The Black Copper Marans is fierce - I think we will call it Ozzie - it reminds me of an ostrich - fierce eyes and a proud head. I think it's a boy - the comb looks more developed than the Buff Orpington's.
He is bold - trying to get up on the water bottle. Trying to stare me down.
People will think he's named after Ozzie Obsorne ;)
I think the Orpington is a male as well - there's considerable comb-like grown on its beak and forehead. The Wyandotte doesn't have any comb-like growth so my fingers are crossed at least one is a hen.
The Buff Cochin is just a little ball, not growing half as much as the others, but it is a Bantam. Could be either sex.
I pick them up each morning after I feed the horses and do any necessary stuff for the chicks (water, feed, freshen bedding, etc) . The I put the dogs out and get ready for work. The morning routine is developing.
Showing posts with label chickens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chickens. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Bad news on my doorstep (or, more correctly, in the garage)
Well one of the little Cochin chicks wasn't looking too well Monday morning.
When we went down to check the chicks and turn off the light before bed, he was huddling under the other chickens and not interested in the food. In the morning he was even less happy looking.
In hindsight, I guess I should have put a light on them. But in self-defense, when we got them, they were living outside in a couple elevated coops, so I thought they were "hardened off" enough not to need a warming light. But that may not have taken into account the body warmth generated by 20 or so little bodies versus that from 5 bodies.
When my husband came home from work, the little guy was dead.
When I emailed the breeder, she offered a replacement. Very fair of her, I must say. Believe she has a 24- or 48-hour live guarantee policy. As I said, in hindsight, maybe I should have put a warming light on them during the transition, or maybe that wouldn't make a difference. Second guessing doesn't change things though.
Since the breeder was expecting some more Buff Orpingtons and Black Copper Marans to be available in a couple weeks, I postponed picking up the replacement until the next group were available. I still wanted my 3x3 flock.
Put like that, "pick up the replacement," sounds rather callous when talking about a living animal. Guess that seems to devalue the life of the dead chick a bit. However, it is what it is (an overused, but true, expression).
When we went down to check the chicks and turn off the light before bed, he was huddling under the other chickens and not interested in the food. In the morning he was even less happy looking.
In hindsight, I guess I should have put a light on them. But in self-defense, when we got them, they were living outside in a couple elevated coops, so I thought they were "hardened off" enough not to need a warming light. But that may not have taken into account the body warmth generated by 20 or so little bodies versus that from 5 bodies.
When my husband came home from work, the little guy was dead.
When I emailed the breeder, she offered a replacement. Very fair of her, I must say. Believe she has a 24- or 48-hour live guarantee policy. As I said, in hindsight, maybe I should have put a warming light on them during the transition, or maybe that wouldn't make a difference. Second guessing doesn't change things though.
Since the breeder was expecting some more Buff Orpingtons and Black Copper Marans to be available in a couple weeks, I postponed picking up the replacement until the next group were available. I still wanted my 3x3 flock.
Put like that, "pick up the replacement," sounds rather callous when talking about a living animal. Guess that seems to devalue the life of the dead chick a bit. However, it is what it is (an overused, but true, expression).
Monday, September 6, 2010
"Honey, Let's get some chickens"
Why blog now?
I guess to document the trials and tribulations and, hopefully, joys of my new hobby .....Backyard Chickens.
Why chickens?
Well...good question.
I went in with the intention of bringing home 3 Buff Orpingtons & 3 Copper Marans.
Why these breeds?
The Buff Orpingtons are just plain pretty ...and seem to have reputation as a nice docile, friendly bird of good size.
Let's hope mine turns out a pretty as this, although I'd prefer a hen:
The Black Copper Marans ...well let's just say I was just seduced by the idea of dark chocolatey eggs and, when I saw the rooster in person, how handsome he was.
And they were available close by - convenience is so nice!
Notice I mentioned my intention to purchase two breeds?
