Southern Illinois First Time Raising My Own

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JoyceRheal

JoyceRheal

Hatching
5 Years
Jan 6, 2015
6
0
7
Pinckneyville, IL
Hi I am Joyce and I am a local pet sitter in my own community and it includes carrying for chickens for farmers who need to go out of town. I bought a pre-fab coop and added supports and better locks to it and made my own run. So Last March along with my two resident dogs, one of the chicken farmers gifted me initially 9 chicks: 3 buff rocks, 2 EE's, 1 Austrolorp, and 3 Speckled Susses. I move the Buff rocks on to a larger chicken farm because they were very aggressive towards me and the others. I lost one speckled in a freak accident when she scared herself so bad during a thunderstorm, leaving me with 2 EE's, 1 Austrolorp, and 2 Speckled Sussex. They will be completing their first year this March. I am still in the learning process but really enjoying the chickens. I am thinking of adding this spring 1 Austrolorp, and getting two cochins....I am also planning on expanding the run this spring.
 
Hello there and welcome to BYC!
frow.gif


So glad you could join our community! Sorry you lost a hen. And yes, sometimes birds are aggressive toward us as well. Australorps are a great breed to add to your flock. I have a few of them and they are so friendly, docile, great layers and good lap warmers as well!!

If you do add more birds to your flock, always add at least 2 at a time so that a single bird is not a target during introductions. And introduce them slowly to your existing flock. Keep the new birds in a cage or fenced off area in your coop and run for several weeks. Everybody sees, nobody touches. This will allow some of the pecking order to get worked out from behind wire. In 3 or 4 weeks you can mix them all together. Watch them carefully that first week and always intervene if it turns bloody. And add extra water and feeding stations as the older flock can starve out the new birds at first.

Enjoy your flock and we do welcome you to our roost!
 
Hi :welcome

Glad you could join the flock!! Sorry to hear you lost a hen, it's always sad when we lose one. Excellent advice there for you from TwoCrows. I hope adding more to your flock goes well for you. Be sure to ask any questions you my have, everyone here to help. Hope you enjoy BYC too :frow
 
Hello and
welcome-byc.gif
! We would gladly help with any of your queries, so don't be afraid to ask! I hope you enjoy your flock, Australorps are one of my favourite birds, and are friendly and docile.
 
Welcome to BYC. Glad you decided to join our flock. Black Australorps are my favorite standard breed. I've raised them for years (along with dozens of other breeds), and they are extremely hardy, calm and gentle (my children, and now my granddaughter, made lap pets of them), and are excellent layers of large, brown eggs. My children also made lap pets of our Speckled Sussex and Buff Cochins. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck with your flock.
 

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