Register a SA Forums Account here!
JOINING THE SA FORUMS WILL REMOVE THIS BIG AD, THE ANNOYING UNDERLINED ADS, AND STUPID INTERSTITIAL ADS!!!

You can: log in, read the tech support FAQ, or request your lost password. This dumb message (and those ads) will appear on every screen until you register! Get rid of this crap by registering your own SA Forums Account and joining roughly 150,000 Goons, for the one-time price of $9.95! We charge money because it costs us money per month for bills, and since we don't believe in showing ads to our users, we try to make the money back through forum registrations.
 
  • Post
  • Reply
Velvet Sparrow
May 15, 2006

'Hope' is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul, and sings the tune, without the words, and never stops--at all.

Chido posted:

Can't do that, I'd fall in love with all the chicks while waiting to sell them, then I'd have 35 chickens in my backyard...:(

Pfft... what kind of utter fool would do THAT?! :v:









Edit: I have 36, NOT 35.

Velvet Sparrow fucked around with this message at 07:50 on Apr 20, 2012

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

Chido
Dec 7, 2003

Butterflies fluttering on my face!

Velvet Sparrow posted:

Pfft... what kind of utter fool would do THAT?!

If I owned my own house I'd have a rainbow army of chickens :(. As it is, I don't think my sister and BIL would be happy to see a horde of cute chickens slowly devouring the backyard lawn XD. Now my nieces on the other hand...

Kumo
Jul 31, 2004

This might be a little upsetting.

So last night, a raccoon got a hold of one of our layer hens. It bit her around her head, ate part of her comb and shredded her beak before my fiancee was able to drive it off. We tried cleaning up her wounds and bandaging her up as best we could, but in the morning the extent of the damage was pretty clear.

I took care of her, and it was over quick.

So, are there any countermeasures to keeping predators away from your coop & chickens? My fiancee was looking at some LED lights out there, but I welcome anything anyone can suggest.

Chido
Dec 7, 2003

Butterflies fluttering on my face!

Building a strong run and reinforced with sturdy welded wire. This is Velvet Sparrow's blog, if you scroll down you can see how she built her run to protect her chickens from predators.

http://velvet-sparrow.livejournal.com/

Basically you wanna use strong welded wire which openings are small, half an in or so. It is sturdy and almost nothing can get through the holes. You also wanna bury the wire about a foot into the ground to discourage any predators that may try to dig under the run.

Here you can find more suggestions and ideas on how to make your coop and run safer.

http://www.backyardchickens.com/f/

Tim Jong-un
Aug 22, 2008

:shepface:God I fucking love Diablo 3 gold, it even paid for this shitty title:shepface:

Strong enclosure is the only way to do it. Don't use chicken wire, anything larger than a rat can rip it to pieces. Don't use anything to fasten anything to anything that doesn't have to be done using nails or screws. After years of raccoon/weasel/possum/coyote proofing enclosures,the best rule I have come up with is that if you can fit a flat head screw driver under it and pry it up, a raccoon will manage to do the same with his paws. Make sure your birds are at least a foot away from open wire when they go to sleep at night,raccoon or possum will reach in and pull your bird through the wire piece by piece.

Haji
Nov 15, 2005

Haj Paj

Kumo posted:

stuff

Not to get terribly off topic, but what is that a picture of?

Tim Jong-un
Aug 22, 2008

:shepface:God I fucking love Diablo 3 gold, it even paid for this shitty title:shepface:

Haji posted:

Not to get terribly off topic, but what is that a picture of?

Are you talking about his avatar? If so, it's a lotus pod.

Kumo
Jul 31, 2004

Haji posted:

Not to get terribly off topic, but what is that a picture of?

A Lotus Seed Pod.

daggerdragon
Jan 22, 2006

My titan engine can kick your titan engine's ass.

Haji posted:

Not to get terribly off topic, but what is that a picture of?

As said, lotus pod. If you're wondering where you've seen it before, think Breastmonster. :( Now there's the stuff of Photoshopped nightmares...

