Here is a look back at our adventures in raising our first flock of chickens.
I guess I should start by saying that it was always a big joke between us that we were one day going to get some chickens. John would always tease me, the concrete/city girl, about getting them. Well, when we moved here and started looking into the craziness of the poultry farm business in our area, I began to look into organic and pastured poultry as an alternative to the 5 week hormone-induced growth period for the major commercial poultry farms. Next, we leisurely looked into different breeds of chickens and housing required. Then, before we knew it we were building the chicken coop. 98% of this thing was made out of scrap wood that the previous owner left on the property. We only bought the hinges and the metal roof was from the scrap yard. Our chickens should be quite cozy in here. Next we planned the range yard for them to graze on. The overall design is completely portable. We seeded the power line area of the property and planned to let the chickens graze there until spring.
On November 12, 2008, our Buff Orpington chicks were hatched at Ideal Poultry Farm in Cameron, Texas, and overnighted to us. We decided on this breed because they are a dual purpose bird (good for eggs and meat) and they have a very docile temperament. We ordered 10 pullets and 1 male to start our backyard flock.
The call came at 7:30 am to pick up our live shipment at the post office. So, off we go to welcome our little baby chicks. Funny how there are days when you don't see a soul out and about town running errands, but they day your baby chicks arrive you run into lots of folks. (Keep in mind we only know a handful of acquaintances anyway since we moved over the summer.) It was quite funny to talk to some ladies from church with a baby on one hip and a wobbly, peeping box on the other.
We were very pleased with our chicks. They were quite strong and seemingly very healthy. Right away, one by one, they each had there beaks dunked into the water and chick starter and they began to huddle near the heat lamp until all were warmed. After many weeks of researching and reading about chick care, I was a bit nervous about the whole idea of raising chicks, but I was just amazed at how they each just "knew what to do". The hardest part was keeping the cats and dogs out of they way while transporting them to the brooder. Due to shipping, the poultry farm sent 5 extra males for warmth. So, it is a good thing we built the brooder box big enough because now we had 16 baby chicks.
What an experience it was watching the chicks grow. The children enjoyed coming home from school and rushing to the brooder to check on the chicks. It is amazing how quickly they grow... even without hormones added to the food. One thing we will all remember is that the cats would lie on top of the brooder near the heat lamp to stay warm. They would peer down through the wire net for hours and watch the little guys pop around. Even today, the cats walk over to the chickens and just lie down on the ground and watch them peck around. I am convinced that Morris thinks those chickens are his family because they are the same color as he is. It is the whole Tigger movie thing I think.
At about 9 weeks old we butchered the 5 extra males and put them in the freezer before the meat got too tough. The pecking order was a little too much to handle and the coop was a bit too cozy since they were all getting so big. The little guys were just that.... very little under all those feathers. We only made 2 meals out of those 5 chickens. Oh well, they were tasty for sure. We plan to keep most of the others until the egg laying slows down then we will probably replace them with some of their baby chicks.
Our ladies are 16 weeks old now and have been started on layer ration. We are expecting eggs around the last week of March. Just in time for Easter!
I guess I should start by saying that it was always a big joke between us that we were one day going to get some chickens. John would always tease me, the concrete/city girl, about getting them. Well, when we moved here and started looking into the craziness of the poultry farm business in our area, I began to look into organic and pastured poultry as an alternative to the 5 week hormone-induced growth period for the major commercial poultry farms. Next, we leisurely looked into different breeds of chickens and housing required. Then, before we knew it we were building the chicken coop. 98% of this thing was made out of scrap wood that the previous owner left on the property. We only bought the hinges and the metal roof was from the scrap yard. Our chickens should be quite cozy in here. Next we planned the range yard for them to graze on. The overall design is completely portable. We seeded the power line area of the property and planned to let the chickens graze there until spring.
On November 12, 2008, our Buff Orpington chicks were hatched at Ideal Poultry Farm in Cameron, Texas, and overnighted to us. We decided on this breed because they are a dual purpose bird (good for eggs and meat) and they have a very docile temperament. We ordered 10 pullets and 1 male to start our backyard flock.
The call came at 7:30 am to pick up our live shipment at the post office. So, off we go to welcome our little baby chicks. Funny how there are days when you don't see a soul out and about town running errands, but they day your baby chicks arrive you run into lots of folks. (Keep in mind we only know a handful of acquaintances anyway since we moved over the summer.) It was quite funny to talk to some ladies from church with a baby on one hip and a wobbly, peeping box on the other.
We were very pleased with our chicks. They were quite strong and seemingly very healthy. Right away, one by one, they each had there beaks dunked into the water and chick starter and they began to huddle near the heat lamp until all were warmed. After many weeks of researching and reading about chick care, I was a bit nervous about the whole idea of raising chicks, but I was just amazed at how they each just "knew what to do". The hardest part was keeping the cats and dogs out of they way while transporting them to the brooder. Due to shipping, the poultry farm sent 5 extra males for warmth. So, it is a good thing we built the brooder box big enough because now we had 16 baby chicks.
What an experience it was watching the chicks grow. The children enjoyed coming home from school and rushing to the brooder to check on the chicks. It is amazing how quickly they grow... even without hormones added to the food. One thing we will all remember is that the cats would lie on top of the brooder near the heat lamp to stay warm. They would peer down through the wire net for hours and watch the little guys pop around. Even today, the cats walk over to the chickens and just lie down on the ground and watch them peck around. I am convinced that Morris thinks those chickens are his family because they are the same color as he is. It is the whole Tigger movie thing I think.
At about 9 weeks old we butchered the 5 extra males and put them in the freezer before the meat got too tough. The pecking order was a little too much to handle and the coop was a bit too cozy since they were all getting so big. The little guys were just that.... very little under all those feathers. We only made 2 meals out of those 5 chickens. Oh well, they were tasty for sure. We plan to keep most of the others until the egg laying slows down then we will probably replace them with some of their baby chicks.
Our ladies are 16 weeks old now and have been started on layer ration. We are expecting eggs around the last week of March. Just in time for Easter!
Split Creek rules!
ReplyDeleteHow neat!!! The kids will always remember these adventures. I vacinated many a chicken while I was a 4-H Youth Agent in Pike Co. MS, but never got over ther fear of being pecked while gathering eggs at Great Mother's hen house(My Grandmother)in Madison.
ReplyDeleteoh. my. gosh. i love this!! and i am deeply jealous at the same time. :) i miss farm eggs so much!
ReplyDelete