| Author |
Barnyard Buddies:  I've lost my mind!!!  |
|
|
natesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1735 Posts
angela
martinsville
indiana
USA
1735 Posts |
 Posted - May 08 2010 : 11:47:11 PM
|
I went yesterday to look at some chicks a guy down the road was selling. My DH and I had discussed adding a few more to our three grown chickens for more eggs. I was so taken by the cute little things. We played with them, held them, and checked out his coop and run. Everything was going great till the guy asked how many we wanted. Suddenly we're standing there, staring at these little fluff balls, and we don't really know how many we want. The guy starts talking about how he's gonna take them to the auction unless we want them. Then he offers to cut his price in half if we'll take them all! My DH asked if he was able to tell us how many were pullets. The guy doesn't know how to do that and we don't either. Then my DH says he'll take them all to increase our chances for more layers and he just butcher out the excess roosters! All 39 chicks! We've only had chickens for a few weeks and now we have 39 chicks! Did I say anything to stop him when he looked at me and asked if that was okay? I recall opening my mouth to ask if he was insane, but what came out was more along the line of that would be great. That would be great? I must have lost my mind surrounded by all that cuteness! I don't know how to raise chicks. I don't know how to butcher chickens. I don't even have a proper book on chickens yet. I'm still reading and sorting through the ones from the library trying to pick out one I really like to buy. Now I have 39 chicks cheeping away in my basement and a half finished coop that has to be torn down and reworked. It was designed with a 15-20 bird total in mind! We walked the property today and decided that the old barn would comfortably hold 40-50 birds with expansion as a possibility down the road. I can't believe he wants more and I really can't believe I'm going along with him! So we're gonna insulate and thicken the walls of the barn and add a wood floor, until he gets the money up to concrete it in. Then we have to make the run a whole lot bigger too. WOW! What did I start by saying I wanted a few chickens around? He has chicken fever in the worst way! My head is spinning at how fast all this is going. Well, I guess I should be thankful. I always wanted a homestead of my own and he always said it would be to much work, so I just pushed the idea to the backburner for later. Now it's all happening without my prodding! We even have plans for a fruit orchard and a second garden plot for veges. We are up to 5000 sq ft on our first plot and he added me a brand new herb garden this week. I am happy to have it all. I'm just worried it's moving to fast for me to learn all of this new stuff before it gets away from me. I guess I'm just a worry wart.
Farmgirl Sister #1438
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important? |
|
|
clothedinscarlet
True Blue Farmgirl
1333 Posts
Siobhan
Battle Creek
MI
USA
1333 Posts |
Posted - May 09 2010 : 06:26:01 AM
|
Angela, it all sounds wonderful to me! I want chickens in the worst way and I am slowly and gently widdling hubby's defenses down. I took him to the TSC store a couple weeks ago to see the chicks and although he didn't budge completely and say, "Let's get some," I saw some HUGE walls fall down when he saw the fluffy little critters. He says I can have some next year when we are more sure where we're going to be. The home we're in right now is perfect for a backyard homestead, but it's technically in the city and is under city regulations which don't allow livestock of any sort. Technically, I'm not even allowed to have a dog or cat in the city without a "license". So obviously, this will not do for me, but we have one more year on our lease here. So, I will spend the next year searching for our small farm in the country and learning all about the furry little farm friends that will live there. I don't know if I'll ever be as brave as you guys with nearly 40 chickens, but it sounds like you guys will soon be offering healthy, farm-fresh eggs for all your friends and neighbors, which is really awesome! Good luck with all your chicks. You need to take some pics for us!
Farmgirl Sister #1110
Siobhan - AKA Liza-Jane (my farmgirl name), wife to my best friend, Trent, and mommy to Camden (11/28/05) and Bennett (7/11/07). and Truman (7/28/09) |
 |
|
|
sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - May 09 2010 : 07:03:29 AM
|
hi angela, i am happy for. chickens are wonderful. you will do a great job with your hens. do you know what kind they are. you are going to have lots of fun. the work is healthy and hard and fun for sure. you have this place to get real help when needed. so happy for you happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farmgirl #1014
|
|
|
|
natesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1735 Posts
angela
martinsville
indiana
USA
1735 Posts |
Posted - May 09 2010 : 12:52:08 PM
|
We already have 1 rhode island red, 1 cornish hen, and 1 that is in between the other 2 in size which noone knows what it is. Of the 39 new ones 2 are americanas and the rest are rhode island reds. What we really wanted was barred rocks or orpingtons, but the price was so good and the guy is less than five mins away from here so traveling to get them isn't an issue. Plus the guy said he could come by to help out if we have a major issue we need help with. It turns out the guy owns his own digging business and he said he could cut us a deal on fixing some of the low spots and uneven ground around our place. So we now have a contact that is unbelievable!
