I have a couple of questions. OK, remember all the years I've been blogging I've been saying that "when I get moved out to the farm permanently I'm gonna have me some chickens"??? Welp, it's time. We have officially moved full-time out to the farm and I'm now calling it home. It'll take some getting used to but we are so excited!
We are walking around boxes and trying to find more little cubby-holes to store stuff. The tin garage is full, and the barn is taken up on one wall with our remaining furniture that we didn't sell. We found a rat out there that will have to move on. Stocked up on traps and poison last night. You know what's bugging me the most? My darling daughter's prom and pageant dresses. WHERE IN THE SAM HILL AM I GOING TO STORE THAT STUFF? I think I'm going to just get some big plastic bins and put them in there but then where am I going to put those bins? I told her if SHE didn't take them to a resale shop, then I WAS.
OK, back to chickens.
Question #1 -- When is the best time to get chicks? In the spring? Then you have to keep them warm and stuff. How do they do if you get them in the summer? Probably too dad-blamed hot right now in Texas, right?
Question #2 -- I don't think I need a whole gob of chickens - just enough for me & Tony, my folks and maybe a couple more people - neighbors. What do y'all think? Maybe 5-6 hens? I don't want a rooster to start with. Maybe later.
Question #3 -- Do y'all prefer a coop that is big enough for a human to walk into or a small one to start out with? Is it easier to clean a big coop than a small one?
Question #4 -- I probably need to put wire over the top of their run, right?
Question #5 -- How do you convert penned chickens into free range? Just start letting them out? Will they automatically start putting themselves back in the coop in the evening? Need to wait til they're large?
Question #6 -- What is y'all's favorite feed for them starting off? I know I can look all that stuff up, but I know that real people have special things that they like to feed.
Question #7 -- What are your favorite breeds to start with - easy, healthy, can take the Texas heat? I WILL have an Ameracauna for sure, because there's just something I love about the green eggs. You know I had a stray one come to my house and stay for 6 weeks before something got her. She laid me a green egg just about every single day. I even fixed her a box with a nest in it on my front porch. One day, she was just gone...
OK, that's enough for now. I hope to be swamped with all kinds of good chicken info - I've visited Backyard Chickens' website and a couple of others. That's a good site and I've enjoyed it. And all of you that have chickens, I've probably read all your posts on chicken upbringing over the last 3 years - just cuz I was so looking forward to having some of my own.
Now, ya wanna see sumpin funny?
CAN YOU BELIEVE ALL THAT HAIR? 1980's hair AND Southern AND Texan to boot! And all naturally curly. I used to fight it tooth and nail!!! Found this as I was moving and cleaning. Thought you might get a great laugh!!! (by the way, that's NOT a beer mug - I don't drink - my momma used those for iced tea...)
OK, that's all I can think of right now. Thank you so much! I'll be looking forward to hearing from you!
24 comments:
Don't know a thing about chickens, but I know plenty about big, curly hair. I can prove this you know. ;D
Hope that you get the help you need to start on your coop and get yourself some hens on the job making eggs for you.
#1. Spring was considered the best time because that gave the chicks time to come to point of lay. You being in Texas can start your chicks and they will have the right amount of time to peck about until they reach about 5 months. They do fine in summer as long as they have fresh water, shade, a place to dust bathe and a secure place to roost or peck about.
#2. Hens will lay 2 eggs every three days in their first year of life then taper off each each after. A hen will lay steady for about 5 years. So a doz hens will give you about 2 doz eggs a week after point of lay.
#3. Yes
#4. Yes
#5. Chickens, we let our out at about 3 months or older to free range. Mind you; some may get predated that is why we keep roosters. They have the job as sentry. Yes, hens coop themselves at night just before it gets dark. Make sure inside their coop they have a place to roost; they like to be off the ground.
#6. Starter pellet, with scraps after 3 months and calcium grit.
#7. Amerucana (greenish blue egg layers) and Buff Orphington (brown egg layers) for Texas heat. And believe it or not; Nakid Necks or Turkens.
These are must my opinions from raising around 600 birds from chicks, brooding, and indoor hatching.
Your supmtim funny is beautiful,
Enjoy,
Mal
Hey Girl....
