Surprise!!!! take some chickens!

[schmism]

So we have an old guy next door.... like 85 or something.... Really nice guy, hes got a bunch of horses, sheep, chickens etc.

So we've started to get more "neighborly" with him now that we are spending more time out at the property (almost full time now).... With our big garden going full blast, we started tradeing produce for fresh eggs....and we mentioned how I wanted some chickens eventually....

Well we see him leaving his place about the same time we take off sat morn to run some erronds.... And we end up catching up to him in town bout 30 min later..... He says, oh ya, i dropped off another dozzen eggs, and ive got some chickens for ya in a cage at my place ill bring them buy later!

True to his word, on sunday he brings over our first 2 chickens!

ive got really good labs, and was concerned about how they would act around them. After the inital 'OH BOY BIRDS" reaction, stacy (the yellow one) seemed to take well to them and quickly seemed to take up guard duty, spending hrs standing, sitting, laying within a few feet of the cage watching. Zeuse my yonger lab, is a bit more excited about them, and usually likes to "point" when he sees them in the cage after hes been out of sight of them like first thing in the morning.

I have a small shed out back that i COULD press into coupe duity, but instead im going to knock together a tractor for the two of them to rummage around the yard in tonight. With the dogs around im confident they will keep cridders away, pluss my neighbors on both sides also have chickens so......

just need to get some supplies.... feed?, feeder, water'r etc.

oh and can anyone guess at ages and type? (perhaps a red and something?) i was thinking 8 weeks give or take.


I have so many questions

even though ive been doing my homework for months, there always seems to be so many questions when they finnally show up.....

for all the pics in non-resized format (56k warning)
http://www.snjschmidt.com/pics/07-23-07/

and for the curious types with nothing to do
the property pics http://www.snjschmidt.com/property.html

 

[Kerr]

Hey thats how I got my chickens!
My old crazy neighbour thought my kids should have some chickens
sure enough he drops off 6 chicks a Rooster and an already laying hen R.I.R in a feed bag

yup no kidding

had to put them in the dog run for the first three weeks living out of basically a box that could lock at night for safety

and the rest is history

your left side hen looks like my Rhode Island Red
not sure about the other one

As far as advice goes I've only been in this since the spring so I'm not going tell you how to do things when I just go by trial and error

My chickens demand oatmeal every morning now so I think I've created monsters anyways.
The days I don't make it I swear they get mad -
especially my Barred Rock Roo.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Congratulations on your new feathered friends. I don't know what breed they are, but they look to be the size of my pullets who are 12 weeks and just starting to cluck instead of peep. The fact that they are still so lean, and their combs & wattles aren't red or developed yet makes me think they are still very young pullets.

Have fun raising them. It's like Christmas having them suddenly given to you, isn't it?

 

[Lunachick]

Welcome and good luck with your birds. They look perky and healthy!

 

[JackieK318]

Crazy Chicken People are the BEST! That's what I'm doing...If someone at work or a neighbor says, "I want one." I offer them some rules of their city/municipality and offer to help them get started with a chick or two. The hatchery probably thinks I'm nuts buying chicks every other week!

Most people don't know about chickens at all and don't even think about the idea until someone starts the processes (Domino Effect). Lots of people think you have to live in the country to have chicks or farm animals - nope.

Well, enjoy your chickies and spread the knowledge of chickens. Oh! And take lots of pics, because some people you meet may not believe you.

 

[Bubba]

Your lucky you have labs. They are great bird dogs and protective to boot. They are trained to MOUTH the birds they catch not attack or even injure them. So you may see your lab walking around with one in its mouth eventually don't scold it, its doing whats in its nature.

Bubba

 

[schmism]

chicken tractor/coupe building is progressing slowly...ive put together all the materials i need after a few trips to various stores this week.

Ill start constructing tonight and put a post up over in the coupe section...

 

[schmism]

we set up a temp pen for them, they liked the yard.... i should have got some video of the first dust bath....

dark red = hazel, the other is Gertrude

and I started my chicken tractor thread....

 

[greenmulberry]

Lovely hens!