Yeah. My parents had some chickens, ducks, and geese when I was a child and I used to got look for their eggs, feed, and care for them. I loved the geese best, my pet gander Lucky was just awesome, and the chickens were cool, I didn't much care for the ducks though, those suckers were mean, we had to cull a mallard due to his bad attitude. My parents taught me how to cull and process chickens, my mother was raised on a farm. It's been years, since I then, but I wanted chickens and geese. My parents had Barred Rocks and Rhode Island Reds. So I went on a search for chickens, I had originally planned for a small flock of a dozen chickens and 3/4 geese to start with. I just couldn't say no to all those cute, adorable chicks and goslings. After I cull and process our extra Roos for the dinner table I will have about 18 pullets, if I am right on sexing. I purchased 6 of BO and 9 BA pullets, and 6 each of BR, RIR, and SLW straight runs, and was given 1 extra SLW chick by the feedstore. 1 BR chick died, the rest all made it, I think I have 3 BR pullets, 3 RIR pullets, and 1SLW pullet (either that or the SLW pullets grow combs and wattles like a Roo). I had 9 goslings, 1 died from the feedstore switching their feed to medicated without telling me, I gave a pair to my brother -in- law as an early birthday present, he is also getting 3 BA pullets once they get bigger. My BR are my most outgoing, curious, and friendly chickens, they like to perch on my shoulder and talk to me when I'm cleaning their coop,
. My RIR are the next friendly, the SLW Roos are a pain in the butt, really don't care for them and they are gonna taste so yummy after all the grief they have given me, the 1 SLW pullet I like. The BO are about 5 weeks old and have already been integrated into the flock of my 8 week olds. I put the brooder box in the coop, fenced off from the others until they were 3 weeks old, then turned it on its side, put a dog playpen layered with chicken wire, in front so they could see each other but not peck for a week, then let them mingle. My BA pullets are 3weeks old and are currently in the brooder, on it's side with the dog playpen in front. I think I could have let them mix already, (I flipped the brooder over when they were 2 weeks old because of heat) but there are 2 3 week old African goslings and 2 2 week old Chinese goslings in there with them. My 8 week old geese attacked the goslings when I first introduced, so I have been slower to integrat this time. But, the dog pen is not up flush against the box anymore, I moved it away to give the babies more room, those goslings grow fast and big. The chickens fly over to visit the babies, they don't peck or bully them, just visit and steal food, greedy pigs. I have been working on the geese manners for over a week and while the geese do let everyone know who is boss, its more of a (pardon the pun) goose to the behind to remind everyone than grabbing the neck now. I have placed cinder blocks and other things in the cage, these are for the chicks to be able to hide when I remove the playpen, which I hope happens real soon.
Eventually, I'd like to add more chickens, some that I already have, some other color Orpingtons, I'd love some EE at some point. At this time I am going to let my flock mix breed, so am trying to stck with large, dual purpose, brown egg layers. But the Amarcaunas are simply adorable and I may get some anyway. I also already have plans to enlarge my geese flock, a lady on here will sell me hatching eggs for brown chinese and pied chinese next year. And I know someone who has white African geese I could probably buy eggs from. Oh dear, i think I'm obsessed with chickens/geese after only 8 weeks! Help!
lol!! If they r mean tho, I guess they r out. I want peace on my imaginary ranch/farm!! So, if the llama spits, it's out too ;P!
