Texas

[hensfortherapy]

Ahhh. Finally had some backyard time with the chickens after being sick for what seemed an eternity (dramatic).

Girls going to roost.
That is their little grove of trees. The pic looked better on my phone.:/

 

[LBejaran]

It looks like I'll be getting paid soon! Freelance graphic design is difficult (especially when your client is family), but I've been owed $100 for several weeks, so I think I'll be getting it by the weekend. That'll cover a school loan payment and will give me enough extra cash for a couple bags of feed!

Because of the stress I've been feeling--and because I've literally been painting for days-- I decided to apply for a part-time job as a web designer. It looks like I'll be getting the position (I'm sending off a cohesive portfolio for the shop owner) and hopefully it'll work out. He said that if all goes well, I might be getting a permanent position. Then, right after getting that confirmation, my cousin calls and says that she needs the invoice for all the things I've done for her. I told her I'd be getting a part-time job and she said, "Oh, that's what I wanted to talk to you about!"

If it turns out that I get the job and then am offered more work from my cousin, I'll have to do both. Freelancing pays $35 an hour and part-time print shop work will likely only pay minimum wage.

Well, I've got to start somewhere. Part of being a young college grad is struggling to find work and settling for jobs in order to make your way. The dream is still alive to have the perfect balance of technology and nature in my life. After all, I'm only 21. I've got time! Besides, one hour of work could buy me two lavender guinea fowl from a local ranch. I. NEED. THEM.

 

[bnjrob]

Chickens will 'jump' a six foot fence? Surely they fly, flutter or use their wings in some manner and can't really jump that high.

How will I ever keep them in my yard if I only have a 4 foot tall fence? I don't plan on leaving them out all day unattended. But if they are going to be heading over the fence every time I let them out I may need to rethink this chicken thing.

My Javas can't jump that high but they can fly. Which amazes people because they are large fowl birds, not bantams. Most people I talk to that have Javas say they don't see theirs fly. Ours do though, usually it is to chase grasshoppers because when they land, the grasshoppers come out of the grass and are easier to catch that way. Or they fly to get away from me - like this weekend when we were catching them to examine/weigh them to choose keepers and who to get rid of. They were flying over a 4 ft portable fence we put up like it was nothing.

 

[bnjrob]

It looks like I'll be getting paid soon! Freelance graphic design is difficult (especially when your client is family), but I've been owed $100 for several weeks, so I think I'll be getting it by the weekend. That'll cover a school loan payment and will give me enough extra cash for a couple bags of feed!

Because of the stress I've been feeling--and because I've literally been painting for days-- I decided to apply for a part-time job as a web designer. It looks like I'll be getting the position (I'm sending off a cohesive portfolio for the shop owner) and hopefully it'll work out. He said that if all goes well, I might be getting a permanent position. Then, right after getting that confirmation, my cousin calls and says that she needs the invoice for all the things I've done for her. I told her I'd be getting a part-time job and she said, "Oh, that's what I wanted to talk to you about!"

If it turns out that I get the job and then am offered more work from my cousin, I'll have to do both. Freelancing pays $35 an hour and part-time print shop work will likely only pay minimum wage.

Well, I've got to start somewhere. Part of being a young college grad is struggling to find work and settling for jobs in order to make your way. The dream is still alive to have the perfect balance of technology and nature in my life. After all, I'm only 21. I've got time! Besides, one hour of work could buy me two lavender guinea fowl from a local ranch. I. NEED. THEM.

Congrats! Work is work and a little money is better than no money.

 

[Ms Jellybean]

Not too many chickens can fly, and certainly they don't usually fly very high or very far.

Why do you think they would be jumping over your fence? I've had a chicken leave my property over a four foot fence twice. I found her on the other side of the fence, pacing back and forth trying to come home. Both times it was a Polish (might have been the same Polish). My LF Polish are pretty good at getting a bit of lift.

Birds usually have to be pretty motivated to get over a four foot fence. Either they are chased by something or, in the case of my cockerel, driven to go visit some girls. Sometimes they get over a fence because they are sitting high in a tree. Chickens don't just wander off.

My concerns developed over reading the posts prior to my post. I knew bantams could fly but I hadn't planned on getting them, except for silkies now, which can't fly.

