Peeps!

[Spoof]

After four weeks of mishaps I was finally able to get chicks!

I wanted something large and quiet and found a breeder in LA that bred giant gold laced cochins. Unfortunately she only had four, so in the end I brought home three black copper marans? too. Keeping my fingers crossed for at least two hens out of the group.

So now I have 7 one week old peeps hanging out in my dining room. They're pretty cute and they learn quite fast. I've never had chicks before.

Pics of course!

 

[Twilight Chinchillas]

I'd LOVE to have a mini chicken coop in my backyard! I think we are allowed only 3 hens. I see so many cute chicken coops, and fresh eggs are a bonus! Share pictures as they grow!

 

[Megan]

Be warned... They are addictive! All the different breeds, colors and varieties! Fluffy ones, spotted ones, very long tailed ones...!

We started out with 12 chicks and 6 ducks last spring... We now have about 75 chickens running around the farm.

http://www.cacklehatchery.com wait til you see all the breeds you can order

 

[Spoof]

wait til you see all the breeds you can order

EEEeee! I spent most of last night looking at all the types, it's crazy.

That one with the white butt in the middle picture is already tracking and pecking at my hand - I'm guessing it's a rooster? She said they tend to be more cocky... no pun intended.

What types do you have?

 

[Jenn]

aw, they are so cute! We go through so many eggs, I would love to have chickens!

 

[LizNicole]

First off I'm scared of chickens.. but from a distance and no bantys defending clutches I'll admire them. Those chicks are cute! I really like barred rock chickens. They're pretty.

 

[mishellyshel]

they are so cute!

 

[Things for Wings]

How cute are they!

 

[minrex]

Marans lay the prettiest eggs! I have several cuckoo marans and love them. Chickens are extremely addictive!!

 

[Megan]

Tara-

We have 12 easter egger hens, 10 regular white leghorns, 10 production reds, 5 buff orpingtons... 5 black productions, 2 black production roosters (who are awesome btw), 5 phoenix(1 male 4 female), 4 sumatras (1 rooster--nasty as can be and 3 hens)... and honestly way too many fluffy silkies to count. We have black, blue, splash and white in the silkies... and 10 mixed breeds from one of the black roosters and the a black hen (although it was a community nest).... Yep over run with chickens!

 

[avecat6906]

Oh my gosh! They are so adorable!! I love chickens, ducks and such and can't wait until I can have some as pets. Enjoy your new little ones )

 

[Spoof]

Megan, that's a crazy lot of chickens! What do you do with all the eggs? Thankfully I'm limited to what I can keep in my chicken tractor otherwise it will get eaten.

minrex- she showed me that they lay some pretty dark eggs. It was either them or some little tiny five-toed black bantam breed that I really didn't want. The larger the bird the less likely our local vultures can take off with it. (Literally - vultures!)

I had to move them into one of my old collapsable cages because they started trying to fly out of my horse tank, they're only 1.5 weeks old! All I've heard the last two nights is them crashing into the sides and lightbulb. I feel gypped here about the no-fly part...

Will be moving them into the coop today when I get the rest of the wire on the bottom/sides.

Pics of the back of the coop and the <cough> non-flying giant cochin babies.

 

[Megan]

Honestly right now we are just giving eggs away to friends and family. One of his friends will be taking some to the city to sell since ours are truely free range birds, and that is very hard to find in the city. We get about 2-3 dozen eggs a day right now and thats with 20 hens still too young to lay.

 

[Spoof]

That's a lot of eggs... that's like 150-250 eggs a week! Yikes!

Finished their new home yesterday, it is made out of leftover chin projects. Then let them out for the first time, or tried to. They wouldn't leave so I picked them up and put them in the grass outside of their little rabbit cage. They flapped all over the place crashing into each other. Every single one flapped back into the cage and just stood in there like it was lava outside or something.

They are definitely interesting to watch. I didn't know they rolled around in the dirt like chins, which involves a lot of flapping and is hilarious. I hooked up a chin water nipple for them and it seems to be working great. Ordered a couple chicken sized ones that I can push into the bottom of a gallon container, next will be chicken runs and collars....

 

[chinnychinchinchilla]

Awwwww ) Chicks are the cutest thing. We had three from a flee market once and boy do they grow fast! You'll have eggs in no time.

 

[Spoof]

I am surprised at the new developmental split between the chochins and marans. I was told the cochins would take 8 months to start laying, and looked up that the marans could start between 4-6.

I've been catching junebugs for them the last couple days, and you can see the difference in this video. That was about 40 june bugs. Double what I gave them the day before so the cochins would get a chance. Instead they all just stood around like idiots.

Ah well. The rabid chiiiirp they let out when they see edible things is funny.

They're also all using water nipples now. I have a chicken one in the gallon container and a chin one hanging on the side. So much easier and no poopy water full of random bugs.

 

[Megan]

Looks like they are doing great! Just brought home some guineas 2 weeks ago for tick control. They also love jap. beetles and stink bugs! I can't wait until they are old enough to free range!

 

[Spoof]

Just had to check those out - good thing there are none available locally! I need to let my current batch grow up before adding more. I WILL let my current batch grow up before I add.... -.- ~sigh.

 

[Spoof]

Some updated pictures of the gang, they really do grow fast. I ended up with six hens and one rooster whom hasn't started crowing yet.

There is definitely a temperament split between the cochins who are extremely friendly and the Marans (black ones) who are very aloof despite daily handling.

It's been so hot here I feel bad for them. They actually do pant (pic number two) when it's in the 100's. They love watermelon and will go bonkers and race for it, there's a piece in the center of the group pic.

They still have a lot of growing to do, I think they're close to 4lbs and should get to 12ish. My chicken tractor is definitely not large enough to hold this many of this size so I'm going to have to build a second one.

The last pic is of an auto feeder that I built. I needed something rain, wet chicken, ant and mouse proof. It has a little toggle at the bottom (blue arrow) which they peck and it drops a few pellets. It'll hold 10-15 days worth of feed. They are pretty much maintenance free, I drag the tractor around and let them out when I am home. Can't wait until I start getting eggs!