Edmonton, Alberta Canada (and area)

[WillowChick]

Calling all chicken wranglers from Edmonton, Sherwood Park, Spruce Grove, St. Albert, New Sarepta, Leduc, Hay Lakes, Devon, Mornville, Rollyview, Looma, Millet, and anyone else I forgot. Maybe even Camrose.... maybe. LOL!

I'm new to chickens, but would love to hear about advice on raising them in the great white north. Or just have a place to talk to other locals! I had a heck of a time finding a local thread around here that wasn't just people saying the name of their town one after another...

Where are you from, what breeds do you keep, show us your coops!

I'll start. I have 1 18 week old Isa Brown x Brown leghorn roo (Mish), 1 18 week old black cochin bantam (Phantom), 3 8 week old (as yet unsexed) Ameraucana crosses (Olive, Fawn and Miracle), and 1 teeny tiny bantam mutt who looks like a penguin with feathers down his/her legs (Penguin).

We started this game in May of this year with 4 chickens we randomly picked from someone on a farm somewhere, along with a doll coop which was not very suited to our winters.



I hatched 45 eggs for a friend and kept 6 of the neat looking ones, 1 of which died from causes unknown at 3 weeks.



DH built an AMAZING new coop (which I'm not allowed to show you yet because he hasn't finished doing the write-up for it), and now we're down about $500 since we started this whole escapade.

We had to give away 1 banty roo who knew the right way to crow at 10 weeks, and lost 1 hen and a baby to a weakly secured run and a neighbourhood cat.


(Some of our lost ones)

We're still working on logistics, but the count is now at 6 and they seem pretty happy!

HOW ABOUT YOU?????

Willow

 

[WillowChick]

BUMP!

 

[RavenWood]

Not from Edmonton, but I am from Canada - n. BC that is. Pleased to meet you!

 

[WillowChick]

Where abouts in BC? I was born in Vancouver

 

[RavenWood]

Way up in Vanderhoof (an hour west of Prince George). I'm originally a prairie chicken from Saskatchewan, but we've been here for over 20 yrs now.

I've had laying hens many times over the years, but got the bug again this summer. Adopted 8 chicks, likely buff orpington crosses, that a local elementary class hatched out, then we took on some older hens (past their good laying years) and a rooster from a friend which include several ameraucanas and possibly black brahmas or copper maran crosses; but, my fav additions this year were 6 Silkie peeps (2 roos and 6 pullets) and 2 yr old hens, the latter of whom should begin laying soon and 6 Rouen x Khaki ducks. We sold 1 of the drakes and have homes for 2 others, so we'll end up with 2 hens and a drake left. Then I added 4 older Polish chickens - 3 hens (one nearly blind) and a rooster and 2 black-faced silkie/polish/barnyard mix hens (for my husband).

We have a hen house (an old shed that was here and due to be torn down and rebuilt) and then we built a little duck house, but then I realized my silkies/polish shouldn't go in with the other hens so we put them in there and gave the ducks a dog house for their hang out. My ducks have recently started laying and my 2012 hatchlings are laying 5-6 eggs/day now.

We've got quite the little barnyard full now ... just to add to my 3 horses, 2 mini horses, 2 goats, 9 dogs and 4 cats!

 

[SophiaLorHen]

Bump!!!

I'm about 45 mins northwest of Edmonton, by Villeneuve, having just married a farmer.
I just got my first batch of day-olds about 7 weeks ago... 5 Americanaus, 5 Copper Marans and 5 Orpies... although I have no idea who is who!! I may have lucked out and only gotten 4 boys in that whole batch, even though it was a straight-run! Yeah!!

 

[BYCforlife]

Hello! Anyone still on this thread? I'm close to Edmonton.

 

[Dutch780]

Hello! I live Edmonton! No hens yet but I am anxiously awaiting a decision by the City (to allow or not to allow backyard hens after two year pilot project.

In the meantime, I am gleaning as much info as I can re cold weather coop design and breeds. I am looking at building a non-heated, but insulated coop and run for four hens. Any tips on coop design for our climate, as well as sourcing chicks locally (city guidelines state that "...pullets shall not be younger than 16 weeks old") would be appreciated.

 

[BYCforlife]

Hello! I live Edmonton! No hens yet but I am anxiously awaiting a decision by the City (to allow or not to allow backyard hens after two year pilot project.

In the meantime, I am gleaning as much info as I can re cold weather coop design and breeds. I am looking at building a non-heated, but insulated coop and run for four hens. Any tips on coop design for our climate, as well as sourcing chicks locally (city guidelines state that "...pullets shall not be younger than 16 weeks old") would be appreciated.

Hi! I live in the Edmonton area. There are many hatcheries that sell pullets, and there are probably local farmers with pullets for sale.

 

[The Farmers' Daughter]

Hi
I'm from the Edmonton area as well. Northwest of Wabamun, just outside of the lovely 4 corners known as Darwell.
I purchased 12 leghorns from a battery not far from here for $2 each.
They're considered past their prime (a year old) but they're still laying prolifically.
Right now they're in an old shed at my neighbour's place. I bought a new shed to be their permanent home but am having problems getting it done. My wife is just not physically able to help. I've got the lower half insulated and posts in for their run. I'm thinking if I can get the fencing up it should be enough to move them, although it would be ideal to have the whole thing finished.
Anyhow, sorry for the ramble. Nice to meet everyone.