Homesteading Chicken Coop Build, Chickens, Pond, Garden & Projects

Thanks for the tip, mine crowed religiously from 5AM until around 8-9PM. He never shut up! Every few minutes he'd have to announce his presence to the world. He was an Ameraucana rooster. Nice looking bird for sure, but too obnoxious.

 

That's too bad to hear about Ameraucanas. Those would be great to have as roosters to fill the blood line blue layers. Mostly I have speckled Sussex, buckeyes, a few polish(alphenzeller spitzhauben), and some wyandottes. As a whole, the flock is predator resistant and not too flighty. They are pretty tough which I like, especially the polish. Do you have any other breeds or any that you would suggest?

 

You've got quite the flock! This is my first year with chickens. I had quails for a good 3-4 years previously which were great but I felt the need this year to have real-sized eggs. Quail eggs are tediously small. I'm learning as I go. Besides the Ameraucana hens I have 2 Rhode Island Reds which have been great. They're a plain-Jane looking chicken but are very productive egg layers which is why I went with them. I'd love to try those Polish chickens for next year too! Nice to look at. I have a lot of hawks circling overhead where I live so my birds stay inside the coop/run.

 

My youngest son had 12 guinea that have been slowly disappearing from cars and varmints. He only had 4 a few weeks ago and one more was lost.....we thought. Until she showed up tonight at the chicken coop with these little guys.

About 14 babies to try and keep safe. The boy is estatic because he's a grandpa now.

 

Guineas tend to wander away from the flock. One fine afternoon, a guinea showed up at my chicken pasture and wanted to hang out with my birds. I am still not sure where it came from. They are delicious and I would have processed it on meat bird day but... a coyote got to it first.

 

My neighbor has chickens. She has lost 3 this year to the hawks. I she plans to build a bigger run so she won't let them free range so much.

 

Made a killing cone, roosters are starting to fight...we're having a little party for them this weekend.






Trying out for fit.

 

I had to take one of roosters out back for a talk the other day. Although he was fine with me (after I slapped him around some) he would still go after my wife and daughter.

 

That works. It's easier if you can get your hands on a traffic cone in the future and just cut the most narrow part off. Also easier on the hands when they kick

 

Getting some cool egg colors, several shades of olive green, tan and pink.

 

I used feed bags with the corner cut off for our ducks it was easier because I could use the bag to hold them still and chop, But I made similar cones first and they were ok. I just could never find the right spot to bleed out a duck humanely and decided to just chop and hang over buckets. For just a few roosters I just use cervical dislocation and drain once they stop flapping.

 

Big B the rooster got his marching orders yesterday. He has been ornery with my wife but he bum rushed my 2yo daughter from behind and drew blood. Dug the stock pot out this morning.

I asked my 5yo son what we should do with the rooster as they are “his” birds.
He immediately answered “eat him” good kid he is.

 

Easter eggs! Courtesy of 2020.