Farmgirl Sister #1438
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important? |
|
|
|
homsteddinmom
True Blue Farmgirl
441 Posts
Brandee
bullard
tx
USA
441 Posts |
Posted - May 10 2010 : 11:29:27 AM
|
LOL i have baby chicks in a brooder in my bathroom, along with baby ducks and turkeys...lol. I have 60 layers out in the yard now, i have no idea why i thought i needed more but i got 30 more...lol. good luck it will be fun. Butchering chickens is nothing hard to learn, but id ont pluck i skin mine.
Homesteading Mom in East Texas. Raising chickens, Rabbits and goats here on my farm! |
|
|
|
melody
True Blue Farmgirl
3319 Posts
Melody
The Great North Woods in the Land of Hiawatha
USA
3319 Posts |
|
|
grace gerber
True Blue Farmgirl
2804 Posts
grace
larkspur
colorado
USA
2804 Posts |
|
|
LakeOntarioFarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
933 Posts
Brenda
North Rose
NY
USA
933 Posts |
Posted - May 11 2010 : 04:13:54 AM
|
Angela, you jumped in with both feet just like my hubby and I did! lol! We went from 0 to 34 chicks in 2 days, and I was thinking we were only going to be having 6! Now hubby wants more.
It will work out fine, you'll see. They are not that much work, and don't take too much time, unless you count all the time spent watching them for fun!
Mine are so cute, and flying all over their big brooder box, we're hoping to get them in their permanent coop this weekend.
Have fun!
Brenda
FarmGirl # 711
Nothing we achieve in this world is achieved alone. It is always achieved with others teaching us along the way. Lee J. Colan
http://theviewfromhere-brenda.blogspot.com/ |
|
|
|
peachy
True Blue Farmgirl
593 Posts
Melissa
Fennville
MI
USA
593 Posts |
Posted - May 11 2010 : 6:15:14 PM
|
Angela, this is sounding all too familiar over here in my world! I think I'm up to about 35+ now! YIKES! I have 1 group of "older" gals in a (laughing) lovely truck camper - painted and wallpapered for them of course with a nice fenced area to play. Then there are my bantys running around the yard and my lil "peeps" just had herself 8 fluff ball chicks. Now here's the fun part...my dh and I went to TSC on the chick days and came home with 18 (gulp). These sweet lil balls of fluff went from a home with a heat lamp in my bathtub...to a home built under the steps in our basement with a heat lamp where they still reside (minus the heat lamp). I'm busy on-line tonight trying to figure out an inexpensive, fast and simple hen house I can put up outside before my dh has a nervous breakdown with everything on his "to-do" list! The lil dears have learned they have wings and they're taking advantage on practicing in my basement! UGH!! Any hen house ideas out there would be greatly appreciated!!! I think I know what I'll be doing this weekend:)
Hugs to you!! Something in your title "I've lost my mind!!!" must have grabbed my attention tonight! LOL
Melissa
Farmgirl Sister #360
http://bluejeancountry.etsy.com/
http://oldethymecountrybarn.blogspot.com/
Life isn't about waiting for the storms to pass...it's about learning to dance in the rain! |
|
|
|
amomfly
True Blue Farmgirl
658 Posts
Angie
LaGrange
IN
USA
658 Posts |
Posted - May 11 2010 : 7:11:52 PM
|
This cracks me up! I only wanted a few chickens, now I have 60+!
We now have to slim our numbers down, We are getting 2-4 dozen eggs a day!
We cant sell them fast enough! So we have to get rid of some.
Enjoy, I love my chickens!
God Bless
Angie-amomfly
#1038 |
|
|
|
natesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1735 Posts
angela
martinsville
indiana
USA
1735 Posts |
Posted - May 12 2010 : 08:12:07 AM
|
I found out that you can freeze eggs! I plan on doing that to get me by in the winter. I guess this 'chicken fever' is catching. Most people get 'chicken pox' but farmgirls get 'chicken flox'! LOL!
Farmgirl Sister #1438
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important? |
|
|
|
MargaretW
True Blue Farmgirl
99 Posts
Margaret
Dittmer
Missouri
USA
99 Posts |
Posted - May 12 2010 : 09:13:27 AM
|
I raised 18 chicks in my dining room last years.(15 hens and 3 roosters) My mother said "you have chickens in your house?" I replied, "doesn't every farmer!" My grandkids loved them just as much as I did. I added 6 pullets this year, so there are only 6 chicks in the dining room this year.! Have fun, My friends now call me the Egg Lady, lol
Margaret
Proud to be an American! |
|
|
| |
Barnyard Buddies: I've lost my mind!!! |
|
I've lost my mind!!!
