Prep Work for Chickens at the Micro-Farm
Sunday, April 3, 2011 at 4:14PM 
This weekend, our friend Jen who writes the Nyack Backyard blog, told us about a tailgate chicken and goat sale in the Hudson Valley. This was truly a tailgate sale, meaning there were pick-up trucks lined up selling their wares. The wares were chicks, chickens, goats, peacocks, doves and pigeons. We showed up to scout out what was available since we first have to plan out a chicken coop.
We have a large area that could theoretically accomodate at least 20 chickens. The area needs to be fenced, permits need to be gotten and all sorts of things need to be learned about chicken raising. We're relying on a few sources: our friends Joy and Rebecca at Bluefield farm whom we currently buy our eggs from and the old reliable: books. We've chosen the highly rated and recommended Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens, 3rd Edition
We want to find chickens that lay a variety of eggs: blue, green, white, brown and these interesting "black" penedescenca eggs.
There were little chicks under heat lamps all around. I wanted this little gal, an Araucana that lays blue eggs.
Now, we're off to explore chicken coops. We'll start at 6 this summer but will add on another 6 next spring. I mean, I assume taking care of 12 is no harder than taking care of 6, right?
And then there are the goats we want....
What will our crazy Frenchie Archie do with this guy around?
Reader Comments (4)
You got some great pics - especially that little nubian goat with the "doncha wanna take me home?" look in his eye! I bet you 'll be looking into goat housing next!
I would recommend getting all the chickens you want at once. They really aren't much work......if you get 6, then 6 more, then 6 more, etc. It totally disrupts the pecking order each time and the smaller ones will be picked on. Chickens are very sweet, but can be rather viscous to each other and newcomers. The different breeds selected should be of similar size. We have auucanas (blue & green) buff orpingtons(brown) rhode island reds ( brown, & seem to be most picked on..... They are a little smaller) dominiques( brown & arguably the sweetest!). And we have polish ( small white eggs) separately because the others were picking them too much ( they are smaller)
I have to second what Dan said. Also, invariably, a bird will have to be isolated at some point, so it's good to plan an area for that. A sick bird needs to be isolated and I have sometimes also segregated a bird that was being badly abused. (I was able to reintroduce her to the flock later.) The chicken books by Gail Damerow are my favorite. Good luck; you will fall in love with them. I had an Americauna named Hillary (after Sir Edmund) who loved to doze in my lap. Handle them when they are chicks and they will be friendly.
Thanks Dan and Dinah! Wise advice - thank you! Hopefully, we can find at least 12 of an assortment of chicks and I guess, an incubator. More to follow soon!