What Are Your Plans For 2021?

[janiedoe]

My coop definitely needs a new roof so I'd like to hopefully pull that off next year but I think I would also like to try to reduce my flock size. I don't know if that will actually happen but with me working throughout the summer months and trying to keep up with my Etsy shop, my family often has to care for my flock for me. I know my husband isn't thrilled with that as it is so smaller flock size, less work for them to do. But only the chicken flock. My turkey flock seems to grow every year no matter what I do lol

I think that I NEED to follow you. Lol. I want to reduce my flock but they all want to stay! It is so hard to decide who gets rehomed and who stays. I feel so responsible for every chick that hatches here. I don't have turkeys (thank the lord) just chickens. A lot of broody chickens!

 

[spartacus_63]

Breeding pens are my main goal along with a bachelor pad so I can isolate the boys that are not in service.
Also continue to develope my Iowa Blue flock.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I think that I NEED to follow you. Lol. I want to reduce my flock but they all want to stay! It is so hard to decide who gets rehomed and who stays. I feel so responsible for every chick that hatches here. I don't have turkeys (thank the lord) just chickens. A lot of broody chickens!

Lol, I know what you mean. Turkeys are even more addicting than chickens! They wiggle their way in to your heart and you just can't let them go. They're like big feathered dogs! My 3 oldest hens will be 6 years old already in the spring. And my oldest tom will be 5.

 

[Josh L.]

It may seem contrary to have a goal of both adding to the flock and also reducing feed cost.. but I'm going to try! I'll be erecting a greenhouse by spring time (if all goes well, at least) where I'll be growing a decent amount of veggies and grains to feed my chooks. Ill hopefully also be getting Jumbo Brown Cotournix this year (the lady I contacted for eggs never got back to me last month or this month, so when its warmer out, ebay eggs it is, then!), and possibly also some turkeys for my family for thanksgiving- personally I dont eat meat, but factory farming kills my soul, so I prefer to raise them myself and know they're well raised and happy. Also excited to possibly get some Easter Eggers sometime this year, and erect a new coop for the new girls. No new roo this time, two is enough, its one more than I expected to have in my layer flock, so I'm sure the young Dominique Roo (Darth Maul) will take to the EE hens well enough, and Mister GG (my EE/barred rock roo) will definitely take a few for his own little harem.

 

[wdscully]

In the 3 years leading up to covid, we never had an issue with cats, but in 2020, I think every house in my neighborhood adopted a working cat as I am constantly chasing them out of my yard. Hoping in 2021 to build a coral for my 5 girls that will offer some additional space and protection from the neighborhood beasties while I'm not home. Though my coop has the recommended space per bird, I still feel guilty locking them up all the time when they're used to having the entire backyard to themselves. Fingers crossed we find a solution with both form and function that doesn't detract from the look of our coop .

 

[PioneerChicks]

How do you plan on making the fly farm? Sounds intriguing!

I watched a video on it once. It is hard to explain it all, but the larvae cannot fly and will mostly stay in the bin (and the chickens eat those), and some adults will hang around and lay eggs in the compost which will hatch...and I think you get it. You keep them in a box with a stick or something leading out so the larvae can crawl out into the chicken's mouths.

 

[BDutch]

I want to buy fertilised eggs as soon as I get a broody Dutch in march or april. This should be easy peasy bc they are very reliable mothers.

I like to add a friendly and small bantam breed that is laying eggs in winter too. I have been doing some research on the breed that I prefer to add to my flock. If I can get hold on bantam Red Island Red fertilised eggs I give that breed a chance to extend my flock a little.

There is room for 2 or 3 hens. One cockerel can stay until he gets too loud in the morning (next spring).
If I get more chicks, I will sell the pullets and give the cockerels away for free.

I am actually going to get chickens check out my page so you can see the questions that I have. It is labeled IM GETTING CHICKENS thank you

I can’t open you’re page.

In the 3 years leading up to covid, we never had an issue with cats, but in 2020, I think every house in my neighborhood adopted a working cat as I am constantly chasing them out of my yard. Hoping in 2021 to build a coral for my 5 girls that will offer some additional space and protection from the neighborhood beasties while I'm not home. Though my coop has the recommended space per bird, I still feel guilty locking them up all the time when they're used to having the entire backyard to themselves. Fingers crossed we find a solution with both form and function that doesn't detract from the look of our coop .

Did one of these cats actually kill you’re chickens? Cause we have neigbour cats too that kill mice, birds and even pigeons. They visit our garden daily and one even enters the run if the door is open for the chickens to free range. But they never killed any of my small bantam chickens.

 

[Picklethequail]

I can’t open you’re page.

Ok i will put a link for you.
here you go,
https://www.backyardchickens.com/conversations/im-getting-chickens-🐔.1333644/

 

[black_cat]

I need to finish painting my coop and I'd like to slowly add improvements to that and the run, so I'm pretty sure that counts as upgrading? I'd love to add some more chicks but it's unclear if I can actually go through with that.

 

[BleuSaphir]

This year is the mark to get back into keeping backyard chickens.
4 Entirely new chickens And building a new coop along the way for this year.

I wish I could keep more. But my backyard is small and land lock to support space for a large flock.