I'm getting chickens, hurray, hurray
Jul 23, 2021 6:07:40 GMT -5
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jerseyrose, elnini, and 1 more like this
Post by saysfaa on Jul 23, 2021 6:07:40 GMT -5
My chicks are almost three months old. I picked up 8 black australorp pullets and 3 brown leghorn pullets from Cackle store front as day old chicks. That combination of breeds worked very well, the leghorns were the first to check out everything and learn everything and carried the australorps with them. The australorps steadied the leghorns and calmed them down.
I planned for 4-6 hens in the end. I got extra because I expected to lose some. I've never raised chicks before and was going to do it without a heat source, and with an 8 hr drive the first day and a 12 hour drive their fifth day. I also require hens only so allowed an extra couple due to the 90% accuracy rate of the pros sorting the sexes. And they gave me an extra. Then they all thrived. And only one was a cockerel.
One reason for these breeds is they have dark eyes. This seems more personable to me - less predatory/nasty.
I've treated them like I do calves as far as spending time with them, tending to them (watching for what they need, how they act and react, ect). And they have responded much like cows in many ways. I like how they demonstrate trust and contentment. And that they will look at me; study my face. It feels like connectedness although I think they are really studying how to best eat me if they get a chance. Shrug, chickens will readily eat any of their vulnerable flock mates too, so I don't take it personally
I now have five: 3 austalorps and 2 leghorns. I decreased in three stages. It has been interesting observing the changes in flock dynamics due to that, also. I intend to keep these five into old age unless we move to where I can't have chickens. If we move to where we can have any amount/kind of chickens then I would like these as one coop and a second coop set up with different goals.
I brooded them with a wool hen. That went well.
The coop is working very well: it is a Woods' inspired design (Prince T Woods Open Air - www.backyardchickens.com/threads/woods-style-house-in-the-winter.445004/#post-5566206
Mine is not a Woods like that. It has a gable roof instead of a half monitor to go with the open wall and proportions. I also have wide eaves, eave vents, and a ridge vent and pretty big windows - all which stay open all the time. It is usually cooler in the coop than outside. The eave and ridge vents and windows will be closed off for winter but the side will stay open all winter.
Deep litter is working well, keeping the floor and litter very dry and the only smell is the very recent poops. is about eight bags of packed maple leaves, one bag of bark strips and chips, one bag of long orchard grass hay, one bale of commercial pine shavings, 5 gallons of pelletized wood stove pellets, 25 pounds of PDZ horse stall granules, 4 wheel barrows of lawn grass clippings, and miscellaneous garden plant stems and roots (mostly radish, peas, and clover), the feathers they have dropped, and a few sticks. It is about six inches deep so far - over an 8x10 area - or about 9" deep when it is freshly turned or fluffed. I turn it far more often than it needs in order to reassure myself that it is dry underneath. The variety of textures keeps it fluffy.
Soaking/fermenting their feed has pros and a con. The con being I don't have the set up finished... I don't have the screening done to keep the flies away. So far, it is mostly fruit flies.
They also get fresh greens and some insects. At least Spice does, she is not at all interested in sharing and snaps most of them up before the others get much chance at them.
I plan to take them with me on my weekly day working the farm. That weekly trip has been more hope than reality so far. But it is still the plan and sometimes happens. I need to make a chicken tractor down there, first. More things to work out.😊
I planned for 4-6 hens in the end. I got extra because I expected to lose some. I've never raised chicks before and was going to do it without a heat source, and with an 8 hr drive the first day and a 12 hour drive their fifth day. I also require hens only so allowed an extra couple due to the 90% accuracy rate of the pros sorting the sexes. And they gave me an extra. Then they all thrived. And only one was a cockerel.
One reason for these breeds is they have dark eyes. This seems more personable to me - less predatory/nasty.
I've treated them like I do calves as far as spending time with them, tending to them (watching for what they need, how they act and react, ect). And they have responded much like cows in many ways. I like how they demonstrate trust and contentment. And that they will look at me; study my face. It feels like connectedness although I think they are really studying how to best eat me if they get a chance. Shrug, chickens will readily eat any of their vulnerable flock mates too, so I don't take it personally
I now have five: 3 austalorps and 2 leghorns. I decreased in three stages. It has been interesting observing the changes in flock dynamics due to that, also. I intend to keep these five into old age unless we move to where I can't have chickens. If we move to where we can have any amount/kind of chickens then I would like these as one coop and a second coop set up with different goals.
I brooded them with a wool hen. That went well.
The coop is working very well: it is a Woods' inspired design (Prince T Woods Open Air - www.backyardchickens.com/threads/woods-style-house-in-the-winter.445004/#post-5566206
Mine is not a Woods like that. It has a gable roof instead of a half monitor to go with the open wall and proportions. I also have wide eaves, eave vents, and a ridge vent and pretty big windows - all which stay open all the time. It is usually cooler in the coop than outside. The eave and ridge vents and windows will be closed off for winter but the side will stay open all winter.
Deep litter is working well, keeping the floor and litter very dry and the only smell is the very recent poops. is about eight bags of packed maple leaves, one bag of bark strips and chips, one bag of long orchard grass hay, one bale of commercial pine shavings, 5 gallons of pelletized wood stove pellets, 25 pounds of PDZ horse stall granules, 4 wheel barrows of lawn grass clippings, and miscellaneous garden plant stems and roots (mostly radish, peas, and clover), the feathers they have dropped, and a few sticks. It is about six inches deep so far - over an 8x10 area - or about 9" deep when it is freshly turned or fluffed. I turn it far more often than it needs in order to reassure myself that it is dry underneath. The variety of textures keeps it fluffy.
Soaking/fermenting their feed has pros and a con. The con being I don't have the set up finished... I don't have the screening done to keep the flies away. So far, it is mostly fruit flies.
They also get fresh greens and some insects. At least Spice does, she is not at all interested in sharing and snaps most of them up before the others get much chance at them.
I plan to take them with me on my weekly day working the farm. That weekly trip has been more hope than reality so far. But it is still the plan and sometimes happens. I need to make a chicken tractor down there, first. More things to work out.😊