhibiting.
They were all factory-sexed. At the chicken swap I also got a card for a local guy who is just nuts about silkies, and he says he can sex them pretty reliably at three or four weeks but he'll also take back accidental roos (and I got the feeling the accidental roos don't just go in a pot!) According to my zoning I think even roos are okay for me, but my husband is a night person and Would Not Be Amused. My plan right now is to try and mix in some silkies of a similar age or a bit older once they are sexed.
And that will be my flock, assuming no tragedies. I had resolved not to name them until I had proven success with the chickies, but somehow the two that are the only ones of their breed and thus distinct wound up with provisional names anyway.
We also have a cat and two German Shepherds (and enough room in the house to keep everyone safe and segregated while the chix grow!) I also have designs on a small herd of dairy, fiber, and fainting goats eventually. I also have a big vegetable garden, and I'm looking forward to chicken composting and feeding the "dud" veggies to the chix. I don't eat meat so we won't be doing any of that, but it looks like I got a full set of major layers due to them being store-purchase and we're looking forward to eggs. I was mainly picking breeds based on personality, but I wanted to check out one each of the Cinnamon Queen and the White Leghorn to see what they were like since they had pullets in those breeds too. So far the Cinnamon Queen is ruling the roost ("Queenie") and the White Leghorn is very sweet and sociable ("Camilla.")
By the way, my chicken-resistant grump of a husband? Totally chicken-smitten now. Last night we were checking on them before bed, and he went to pick one up again. I told him, sweetie, let's let the chickens get some sleep. He said okay, I'll just come back in and hand-feed them one more time before bed! (They have free food, I just showed him hand-feeding so he'd like them... worked too well I guess.)
They were all factory-sexed. At the chicken swap I also got a card for a local guy who is just nuts about silkies, and he says he can sex them pretty reliably at three or four weeks but he'll also take back accidental roos (and I got the feeling the accidental roos don't just go in a pot!) According to my zoning I think even roos are okay for me, but my husband is a night person and Would Not Be Amused. My plan right now is to try and mix in some silkies of a similar age or a bit older once they are sexed.
And that will be my flock, assuming no tragedies. I had resolved not to name them until I had proven success with the chickies, but somehow the two that are the only ones of their breed and thus distinct wound up with provisional names anyway.
We also have a cat and two German Shepherds (and enough room in the house to keep everyone safe and segregated while the chix grow!) I also have designs on a small herd of dairy, fiber, and fainting goats eventually. I also have a big vegetable garden, and I'm looking forward to chicken composting and feeding the "dud" veggies to the chix. I don't eat meat so we won't be doing any of that, but it looks like I got a full set of major layers due to them being store-purchase and we're looking forward to eggs. I was mainly picking breeds based on personality, but I wanted to check out one each of the Cinnamon Queen and the White Leghorn to see what they were like since they had pullets in those breeds too. So far the Cinnamon Queen is ruling the roost ("Queenie") and the White Leghorn is very sweet and sociable ("Camilla.")
By the way, my chicken-resistant grump of a husband? Totally chicken-smitten now. Last night we were checking on them before bed, and he went to pick one up again. I told him, sweetie, let's let the chickens get some sleep. He said okay, I'll just come back in and hand-feed them one more time before bed! (They have free food, I just showed him hand-feeding so he'd like them... worked too well I guess.)
