I just got CHICKENS!!! (the real animal!)

Daisy Rabbit Mae · Joined: 17 Jan 2009 Posts: 1970

Hi! I just got six baby chicks!!! Please if you know of any websites about chickens or know info please reply!!!

Cecelia · Joined: 16 Dec 2006 Posts: 1487

Wow Daisy! Where did you get them from? I will definitely help in any way I can.I'll post up some info soon just wait a bit.......

Cecelia · Joined: 16 Dec 2006 Posts: 1487

http://www.lionsgrip.com/babychix.html

This is a pretty good chicken website. If you know any people who have raised chickens for years though you should consult them. This website really stresses keeping them warm. Please do not keep your chicks outside in this freezing water. I know you want them to survive. Please keep them warm Smile

Cecelia~thellamallady~

Daisy Rabbit Mae · Joined: 17 Jan 2009 Posts: 1970

We got them from a petstore 2-Bar-0 and we have a basking light thing and a lot of wood shavings. Thank you for your help! I really appreciate it!!! I named one Rosalie!!! LOL! Embarassed

Misty Glen · Joined: 01 Nov 2007 Posts: 1393

Do you know what species they are?

A. L. Aljan · Joined: 28 Nov 2006 Posts: 661

Chickens ROCK! Simple as that! Laughing

I had a fair number of rare breeds when I lived in Indiana, but I think my faves were my OE Bannies, my Dorking hen (yes, it's a breed), and my Ameraucanas with their blue and green eggs! I had over 50 chickens and enjoyed EVERY one.

I'd give my right arm to have some property again so I could have more...

~ Amanda @ Aljan

koneko · Joined: 30 Dec 2008 Posts: 1883

i know daisy in real life... She has 3 rhode island reds, i forgot what the others are( their feathers are black)

Daisy Rabbit Mae · Joined: 17 Jan 2009 Posts: 1970

We have bardrock and road island reds!!! and yes they do ROCK!!!!

A. L. Aljan · Joined: 28 Nov 2006 Posts: 661

Ah! Barred Rocks - a CLASSIC! My Barred Rock hen, a.k.a. "Big Mama" was the best mouser... just as good as a feral cat, I swear...

~ Amanda @ Aljan

Misty Glen · Joined: 01 Nov 2007 Posts: 1393

We've been considering getting chickens for a while now and we've been really researching it in detail. One book that I'd thoroughly recommend is Raising Chickens: An Australian Guide. I found this to be very thorough, and covered just about every possible aspect of raising chickens, right down to designs and building instructions for several different hen houses. Even though it's intended for people in Aus, most of the information is general enough that you will probably still find it helpful.

The type of chicken I'd really like to get is an Australian Orpington (aka Australorp). These are said to be really terrific birds that are extremely well suited to the Australian climate (which is essentially hot summers and cool wet winters), and are also the best layers out of any species of chicken, laying up to 365 eggs per year. Most chicken species classed as 'good layers' only manage up to about 250 eggs per year.

A. L. Aljan · Joined: 28 Nov 2006 Posts: 661

Orp's are FANTASTIC egglayers... very, very broody, too, and I hear that Australorps have all of the hardiness, broodiness, and consistency of their American counterpart. My Buff Orp. was a consistent layer of nice, large eggs, as was my Barred Rock... "Big Mama" often laid double-yolk eggs, too: pretty cool to look at and extra-yummy to fry!

~ Amanda @ Aljan

Daisy Rabbit Mae · Joined: 17 Jan 2009 Posts: 1970

I herd that bardrock and road island reds are great egg layers, i don't know if you know anything but is that true? I don't know if its advertising but I have a chicken website. If it's not advertising i will post a link.

A. L. Aljan · Joined: 28 Nov 2006 Posts: 661

I can vouch for the laying ability of the Barred Rocks - mine was the BEST!

As far as RIR's, I think they were used in the development of the "Red Star" variety, which is a crossbred developed to have dimorphism of red females and white males, so it's easy to distinguish which is which for large commercial operations. They're also desirable because of their excellent laying ability! I suppose what I'm getting at is that RIR's would have to be great egglayers if they were used in the development of a commercial cross.

Wow, I didn't realize how much I enjoyed my chickens... I wish I could have them NOW!!!

~ Amanda @ Aljan

Misty Glen · Joined: 01 Nov 2007 Posts: 1393

Rhode Island Reds are one of the better layers available, and can lay about 250 eggs per year. The eggs can be quite large if the hens are free range.
Barred Rocks aren't as good, but still pretty reasonable layers, and average about 200 eggs per year.

Daisy Rabbit Mae · Joined: 17 Jan 2009 Posts: 1970

Thank you sooooo much!!! You guys are sooo helpful!!! (Im not being sarcastic!!!)