RazorBunny
May 23, 2007

Sometimes I feel like this.

One of the techniques I've seen frequently in areas where foxes and raccoons and such are prevalent is making a double fence line, so the chickens can't actually venture close to the outer wire where the predators are. The outside line should be made with all the reinforcements and burying the wire and so on, and the inside line can be regular chicken wire or even heavy hardware cloth. Give at least six inches between the inner and outer wire.

It looks a bit like a maximum security chicken prison, but it's effective.

Ceridwen
Dec 11, 2004
Of course... If the Jell-O gets moldy, the whole thing should be set aflame.

Well, I'm down to the final 4 chicks now (3 easter eggers and one silver laced wyandotte) and they moved outside today. They just have a small run right now (4'x4', same size as their brooder) outside the coop, but it will be expanded in the next couple of weeks so that they have more like 12'x4' to use. They are 6 1/2 weeks old. I've been keeping the door to their basement room open for 12-16 hours a day for the last week and half and they've been handling the temps fine.

I took the 2 extras out to our friend's house in the country (one of the easter eggers and the roo-ish SLW). She's decided she'd be happy to have a rooster if it does turn out to be one, in which case he'll have 6 hens all to himself.

Pics hopefully sometime later in the week when we've got the run in a more finalized state.

LordOfThePants
Sep 25, 2002

We've got a fair number of raccoons about, but the coop I'm building is extremely sturdy and I'm going to put hardware cloth on the insides of the windows to protect them at night. I'm thinking I'll build them a sliding chicken door with the slider on the inside and probably eventually automate it so I don't have to open/close it every day.

I'm going to use 2x4 welded wire for their run. They'll be out in the daytime, but the dog is running around during the day and I doubt raccoons will be a problem. If one should climb the fence, I think it's unlikely they'll breech the coop so hopefully the ladies will be OK.

Coop progress is coming long nicely - I'll hopefully be able to move them in there in a couple of weeks. They'll be stuck inside until I can build their permanent run.

Here's where I'm at with it so far:



It's up on stilts because it sits in a flood plain - we get minor flooding several times a year (not where the coop would be) and probably one big flood per year. In a big flood, there might be 4-6 inches of water where their run will be, so obviously they'll be stuck inside.

Last year, we had the biggest flood we've ever seen - even my Dad had never seen water that high before. I marked the water level on a tree and this spring, we used a transit to set the foundation posts another 8 inches higher than the water level. So hopefully we'll never have water in the chicken coop.

I've got steel siding for the outside, but I'm trying to finish the inside before I get to that. I put the windows in last weekend and need to hang a door and finish the interior window framing, then hang plywood sheeting on the inside. I'm putting down vinyl for the floor so I can just hose it out for cleaning.

LordOfThePants fucked around with this message at 18:30 on Apr 16, 2012

WrathofKhan
Jun 4, 2011
When they're stuck in the coop, make sure you provide them with 'enviromental enrichment' so that they don't get bored and start fighting. A good thing to do is toss a head of cabbage in there or toss in a big handful of scratch.
Also, let them out as soon as the water receedes, so they can go out and chase bugs.

Maximusi
Nov 11, 2007

Haters gonna hate
I haven't been closing the door of the coop for a while and the chickens have been fine so far...

dreamcatcherkwe
Apr 14, 2005
Dreamcatcher
Shutting the barn up tight every night is the only thing that works for me. We live in the boonies and raccoons and owls and fox are all over the place. I lost 2 Buff Orpingtons just this week because we forgot to close the barn door. They also ate a bunch of eggs the chickens were sitting on.

Chido
Dec 7, 2003

Butterflies fluttering on my face!

Spaghetti the BR Grumpy Lady had some fun today...

SolanaSkyes
May 29, 2005

Things that upset a terrier may pass virtually unnoticed by a Great Dane.
Chido, I might be getting some Buff Laced Brahma eggs next month! :woop:

Chido
Dec 7, 2003

Butterflies fluttering on my face!