Breed selection. BOs have small wings and heavy bodies so they have a more difficult time jumping, but if they find a hole in the fence they will squeeze through and can rarely find their way back. Limit the number of birds so they have the space required for foraging. Some people simply clip their wings (wing).

BO's are the one breed I don't have on my list. I do have my limit set at 5 hens plus a couple of silkies. My yard is pretty big so they will have plenty of room. I hate clipping wings. I can do it, I just worry I will cut wrong.

It looks like I'll be getting paid soon! Freelance graphic design is difficult (especially when your client is family), but I've been owed $100 for several weeks, so I think I'll be getting it by the weekend. That'll cover a school loan payment and will give me enough extra cash for a couple bags of feed!

Because of the stress I've been feeling--and because I've literally been painting for days-- I decided to apply for a part-time job as a web designer. It looks like I'll be getting the position (I'm sending off a cohesive portfolio for the shop owner) and hopefully it'll work out. He said that if all goes well, I might be getting a permanent position. Then, right after getting that confirmation, my cousin calls and says that she needs the invoice for all the things I've done for her. I told her I'd be getting a part-time job and she said, "Oh, that's what I wanted to talk to you about!"

If it turns out that I get the job and then am offered more work from my cousin, I'll have to do both. Freelancing pays $35 an hour and part-time print shop work will likely only pay minimum wage.

Well, I've got to start somewhere. Part of being a young college grad is struggling to find work and settling for jobs in order to make your way. The dream is still alive to have the perfect balance of technology and nature in my life. After all, I'm only 21. I've got time! Besides, one hour of work could buy me two lavender guinea fowl from a local ranch. I. NEED. THEM.

Getting paid is always good. Have you look into French guineas? They lay year round.

My Javas can't jump that high but they can fly. Which amazes people because they are large fowl birds, not bantams. Most people I talk to that have Javas say they don't see theirs fly. Ours do though, usually it is to chase grasshoppers because when they land, the grasshoppers come out of the grass and are easier to catch that way. Or they fly to get away from me - like this weekend when we were catching them to examine/weigh them to choose keepers and who to get rid of. They were flying over a 4 ft portable fence we put up like it was nothing.

I never thought about chickens flying until I got on this site. I didn't think any chicken could fly. lol! Not sure who put that in my head, but that is what I grew up thinking. I only recently learned about bantams and never thought about them flying either. I've learned a lot on this site.

As long as the chickens don't wander/jump/fly off for no reason, I am good. I think I may need to be more concerned about them eyeing the veggie garden and getting into that fence for a salad bar....

 

[MandiB]

I'm driving to Ideal today to pick up my chicks. I have some handwarmers and the front passenger seat is heated, so I hope they will be warm enough on the 2 hour ride home.

I'm excited but nervous, too. Afraid I might do something wrong!

Does anybody know if Ideal will have them Ina box for me, or if I need to bring my own box?

 

[jajeanpierre]

I never thought about chickens flying until I got on this site. I didn't think any chicken could fly. lol! Not sure who put that in my head, but that is what I grew up thinking. I only recently learned about bantams and never thought about them flying either. I've learned a lot on this site.

As long as the chickens don't wander/jump/fly off for no reason, I am good. I think I may need to be more concerned about them eyeing the veggie garden and getting into that fence for a salad bar....

I would not say any chicken can "fly." They run, jump, flap their wings and get some lift, but that isn't flying. If you toss them, they land pretty hard. Some lighter breeds with big wings (like my Polish) go a little further and a little higher than other birds with what little lift they can get. They can jump pretty high. Chickens just don't tend to wander, and when they get on the wrong side of the fence, they are upset and want back home. Yes, many chickens can get over a four foot fence but they just don't. Almost any horse can jump the four-foot fence that surrounds their paddock, but they just don't.

If you really want chickens, why don't you just get yourself that little dog house from Farm Supply, a roll of four foot chicken wire, some cheap posts you can drive into the ground (about $3 each at Home Depot), a small roll of really strong hardware cloth--not the usual 1/4 inch or 1/4 stuff, but the really heavy stuff--from Tractor Supply, some little angles for the corner of the door, two hinges, a box of screws with the washer already on it to attache the wire, some 1x2 and 2x2 lumber, and a bolt fastener. If you want to cover the top of the pen, get a roll of plastic bird/deer netting. Their fencing doesn't have to be particularly strong. The night-time coop does. Your property's fencing will keep out your biggest threat--dogs. Or you can just run a roll of 24" chicken wire along the bottom of the fence you already have and not have any pen. Three or four little Silkies are not going to make all that much of a mess. Just don't put them outside unprotected until they are all grown.