I don't know one single thing about a chicken other than the fact that it's sometimes yummy to eat...Good luck in that area...
Love that hair....I remember when my daughter had her hair like that...she looks back at those pictures and laughs today...
Blessings to you all...
shug
No chicken info from me. I was chased by a rooster when I was 4 or 5, and I still remember it...been scared of chickens ever since.
You look beautiful....big hair or little hair. We call that Dallas hair.
Hugs,
I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one that has no chicken 411. Well, I take that back. My neighbor has chickens and I've helped her with them. She prefers a coop she can walk in,,easier to clean. She has a COVERED run for them (there's way too many varmints that'll get them.) She has some guinea hens that are free range but she never finds their eggs. Wow,,get me!
NO, get you with the 80's hair. You have lovely hair.
Well, I can't help you out with any chicken info (hubby could if he were here), but congrats on your move to the farm. Love that BIG Texas hair, lol. We all have pics like that, and oh my, I believed in some blue eye shadow! I would never ever have the nerve to post one of my old pics. Let us know when you get the baby chicks.
I would get a coop that I can get into, easier to collect any eggs not layed were you want them. And I would totally enclose the chicken run. As for chicks, I would get point of lay hens. They are old enough to start laying straight away. They are a little more expensive, but then you dont have to buy special chick feed and are much less likely to loose any.
I love your 80's hair reminds me of mine, only Im a brunette. have a great day
Girl you were and still are a knock-out!! I know you will get lots of good advice on the chicken situation and I look forward to hearing all about it! blessings ~ tanna
Don't know nothin bout no chickens!
I am sure someone out there will.
How about that TEXAS big hair. Love it!
hugs,
tara
I just love the hair picture! won't try to answer all your questions - we have done well at getting nice big brown eggs from a breed called Golden Comets - they are sex linked so the girls are hatched yellowy gold and the roosters are white - no buying an accidental rooster. They tolerate heat really well. Yes chickens know to go back in the coop at night - open the run or coop and let'em out they'll wander back in and you close them up at night (or possums and other critters will eat chicken). I feed something called Chick, Grow, Lay - sort of a crumble - my chickens won't eat the hard pelleted stuff. They also get leftovers - they love chicken - yes really!
Exciting to hear how you are doing at the Farm - it is a whole different life isn't it?
http://www.ideal-poultry.com/
I haven't ordered from these folks but they ARE Texas company and still have some sex linked chickens as well as lots of other things available - we had 8 hens and plenty plenty of eggs - now we have 6 because I didn't follow my own advice and a raccoon got two.
I can't give any advice on chickens, but just wanted to say that I loved the big hair when it was all the rage. Your photo is terrific.
Vickie Vickie love that old photo you shared! You have a beautiful mane of flowy hair, then and now it looks like from your current pic!
Congratulations movin to the farm! I can hardly wait to go back another post and keep reading how all that transpired. I'm excited for you. Hope you figure something out with all the dresses. We have a rat that lives in an old building on our place and the other night either it or a different one crawled up inside our newest fourwheeler and chewed ALL the wires under the seat. The old four wheeler was parked right next to it but it didn't touch it wouldn't you know. So I hope your Templeton moves ON.
So excited to see what kind of chickens you get! I read Nekkid chickens comment and that chick knows her stuff! I'd go with everything she said. I too love Araucanas and ordered some in spring. They really do seem to fair pretty well even in hot weather so long as they get that shade and lots of water. Chickens are my most favorite farm animal. I love em! Our first chicken coop was a little metal storage shed and it worked okay but I love having one I can walk into now. It's alot easier. Once they get used to their new home you can leave the door open and they'll go back at dusk to roost in their coop. I hope you can get a rooster too. We have a black one who is such a gentleman. He'll take bread from your hand and drop it on the ground for the hens to eat. ;) Okay sorry this is so long. Happy farming!
I like it fried; that's all I know. I do know the importance of building a good chicken house, because if you don't the coons, possums, coyotes, hawks and dogs will eat them. Research that carefully! Later gal! :D
Don't know anything about chickens.
But do know that that pic is precious.
~♥~
Vickie, I am sorry to say that I don't know a thing about chickens
I wish I had some of that Tex-hair.
Glad to hear that you are finally at home.