... :aaaaa: That brahma color is so pretty and rare! I hope you take lots of pictures of the chicks when they hatch :D!




Now if you can make a brahma chickam when they hatch... XD

c355n4
Jan 3, 2007

Chido posted:

Spaghetti the BR Grumpy Lady had some fun today...



Haha, soooooo broody those hens.

SolanaSkyes
May 29, 2005

Things that upset a terrier may pass virtually unnoticed by a Great Dane.

Chido posted:

... :aaaaa: That brahma color is so pretty and rare! I hope you take lots of pictures of the chicks when they hatch :D!

Now if you can make a brahma chickam when they hatch... XD

The breeder that sent me the Blue Brahma eggs owed me some due to a few getting broken in shipping. I'm going out of town in mid-May and didn't want to start another hatch before then, so she said she would probably have eggs from her buff laced trio by the time I get back and could send those as replacements instead. I might be able to set up a chick cam...

Chido
Dec 7, 2003

Butterflies fluttering on my face!

c355n4 posted:

Haha, soooooo broody those hens.

Watching that video I realized my accent gets thicker when I'm babbling like an idiot to the chickens... :sigh:

jenelle
Mar 3, 2007
If I had to live my life again, I'd make the same mistakes, only sooner.
We decided to get two more chicks right away instead of waiting another month for the wyandottes. Since they are only a week apart I hoped they would get along which they have so far. Now we have two-week-old light brahma and welsummer, and one-week-old easter egger and barred rock. The barred rock was a little jerk for the first few days, pecking at the eyes of the other chicks, so we had to put her in chicken jail. She learned how to escape after a couple days and they are all hanging out together now. They are getting HUGE so fast! These pictures are from last week (so the babies were newly hatched and the first two were one week old). I went out of town for a few days and filled up my memory card but I'll post some newer ones when I empty it out.

Light Brahma (fluff mama)



Welsummer (sweetie)



Easter Egger (fluffy cheeks!)



Barred Rock (the little jerk)



The whole flock



Brooder & jail



Yes, I cleaned the box out right after taking those pictures. We took VS's advice and cut a window in the box so they can watch us in the living room. It's adorable because now when they see us moving they flap around and jump to get to us :3:

How soon can we start feeding them treats and veggie scraps? They are eating chick starter now, but they don't seem too enticed by it when we try to hold them. I've read that giving them treats when holding them helps make them tamer. Right now the little ones still squeak a lot when we grab them and try to run off from our laps.

Explosions!
Sep 30, 2008
Thanks PI. Yesterday I spent 3 hours looking through the Standard of Perfection at the library and 2 more on My Pet Chicken and Backyard Chicken making a spreadsheet of chickens I'd like to get. I also ordered a catalog from Murray McMurray. I might also be reading about passive solar design and trying to make plans for a chicken coop.

I have absolutely no way to get chickens in the foreseeable future. Why do I torture myself like this? (The answer is because fluffy babies! :3:)

daggerdragon
Jan 22, 2006

My titan engine can kick your titan engine's ass.
All chicks will now be referred to as Pokemon.

Gotta catch 'em all!

Inveigle
Jan 19, 2004

jenelle posted:

Brooder & jail



"The little jerk" is adorable. In this photo, is he in the time-out box? :3:

jenelle
Mar 3, 2007
If I had to live my life again, I'd make the same mistakes, only sooner.

Inveigle posted:

"The little jerk" is adorable. In this photo, is he in the time-out box? :3:

Yep, I didn't want her harming the other chicks but it broke my heart. She wanted to be with the others SO BAD and would peep and peep in distress when they were away from the side with the holes :( It only took her about a day to learn how to escape. I never figured out how she was doing it, but I would turn my back for a minute and she was out with the other chicks like nothing had happened. Luckily the eye pecking stopped shortly after that.

I came home from work yesterday to this:


(sorry for the crummy phone photo)

She was just so excited to see me! She jumped up on the feeder and then to the top of the box. That's how much they have grown in just over a week. Today I'll get them a bigger box and maybe some netting for the top of it.

