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Originally Posted by Moonpi
I used to be a free range chicken farmer and agree 100% on Comets - huge brown eggs, not too broody, and such sweet dispositions! Purple Wyandottes are another favorite of mine, but they are sneaky and can escape pens and end up in crazy places (mine were nicknamed the Houdini sisters).
You are in Wake County, right? There used to be some big hatcheries near Pittsford, I believe. The Raleigh fairgrounds flea market may have som, too. The County Home extension office can get you in touch with local hatcheries. You may want to get some older chicks rather than invest in lights and chick waterers. Put an ad in your local Craigslist for poultry supplies. I used the hanging feeders that could not be tipped over. on one wall of the henhouse, I kept a small feeder full of oyster shell in case they wanted some - one bag lasted years. You want to make sure you can secure them at night - raccoons will see a henhouse as a KFC! Yes I am in Wake County. Ill try the fairgrounds flea market and Ill call the county home extension as well. |
Henry,
Check out the Eglu! http://www.mypetchicken.com/Chicken_...ens_-P127.aspx Talking about the chickens has brought back so many fond memories! All 6 of my girls had names and would you believe one was named Henrietta, LOL. They were Buff Orpingtons, very sweet disposition. It was so funny to watch them pecking in the garden. If one found a bug or scratched up a worm, they'd all come running. Chicken fight! Well, squabble really. My Corgi dog would herd them into their coop each evening, and believe me she could count. Now I am longing for hens again. The Eglu might just do the trick. |
Originally Posted by CindyBee
Henry,
Check out the Eglu! http://www.mypetchicken.com/Chicken_...ens_-P127.aspx Talking about the chickens has brought back so many fond memories! All 6 of my girls had names and would you believe one was named Henrietta, LOL. They were Buff Orpingtons, very sweet disposition. It was so funny to watch them pecking in the garden. If one found a bug or scratched up a worm, they'd all come running. Chicken fight! Well, squabble really. My Corgi dog would herd them into their coop each evening, and believe me she could count. Now I am longing for hens again. The Eglu might just do the trick. Hmmm interesting.....this might be an option. |
Orpingtons:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/breeds/orpingtons.html They get my vote for the gentleman/woman farmer :D Edited to correct my link |
Originally Posted by CindyBee
Orpingtons:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/breeds/orpingtons.html They get my vote for the gentleman/woman farmer :D Edited to correct my link |
1 Attachment(s)
The spot I want to build the coop and put them in.
Sorry for the glare. I forgot I had the flash on, silly me. [ATTACH=CONFIG]32280[/ATTACH] |
Well we have had chickens now for about 10 years and have learned a few things about chickens that might help you even though we live in Australia.
Ours got mites. little black things on parts of the chickens body that isnt covered by fur..we got told we had to by this insecticide and hold the chickens by their legs (poor chickens) and dunk them in a bucket full of insecticide which they didnt like and we didnt like doing. We finally found another method which works just as well. You get vaseline (petroleum jelly which you use on your lips etc)and smear liberally all over the mites and it suffocates them. The way to avoid mites is to have a coop off the ground and with a floor as since we built the new coop we have had no problems. When building your coop think of ease of getting in there and cleaning it out, ours opens up on one side and we have a little door for the chickens to get in and out with a ramp so they can get up there as our coop is about a metre off the ground. Also they eventually eat and scratch there way to a coop that is all sand and no grass etc so we built our coop with a run on each side so when one side is exhausted we put them in the other side to let the other side recover. I usually throw out wheat and let it grow and let them in there when it is about knee high and they love it. We also have a problem with crows stealing eggs as our coop is not covered so if you have crows you should maybe think about covering your coop. We also had foxes kill our chickens but again had no problems now that we have dug in tin to about 1/2 a metre deep all around but wire would do the same thing. I love my chickens and enjoy sitting outside just watching them scratching away just something that makes me feel so relaxed...our chickens are like a pet and live out their days as i could never ever kill one..wish you all the best with your chickens and if you have any other questions dont hesitate to ask. Helen |
We raised chickens for meat & for eggs both. There is a difference so be sure you get the right kind. Broilers are for meat only. We used to order chickens online all the time and we also got eggs and hatched our own.
Murray McMurray Hatchery in Webster City, Iowa. They will come through the mail. Our post office would call and ask us to pick them up because they were so noisy. My DH raised exotics. We had pink, blue, green, brown and occasionally even white eggs. |
If you have a fireplace or woodstove, wood ashes kill mites- just throw them in a place where they like to take dust baths, like under a bush. I've never really had a problem with them.
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thanks for the advice :)
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