Checking-In On Peeps - Post Here To Say Hello!

[Kiki]

Hello! This is great idea I’ve been so busy the past year that I only jump on for research and then back to work. This group has been a huge help for me starting to build our “homestead”! So thankful for the wealth of knowledge and kindness here. in the past two years we’ve bought a house/land, started a garden and mini fruit orchard, put up a two car garage, converted a one car garage into my Granny Flat (just about ready to move in), and built a chicken coop/barn! Thank you to all who contribute to the information available on this site! pics of our projects attached!

Your tiny home is awesome! I'd like to see more of it.

 

[wallace42]

Morning, great idea on this post. I'm happy to check in again, still lurking around quite a bit, but I'm not much of a poster. We had lost most of our chickens to coyote attacks last year, but then inherited 13 chickens from my wife's aunt when she couldn't keep them anymore, so now we have 12 hens and two roosters. One of the roosters is very aggressive and doesn't seem to be picking up on the message that it's not a great idea to attack humans, so he may be destined for the soup pot. We've got plans to build a larger permanent coop this spring, now that we have more birds than we had planned to, our little temporary coop just isn't cutting it anymore.

Here's a few pictures. These are from fairly shortly after we brought them home. A few of the hens were missing a lot of feathers from their backs, so we had little saddles/coats for them (you can see that in the second picture). They're all doing much better now, so no more chicken coats required.

Here's one from over the winter with our only surviving bird from our previous flock hanging out with the new ones.

 

[Kiki]

Thanks for reaching out! As a college professor, this is a particularly busy time of year which conflicts with my farming duties, lol! I ordered 3 Plymouth Rock Barred ladies 2 years ago and was sent 4. I will never know who the "extra" chick was, but the dynamics among them is amazing. And with 4, it helped seal their namesakes: Sophia, Dorothy, Blanche and Rose! So, I am a mom to a group of 2-year old ladies who keep me (and the dog) on our toes. My kids and husband are not as involved in the daily activities, but that's ok, it's actually therapeutic for me to venture out to the coop/run and visit with them, clean up, collect eggs and deliver some fresh produce. Who does not love a group SO happy to see you, even if it's just b/c you are carrying some escarole?

This is Sophia, queen bee of the group. She is my gorgeous redhead! Here is there coop tucked safely inside a giant run. We put on the metal roof and doubled up on the 14 gauge metal cloth around the entire unit AND UNDER IT. Best thing we ever did. Fox left hungry and gross mice could not get in!

Yes, those are curtains and a chandelier inside the coop, but the curtains help with draft (winter we wrap the whole thing up) and the chandelier, well, it gives them a soft glow as they find their way to the roosting bar each night. There are automatic doors on the inner coop and in between the inner run and outer run, on a timer but also easy to control right from my phone no matter where we are, a WiFi speaker to pump in classical tunes, and a camera so I can make sure everyone made it inside before the doors closed.

If anyone told me even 5 years ago I'd have a coop in my yard, I'd thought they were crazy, but now I think it's crazy NOT to have them! They are a total joy.

The single ladies area looks neat! I'd like to see more pictures of the inside!

 

[Kiki]

HI. Im incubating eggs. Easter EGGER eggs. And some white leghorn eggs from an OLD hen. I dont think the leghorn eggs are viable. I will candle them all thoroughly on Sunday. The Easter EGGER Eggs i checked a couple of them on day 4 and you could clearly see veins and in one an eye i think? So those are well. So im up to chicken things … will probably buy some leghorn chicks from a hatchery in the summer.

This is what an internal pip looks like.... this will happen the day before hatch day. Also...notice how big the aircell is? That is called...drawn down. The aircell draws down to make room for them to breath once they internally pip.

 

[Patsies hens]

We have such a vibrant community here at BYC... tons of active friendly members. Of course, life gets busy, so I was thinking it would be fun to start a thread welcoming some of our peeps we haven't heard from in a while.

If that's you, come say hello and let us know what you've been up to.

(if that's not you, feel free to invite peeps you haven't seen in a while and say hi to those that post here)

Well hello, it has been busy, here in the Morbihan in Brittany our weather has been foul (not fowl). It is still cold and we have had more than our fair share of rain to say the least. It is nearly the end of April and we are still lighting the fire and drying the washing under the first barn roof.

We have 12 hens with one attendant/protective light weight cockerel called the name of God's son (no offence meant). Said cockerel is rather ineffective in the mounting stages and inclined to fall off - which I tried to explain in my pathetic form of French this morning to the lovely lady who owns the local tailoring and knitting wool shop. I was donating 6 free range Americuna eggs to her of varying colours and explaining that they were very new and unlikely to have contents other than yolk. Although I have 12 hens they are not all active in the egg laying competition that takes place daily so on average 6 eggs a day. However they range freely so occasionally, time and weather permitting I go hunting with our lovely large malinois (followed by the ginger and white cat that someone had thrown in the canal 4 years ago). Our Post Office lady has been looking a little down lately so I took her some eggs as well. Right I must go have a surplus of bananas and oranges that I must make something with today. Best wishes to all.

 

[Panamom]

We have such a vibrant community here at BYC... tons of active friendly members. Of course, life gets busy, so I was thinking it would be fun to start a thread welcoming some of our peeps we haven't heard from in a while.

If that's you, come say hello and let us know what you've been up to.

(if that's not you, feel free to invite peeps you haven't seen in a while and say hi to those that post here)

 

[relicshunter]

As most have said life got busy. Went from a stressful job that paid more to a less stressful one that doesn't, so had to readjust life. I just do ducks, and they are a wonderful bunch of quacker. Wants for ducklings this spring have been slow so more work involved to move them out. I also tripled my garden space this year and it's growing well. Lots of work but I am so happy with it. Can't wait for arm fulls of fresh food.

 

[Kiki]

Hello! I started on this page two years ago with my rooster Dottie. Fast forward to now and I have a flock of 6. They’re the best part of my day. I’m working through Dottie’s broken spurs and one potential case of bumblefoot but trying my best to keep them happy and healthy. Any recommendations on treatment would be greatly appreciated!

Check these two out (click on each link):


Bumblefoot In Chickens : My Successful Treatment

and

How to Correctly Wrap a Chicken's Foot!​

 

[Kiki]

Hey there!
Our small family farm is currently waiting on new chicks, I have been inactive as a member because I am postpartum

Congrats on the new baby!

 

[Panamom]

We have such a vibrant community here at BYC... tons of active friendly members. Of course, life gets busy, so I was thinking it would be fun to start a thread welcoming some of our peeps we haven't heard from in a while.

If that's you, come say hello and let us know what you've been up to.

(if that's not you, feel free to invite peeps you haven't seen in a while and say hi to those that post here)

Yes, still have birds and a turkey! And chickles and suckles. Working on getting my homemade pond back to clear after a duck invasion(ate all the hyacinth) and heat of Florida sun. “Shirley the turkle” is presenting me with 4 eggs a week. And I learned from this great group that the turkey is the roost ruler! She likes me!