Zaran
Mar 26, 2010

Just saw this on BBC News...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/17769677 - 'Eggless' chick laid by hen in Sri Lanka

Inveigle
Jan 19, 2004

jenelle posted:


(sorry for the crummy phone photo)

She was just so excited to see me! She jumped up on the feeder and then to the top of the box. That's how much they have grown in just over a week. Today I'll get them a bigger box and maybe some netting for the top of it.

Awwww. That's so sweet! :3: I guess you'll have at least one lap chicken.

CantDecideOnAName
Jan 1, 2012

And I understand if you ask
Was this life,
was this all?
We have four hens in the backyard. I don't really remember their breeds (or their names) but they all get along.

We have gotten a new chick today from someone else. They were Easter chicks and this one was small and kind of a bully and got named Napoleon. They didn't want the bully chick so they handed it off to us. I heard the name Rhode Island Red thrown about, but I'm not really up to date on chicken breeds.

My mom is more the chicken person, but she's off her feet for a few weeks so I guess that leaves me taking care of the thing.

And I don't want to. I just don't want to deal with this new chick--it keeps peeping and making these ear splitting cries, it runs around the carrier trying desperately to get out (sticking its head through the bars, for example), and I know enough about chickens to know that it's probably lonely and wants a flock, but I don't know what to do.

Other than spending my entire day sitting by the thing and having Chickcam going, I don't know how to help it out, and it's only a month old so I don't think I can introduce it to the hens in the back and assume everything will go well.

Help, please. :(

This is the only picture I've managed to get. Click for massive.

Inveigle
Jan 19, 2004

CantDecideOnAName posted:

Other than spending my entire day sitting by the thing and having Chickcam going, I don't know how to help it out, and it's only a month old so I don't think I can introduce it to the hens in the back and assume everything will go well.

Help, please. :(

This is the only picture I've managed to get. Click for massive.



That is a VERY pretty chick! Can't you put the carrier (or a wire cage) out in the backyard with the other chickens so that the chick will at least be near the flock? That way, they'll get used to each other and the chick will be safe but still feel like it is with the flock.

Edit: of course, if it is still too cold outside, you can't do this since the chick doesn't yet have enough feathers to be warm without a heat source.

Inveigle fucked around with this message at 22:27 on Apr 19, 2012

CantDecideOnAName
Jan 1, 2012

And I understand if you ask
Was this life,
was this all?

Inveigle posted:

That is a VERY pretty chick! Can't you put the carrier (or a wire cage) out in the backyard with the other chickens so that the chick will at least be near the flock? That way, they'll get used to each other and the chick will be safe but still feel like it is with the flock.

Edit: of course, if it is still too cold outside, you can't do this since the chick doesn't yet have enough feathers to be warm without a heat source.

The temperature is getting in the high 50s/60s, so even if they were outside they'd be brought in for the night (temperature falls to about the 30s at night). Add in the fact that it's been really windy recently and I'm going to guess that it's probably too cold, isn't it. If that's okay then maybe I'll try taking the chick out tomorrow.

The only good thing is that the cats don't seem to be particularly interested in the chick. We have three cats, and while they'll sit and watch the chick for a bit, none have tried sticking their paws through the bars on the carrier to try and get to it.

Ceridwen
Dec 11, 2004
Of course... If the Jell-O gets moldy, the whole thing should be set aflame.

I've seen people suggest keeping a small stuffed animal in with a lone chick. It's cheap and worth a try maybe?

Chido
Dec 7, 2003

Butterflies fluttering on my face!

if you don't mind the poop that much, you can just let the chick snuggle with you. I used to let my chicks get inside my hoodie whenever they felt too cold or lonely and they'd either sleep inside my hood, or I'd kinda wrap them (all three of them) in a rag and tuck them inside my sweater so they'd feel comfortable and also the rag would protect me from getting poop inside my sweater.

You could also keep the carrier next to you so the chick can see you, and put a stuffed animal inside so she can snuggle against it.

