Buying 2-3 new chicks today!

I'mInLoveWithMyHubby · 04-01-2012, 06:55 AM

We bought our first chickens last year. We intended only getting 2 and ended up with 8.
Our hens in a dirt bath.

Our eggs

Well I've been really wanting a Maran that lays chocolate color brown eggs. Since our coop is well equipped for a few more we are going to the farm store after lunch and buying 2-3 more.

They will live in our house under a heat lamp until they are old enough to be integrated with the existing flock, which is not easy and takes 3 weeks. I will probably keep them inside for 3 months since I have the room. You just can't throw strange chickens in a coop.lol. The others will eat them if you don't do it right.

Raising chickens has really helped me keep my mind off my neck injury and going into a depression. It gives me something to do during the day and they are very easy to care for.

Every single I hen I have now loves human attention and loves to sit on my lap.

Cherry · 04-01-2012, 09:22 AM

It sounds like excellent therapy

I'm happy for you!

I'm trying to find a hobby myself, so I've stated a garden. It's starting to get fun

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that_girl · 04-01-2012, 09:24 AM

Talk to me about what it takes to have chickens. I'm interested! Our neighbor has turkeys and chickens and they are sweet!

I'mInLoveWithMyHubby · 04-01-2012, 09:53 AM

I absolutely adore my flock! The fresh eggs are out of this world fantastic to eat. The eggs store bought are up to a few months old before they reach your house and not properly fed.

We bought our first chicks last spring. 4 weeks later hubby built a very nice coop inside our garage with a run right outside out house. You need 1 nest box per 4 hens. We use pine chips inside the coop, which is found in the horse section at a local fleet farm store(4.85) for 5 cubic feet. To feed 8 hens in the winter cost roughly $10 a month for feed. The coop itself is what you decide if you want recycled or all new materials. The wire for the run costs the most, since chicken wire is not strong enough to keep out predators. I use sand inside their run, but I do let them outside to eat the grass, bugs, rocks ect.

Backyardchickens.com has a ton of info and different coop plans. My username is Nicole01 and I have photos of my coop and run in my profile.

http://www.backyardchickens.com/f/

There are over 100 breeds or more of chickens with different egg colors and temperament. We chose the calm breeds. If you decide to start a flock and want very friendly chickens, handle them from day 1 everyday. It pays off. We have 8 hens, 7 breeds.

I clean my coop 2-5 times a day and they are super clean. Most people do a deep litter method and clean their coop once a year.

My hens love me. They run under my feet every chance they get. They are very sweet and a wonderful pet.

The first 2-3 months I keep them in a XL wire dog kennel under a heat lamp. This is the most work these first few months if you want friendly chickens. If you decide to get your own, stay away from the flighty breeds like leghorns. They are impossible to tame.

They are very social animals and you need at least 2. They do make a little noise, but that's after they lay an egg. I'm very excited to pick out a couple more today. I love the dark eggs!

This is what I'm aiming for.

that_girl · 04-01-2012, 09:55 AM

Thanks! It's something I want to look into

827Aug · 04-01-2012, 12:30 PM

That's wonderful! They are beautiful. I so wish I could have chickens again......and ducks and guineas, and turkeys, and..... We have too many predators though.

They do make nice pets. My daughters still talk about their pet turkey when they were little. He was something else!

Coffee Amore · 04-01-2012, 12:40 PM

I hadn't thought of chickens as lovely, but yours are so pretty. The eggs too. The eggs look so appropriate for Easter...already in pastel shades.

I've always wanted to raise backyard chickens. I know there are people who do that in suburban settings providing the zoning laws don't prevent it. Some day...I'm going to have chickens too.

Do you have roosters too? I've heard the noise factor comes from the roosters not the hens.

OldGirl · 04-01-2012, 01:02 PM

I love the dark eggs; so pretty, they look like they're made of wood. Glad you found something you enjoy so much. I'm still looking.

2nd_t!me iz_best · 04-01-2012, 02:07 PM

wish i could get a couple chicks today, even 1 would do

but i would NEVER pay for that kind of stuff *(probably)

but really, those are nice chickens.
love those eggs, so cool.
i think youre pulling our legs with those choc eggs.
either choc or as stated before, wood. they look too cool.

OldGirl · 04-01-2012, 02:37 PM

Wow Dean! That's beautiful.

I'mInLoveWithMyHubby · 04-01-2012, 03:25 PM

My new arrivals!

I picked the cuckoo Maran in the far back. The middle yellow one is a light brahma and I don't know what the front one is. It's not a popular breed. My two youngest girls picked the other two.

I'mInLoveWithMyHubby · 04-01-2012, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Dean*

Your eggs are very beautiful.
Our girls are just brown egg layers. I ordered 1 day old chicks from McMurray, 5 different varieties.
Kepted them in a stall in the barn and had a few heat lamps running (this was winter).

Got all my info on chicken coop designs from Backyardchickens too.
It's hot in Texas so our's is very open, long wide run that is covered with welded wire so hawks can't get in.
It's under some big oaks trees for shade. We let them free range but I have lost about 4 due to hawks.
They come running at me because I give them some sunflower seeds as a treat almost everyday.

Wow, you have a gorgeous flock!

I want a Welsummer too, but the kids didn't want one. I'm happy with the Maran and white Brahma. The chicks are worn out on their big day home.

I'mInLoveWithMyHubby · 04-02-2012, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 827Aug

That's wonderful! They are beautiful. I so wish I could have chickens again......and ducks and guineas, and turkeys, and..... We have too many predators though.

They do make nice pets. My daughters still talk about their pet turkey when they were little. He was something else!

What a handsome turkey!

SimplyAmorous · 04-02-2012, 07:24 AM

So many beautiful pictures on here....love those chickens, I am a little envious.

Love that fence & Blue bonnets Dean...I have been wanting to get chickens forever, but too many predators where we live......we are just too weary. The last people had goats & they were killed. I suppose if they are fenced in good enough. And we can let them roam during the day. I don't know.

Then all my kids go barefoot in our yard (me included) & I worry about us stepping on all of that & bringing it into the house.

These are the 2 big reasons we have held out doing the chickens. Our family sure goes through the eggs though! This is also something I feel we might regret if we never do it. How silly is that.

Everyone says they are so easy ...and a joy. I know you sure love it I'mInLoveWithMyHubby!

I'mInLoveWithMyHubby · 04-02-2012, 07:36 AM

SA, we all have coop shoes(crocs) which are easy to clean and disinfect. I keep the coop clean. The chickens run into the woods for cover when let outside. I supervise all free range time with a dog by my side and a stick in my hand. No casualties yet.

Our coop is predator free, so is our run too. It wasn't cheap building the run, we put a corrugated steel roof to match our house. Here's our run right before winter, we covered with plastic, so no snow could enter. I've now taken the plastic off. The side panel is for shading. We need to add a fan on the wall, then we are completely finished.

Our coop is inside our garage. We even have it heated for the winter.

It's not easy taking inside photos.

Here's our feeder hubby built from scrap wood.