You can get Silkie chicks from a feed dealer. Buy twice as many as you want since half will be cockerels. A trio of hens is a nice number to work with. Keep them in a cardboard box with a heat lamp (be really careful--I hate heat lamps).

It will cost you probably $250/$300 fpr everything.

Your Silkies will be good when or if you finally get yourself some of the bigger chickens next year--they'll likely just mother them chicks and you won't even have to brood them. Other breeds of chickens are problematic when introducing new birds to an existing flock. I'm not sure you really want the other breeds of chickens. You probably would enjoy something like a Silkie or a bantam Cochin more than any other breed. They are small (an advantage in suburbia) and very friendly and sweet.

Your plans for a coop are very ambitious and will be quite expensive. You admit to not being particularly gifted in the woodworking department and money is an issue, so why would you consider such a coop? I see it costing thousands. I don't know what the zoning laws would be for your dream coop, but you should check to be sure it is allowed. Plus, your chickens will be very unhappy in such a small yard. Chickens are just not that difficult or expensive to keep as you seem to think they are.

Just to remind you, here's the little dog house my husband converted to a chicken coop. The dog house cost about $140. This particular dog house is a really well-built with bolts holding it together, unlike the other prefab garbage one usually sees that is held together by stables even at the corners. There needs to be a lot more ventilation than pictured--we're going add a removable wire insert under the roof, which is hinged. Pens don't have to be fancy, especially when you are in suburbia where there isn't as heavy a predator load as there is in the country. Just make sure they have plenty of shade. I would put a pen in deep shade.

 

[jajeanpierre]

I'm driving to Ideal today to pick up my chicks. I have some handwarmers and the front passenger seat is heated, so I hope they will be warm enough on the 2 hour ride home.

I'm excited but nervous, too. Afraid I might do something wrong!

Does anybody know if Ideal will have them Ina box for me, or if I need to bring my own box?

Lucky chicks to get picked up! They won't need anything extra. I would worry about overheating them with the seat warmer. By all means, turn it on for a few minutes, but turn it off again. You don't want to cook them. Just keep the car warm and the chicks out of direct sunlight. Yes, they'll come in a box. My chicks were mailed yesterday--no cushy car ride for them! I hope mine arrive Thursday.

 

[TexasLisa]

I'm driving to Ideal today to pick up my chicks. I have some handwarmers and the front passenger seat is heated, so I hope they will be warm enough on the 2 hour ride home.

I'm excited but nervous, too. Afraid I might do something wrong!

Does anybody know if Ideal will have them Ina box for me, or if I need to bring my own box?

Good luck! I would bring a box in case their box is flimsy. Don't forget to take pictures!

Lisa

 

[hensfortherapy]

It looks like I'll be getting paid soon! Freelance graphic design is difficult (especially when your client is family), but I've been owed $100 for several weeks, so I think I'll be getting it by the weekend. That'll cover a school loan payment and will give me enough extra cash for a couple bags of feed! Because of the stress I've been feeling--and because I've literally been painting for days-- I decided to apply for a part-time job as a web designer. It looks like I'll be getting the position (I'm sending off a cohesive portfolio for the shop owner) and hopefully it'll work out. He said that if all goes well, I might be getting a permanent position. Then, right after getting that confirmation, my cousin calls and says that she needs the invoice for all the things I've done for her. I told her I'd be getting a part-time job and she said, "Oh, that's what I wanted to talk to you about!" If it turns out that I get the job and then am offered more work from my cousin, I'll have to do both. Freelancing pays $35 an hour and part-time print shop work will likely only pay minimum wage. Well, I've got to start somewhere. Part of being a young college grad is struggling to find work and settling for jobs in order to make your way. The dream is still alive to have the perfect balance of technology and nature in my life. After all, I'm only 21. I've got time! Besides, one hour of work could buy me two lavender guinea fowl from a local ranch. I. NEED. THEM.

Cool looking birds. So many varieties. It is a good thing I am limited on space and the fact that my HOA doesn't allow poultry. Ha. I have therapy chickens and that is a fact.