Welcome
My name is Sara I live in the middle of nowhere in Tennesse. I bought the farm in june so I have not been here long. Prior to this I traveled full time but got tired of no roots so I started to think ab settleing dowap. It is a log cabin in the woods in a hollow with a stream running thru the yard and 12.5 achers of woods and a deal I just couldnt refuse land contract no down payment. So here I am in the hill in Tennesse with the love of my life. My dog, cats chickens with more to come I am sure.
My name is Sara I live in the middle of nowhere in Tennesse. I bought the farm in june so I have not been here long. Prior to this I traveled full time but got tired of no roots so I started to think ab settleing dowap. It is a log cabin in the woods in a hollow with a stream running thru the yard and 12.5 achers of woods and a deal I just couldnt refuse land contract no down payment. So here I am in the hill in Tennesse with the love of my life. My dog, cats chickens with more to come I am sure.
There was a dog Ralph and 1 lonely chicken living here. I found her in the barn after I had been here almost a week. She was all alone in a corner behind a board leaned up against the wall sitting on 16 eggs. There is no roster around so the eggs were not fertile so I moved her off them and took them out and disposed of them. She imeadiatly started laying. I have been getting an egg a day from her everyday except for a week or a little more when she was molting. Some days I even get 2 eggs. I decided that she needed some feathered buddies.
I went online and found a site called MyPetChicken. I ordered a special 24 assorted layers I got a really good assortment. 11 different breeds it was sooo cool. I got my brooder all set up and took care of my little guys. I built them a small area inside the coop that was here so they could be in with the big girl and she could see and get used to them. After 4 weeks in the brooder and another 3 weeks in the coop I turned them loose to free range. They did Great came back every night and roosted. Chicky got along fine with them after a few pecks at the feeder to let them know just whose coop it was.
In late august I looked out the window and saw Ralph running like a mad man across the yard I went to see what he was after. Much to my dismay 13 of my chickens were dead on the hillside. Ralph had been on the farm for years and never hurt any chickens. The people who lived here had chickens turkeys and ducks free range for years with no problems. Ralph got rehomed that day. So I am down to 12 chickens and some of my favorites got killed.
Everything quieted down and the chickens are good then one day I am missing a chicken I know they were 12 there when I put them up hummmmm. I couldnt figure it out. The next day all was good in the morning. The next day another one gone hummmmm something is not right here. So I started to investigate more. I climbed into the upsatairs of the barn to find feathers everywhere and the mostly eaten carcass of 2 chickens. So I started securing the coop better then it was. More chickens go missing 1 a night always to the up stairs of the barn. The culprit a cat that was a stray hanging around. She had a litter of kittens in the barn and she was providing for them. No need to as I had already tamed them and I am feeding them. So after loosing 9 more chickens to that cat I finally got the barn secure. No more missing chickens but I am down to a flock of 3 chicky and 2 of the chicks I bought.
Now what to do? I looked around on the net as I did not want to place another large order of chickens and found someone close by who has a poultry farm. I decided I would go get some chicks from her. After a lot of schedule problems we finally got together. I got 2 austrolop girls and 3 EE straight run. I made the mistake of taking one of the kids and also got 3 silkies. I just cant say no. Well 2 of the silkies died one was stagering around when I took it out of the box and out it in the brooder it died over night and one more died the next day. So 1 silkie not good so I went to the auction section and found someone close by who breeds silkies. I got a pair of splash and a mom with 2 babies. My lone baby was adopted right away.
Now I dont want the silkies free ranging so I need to build a coop. I gathered up all the wood laying around the barn and got started. The coop is 100% stuff from the barn the only thing I bought was a tin snip to cut wire fencing and tin for the roof. I moved the splash silkies in as mom was being protective and not letting them have any piece. They are happy in the coop. I put the fully fledged chicks in the coop with them as they are too small to free range and there is plenty of space for them. The big girls can also get used to the new chicks that are going to be added to the maun flock.
Now you have the scoop on me and my chickens. I am going to make seperate pages for the chickens and pics of the gang.
I went online and found a site called MyPetChicken. I ordered a special 24 assorted layers I got a really good assortment. 11 different breeds it was sooo cool. I got my brooder all set up and took care of my little guys. I built them a small area inside the coop that was here so they could be in with the big girl and she could see and get used to them. After 4 weeks in the brooder and another 3 weeks in the coop I turned them loose to free range. They did Great came back every night and roosted. Chicky got along fine with them after a few pecks at the feeder to let them know just whose coop it was.
In late august I looked out the window and saw Ralph running like a mad man across the yard I went to see what he was after. Much to my dismay 13 of my chickens were dead on the hillside. Ralph had been on the farm for years and never hurt any chickens. The people who lived here had chickens turkeys and ducks free range for years with no problems. Ralph got rehomed that day. So I am down to 12 chickens and some of my favorites got killed.
Everything quieted down and the chickens are good then one day I am missing a chicken I know they were 12 there when I put them up hummmmm. I couldnt figure it out. The next day all was good in the morning. The next day another one gone hummmmm something is not right here. So I started to investigate more. I climbed into the upsatairs of the barn to find feathers everywhere and the mostly eaten carcass of 2 chickens. So I started securing the coop better then it was. More chickens go missing 1 a night always to the up stairs of the barn. The culprit a cat that was a stray hanging around. She had a litter of kittens in the barn and she was providing for them. No need to as I had already tamed them and I am feeding them. So after loosing 9 more chickens to that cat I finally got the barn secure. No more missing chickens but I am down to a flock of 3 chicky and 2 of the chicks I bought.
Now what to do? I looked around on the net as I did not want to place another large order of chickens and found someone close by who has a poultry farm. I decided I would go get some chicks from her. After a lot of schedule problems we finally got together. I got 2 austrolop girls and 3 EE straight run. I made the mistake of taking one of the kids and also got 3 silkies. I just cant say no. Well 2 of the silkies died one was stagering around when I took it out of the box and out it in the brooder it died over night and one more died the next day. So 1 silkie not good so I went to the auction section and found someone close by who breeds silkies. I got a pair of splash and a mom with 2 babies. My lone baby was adopted right away.
Now I dont want the silkies free ranging so I need to build a coop. I gathered up all the wood laying around the barn and got started. The coop is 100% stuff from the barn the only thing I bought was a tin snip to cut wire fencing and tin for the roof. I moved the splash silkies in as mom was being protective and not letting them have any piece. They are happy in the coop. I put the fully fledged chicks in the coop with them as they are too small to free range and there is plenty of space for them. The big girls can also get used to the new chicks that are going to be added to the maun flock.
Now you have the scoop on me and my chickens. I am going to make seperate pages for the chickens and pics of the gang.