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Chicken Chat!

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the1honeycomb

Guest
I Love my chickens. One of them got into the garden and instead of eating the bugs, (helping do chores to earn her keep) she ate all the ripe Blueberries!! Thank goodness for the blue birds they work diligently to eat the offending caterpillars, and stink bugs! My girl did leave me a big blue egg amongst the strawberry beds though! payment? haha
 
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mountain man

Guest
Sounds like you have an Easter Egger. We keep a few chickens also. But in the garden they'll eat anything.

valley
 
T

the1honeycomb

Guest
I have 62 Easter Eggers, 20 Buff and white Brahmas, 9 Black Copper Marans, 7 Plymouth rock, 5 Barred Rock, 2 cochins, and several Mutts!! 25 Cornish X 2 Ducks, and 7 Turkeys! I have been a victim of Chicken math and I fear with 3 birds on the nest i soon have more! I love my chickens but it is time to down size! I fixed the fence so she can't git in so the garden is safe once again
 
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sreece

Guest
We try not to let our chickens get anywhere near the garden!!!! But inevitably a chicken or two gets out and scratches up my daughter's flower garden.
 
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the1honeycomb

Guest
Gotta love em!
 
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Melissa

Guest
We only had one chicken that was every allowed not to be in the coop. She was a bonus when we got a dozen ducklings. She thought she was a duck, until the day they went to go to the pond for a swim.. She tried.. then flew up, landed on a duck back then back to shore. It was the funniest thing I have ever seen. My mom named her Cynthia. She always stuck with the ducks. When they swam she would follow them around the edge of the pond.
 
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Canesisters

Guest
Awww, poor Cynthia! Wonder what she thought when all her flock mates happily went in the hateful water.

I have a small mixed flock of chickens. Couple of eastereggers, couple of silver laced wynadottes, couple of speckled sussex, 4 black copper maran mixes, couple of jersey giant mixes and a blue laced red wynadotte. I'm hoping to expand my run to include my garden for next year. The garden will, of course, be fenced but the chickens can patrol a large area around it. And go inside with me when I'm working in it.
... that's THE PLAN anyway.....
 
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the1honeycomb

Guest
Sounds like a great plan! I saw where some people put the run in sections and let the chickens deweed and fertilize one area then are moved to another area and a garden is planted there i think I may do this next year but for this year I have got to get the new coops built!

Cynthia sounds like a real trooper.! love to watch the birds as they interact and enjoy each other!
 

Cody

Active Member
Messages
71
Planting Zone
8a
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This is the first time I've ever had chickens and I love it! We have 2 production reds that just started laying. I spend a lot of time hanging out in the garden. :)
 
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the1honeycomb

Guest
Very nice and love the coop did you build it yourself
 

Cody

Active Member
Messages
71
Planting Zone
8a
Yes, I built the coop. Just took ideas from a bunch of different ones. They pretty much just roost in there now. I let them out before work and close the door between 8-9pm. The garden area is probably 800-1000 sq. ft. My veggies are fenced off, but I have mulch everywhere from them "scratching". lol. I'll change it up this winter.
 
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the1honeycomb

Guest
great Idea! i have a chicken her name is little red and she thinks if it is fenced offf then that is where she wants to be! she gets into the garden when I let then free range and stirs everything up. lays an egg among the strawberries, and chases anyone who tries to come in (except me). She know she isn't supposed to be in there so when she sees me coming she sneaks out the other side. I don't mind as long as she doesn't eat the tomatoes
 

Cody

Active Member
Messages
71
Planting Zone
8a
Sounds like my Chickens! This one is appropriately named "crazy". She's not shy at all. She likes me to pick her up and pet her. lol. 1004765_10201035403720808_1235363306_n.jpg
 
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the1honeycomb

Guest
she looks like my little red!! I have a Big red who is twice her size! I guess I don't get out often enough the only time they come sit with me is if I have treats but I have over a hundred chickens so they keep me busy
 

Cody

Active Member
Messages
71
Planting Zone
8a
I would love to have more, but I'm in the city so I need to keep a low profile. :) I guess you sell a lot of eggs?
 
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the1honeycomb

Guest
C:\Users\Nancy\Pictures\Life on the farm\IMG_0076.JPG
 
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the1honeycomb

Guest
don't know how to post photos did it a couple of times by accident!
I would love to have more, but I'm in the city so I need to keep a low profile. :) I guess you sell a lot of eggs?
I get 25+ eggs a day and I son't have have any trouble selling them! I only have Brown and Easter Eggers so my patrons love the colors! :eggface:
 
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the1honeycomb

Guest
Loving my hens !! one of them doesn't like to be mated :nailbiting: and as soon as her chick is big enough and the guys start to notice, SHE go Broody!!!:chicken: well she is back on the nest and her little one comes and stays with her at night:kiss: Too cute!! I am starting the building of the new coops and hope to have them moved by fall!
 
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the1honeycomb

Guest
Bought chicks for the broody hens! gave 3 each, the stupid hen tried to kill hers!!!:banghead: the newest hen move off her nest!:arghh: so My one intelligent hen now has 7 chicks that she is taking good care of everyone! (lost one to the dummy she is going to live with a friend). :chicken: before I put her in the freezer camp!!
 
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the1honeycomb

Guest
Met birds are getting almost ready for the freezer!! starting to build new coops for the others to keep them separated and be able to sell pure breed birds. have 10 wyandottes, both silver laced and blue laced reds. 6 Buff orpingtons, 11 Brahma, and 44 americauna!!! 2 turkeys and 2 ducks. Love my birds they really keep me busy. the meat birds eat like it's their last meal but I guess for the growth rate that they are showing they really need to!!
How are your birds??
 

Cody

Active Member
Messages
71
Planting Zone
8a
My birds are doing good. This Texas heat gets them a little inconsistent with laying though. I was getting 2 a day until it got over 100. Now I might get 2 or I might get one. One day I didn't get any. Next spring I'll get at least 2 more birds.
 

finkikin

Well-Known Member
Messages
204
Location
Tomball
Planting Zone
8B
My birds are doing good. This Texas heat gets them a little inconsistent with laying though. I was getting 2 a day until it got over 100. Now I might get 2 or I might get one. One day I didn't get any. Next spring I'll get at least 2 more birds.

Cody, how are your home grown eggs compared to store bought? Better quality, taste? I would think they would be.
 
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the1honeycomb

Guest
I love my homegorwn eggs they are so much better thatn what ou get at the store! and fresher!! sometimes they are still warm when I use them!
 

Cody

Active Member
Messages
71
Planting Zone
8a
My daughter WILL NOT eat store bought eggs. LOL. We all love the homegrown eggs better. They are a little smaller though. We have 2 bantam's at my parents and there eggs are really little.
 
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