Here we go again!
I thought about doing this awhile back but now I think it will just be a journal and maybe it'll stick this time around...
There is a big following these days for homesteading. Naturally I am down because who can't get enough in their busy day but to add in animals and plants to tend to...where did it all begin?
It really did motivate me to become more emotionally stable. I have had a ton of changes at work recently and I need something to focus my time and energy on or the rabbit hole will surely become dark and depressive. It began with my not sleeping, my eating habits got worse and worse the more there was to do at work. I feel like this journey is my saving grace and a hobby I can truly get so much out of!
A text and missed call from my husband, as I sat outside our home thinking I had locked myself out and he would soon be home to unlock for me. (later finding out that I did not even lock the door and I spent nearly two hours outside raking leaves when I could of had a nap)
"Want some chickens?" he text.
Umm...I have always wanted some chickens since moving to this house. I don't think he and I had talked about it but YES YES YES! I want some chickens but since I didn't answer he made the executive decision to bring home 6 chickens.
May 18, 2019 - I became a chicken mom.
Unlike all the videos and blogs suggesting to have a full on plan in place before ever purchasing your flock, we jumped right in. No brooder, no feeder, no waterer, and no ideas on where these furry creatures were going to live. IT CAN BE DONE...we did it, completely not prepared. He bought the feeder and waterer along with light for the "brooder". You non-chicken owners, the brooder is a place for your tiny baby chickens to live until large enough for their permanent home. Chicks have to have at least 80 degrees temp to stay warm until big enough to withstand lower temperatures. Our sweet bunny passed away some time back so the rabbit house was to become our brooder. It worked pretty perfectly because it had two sides and some small alterations made it the perfect home.
Do we have hens or roosters? No idea, we watched so many videos on tips for sexing our "straight run" Rhode Island Red chicks. We had to buy 6 also since he bought them in Arkansas and there is an actual law in Arkansas where you cannot buy chicks unless you buy 6. First glance, there is obviously 5 of something and 1 oddball. As many times as I tried to sex my chickens, I concluded we had 5 hens and 1 rooster. Not terrible, right? Right up until a chicken meat farmer family member says about three weeks in that they are roosters because they only had their combs forming, oddball still to this day has a teeny tiny comb. Still not a solid conclusive result. Still to this day at around six weeks old, we are clueless.
A week ago after our rooster prediction, I decided I really want to be sure I have hens. Found someone selling however many I wanted of several cool varieties. Not the case when my husband came along to the store, we must buy 6 more. At this point, we have built the pen and run so square foot wise there is enough space for 12-18. I'm good at twelve, husband not so much--he wants like 8 tops.
Before (All that trash/junk was under the lean to):
After (so many shots I could of gotten but here is one):
So now we have:
6 unknown Rhode Island Reds
1 Buff Brahma (Hen)
2 Light Brahma (Hens)
& 3 Easter Eggers (Hens)
Mistakes:
1. Unsexed chicks--have these things sexed before you purchase!
2. Plan ahead--if we had talked ahead of time, I could of gotten the mix of breeds I dreamed of! Now I have a dozen and I'm perfectly fine with that but again 8 tops per hubby...
3. Again plan ahead--the pen and run are perfect for our babies but we busted our butt to decide on a spot, build, and figure out how to purchase lumber on a budget and with borrowing a car to hook up to our trailer.
4. Names--everyone wants to name their animals and we most likely named too early. Told my daughter we would rename them when they're big enough.
I would never say my babies are a mistake though. Even if I have to sell 4 layers at some point. I do kind of wish they are in fact 5 roosters then I can sell them or we can do meat birds from them. Then all my sweet ladies stay with us. Only have two names at this point, Big Bertha is an already large Light Brahma. She likes to momma everyone already so I see a broody hen in my future and she likes sitting in my lap as we watch the others. Yella Beezy is oddball's name. Got him or her in the original bunch and it is the only one with yellow legs. If it is a rooster, it's perfect...otherwise it's just a weird name my husband came up with--makes us happy! We have no idea if it is a true Rhode Island Red because it looks absolutely nothing like the others. The RIR identical 5 are dark black with a lot of red tones and 1/3 taller than oddball.
Lu and "Big Bertha" (yes we kiss our chickens)
For you curious newbies to chickens, here are some quick facts:
Rhode Island Reds--roughly 6.5 lb fully grown, produce roughly 260 eggs per year, per bird (BROWN)
Easter Eggers--roughly 4 lb fully grown, they are a mutt bird from the iconic Ameraucanas and Araucanas lines, produce roughly 250 eggs per year, per bird (VARIES--Blue, Pink, Green, Light Brown)
Buff & Light Brahma--roughly 8-9 lb fully grown, there are three Brahma colors (Buff, Light and Dark), known for the feathers cascading down their legs and the size of the bird, produce about 150 large eggs per year (LIGHT BROWN)
450+750+1,300 (if there are 5 RIR hens) = 2,500 Eggs or 208 Dozen :)
Otherwise 1,460 Eggs or 121 Dozen if we got a bunch of Roos
Plan on selling at work and giving away to family because yes I absolutely understand that even us normally going through 18 eggs per week, we will not be able to eat all of these eggs...even trading for duck eggs with a co-worker!
Just know all three breeds are a favorite of mine. Only one I would be missing that I love are the Barred Rocks but hubby ain't letting me have anymore anytime soon :)
This is only our beginning, I will write later about my new seed obsession and what we have going in the garden!!
