Johnny G's ISA Brown Thread

[John Gusmano]

As I said before, I have had some interest shown in my ISA Brown chickens I just got. I will be using this thread to keep you updated on their progress, and what I am learning from them.

Today they are 13 weeks old, and so far so good! I have had them in a large pen where they have access to all the bugs they can find and all the grass they want to eat. They are also being fed some "starter/grower" food. They are very friendly and allow me to pet them, hold them, and bring them to there house to be locked in at night. My so absolutely loves them and goes in the run as often as he can.

Before some of you ask, yes, I do live in the city. Fortunately for me, my city's ordinance has a loophole which allows me to keep a few chickens. Also, my neighbors do not mind that I keep them, so no problems have arose. Even the two hens I kept last year, they were perfectly fine with.

However, although I do live in the city, my love of being as self sufficient as I possibly can right now allows me to use my large lot to do a lot of things. I grow a ton of my own vegetables and herbs, I compost so nothing goes to waste, and I have a large fire pit which is used quite a bit. I am fortunate to have my wife on board as we are baby stepping our way into our dream of one day owning our very own farm. But for now our little "Farm in the City" will suffice.

That's all for now fellas, I will keep you updated at least once o week via this thread. But so far these ISA Browns are FANTASTIC!


All the Best Swampers & God Bless.

[rick2]

Yes keep us posted I got a lot to learn.

[John Gusmano]

Sorry, Rick2.... I will be updating this thread soon.

The girls are 18 weeks old today! Two more weeks and I'll be getting eggs!

[John Gusmano]

Sorry fellas, I haven’t been updating this very often. Well, the hens are now 23 weeks old and just laid their first eggs yesterday! As soon as I saw that, I ran to Tractor Supply to pick up a bag of “layer feed”. I moved the eggs to the nest box and once they lay another egg, and know where to lay at, I will take them out for a tasty breakfast!

I can honestly say having chickens is a form of therapy for me. It was always a childhood dream of mine to own some, and now I have three. Once myself and the wife move out to the country, we will raise many more, both for meat and eggs!

[nytrapper23]

Congrats john

[Admin]

Ok now I miss my girls.

[John Gusmano]

Jul 30, 2014 18:15:27 GMT -5 Admin said:

Ok now I miss my girls.

I'm sorry, JC. Maybe some more hens will be in your future, they definetly have a place in the homestead, that's for sure.

But as you said, sometimes sacrifices need to be made to achieve ones dreams, I'm sure once your cleansing is complete, you'll have some more "popcorn chickens" in New Hampshire!

I wish you all the best my friend!

[histopicker]

These ISA chickens, are the the sex linked chickens? I might be getting a new house with 1.5 acres of land and will
start raising chickens once again. Several years ago I kept my flock right at 50 birds, I miss them terribly.

[John Gusmano]

Aug 12, 2014 13:10:27 GMT -5 histopicker said:

These ISA chickens, are the the sex linked chickens? I might be getting a new house with 1.5 acres of land and will
start raising chickens once again. Several years ago I kept my flock right at 50 birds, I miss them terribly.

Yes they are sex linked chickens. They are a cross between Rhode Island Reds and Rhode Island Whites.

[austin351]

Where did they lay at? Do you have a pic of your nesting boxes?

I've found that if the nesting boxes don't have enough "privacy" screening, the chickens will not lay in them. My neighbors boxes are pretty much wide open, his chickens come over every morning and lay in mine.... 

[rendezvous]

That's hilarious! Do you offer to sell them back to him?

[austin351]

Aug 15, 2014 8:56:17 GMT -5 rendezvous said:

That's hilarious! Do you offer to sell them back to him?

Nah, I only give him every other dozen though! 

I lost my flock of 6 hens at the end of last year. Not all at once though: 3 were killed by predators, 1 ran over by neighbor kid on ATV, and 2 I put down (one was sick and didn't want it spreading, and the other was by the wrong heat lamp bulb (don't buy the ones that are for food service / shatter proof.  They omit fumes that will kill birds...).

So got another 6 this spring, 4 turned out to be roosters...   Tractor Supply got a butt chewin as they were not a straight run!  The 2 hens just started laying and am still short on eggs for the family, hence keeping every other dozen.

I think I just made a very short story, long..... 

[John Gusmano]

I will post a pic soo of the nesting box.... it's very frugal!

[austin351]

Red Tail hawk - 3

Chickens - 0

damn hawk has gotten 3 of my roosters over the past week....  I wanted to cull the roosters but now they won't even make soup!