Homesteading and Hobby Farm/Ranch

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The_Black_Log Foler

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Well boys just put a deposit down on a pretty sick custom coop/run build. Should comfortable be able to house at least 20 chickens.

Looking for chicken breeds recommendations. This is my shopping list thus far. The leghorn and RIR are for solid egg layers.


2x white leghorn
2x Rhode Island Red
1x Plymouth Rock
1x black silkie
1x white silkie
1x polish chicken
1x frizzle
1x Orpington rooster
 

The_Black_Log Foler

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Holy fuck how do you guys find the more “exotic” chickens? All the popular hatcheries like Meyers, cackle and mypetchicken are cleaned out for female chicks for things like silkies etc
 

The_Black_Log Foler

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You can order chickens online, believe it or not. I have done so. perfect results.
Lol so far I’ve literally only looked online. Did you read my post of hatcheries I mentioned? All of them have ship dates mid summer at soonest. Many indefinitely sold out, some end of year. They have some straight runs available like mid summer but I’d really like to start off with just one rooster..

Where have you ordered online before? I’ve checked Meyers, cackles, my pet chicken, Murray McMurray, and green fire farms so far.
 

lurkingdirk

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No, I typically don't read your posts. I just happened to see that one. I've ordered from Cackle Hatchery and Ideal Poultry.
 

The_Black_Log Foler

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No, I typically don't read your posts. I just happened to see that one. I've ordered from Cackle Hatchery and Ideal Poultry.
I’ll look up ideal but cackle is either sold out or you’re soonest order is maybe June-sept
 

The_Black_Log Foler

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lurkingdirk lurkingdirk do you normally order straight runs? Seems like it’s the only way to get bantams.. If so what do you do with all the roosters? Eat ‘em?
 

lurkingdirk

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lurkingdirk lurkingdirk do you normally order straight runs? Seems like it’s the only way to get bantams.. If so what do you do with all the roosters? Eat ‘em?

But why do you want bantams? They lay tiny eggs, and the roosters are wicked aggressive. Have to keep the roosters separate rom the hens until you want them to be fertilized. Then you have to separate them again once the chicks are hatched so the rooster doesn't kill them.

I order 12 of one kind at a time. Still working out who the best layers are. It differs by where you are. Weather, sun light, available grasses, all of that makes a difference.
 

BrutulTM

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I saw a sign at the farm/ranch store yesterday saying they were getting chicks starting Feb 6. If stores all over the country are ordering chicks right now in addition to a run on back yard chickens due to egg prices and even big egg farms trying to restock then the shortage doesn't seem too surprising.
 

lurkingdirk

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I saw a sign at the farm/ranch store yesterday saying they were getting chicks starting Feb 6. If stores all over the country are ordering chicks right now in addition to a run on back yard chickens due to egg prices and even big egg farms trying to restock then the shortage doesn't seem too surprising.

Fair enough.

I've now procured a couple of roosters. I run the chickens with the rooster for a few weeks, then let the hens brood. I'm not buying a lot of chickens a this point.
 

The_Black_Log Foler

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But why do you want bantams? They lay tiny eggs, and the roosters are wicked aggressive. Have to keep the roosters separate rom the hens until you want them to be fertilized. Then you have to separate them again once the chicks are hatched so the rooster doesn't kill them.

I order 12 of one kind at a time. Still working out who the best layers are. It differs by where you are. Weather, sun light, available grasses, all of that makes a difference.
Bro have you seen silkies? I want some chickens for good producers and chickens for fun. Silkies are really only bantam I want
 

The_Black_Log Foler

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lurkingdirk lurkingdirk whats your coop/run setup? I’ll have a 8x10 coop with 10x20 run. If my chicken math is right in theory I could house 20 large chickens
 

lurkingdirk

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lurkingdirk lurkingdirk whats your coop/run setup? I’ll have a 8x10 coop with 10x20 run. If my chicken math is right in theory I could house 20 large chickens

I have three side by side so I can cycle out chickens as needed and still get eggs. Each coop is 10x10 with a 10x20 run.
 
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The_Black_Log Foler

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I have three side by side so I can cycle out chickens as needed and still get eggs. Each coop is 10x10 with a 10x20 run.
How many on average do you keep in each coop at any given time?
 

lurkingdirk

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How many on average do you keep in each coop at any given time?

15. It's plenty big enough, and for a few months I have 45 eggs a day. The chickens I have lay reliably for about 2 years. After that, they make good soup.
 
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Locnar

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Mini donkey after a month of being scared of the emu turned and plucked her a bit, happened in a space of a couple hours, I'm still confused how it looks like she woulda sat still and taken it. A part of me almost still would believe some maniac came into my pen. No wounds really, just one kinda scrapey abrasion on the edge. I'd accuse her of self plucking if it whernt for a tiny spot on neck, and a little further up back not sure if she can reach.

Like 15 degree nights, she was shivering when we discovered it, so spent a couple days indoors, that was a fun mess to keep up with, finally got our hospital shack some heat, tricky getting enough heat without the power strips overloading since it's coming out on 250 feet of extension cord. (Yes I am gambling I burn the shack down, but I can't keep up with the fountain of 150lb birdshit. )

Oh boy. Just know that way more than Donkeys are attracted to oil/protien rich emu feathers. Goats and even geese will eat them and probably everything else too. I don't mix my birds with other animals in one big pack, animals tend to turn on each other when you least expect it. I had a donkey once too.. until she started killing baby goats. A friend had her emus stomp her lambs to death. List goes on. so Beware.

I have chicks in the house now because they are little and of course contained in a pen in a spare room, and even with them I can't wait until soon I place them in a outside pen. You are crazy for bringing in that subadult.