Edit: also if the chicks is peeping too much, she might be cold besides lonely. Seriously, if you can, put the chick on a towel and keep her on your lap or inside your shirt while you are watching tv or sitting down, that'd lower the chick's stress levels and it will give you a break from the annoying peeping.

Chido fucked around with this message at 04:58 on Apr 20, 2012

Inveigle
Jan 19, 2004

CantDecideOnAName posted:

The temperature is getting in the high 50s/60s, so even if they were outside they'd be brought in for the night (temperature falls to about the 30s at night). Add in the fact that it's been really windy recently and I'm going to guess that it's probably too cold, isn't it. If that's okay then maybe I'll try taking the chick out tomorrow.

I'm not sure what part of the country you are in, but it sounds like it is too cold outside right now, even if it were not windy. A chick needs its feathers to have grown in before it's taken outside in the winter months. If the chick gets a chill, it might die. I remember reading that it takes at least eight weeks for a chick to get its feathers grown in.

The suggestions of putting a small stuff doll in the cage for the chick to cuddle with is good advice. Chicks really hate to be left alone and they need a flock. Right now, you are the flock so I guess you'll have to take the carrier cage around with you.

CantDecideOnAName
Jan 1, 2012

And I understand if you ask
Was this life,
was this all?
We put a cat toy inside (really it's a dog toy, little fluffy squeaky thing) and it's soft and I'm pretty sure the chick is sleeping next to it, so there's that.

I'm worried about just sitting next to it, because the chick tries to get out of the carrier by sticking its head through the bars and running back and forth and stuff, and I'm afraid it's going to end up hurting itself. You guys know chickens--they're not particularly bright at the best of times.

I live in northern AZ, Inveigle. It looks like it's actually getting warmer faster than I thought--we had another drat snowfall last weekend, which has since melted, and the forecast looks like we'll have highs up to 70 degrees. Still not going to leave them outside overnight, it gets stupid cold.

I took it outside this afternoon and introduced it to the hens. They all regarded it with caution, a couple of them pecked at Napoleon and were quickly shooed away. I'll try and get a picture of the chooks tomorrow. They're very pretty.

I'm not entirely fond of poop of any kind, much less the gooey sort that chickens have, and I'm sure the chick wants to explore more than stay put, but I guess if worst comes to worst I can try having her chill on me. My problem is that I absolutely cannot sit still, but hell, why not try. I was holding her earlier and she did feel shivery, but the three cats were all near and sniffing at her, so I wasn't sure if she was cold or just afraid.

Thank you for the help, guys. I don't mind chickens, usually, but we just got this one today and I was left alone with it all day and I'm feeling kind of put upon and resentful and I'm trying to figure out how to minimize that without getting worked up into a hovering worry or just outright neglecting it.

WrathofKhan
Jun 4, 2011
Can'tDecide: I'd see if anyone in your area has chicks about the same age to keep this one company, if this one is a poo poo-head, maybe even a little bit bigger, to keep them in line. Chickens are flock animals, and really don't do well on their own. Otherwise, I'd follow Chido's advice and make yourself their flock. BTW, that looks like a Rhode Island Red to me.

jenelle: You can start giving them treats right away, as long as they are getting grit to help them digest the food. You can sometimes buy 'chick grit' if not parakeet grit will also work. Just sprinkle some on their chick starter like you were salting food heavily. The won't like being handled at first, but the more you handle them, the more used to it they will get.

Velvet Sparrow
May 15, 2006

'Hope' is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul, and sings the tune, without the words, and never stops--at all.

^^^^^^ I've never had any problems using Mother Nature's own grit--dirt--for chicks. Parakeet grit is way too big and coarse and can cause a crop impaction in small chicks, and they are too young for things like oyster shell. Mine get ample minerals from the grassy dirt clod, plus the chick starter/grow mash ration we feed, along with fresh water, greens and the occassional bit of table scraps. :)


CantDecideOnAName posted:

We have four hens in the backyard. I don't really remember their breeds (or their names) but they all get along.

