Meet the Chicks

The chicks were not sexed at birth, so we didn’t know their genders until they were about two and a half months old. Both Plymouth Rocks turned out to be roosters. Caspian, the larger, more aggressive Rock, had a very dignified crow, while Galileo’s crow (the other Rock rooster) sounded as if he were dying. Unfortunately, we had to bring the roosters back to the farm we bought them from. We didn’t want the loud crows all day long and the possibility of having baby chicks. It really was a shame that we had to let them go, especially Galileo because I had grown quite fond of him. He really was a docile, sweet rooster.No offense to Caspian, but, he scared me. He sometimes would chase me and would often peck my hand or feet. Guinevere and Ginger are hens, but we are still unsure of the Silkies’ genders. My prediction: Richard is a boy and Dolly is a girl.

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Coop news

We decided to build our own coop. We used the structure of our old playhouse for the foundation of the coop. The coop is beautiful — it has four small roosts, two long roosts, two nest boxes, a “poop box”, and plenty of floor space. Our coop was built off the ground. If you a plan on building your own chicken coop, I recommend elevating the coop so it stands about 14 inches of the ground. The area under the door on the front of our coop is not boarded up, so the chickens can hide out under the coop during rain, snow, or heat.

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Chickies!!!!!

8/20/10

I know it is the middle of August and this post is way overdue, but . . . I got six chickies!!!!! I got two Japanese White Silkie chickens on April 20th (the day they were born). On April 23th, I got two Barred Plymouth Rocks and two mix-breed chickens. The mix-breeds are half Rhode Island Red and half New Hampshire Red. All the chicks were cute and adorable. The Silkies were fluffy and white and the Reds were this beautiful mix of brown, red, and black. The two Rocks were all black with a spot of white on their bellies and heads. Gradually, the Plymouth Rocks’ colors started changing; they are now dotted with black and white and have beautiful highlights of teal and gold. The silkies are very friendly and love to be held. One the Silkies, Richard, is very slow (meaning he is always the last into the coop at night, etc.). He is very sweet, though. The silkies always follow each other around — they are best friends. The names of the chicks are: Richard and Dolly (silkies), Gwenevere and Ginger (mixed), Caspian and Galileo (Plymouth Rocks).

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Old, But Good, Stuff

2/4/10

The Necessities for Chickens:

YOU WILL NEED . . .

~ A coop with sufficient space for all your chickens

~ Nest boxes

~ Chicken feed

~ A feed dish/trough

~ A perches for the chickens to sleep on

~ A run/pen

~ A water dish

~ Heat lamp

~ Newspaper, pine shavings, or a towel for the brooder floor.

OPTIONAL:

~ Leg bands

~ Heated waterer

2/11/10

Hey, guys. So you may be wondering why the heck anybody would want pet chickens? I mean, aren’t they just eating and pooping machines? Well, I am hear to discourage any negative thoughts you may have about owning chickens.

Chickens are generally friendly creatures and make great pets for kids. Chickens can be very entertaining, too. When you throw broccoli or kitchen scraps to the chickens, they go bananas and race each other to the food. Chicks are also really cute — they are just adorable little fuzzballs! Also, chickens are very beneficial and can save you money on store-bought eggs. Instead of buying a dozen eggs at the store for $2.00, you can just pluck an egg from your chicken’s nest box, and wha-la . . . you have breakfast! If you are a meat farmer, you can supply your family with fresh homegrown meat. And, if you are a businessman, you can sell the chicken meat for money.

So, have I swayed you from your initial (negative) opinion about owning chickens? Well, if I haven’t, I hope to in future posts!

2/12/10

When considering the owning of chickens, you need to take in consideration the type of chickens to buy. There are many types of chickens. Just to name a few — Rhode Island Red, Orpington, Silkie Bantam, New Hampshire Red, Speckled Sussex, White Plymonth Rock, and Faverolles.
A few breeds I have considered purchasing are the Rhode Island Reds, Orpingtons, and the New Hampshire Reds.

Rhode Island Reds are one of the best brown egg-layers. Also, they are friendly and can endure cold weather quite well. Rhode Island Reds can be very docile, too.

Orpingtons are similar to Rhode Island Reds — they are docile, friendly, and good egg-layers.

Lastly, New Hampshire Reds are energetic and good egg-layers.

2/25/10

I am searching on the web for chicken hatcheries and so I far have found a few hatcheries that appeal to me. But, of course, they all have their downfalls. One hatchery I am looking at has 15 chicks (including shipping) for $53.00. Another Hatchery is sold out of the kind of chicks I want. And yet another hatchery sells pretty pricey chicks. This whole chicken business is kind of tedious, BUT DEFINITELY WORTH IT!!!

3/15/10

April’s on its way — and April is the month I get chickens!!! I have to start thinking about where to get a coop and where to buy chickens. I am so excited!

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