| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| KatTylee |
Posted - Jul 16 2013 : 09:13:53 AM
I get chicks this week! I've never had chickens before. My little brooder is all ready for the call that they are here. I feel a little silly but I'm very excited.  I've had ducks before and I grew up with all sorts of critters but never chickens.
~"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."
— Oscar Wilde~
Farmgirl Sister #3214
http://lazymomgardener.wordpress.com/
http://littlehawkyarns.wordpress.com |
| 23 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| KatTylee |
Posted - Jan 22 2014 : 6:10:57 PM
Anne,
I used a large Rubbermaid container with no top and kept them in my garage. I kept chicken wire over the top so the dogs and cats would stay out. Still didn't keep our pup out. :( Luckily I caught her before she ate any. Caught trying to eat them again today too. Dog is gonna get ousted if she isn't careful. She is on my short list right now. Besides my own critters I have snakes, coyotes, hawks, etc. to deal with as well. I have the chickens completely fenced, not sure why because it doesn't stop the dog. I let them wander during the day when I have the dogs inside. Yes, they are named. Big Red, Goldie, and Chicken Little. I can't really tell Big Red and Chicken Little apart anymore and they aren't super friendly. They are both Rhode Island Reds. Goldie is a Buff Orpington and a total sweetheart but she is odd-man out and I think I may try to squeeze one more Buff into my coop this spring. We'll see. I might be moving them into larger quarters too. If I do that then, I will be getting some more chickens. They are kind of addictive. :)
~"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."
— Oscar Wilde~
Farmgirl Sister #3214
http://lazymomgardener.wordpress.com/
http://littlehawkyarns.wordpress.com
www.etsy.com/shop/LittleHawkYarns |
| chickensforme |
Posted - Jan 22 2014 : 4:05:03 PM
KatTylee
How did you make your brooder. I am getting mine in June and I also am very excited, never had them before. I have been reading a lot of books on chickens. I am in a area that has a lot of predators and I am thinking about keeping them in my basement which is plenty warm and nice and cool in the summer. It is a walkout basement and I will have there runs right outside the door, with their coop inside the basement.
I wish you the best of luck with your new babies. Do you have names yet?
Anne |
| batznthebelfry |
Posted - Jan 20 2014 : 10:49:55 PM
best animal I have ever had...easy to care for & easy to love...Micele'
Chickens RULE!
hen #2622
www.theoldbatzfarm.blogspot.com/ |
| KatTylee |
Posted - Jan 17 2014 : 10:08:39 AM
My chickens gave us the best Christmas present ever! They started laying right before Christmas. Perfect timing for having company. I got to introduce my city in-laws to farm fresh eggs. I do believe we have some converts. :) They are now laying three eggs a day (I have three chickens) and I need to start baking more. Twenty-one eggs a week are a tad much for our family. I am NOT complaining though. I am tickled pink. I am loving how they do their jobs of cleaning stuff up in the garden too.
~"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."
— Oscar Wilde~
Farmgirl Sister #3214
http://lazymomgardener.wordpress.com/
http://littlehawkyarns.wordpress.com
www.etsy.com/shop/LittleHawkYarns |
| KatTylee |
Posted - Sep 01 2013 : 8:50:54 PM
I'm understanding now why people say that a group is clucking like hens. My goodness those girls of mine talk non-stop. They are very good about putting themselves up at night too. Much better than my ducks ever were. That is a nice change for me. Time to give the coop a good scrub down tomorrow. A chore I'm not really excited about but needs done and it has finally started to cool off a little.
~"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."
— Oscar Wilde~
Farmgirl Sister #3214
http://lazymomgardener.wordpress.com/
http://littlehawkyarns.wordpress.com
www.etsy.com/shop/LittleHawkYarns |
| NixKat |
Posted - Aug 19 2013 : 11:06:10 AM
Hello Ladies. I just came across this conversation and wanted to join in. Congratulations to the "new moms"! Even though there were chickens where I grew up I just got my own girls this spring and was just as excited you. We take photos of them every few weeks and watch them grow, again and again. I have 3 each of 4 breeds: RIR, Easter Eggers, Australorpe, and Black Sex Link.
We noticed within the first days that some stood out and were easy to name.
The tiniest was named Marcia after a friend because although she is smaller than most around her she is spunky and stands her ground. The largest of the dozen is an EE we named Big Bertha, she was the boss. The other girls earned their names as their personalities developed. Lori, a Black Sex Link with a red breast is named after a relative, bossy and loud. Sara is an EE with reddish yellow head and neck, she is mellow. I am still working on naming the others.
They are so funny to watch. When they hear our voices or the car door, they come running, not because they are pleased to see us, they want snacks.
When its bedtime my husband will go into the hen house and the girls line up at his feet and wait their turns to be picked up and stroked before he sets them on their roost for the night. The girls have a nice long and wide roost but they have their spots marked out. Each breed stays together. And each girl has her place on the roost. Every night, same routine. Then he turns off the light and leaves, that's when the chatter begins. :) Just like the children. They all chatter and pester each other as they fall off to sleep. They are not laying eggs yet, not for another 7 or 8 weeks and we can't wait.
