You can see how big my chickens have become! They are about the size of a large dove. They are getting chest feathers. Their wings, backs and tails are fully feathered now. Only their little heads still have the chick fuzz! They are getting in their combs and their beaks look more pecky! Ha ha! They DO peck at everything! They are pecking the side of the box and it sounds like a box full of woodpeckers! My friend laughed at me the other day and said they would peck an escape hole in the box and be found running a muck around my living room! NOT a funny nor pleasant image! BECAUSE the more these chickens eat, the bigger they are getting, and the bigger they get, the MORE they poop! Frankly, they are becoming quite stinky! I'm really ready for them to move on out to their coop. Which, by the way, is still not finished! Sherman assures me it will be finished this weekend. It must get finished this weekend, because these guys are turning 4 weeks old next Wed. and it's time to face the world!
Word to the wise...OR Farmgirls looking to get chickens...This is the knowledge I've gleaned: Build your coop BEFORE your order chickens! I know, I know, I ordered first to...well, truth be told-- FORCE my dear husband into coop building out of necessity to house the ALREADY purchased chickens! I could not have foreseen hurricane winds for 2 weeks straight that interrupted the coop building. Lesson learned! Next, although the cute plastic bin brooder did function well, it wasn't big enough to house 9 chickens for long. --only about 2 weeks. If you were getting just a few chicks I'd say it was worth it, BUT it's just too small for 9. Save yourself the money and hassle --a large cardboard box works great and is easy to throw away when your done. The water, feeders and the feed I chose have all been great. The heat lamp and red bulb worked well. I switched to a 80 watt white bulb at the middle of the 2ND week. I had gotten them to 80* and was weaning them off the light for the night time. They were freaking out in the dark! Now they can go all night with no light. If the day is cloudy I turn on the light to give them "daylight". They are in front of a large window so I open the curtains every morning and close them in the evening to simulate day and night. This will prepare them for the coop. I also open the windows every morning to get in fresh air and build up their tolerance to drafts and outside air. Sand has worked well as litter...Some suggest pine savings. I can't say one is better than the other because I didn't try any other type of litter. The only complaint I have with the play sand is the chickens love to dust bathe, scratch and flap their wings causing a puff of sand to fly up into the air. It's like having a sand box in your living room! I've been going around everyday dusting and wiping things down because everything is covered in a layer of dust--similar to a West Texas dust storm blowing through. YUCK! I've not been too thrilled about that--BUT I'm not sure you wouldn't have the same problem with a different litter. The sand is easy to clean, very absorbent, and healthy and natural for the chickens. They seem to love it! Building a pen to allow them some outdoor time would've been ideal. Of course, if my coop would've been built first, it would've been equipped with a run. That would've been great. Tuesday I decided to move their box out on the front porch to give them a taste of the great outdoors! It was a sunny beautiful day with just a slight breeze. I stood over the box to watch their reaction to the elements. The first breeze pushed past and all the chickens layed over on their sides--like they were blown over. The wind passed and they all got up. The next breeze came up and they all fell over again! It was so funny! I felt sorry for them and moved them back in after a few minutes!
I'm still very happy I decided to get them. I enjoy watching them! I have a favorite--Dorthy--she is the happiest to see me. She likes to be held and petted. She tries to fly up to me. I think she will be more of a pet than the others. The Buttercups are very flighty and nervous, I don't think they will ever be "pet-like". But that's OK, they are here to serve a purpose--Give me LOTS of eggs! AND they will still be fun to watch. My rooster is --well a rooster! He is starting to assert his authority more and put the others in their place. He gets first pick on the roost and doesn't hesitate to kick someone off if he prefers their spot. I've been holding him and trying to make him gentle and tame--time will tell I guess. The Wyndotte girls are very active and pretty assertive as well. They might surprise me and become more gentle and pet-like as they grow, but so far they keep to themselves and aren't interested in much attention.
That's my girl Dorthy there in the middle, Rock-A -Doodle rooster to her left, Dolores on the perch to her right and a Wyndotte girl posing up front.
RAMBLING ON....
I bought my plants for the garden. I worked and got the garden plots ready so it's time to plant! I decided to go with heirloom tomatoes this year instead of a hybrid. I got Bradley, Homestead, Marglobe, and a funny looking striped tomato called..well--Mr. Stripey--of course! No, really that IS the name of it! I had to get it to see how it tasted and looked when ripe. I'll be curious to see how it turns out! I have jalapeno plants, bell pepper, and a variety of herbs--lavender, parsley, oregano, basil, rosemary, and cilantro. I love cooking with fresh herbs. I planted them last year and my rosemary was still doing well, but I failed to inform my husband that it was an herb and NOT a weed so it got tilled up! So, I will try again and make sure I tell him where the herbs are so they don't meet an untimely death! They should remake and continue on each season. I purchased yellow crookneck squash seeds, zucchini, corn and spinach seeds. My corn didn't do well last year--grasshoppers devoured it. But I think I'll try again. I still need to get my okra plants but the ground and weather is still too cool for them yet. No hurry! I may have Sherman till me up another patch for black eyed peas and pinto beans. Not sure yet! But that is the plan and what I shall plant! May God bless it and it bring forth much fruit--and veggies! I LOVE planting time! I just LOVE getting my hands in the dirt and planting a tiny seed or a tiny plant and knowing it will grow and produce food. It is SO much fun! We just had a night full of soaking rain!! So the ground will be welcoming to my new plants and seeds! LOVE IT!! I planted onions a few weeks ago...they are coming up nicely! I have red and yellow onions in the ground...first time to do them. I hope they do well.
Well...I guess that's enough rambling for today! Check back! I will soon have more to share! If you are planting a garden this year send me a comment and tell me what you are planting!
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