My chickens! I want to show them off for enjoyment...
artemis_ma
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
At our gathering yesterday, I said I'd try to get a thread on Conversations going about my chickens. I am at a loss at how to post this where I want it to show up, but will try... (black Australorpe pre-pullet.)
Hey, this showed up! This is how the black Australorpe looked a week ago Monday. She's slightly larger now.
One of my three buff Orpingtons. whom I've named after Lord of the Rings females: Eowyn, Fimbrethil, and Idril (you have to read the books, as Eowyn is the only one that shows up in the movies). Photo also from a week ago Monday.
The Australorpes and Orpingtons are very very friendly!
This is the coop and interior run for the layers. Feed & bedding bin to the left, places where the hens will supposedly leave eggs to the right.
A fair amount of amenities here. I also hung feeding stations, and will be providing them with light and heated perches in the winter.
They are getting GMO-free grain. They will also go outdoors real soon, now that they moved into this house last Friday. But they need to know where to go at night to sleep (their own safety) and so have to adjust to indoors first. The Wyandotte to the front (6:30 position) was the runt of the bunch. Her name is Tiny Dancer. (Elton John reference.)
10 future hens (pullets) and one rooster. As I don't know how to determine bird gender, an arcane skill, I just assume it is one of the Wyandottes, which is what I asked for.
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artemis_ma
5 years agoRelated Discussions
I want to get some chickens for my backyard.
Comments (8)I was able to find the City of Santa Rosa's zoning codes here: http://ci.santa-rosa.ca.us/departments/communitydev/zoning/Pages/ZoningCode.aspx You want section 4, page 17. It basically states that you can have up to 25 chickens on a certain sized lot, and does not specifically exclude roosters--but that online code is dated 2004-2005, so it may have changed--call the City's zoning department and check for sure. Usually chickens/roosters are a noise nuisance and that's what they fall under for most cities' zoning codes. As has been said, FENCE AND COOP your birds very securely. Loose dogs WILL kill your birds rather sooner than later. Do not EVER use chicken wire/poultry netting, it's way too flimsy. I use welded wire hardware cloth and have never lost a bird or had to repair the wire in the 13 years here. With roosters, the big issue is not daytime noise, but that 4:30AM crowing that is the deal killer for the neighbors. If you do keep a roo, make sure he is securely cooped at night in an enclosed area that deadens the sound, you and your neighbors will be happier. Hens are quiet at night, but do cackle when laying an egg. You MUST keep your birds in a secure coop at night, one that has a floor. The tractor is great for daytime, but predators can and will dig under wire at night. There's nothing more heartbreaking than coming out to a massacre in the morning and knowing you could have prevented it--we've read numerous stories to that effect here. You'll become very attached to your birds. :) Especially Silkies! Silkies are small, docile, calm and sweet. I currently have two Silkies hens in my flock. But be aware that your terriers may not be able to overcome instinct (you know your dogs better than anyone) and Silkies tend to not see too well because of their crests, and can be easy prey. I'd keep chickens and dogs separated to eliminate any possible problems. We have possums here, and they are nasty nighttime predators. They killed one of my hens one night when we got home a bit late and hadn't closed the coop door before dusk. :( Our birds free range in the backyard during the day, and are cooped at night. Our yard is surrounded by a cinderblock fence. You're going to love keeping chickens. :) It's a blast, very entertaining. Plus nothing beats spending time petting a chicken, it's an instant stress reducer. Chickens have loads of personality and make great pets, which comes as a big surprise to most people who tend to think of them as dumb animals. I have a chicken info site here that might help: http://jackshenhouse.com/ I'm in the suburban Los Angeles area and also rent, the neighbor kids call our house a 'farm' just because we have chickens! Velvet ~:>...See MoreCrossing Huernia off my "wanted" list, I think?
