Wow. I met some real chickens today (longish post)

[Emzyyy]

if u use sand in the run white chickens won't get so dirty they stay nice and clean i plan on using sand in my run.

 

[Chicabee19]

yep... I decided sand in the run would be good idea - the backyard is fairly sandy already.

 

[digitS']

I like your approach to things, Chicabee. Of course, at some point, you are going to have to take the plunge.

I try to be a Steady Freddy (or is it Even Steven

) in all things. And, to "get my ducks in a row" (to mix metaphors) before heading off down the road. As I've gotten older, I'm appreciating these traits a little more but it does clamp down some on flights of fancy and creative performance.

Your, "RIR, a sex-link or red/brown EE, and a buff Leghorn" ideas strike me as a little more creative and a little less steady. The Easter Egger will be a little smaller than the RIR or sex-link and the Leghorn will be a "light-weight" unless there's something I don't know about the buff. So, you'll have 3 sizes and 3 colorations (with the EE you can have all 3, individually). The Leghorn, also, may be the one who'll shoot straight over the neighbor's fence.

Having size and personality consistency and variable coloring may provide more balance. With some luck on their natural variability, having 3 differing EE's could put some "jewels" in your backyard. Some folks would find having a flock of White, Buff, and Black Orpingtons, boring. I would be tickled . . . uh, pink. I'd probably feel the same with the color varieties of the Leghorns or Wyandottes (beautiful birds) but haven't really any experience with them. My favorite breed is the Australorp and it just galls me that there's no White color choice in this country.

IMO, a little flock of Buff Brahmas, Buff Orpingtons, and Buff Rocks would be charming, also. I've had each of these breeds but not all in the buffs and not together - what did I miss? They'd be a calm group for a backyard, personality-wise.

Steve

 

[Chicabee19]

hi Steve,

thanks for your encouragement regarding the careful way I do things! It's not a choice really, it is a necessity because of my health.

for example, in 2006 I started a small business selling houseplant starts, and bought tons of supplies and a greenhouse...

then it became very clear that I could no longer spend any time in the sun or in a hot/moist environment.

Funding the 20 x 12 foot greenhouse and all the stuff that goes into creating lots of baby plants, 100 hours creating a business plan to get a $10,000.00 grant that I can't spend... sheesh.

I learned that the more I know before investing in a big project, the more successful and less prone to failure I will be. The process kept me busy at a time when I really needed something to concentrate on, so I try not to view the 2 years as completely wasted. We will be able to use ALL of the greenhouse material around here, so that's not really wasted either. I've given away a lot of plants, which I love to do.

But you know... it's a different thing when you are messing with living beings. I don't want to grab some chickens, throw them in the backyard, then find out that I can't keep them for some unforeseen reason.

I suppose someone would say 'if it fails just re-home the chickens', and I suppose they'd be right. But I'll love them by then, and pain or stress can affect my health --

....it might feel like re-homing my beloved granddaughter!

 

[Chicabee19]

digitS' :

I like your approach to things, Chicabee. Of course, at some point, you are going to have to take the plunge.

I try to be a Steady Freddy (or is it Even Steven

) in all things. And, to "get my ducks in a row" (to mix metaphors) before heading off down the road. As I've gotten older, I'm appreciating these traits a little more but it does clamp down some on flights of fancy and creative performance.

Your, "RIR, a sex-link or red/brown EE, and a buff Leghorn" ideas strike me as a little more creative and a little less steady. The Easter Egger will be a little smaller than the RIR or sex-link and the Leghorn will be a "light-weight" unless there's something I don't know about the buff. So, you'll have 3 sizes and 3 colorations (with the EE you can have all 3, individually). The Leghorn, also, may be the one who'll shoot straight over the neighbor's fence.

Thanks digit for your words of wisdom...! Are you saying my choices would be an unstable mix? Can you explain this a little more for a newbie?

Having size and personality consistency and variable coloring may provide more balance. With some luck on their natural variability, having 3 differing EE's could put some "jewels" in your backyard. Some folks would find having a flock of White, Buff, and Black Orpingtons, boring. I would be tickled . . . uh, pink. I'd probably feel the same with the color varieties of the Leghorns or Wyandottes (beautiful birds) but haven't really any experience with them. My favorite breed is the Australorp and it just galls me that there's no White color choice in this country.

2 red colored and 2 buff colored would cause a problem of some kind? I want to avoid black or white birds. Black because they are scary to me, and white because the five white birds I've seen in person all looked really dirty!

IMO, a little flock of Buff Brahmas, Buff Orpingtons, and Buff Rocks would be charming, also. I've had each of these breeds but not all in the buffs and not together - what did I miss? They'd be a calm group for a backyard, personality-wise. Steve

cb​

 

[Chicabee19]

I talked to three people today who said 'don't get Leghorns'. 2 of them had ended up giving theirs away.

I ruled out BOs because when I saw some in person yesterday they were kinda scary -- so fluffy! But I keep hearing and reading that they are so sweet.

Oh well... you know what will probably happen is someone will give me a chicken and it will be a breed I was not planning on having!

 

[digitS']

Well, let's see if I can make some sense out of my thinking

. . . I've had a RIR - rooster. Many say that RIR roos tend to be aggressive. I've certainly heard that enuf to believe it but my bird wasn't aggressive, not for a rooster.

And, I've had an Ameraucana rooster - gorgoeus bird. I was very fond of him. And, there was 1 Ameraucana hen later. Quiet and independent - good traits when they are the smallest in the henhouse.

And, I haven't had a Leghorn, anything.

I think that these chickens would each be quite different from the other. They may get along fine. A pecking order would be established and with so few birds, they'd probably find it necessary to get along just for the sake of companionship.

I am leaning toward an RIR, a sex-link or red/brown EE, and a buff Leghorn

I see what you mean by this combination - they'd all be shades of red. You can find the right EE pullet but they are quite variable in many ways. In appearance, the RIR and red sex-link would be quite similar but the EE and Leghorn wouldn't have much in common with each other nor with the RIR/s-l.

I think that the advice you are getting on the Leghorn is good because of the size difference, if for no other reason. I like big, quiet hens and the Orpingtons, Brahmas, Rocks and Australorps fill the bill. And except for the Aussie, I appreciate the wide range of color choices within these breeds. If I had more room, having a selection would be fun.

Steve
edited to say, that on 2nd thought, my Ameraucana rooster and hen were probably EE's but how would I know? It was over 30 years ago for the roo and 25 years ago for the hen . . .​

 

[Chicabee19]

hi Steve,

I see your thinking... I'm not going to have roosters, so don't have to worry too much about that.

You know, an endeavor like this is really organic ... you put out the energy and thought into the world, and things flow toward you - friends, materials, contacts, even chickens.

This happens in ways you could not have imagined! You can try to make plans, but often the plans make you.

Since I decided to go ahead with having chickens, opportunities are appearing, and as I mentioned, what will probably happen is that someone is giving a young pullet away or selling it really cheap -- and it won't be the brand I was thinking of initially.

...sort of like children -- you can wish for a boy or a girl, but the universe decides, and once you have the child you can't imagine having a different one!

Yesterday I received a free igloo doghouse, a roll of chicken wire, and seven 2x8s!

So we're on our way -- like the chickens, the coop and run will be what it wants to be according to the materials we have or receive I guess.

Going with the flow...