In the world of chickens there are so many choices and I was a sucker for a pretty feather. So..... I came home with the following:
1 Bantam Buff Cochin
1 Bantam Barred Buff Cochin (alas, I didn't get to know him well...more below)
1 Blue-laced Red Wyandotte
and ... finally sticking to the plan -
1 Black Copper Marans
1 Buff Orpington
So much for plans and intentions !
There were so many pretty breeds... I guess chickens are like popcorn - once you start, you can't stop after a couple.
So we left the chicken farm (aka Running Horse Farm) with our little chickies peeping in a mail box.
Did I mention the best time to visit a chicken farmyard? It's on a wet rainy Sunday on a hot, humid summer day....you will never be able to say you didn't know what you were getting into!
Despite months of thinking about, we hadn't made a brooder or anything. But did I mention we live on a farm..and we have horses?
After a stop at the local Southern States for chicken supplies, we had a plan....
We would put the spare water trough to use - luckily I had just scrubbed it out the week prior, after we had used it when separating my gelding from the girls while he was feeling frisky and one of the girls was in the mood.
After moving this to the garage, we layered the bottom with an empty feed bag and pine shavings, added the newly acquired waterer and feeder (plastic mason-jar style), opened the box and the chicks were home. They got right into the water and feed. We covered the top with some mesh deer fencing weighted down with strips of wood through the openings and watched the chicks settle in. After a while we decided to add the little post box for them to huddle in if they wanted more shelter.
Chicken Adventure, Day 1, ends....
I guess to document the trials and tribulations and, hopefully, joys of my new hobby .....Backyard Chickens.
Why chickens?
Well...good question.
- I like eggs (but not every day... or even every weekend, but I have a lot of great co-workers and some great neighbors who don't have chickens)
- I like chicken (although I'm not sure I want to eat my own - yeech!)
- I live on a farm
- I have a lot of bugs... esp ticks and spiders, both of which appear to be good chicken snacks
- They're smaller than horses (I already have three of those)
- Shelties like to herd and you can start them on birds or so I have heard (not sure I'll try it, though)
I went in with the intention of bringing home 3 Buff Orpingtons & 3 Copper Marans.
Why these breeds?
The Buff Orpingtons are just plain pretty ...and seem to have reputation as a nice docile, friendly bird of good size.
Let's hope mine turns out a pretty as this, although I'd prefer a hen:
The Black Copper Marans ...well let's just say I was just seduced by the idea of dark chocolatey eggs and, when I saw the rooster in person, how handsome he was.
The handsome rooster is posted on his owner's site - http://rhfarm.angelfire.com/poultry.html (scroll down near the bottom)
And they were available close by - convenience is so nice!
Notice I mentioned my intention to purchase two breeds?
In the world of chickens there are so many choices and I was a sucker for a pretty feather. So..... I came home with the following:
1 Bantam Buff Cochin
1 Bantam Barred Buff Cochin (alas, I didn't get to know him well...more below)
1 Blue-laced Red Wyandotte
and ... finally sticking to the plan -
1 Black Copper Marans
1 Buff Orpington
So much for plans and intentions !
There were so many pretty breeds... I guess chickens are like popcorn - once you start, you can't stop after a couple.
So we left the chicken farm (aka Running Horse Farm) with our little chickies peeping in a mail box.
Did I mention the best time to visit a chicken farmyard? It's on a wet rainy Sunday on a hot, humid summer day....you will never be able to say you didn't know what you were getting into!
Despite months of thinking about, we hadn't made a brooder or anything. But did I mention we live on a farm..and we have horses?
After a stop at the local Southern States for chicken supplies, we had a plan....
We would put the spare water trough to use - luckily I had just scrubbed it out the week prior, after we had used it when separating my gelding from the girls while he was feeling frisky and one of the girls was in the mood.
After moving this to the garage, we layered the bottom with an empty feed bag and pine shavings, added the newly acquired waterer and feeder (plastic mason-jar style), opened the box and the chicks were home. They got right into the water and feed. We covered the top with some mesh deer fencing weighted down with strips of wood through the openings and watched the chicks settle in. After a while we decided to add the little post box for them to huddle in if they wanted more shelter.
Chicken Adventure, Day 1, ends....
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