Enjoy your girls, ours have become our pets.
Kathleen...... Farmgirl Sister #3447
http://hennypennyfarm.blogspot.com/
|
| KatTylee |
Posted - Aug 19 2013 : 06:30:14 AM
My girls are so much fun. And they have made it okay when our non-GMO corn comes with caterpillars. It means extra treats for the girls, and I don't mind feeding them organic, non-GMO corn. It is funny. They seem to live up to their names. Chicken Little is a worry wart that runs around peeping her head off. Goldie is a sweetheart and Big Red is the brave one.
~"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."
— Oscar Wilde~
Farmgirl Sister #3214
http://lazymomgardener.wordpress.com/
http://littlehawkyarns.wordpress.com |
| MtnGrlByTheBay |
Posted - Aug 19 2013 : 05:35:50 AM
KatTylee, good job with the canine barrier!
Robin, that is a BEAUTIFUL Black Australorpe! I have a BA too, and I just love her.
newFarmgirl, yes, that's normal... heat, food, broodiness, light and even more factors all have an impact on laying.
CaliJen, get a picture, and go participate in backyardchickens.com. They should he able to help you.
^^^I'm a RidgeRunner, and will always feel best when surrounded by the PA mountains.^^^
www.lastlapgang.com |
| newfarmgirl |
Posted - Aug 15 2013 : 6:52:30 PM
Could someone tell me if it is normal for a hen to start to lay (4 days in a row the first time) and then just stop for what is now four days. She is a white Leghorn and free range. I thought it might take some time to have a regular routine. She's on layer feed. Thanks. Janquote:
Originally posted by Marybeth
Chickens are fun. We got six babies this Spring and they are just starting to lay now. Teeny eggs at first. You will enjoy your little balls of fluff. MB
http://www.smallcityscenes.blogspot.com
www.day4plus.blogspot.com
"Life may not be the party we hoped for...but while we are here we might as well dance!"
|
| newfarmgirl |
Posted - Aug 15 2013 : 6:44:59 PM
I just started with chicks in the Spring. My RI reds are almost ready to lay. They are very sociable and come when I walk toward them. I am really enjoying them and you will too. I ordered my chicks from Meyers Hatchery on line and you can order as few as three, if I remember right. I was very happy with the process. Make sure they stay warm on these cooler than normal summer nights (I live in WV and it was 50 this morning!!). I hope you are greatly blessed by your little wonders. I never tire of mine. Janquote:
Originally posted by KatTylee
I got the chicks today! Two Rhode Islands and on Buff Orpington. I can already tell I'm going to have to expand the coop and probably add chickens next spring. :D
~"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."
— Oscar Wilde~
Farmgirl Sister #3214
http://lazymomgardener.wordpress.com/
http://littlehawkyarns.wordpress.com
|
| CaliJen |
Posted - Aug 10 2013 : 8:29:41 PM
Hello,
I recently started subscribing to Mary Jane's Farm and found out about this forum, so I just joined.
About a month ago, I bought 4 chicks. Three are Rhode Island Reds and 1 is a Barred Rock. This is my second batch of chickens, but my first set of chickies. The first batch that I had were six months old. I am really new to having chicks.
I am concerned for my Barred Rock, who is such a sweetie. She greets the morning and sometimes the afternoon with several crows. My husband, kids and I are concerned that she is a he. I have heard that this behavior is normal. In my 1st batch, we had one that loved to crow, too. Is there a fool proof way to tell whether or not she is a she or whether she is a he?
I would appreciate any information that you can give to me.
Thank you in advance,
CaliJen |
| KatTylee |
Posted - Aug 09 2013 : 9:29:56 PM
Chickens are funny. I've got my girls in their coop for the first night. I hope they'll be okay. I just had the dogs bark at something so I went out and checked on the girls. They looked at me like I was crazy for being up at this time of night. Didn't see anyone else around either. Well, other than the two ornery kittens that have made it their life's ambition to make it into the house. :)
~"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."
— Oscar Wilde~
Farmgirl Sister #3214
http://lazymomgardener.wordpress.com/
http://littlehawkyarns.wordpress.com |
| Robin1974 |
Posted - Aug 09 2013 : 9:15:03 PM
.jpg)
Love that there are others like me out there! My four girls are spoiled rotten but they give me fresh eggs almost daily so we are even. This is my beauty Georgia. She is a bit of a ham as you can see :)
|
| KatTylee |
Posted - Aug 08 2013 : 11:22:52 AM
Fence is moved to keep dogs out and now I just need to complete the chicken run/tractor. I still need to attach the wire and frame in a door. The brooder is certainly getting too small for them. It won't be long and they'll be 6 weeks. I want to get them out and moving around right now. They are so much fun to watch. Especially when they are chasing flies. So funny. They pretty obviously would like to be out and about more too. Even at that I still feel kind of like the worried mother hen. I suppose that is how it is supposed to be huh? :)
~"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."