Love +4,
The CRC Family Hopeful Homestead (not "bush people")
There is a big following these days for homesteading. Naturally I am down because who can't get enough in their busy day but to add in animals and plants to tend to...where did it all begin?
It really did motivate me to become more emotionally stable. I have had a ton of changes at work recently and I need something to focus my time and energy on or the rabbit hole will surely become dark and depressive. It began with my not sleeping, my eating habits got worse and worse the more there was to do at work. I feel like this journey is my saving grace and a hobby I can truly get so much out of!
A text and missed call from my husband, as I sat outside our home thinking I had locked myself out and he would soon be home to unlock for me. (later finding out that I did not even lock the door and I spent nearly two hours outside raking leaves when I could of had a nap)
"Want some chickens?" he text.
Umm...I have always wanted some chickens since moving to this house. I don't think he and I had talked about it but YES YES YES! I want some chickens but since I didn't answer he made the executive decision to bring home 6 chickens.
May 18, 2019 - I became a chicken mom.
Unlike all the videos and blogs suggesting to have a full on plan in place before ever purchasing your flock, we jumped right in. No brooder, no feeder, no waterer, and no ideas on where these furry creatures were going to live. IT CAN BE DONE...we did it, completely not prepared. He bought the feeder and waterer along with light for the "brooder". You non-chicken owners, the brooder is a place for your tiny baby chickens to live until large enough for their permanent home. Chicks have to have at least 80 degrees temp to stay warm until big enough to withstand lower temperatures. Our sweet bunny passed away some time back so the rabbit house was to become our brooder. It worked pretty perfectly because it had two sides and some small alterations made it the perfect home.
Do we have hens or roosters? No idea, we watched so many videos on tips for sexing our "straight run" Rhode Island Red chicks. We had to buy 6 also since he bought them in Arkansas and there is an actual law in Arkansas where you cannot buy chicks unless you buy 6. First glance, there is obviously 5 of something and 1 oddball. As many times as I tried to sex my chickens, I concluded we had 5 hens and 1 rooster. Not terrible, right? Right up until a chicken meat farmer family member says about three weeks in that they are roosters because they only had their combs forming, oddball still to this day has a teeny tiny comb. Still not a solid conclusive result. Still to this day at around six weeks old, we are clueless.
A week ago after our rooster prediction, I decided I really want to be sure I have hens. Found someone selling however many I wanted of several cool varieties. Not the case when my husband came along to the store, we must buy 6 more. At this point, we have built the pen and run so square foot wise there is enough space for 12-18. I'm good at twelve, husband not so much--he wants like 8 tops.
Before (All that trash/junk was under the lean to):
After (so many shots I could of gotten but here is one):
So now we have:
6 unknown Rhode Island Reds
1 Buff Brahma (Hen)
2 Light Brahma (Hens)
& 3 Easter Eggers (Hens)
Mistakes:
1. Unsexed chicks--have these things sexed before you purchase!
2. Plan ahead--if we had talked ahead of time, I could of gotten the mix of breeds I dreamed of! Now I have a dozen and I'm perfectly fine with that but again 8 tops per hubby...
3. Again plan ahead--the pen and run are perfect for our babies but we busted our butt to decide on a spot, build, and figure out how to purchase lumber on a budget and with borrowing a car to hook up to our trailer.
4. Names--everyone wants to name their animals and we most likely named too early. Told my daughter we would rename them when they're big enough.
I would never say my babies are a mistake though. Even if I have to sell 4 layers at some point. I do kind of wish they are in fact 5 roosters then I can sell them or we can do meat birds from them. Then all my sweet ladies stay with us. Only have two names at this point, Big Bertha is an already large Light Brahma. She likes to momma everyone already so I see a broody hen in my future and she likes sitting in my lap as we watch the others. Yella Beezy is oddball's name. Got him or her in the original bunch and it is the only one with yellow legs. If it is a rooster, it's perfect...otherwise it's just a weird name my husband came up with--makes us happy! We have no idea if it is a true Rhode Island Red because it looks absolutely nothing like the others. The RIR identical 5 are dark black with a lot of red tones and 1/3 taller than oddball.
Lu and "Big Bertha" (yes we kiss our chickens)
For you curious newbies to chickens, here are some quick facts:
Rhode Island Reds--roughly 6.5 lb fully grown, produce roughly 260 eggs per year, per bird (BROWN)
Easter Eggers--roughly 4 lb fully grown, they are a mutt bird from the iconic Ameraucanas and Araucanas lines, produce roughly 250 eggs per year, per bird (VARIES--Blue, Pink, Green, Light Brown)
Buff & Light Brahma--roughly 8-9 lb fully grown, there are three Brahma colors (Buff, Light and Dark), known for the feathers cascading down their legs and the size of the bird, produce about 150 large eggs per year (LIGHT BROWN)
450+750+1,300 (if there are 5 RIR hens) = 2,500 Eggs or 208 Dozen :)
Otherwise 1,460 Eggs or 121 Dozen if we got a bunch of Roos
Plan on selling at work and giving away to family because yes I absolutely understand that even us normally going through 18 eggs per week, we will not be able to eat all of these eggs...even trading for duck eggs with a co-worker!
Just know all three breeds are a favorite of mine. Only one I would be missing that I love are the Barred Rocks but hubby ain't letting me have anymore anytime soon :)
This is only our beginning, I will write later about my new seed obsession and what we have going in the garden!!
Love +4,
The CRC Family Hopeful Homestead (not "bush people")
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