Spring 2017 first timers post!

[speckled6]

I wish I had the space to get as many as everyone that has 16 and 20 on up as is it is I already got more than allowed with the 8 that I have we are only allowed 3 but thats not enough for a family of 8 oursleves that eat breakfast for dinner once a week

We have a family of 9 and also eat breakfast for supper once a week. We were fortunate to find a house with over an acre when we purchased and are in the country. We didn't plan to get 30 (only wanted 8!) But chicken math took over. Now we are in the scramble (lol) stage to get the coop and run done in time! We had to completely revamp our plans once the chick # more than tripled...at least we didn't start building first, I guess.

 

[lilmarie84]

We have a family of 9 and also eat breakfast for supper once a week. We were fortunate to find a house with over an acre when we purchased and are in the country. We didn't plan to get 30 (only wanted 8!) But chicken math took over. Now we are in the scramble (lol) stage to get the coop and run done in time! We had to completely revamp our plans once the chick # more than tripled...at least we didn't start building first, I guess.

Our problem is that we live in the city we want to move out to a more country setting which would put my husband right at home cuz he was raised in the country. My mom was thinking of something around 5 acres or so main reason I just want to get out of the city away from the schools around here my oldest will be a freshmen next year and with some of the things that have been going on at the schools here it scares me cuz he would be an easy target for some of the bullies

 

[bellaisa]

I Am new to raising chicks. We got 6 ISA browns on 3\24; unfortunately we lost one. Then decided to get a few more so on 4\22we got 1 white leghorn, 1 gold laced wyandote, 1 Rhode island red, 1 Barred Rock, 1 easter egger, 1 black star, and two we are unsure of possible easter eggers

 

[speckled6]

Our problem is that we live in the city we want to move out to a more country setting which would put my husband right at home cuz he was raised in the country. My mom was thinking of something around 5 acres or so main reason I just want to get out of the city away from the schools around here my oldest will be a freshmen next year and with some of the things that have been going on at the schools here it scares me cuz he would be an easy target for some of the bullies

5 acres would've been ideal for us too. So funny, my husband grew up in the country working on farms when he was younger, so he's always bugging me about being a city girl! Lol
We're lucky our town is small (my oldest son is a freshman this yr) but being in the country is so much nicer. I've wanted chickens/pigs/beef cows for years. Got the chickens, may be renting the land behind/next to us in the next year for beef cows...now if I can just get my pigs I'll be set!
I'm so glad there are others like us out there and we can talk to them here on BYC!

 

[lilmarie84]

5 acres would've been ideal for us too. So funny, my husband grew up in the country working on farms when he was younger, so he's always bugging me about being a city girl! Lol
We're lucky our town is small (my oldest son is a freshman this yr) but being in the country is so much nicer. I've wanted chickens/pigs/beef cows for years. Got the chickens, may be renting the land behind/next to us in the next year for beef cows...now if I can just get my pigs I'll be set!
I'm so glad there are others like us out there and we can talk to them here on BYC!

the funny thing is that what made me fall for him was his country boy accent (that southern draw as they say) but we have been together almost 9 years now and while everyone around me can still hear it I got so use to it that I don't hear it anymore I still love him but I wish the accent was still there tho LOL but yeah it is nice knowing that I'm not the only one

 

[speckled6]

I Am new to raising chicks. We got 6 ISA browns on 3\24; unfortunately we lost one. Then decided to get a few more so on 4\22we got 1 white leghorn, 1 gold laced wyandote, 1 Rhode island red, 1 Barred Rock, 1 easter egger, 1 black star, and two we are unsure of possible easter eggers

Welcome! That sounds like a beautiful assortment. This thread is awesome, I joined it late as I didn't know I was getting chickens until the beginning of April and I'm new to chickens, so this site has been so helpful! Glad you're here!

 

[AlynaD]

So I had a rough couple weeks with life and my chicks. I had 2 RIR chicks about 6 weeks old and one decided to go swimming when there wasn't a life guard.

After much discussion we decided to replace her because the RIRs were my wife's only birds and I didn't want her to only have the one. SO that being said we went to one of the feed stores in town that always seems to have older chicks. Anywhere between 3-10 weeks old well they had 5 birds that they say are 10 weeks old and not having my chicks there to compare size they looked about the same size but just a little smaller. So we bought just the one and when we got her home we realize that she is even smaller than our smallest 6 week old chick who is a bantam....

Laughter aside at how I can't judge size I am wondering she is an Americauna and IF she is actually 10 weeks why is she so small?? or did they sell me a younger bird by mistake?

On a side note this girl is crazy ..... I put her in the coop with the others while I got a separate pen ready so she could get used to everyone else without them being able to pick on her as she had some bald spots from being picked at by other chicks at the store. So I let her run around and she disappears on me like poof gone! couldn't find her until she turns up when I let the others out into the main yard to run around for a bit!! I was worried about her all night as we have cats and there are strays as well around so a lone chick is easy pickens but she is alive and still crazy this morning and penned up so she can't do that again

 

[lilmarie84]

So I had a rough couple weeks with life and my chicks. I had 2 RIR chicks about 6 weeks old and one decided to go swimming when there wasn't a life guard.

After much discussion we decided to replace her because the RIRs were my wife's only birds and I didn't want her to only have the one. SO that being said we went to one of the feed stores in town that always seems to have older chicks. Anywhere between 3-10 weeks old well they had 5 birds that they say are 10 weeks old and not having my chicks there to compare size they looked about the same size but just a little smaller. So we bought just the one and when we got her home we realize that she is even smaller than our smallest 6 week old chick who is a bantam....

Laughter aside at how I can't judge size I am wondering she is an Americauna and IF she is actually 10 weeks why is she so small?? or did they sell me a younger bird by mistake?

On a side note this girl is crazy ..... I put her in the coop with the others while I got a separate pen ready so she could get used to everyone else without them being able to pick on her as she had some bald spots from being picked at by other chicks at the store. So I let her run around and she disappears on me like poof gone! couldn't find her until she turns up when I let the others out into the main yard to run around for a bit!! I was worried about her all night as we have cats and there are strays as well around so a lone chick is easy pickens but she is alive and still crazy this morning and penned up so she can't do that again

Do you know what the one you picked up is and how does it stack up next to the remaining RIR

 

[AlynaD]

Do you know what the one you picked up is and how does it stack up next to the remaining RIR

the one I picked up is an americuna and she is slightly smaller than my remaining RIR but not by much

 

[speckled6]

the one I picked up is an americuna and she is slightly smaller than my remaining RIR but not by much

We got our chicks from 3 different sources and they are within days of each other for age. At first the ones from the breeder seemed huge compared to our hatchery chicks, but now they're all about the same size, except our little Runty who is still about 1/2 the size of the rest, but she's active and stands her ground very well for such a little thing!