Have a nice day
You've got plenty of advice here about chicken raising. We have a small flock and I found a chick today....which means things will have to change because the rooster will kill it as soon as it leaves its Momma if we leave things alone.
I dislike the roosters as they are so loud and I've learned that they don't just crow at the crack of dawn. Nope. All day long if they feel like it. More if there are neighboring roosters and they feel like chatting.
If you are wanting to raise chickens mostly for the eggs you might want to skip the chick stage and get them as pullets. A lot of money and time goes into getting them to maturity.
I love this photo of you. So pretty. I recognize this hairstyle but I had to get a perm since my hair is straight as can be!
I just found you and OH MY GOSH - I have enjoyed the visit! I am a Texas gal and have one of these BIG HAIR pictures myself from the 80's PLUS I had the red rimmed sun-glasses. Hot stuff! Curly hair? I battled my blasted curly hair for most of my life, unless I was just too exhausted to deal with it. My husband finally convinced me this year, after 25 years of marriage, to just go with the flow and let it be curly! It's been a relief. As for the chickens -- we are trying to get moved full-time to our acreage, but we broke down and bought some chickens for our backyard in the suburbs, in the Greater Houston area. My husband built a chicken tractor, but we both would love to have a permanent area that would allow us to have room to walk in and out easily to make feed/water less complicated and to make it easier to lock them up safely at night. When our chicks were smaller, we put them in their chicken tractor and they loved it...soon, as dusk approached, they would automatically make their own way back inside. I was amazed. Now, there might be a stubborn one that delays going inside, we just keep a bamboo stick as a shepherd's staff and help gently nudge them that direction. These chickens were 18 weeks old yesterday...my first chickens ever and it's been BETTER than I dreamed it would be. I am excited for you!
www.FarmLifeLessons.blogspot.com
Oh, Vickie, if I didn't have a full plate right now, I'd come see you for a few days. I need a break! I haven't been blogging so you'll just have to email me. I've bought day old chicks in both summer and spring. We had 25 day old chicks on Dec 17 in our RV with us..tell me that wasn't for the memory books! but fun! I used to keep my chickens penned but let them free range..now they've found they like the barn better than the coop. right now I'm battling something pickin' em off one a day..yesterday was my rooster and it makes me sick! I have several breeds but find the sex links will lay all winter long.. actually they prefer it. I've always gotten my chicks from Ideal in Cameron but pick them up. I know you have to order several to keep them warm during transport. Unfortunately, they've been back ordered for a long time. They have the healthiest chicks around (I think).
Oh, and, personally, I love the hair.
Hurray for you..........chickens!! I would say, start off with a small bunch and then as you go, add along. Sometimes, folks sell their hens and roosters, you can look for ads, however, for great answers and quick answers, go to McMurray Hatchery on the internet. They have tons of different breeds to choose from and they can professionally answer all of your questions. I do no that it is too hot for chicks to travel far and if you do order, be ready for some of them to be dead by the time you get them. That is why most feed stores do not order them. However, you can go to your local feed store to order them or to talk to them about ordering. Good luck and most of all have fun!
Sounds like you've gotten lots of good advice, Miss Vickie... if you're ever in a chicken pickle and need some help, email me and I'll tell ya what I know. (Which ain't much! hehe)
LOVE LOVE LOVE the picture- you are so gorgeous, 80's hair and all!
http://buhlaland.blogspot.com/2011/07/chicken-housing.html
just an opinion about housing
I am a little late with the chicken advice, but hey, better late then never.
I agree with you, 5 or 6 hens is all you need to get a good supply of eggs. You can start chicks anytime, spring is most popular because but I have started them all times of the year. I like to start them best in late summer or fall because I don't need the heat lamps as long and also they begin laying by the end of winter on into spring. WE don't have extreme winters so that might factor into my decisions. Also, late summer and early fall afford me more time at home, not away vacationing, etc.
Hope this tidbit helps.
BTW, we have trapped 3 moles thus far, so far I think you're winning again....no, the MOLES are winning.
Well have fun learning about chickens...I am still a city girl.
Oh with you on unpacking boxes and wondering where it all is going to go and why I need to save all these boxes of memory keepsakes...oh I did deliver the prom dresses to my daughter...put them straight into her car.
Happy Life on the Farm
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