Hello from Perinton, NY. Just starting out with chickens for the first time ever, and live in the suburbs. Luckily, I have a man in the house who liked the idea and has done the majority of the tough stuff (I'm still in physical therapy for shoulder surgery, but besides that, he has all the construction experience). He has built a 40 sq ft coop & 100 sq ft run. We have 5 Rock Reds, 2 white silkie bantams, a bantam rooster that we haven't been able to identify, 4 black auracanas(?) we're not sure, and these were all born in February and purchased from Tractor Supply! I also recently purchased through the mail two silver laced wyandotte chicks and one buff chantecler chick. They are getting along swimmingly and with the warm weather, we have already been able to take them outside and watch them having fun in the garden. I'm a little concerned about introducing them to the existing, older flock; the company I purchased them from say not to do this for at least 4 weeks, but I would think they would need to be at least two months old. I'm afraid they will be pecked at; maybe I will have to segregate them for a while.
We also had 5 Cornish Rocks which grew extremely fast and have already been "processed" and are in the freezer. I think a lot of chicken owners (suburban ones anyway) don't like this aspect but we did want to raise them both for laying and eating.
Finally, we have two ducks, purchased as ducklings at the same time as all the chicks, but now of course 3 times the size of the hens. I'm not a huge fan of the ducks, they pull the feathers off the hens relentlessly if I'm not there to stop them. I think they are going to be given away to a farmer who has a pond. They'll be happier and my hens will be too.
Really looking forward to having our own eggs!
We also had 5 Cornish Rocks which grew extremely fast and have already been "processed" and are in the freezer. I think a lot of chicken owners (suburban ones anyway) don't like this aspect but we did want to raise them both for laying and eating.
Finally, we have two ducks, purchased as ducklings at the same time as all the chicks, but now of course 3 times the size of the hens. I'm not a huge fan of the ducks, they pull the feathers off the hens relentlessly if I'm not there to stop them. I think they are going to be given away to a farmer who has a pond. They'll be happier and my hens will be too.
Really looking forward to having our own eggs!