— Oscar Wilde~
Farmgirl Sister #3214
http://lazymomgardener.wordpress.com/
http://littlehawkyarns.wordpress.com |
| KatTylee |
Posted - Jul 30 2013 : 10:55:44 AM
I'm very excited to let the girls into their new digs soon-ish. We have a fenced area for them as well. Let's just hope I can keep the dang dogs out. The girls are okay now but very leery of anything coming into the brooder from the top. That is where the dog hopped in. I do need to fix up the gate area between their spot and the rest of the garden. Next year I'm hoping to get a few more and expand my coop size. I might even add guineas to the mix since there are so many ticks here.
~"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."
— Oscar Wilde~
Farmgirl Sister #3214
http://lazymomgardener.wordpress.com/
http://littlehawkyarns.wordpress.com |
| MtnGrlByTheBay |
Posted - Jul 30 2013 : 09:00:55 AM
I'm a total lover of chickens. I'm into my 2nd year with them. I only have 6, but love each one of them! I just finished my new coop, and hope to post pictures soon. Last year I built a chicken tractor, and that worked, but I learned that I wanted something I could stand in, with a door and a window. I just enjoy watching them peck about the back yard (ours is totally fenced). It's like how some people enjoy watching fish in a tank... zen like and relaxing. I even walked with a few of my hens in our little (all of 10 minutes) community parade!
I currently have: A Rhode Island Red named Souffle', a Black Australorpe named Omelet, a Blue Laced Red Wyandotte named Quiche (but we call her FiFi), a White Silkie named Foo Yung, a Cuckoo Maran named Tamago, and a Lemon Orphington named... you guessed it... Meringue. I had two other hens last year - another BLRW named Nog, and an Easter Egger named Deviled. Both died as a result of a Jack Russell Terrier attack (my fault for not securing the pen well enough).
^^^I'm a RidgeRunner, and will always feel best when surrounded by the PA mountains.^^^
www.lastlapgang.com |
| KatTylee |
Posted - Jul 24 2013 : 5:29:35 PM
Dang dog! I caught our new pup in with the chicks this morning. I heard them peeping and checked out in the garage and found the pup all the way in the brooder with chicks all slobbered on. Luckily they are all doing fine but I thought I had a couple of chicks that were goners.
~"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."
— Oscar Wilde~
Farmgirl Sister #3214
http://lazymomgardener.wordpress.com/
http://littlehawkyarns.wordpress.com |
| KatTylee |
Posted - Jul 18 2013 : 11:41:36 AM
I'll let you know how it goes. So far I like them a lot better than I thought I would. Of course it is only day 2. :) We have names now too. Big Red, fitting since University of Nebraska is Big Red, Chicken Little, and Goldie.
~"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."
— Oscar Wilde~
Farmgirl Sister #3214
http://lazymomgardener.wordpress.com/
http://littlehawkyarns.wordpress.com |
| Katlady93 |
Posted - Jul 18 2013 : 11:00:39 AM
i am trying to convince myself to try chickens. i know several people who have them. one of the local farmers even sells his chicks. i want the eggs.
the nutritionist that i see raises chickens, adn we always get off track talking about her girls
Some dreams are worth the risk it takes to make them real.
Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footsteps on the moon. |
| KatTylee |
Posted - Jul 17 2013 : 11:07:28 AM
I got the chicks today! Two Rhode Islands and on Buff Orpington. I can already tell I'm going to have to expand the coop and probably add chickens next spring. :D
~"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."
— Oscar Wilde~
Farmgirl Sister #3214
http://lazymomgardener.wordpress.com/
http://littlehawkyarns.wordpress.com |
| KatTylee |
Posted - Jul 17 2013 : 06:06:28 AM
Glad no one else thinks I'm silly for being excited. :) I'm not entirely sure which chicks we ordered. Sounds horrible I know. I went in with some other people because right now my coop is only big enough for three chickens and no one will ship only three chicks. I think we are doing a combination of Rhode Islands and Buff Orpingtons but I'm not positive. We might be doing one or the other too. I don't really care yet. I just want the eggs and to start small with my livestock. We also just got two kittens and a 6 month old pup to add to our aging border collie. The chicks will round out our pile of little ones. I must be a glutton for punishment because it means I will have a two-year old a five-year old, 2 kittens, 2 dogs, and 3 chicks. :) At least almost everyone is potty trained.
~"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."
— Oscar Wilde~
Farmgirl Sister #3214
http://lazymomgardener.wordpress.com/
http://littlehawkyarns.wordpress.com |
| wooliespinner |
Posted - Jul 16 2013 : 5:10:29 PM
Its not silly at all Katrina. I have had chickens for 21 years now and every couple of years we order new chicks. I still get super excited about them. Enjoy your new chicks its your god given farmgirl right!
What kind of chicks did you order?
Have fun.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
| Marybeth |
Posted - Jul 16 2013 : 10:39:27 AM
Chickens are fun. We got six babies this Spring and they are just starting to lay now. Teeny eggs at first. You will enjoy your little balls of fluff. MB
http://www.smallcityscenes.blogspot.com
www.day4plus.blogspot.com
"Life may not be the party we hoped for...but while we are here we might as well dance!" |