Comments (6)Yes they are Huernias Dave. The flowers are not much bigger than those buds your showing. Some smell some not so much. There are over 70 I think. So when we see the flowers we might be able to tell you which kind you got. I got one bloomig for me right now that have been blooming for over a month and has enought buds on it to last another month. Never seen one bloom like this one before. Stush...See MoreChickens eating everything I don't want them to
Comments (20)Finished the greenhouse repair and moved on to the chicken fence - cutting all the boards for 4, 64" panels. That was as far as my bundle of 1x2's went. Charlene, I have Australorps and a Barred Plymouth Rock. They are too heavy to fly much of anywhere. I've never seen them 3 feet off the ground even in panic. I said that they can't get in the front yard but that isn't really true. One thing, they could actually crawl under the gate . . . they've just never done that and neither did the other hens I've had. They are fairly timid creatures and aren't really out long enough to be too adventuresome. They ALWAYS get a treat when they are put back in the coop - even if it is just a little handful of something. Therefore, whenever they even "think" that there's a chance for a treat - they are ready to run home. The only exception is if they are "deeply" involved in a dust bath. Then it may take some coaxing. I may use the panels just for a portable pen. It would be very small but I'd probably still use the only-out-for-a-couple-hours schedule. The concern I have is that it's only 32" high and they may decide that they could clear that. Still, the gate is only 36" and the chicken wire around the bells/foxgloves is only 36". Of course, if they tried to fly into the bells/foxgloves, they would crash into the greenhouse wall . . . I really think that treats are powerful - altho' just like with kids, they can have too much of a good thing. But, if they "think" they can have a piece of cheese or something, and since there isn't a rooster with his own agenda, you could probably guide them into any enclosure that you want to use for them. They could take a stroll around the yard with you out there with them, then go into a portable pen for a few hours. Anyway, that may be Plan B for me this year. Alternately, there's Plan C and that is to buy more 1x2's and another can of paint. Steve...See MoreI want to take my house off market, have questions...
Comments (21)I just left the realtor a message explaining that I do not want to show the house on Saturday, that instead I need to talk to her about taking the house off the market due to my husband's health and financial problems. I have asked her to please call me, and I am waiting to hear back from her. Whew, I do feel better now, and I want to thank you all so much for encouraging me to bite the bullet and call the realtor. Also I want to thank you all for the good wishes for our family. My husband is doing fairly well, he has to do another thallium stress test this coming Tuesday. (when they tell you NO caffeine for 24 hours prior to the test, they also mean no DECAF coffee...apparently it has some caffeine in it still, so he had to reschedule his last test) I'll feel a lot better (I hope!!) after we get the results from this stress test, right now I kind of want to just keep him in a happy little decaffeinated stress-free bubble....lol. roselovr, sorry to hear about your husband's trouble with Allied....when they want to cut his pay, how do you fight back? We basically just had to take whatever my DH's employer dished out to us. My DH was originally on an hourly salary, was working a minimim of 20 hours overtime per week since he took his current position (he's had this position now for about 18 months and when they offered this position to him the agreement they worked out was based on a 40+20 guaranteed hour work week...but it was just verbal, not in writing). In mid December my husband got a memo, which started off something like "Due to excessive overtime...." Anyway, the memo outlined his new pay structure which basically took him off of hourly plus OT and put him on a salary. He told them he could not work 60+ hours per week for the salary they were willing to pay him, so he cut his hours down and found a part time job to make up the difference. The week prior to starting his new part time job, he told me he was having severe chest pains. I took him to the ER and they hooked him up to that machine (EKG?) and the alarms were going off, and lights were flashing and people rushing around. He was having a bad arrhythmia with high PVC runs and Vtach, and needed iv meds to stabilize his heartbeat. It was horrible and sitting in the hospital that night I wasn't sure I'd still have a hubby in the morning. Since that night, I have pursuaded my husband to turn down the part time job and I have increased my hours at work to try to make up some of the lost income and take some pressure off of him. We are in the process of reworking our budget to be more mindful of how we spend our money and I'm proud to say that both DH and I quit smoking four weeks ago (that's a savings of $350.00 per month!!). My new motto is "make do". There really wasn't a reason for us to sell our home...it's large enough for us(especially with our 18 year old headed off to college in the fall). We really just wanted to move to a different (translation......"prettier") neighborhood. The last few months have made it crystal clear to me that it's not worth risking your health just because you're ready for a change of scenery when you look out your kitchen window. I'll take my old view and my not-so-old husband!! Sorry for such a long posting! Thanks again to all of you! Jiggreen...See Moreartemis_ma
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoI felt sad about putting them outside last Friday. But they seem to love it, a lot more room to move around than in large basement boxes. In a couple of days or so they will be more ranging free, once they get used to where Home Base is... not completely as my neighborhood is full of foxes, hawks and owls. But they will have a home outdoors they can enjoy. The black Australorpes and the buff Orpingtons remain really friendly. I'll let them enjoy their run starting tomorrow morning.
Above, way back in babyhood... Australorpe, Orpington, and a Wyandotte lurking in the background.
Buff Orpington in foreground, and over at about 11 am, clock wise. Right behind is a Buckeye. Photo taken 6/24.PS thanks for all the feedback and comments!
artemis_ma
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoUser
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agochispa
5 years ago
Annette Holbrook(z7a)
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agolascatx
5 years agoUser
5 years ago
Bumblebeez SC Zone 7
5 years ago
3katz4me
5 years ago
mtnrdredux_gw
5 years ago
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