We have gotten a new chick today from someone else. They were Easter chicks and this one was small and kind of a bully and got named Napoleon. They didn't want the bully chick so they handed it off to us. I heard the name Rhode Island Red thrown about, but I'm not really up to date on chicken breeds.

That looks like a Rhodey, yeah. And they CAN be little shits. It is for sure too young to be turned out into the adult flock and isn't feathered out enough to survive being outdoors without a mama to keep it warm AND keep it safe--baby chicks are innocent of dangers, especially from other adult chickens--they haven't learned the body language that means 'back off or I'll give you SUCH a peck!'

The advice to provide it with a stuffed animal is excellent. Even better would be a second chick it's own age. Make sure it is warm enough, keep a heat source on it 24/7 until it is completely feathered out--the distressed peeping may be in part to it being cold, not just lonely. Chickens are flock animals and in the absence of other chickens YOU are their flock. Offer it tidbits to keep it occupied such as diced grapes, diced cooked pasta, live mealworms, cooked ground beeg, scrambled eggs, quartered tomatoes/apples, etc. Anything that it can peck at and amuse itself with is all good--what's healthy for you is healthy for it, no raw eggs/meat or chocolate. Make sure tidbits are diced small enough so baby won't choke on them. Another great toy/food item is a big, nasty, grassy (short grass only) dirt clod, roots, bugs, dirt and all. Make sure the grass hasn't been treated with pesticides, weed killer or other chemicals. Just place it in it's enclosure and pretty soon it will be climbing on it, exploring it, scratching through it, dustbathing in it...keeping busy and NOT being bored and so needy. Having the TV on nearby so it can see and hear it may help, too. Chickens love watching TV. :keke:

There is no sin in having an animal and discovering that you are unable or unwilling to care for it. The sin creeps in when you keep the animal despite this. If you need to rehome the chick in it's best interests, do so. :)

I've got more advice on chick keeping on my chicken site here, it may help:

http://jackshenhouse.com/VSChickHensBroodiesChicks.htm

If you decide the keep the chick and will need to work it into your existing flock, make sure and read the section about what I call 'Meet & Greets'--it makes your life, and your chickens', much easier!

Velvet Sparrow fucked around with this message at 08:16 on Apr 20, 2012

spookygonk
Apr 3, 2005
Does not give a damn

CantDecideOnAName posted:

My mom is more the chicken person, but she's off her feet for a few weeks so I guess that leaves me taking care of the thing.
Don't suppose you could name the chick and stop calling it 'the thing' (unless you call it "Thing")?

CantDecideOnAName posted:

You guys know chickens--they're not particularly bright at the best of times.
All I know is chickens are far brighter than people give them credit for.

vv Good name for a chicken :) vv

spookygonk fucked around with this message at 14:28 on Apr 20, 2012

Inveigle
Jan 19, 2004

CantDecideOnAName posted:

We put a cat toy inside (really it's a dog toy, little fluffy squeaky thing) and it's soft and I'm pretty sure the chick is sleeping next to it, so there's that.

BTW, for someone who is wondering, the chick's name is Napoleon. :3:

CantDecideOnAName, get a couple of large fluffy towels you don't care about and put one in your lap for the chick to snuggle in. Then if there's an accident, just toss the towel in the washer.

You might also put something soft on the floor of the animal carrier (like an old washcloth). It's not very comfortable for the chick to be sitting right on the cold, hard bottom of the animal carrier. You might also get a big box so that chick can run around in it for some exercise during the day hours. A dirt clod is an excellent playtoy.

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

CantDecideOnAName
Jan 1, 2012

And I understand if you ask
Was this life,
was this all?
Thanks for the help, everyone. :) I took it outside for a bit and it was having a blast digging around and having dirtbaths. I imagine this will go on for a while, too. Also moved her from the carrier to a big tub with a light on it, and put a washcloth on the bottom (for warmth and grip), and put in the dirt clod, her food and water, and the stuffed toy.

I also let the hens wander around the backyard a bit, since I was out and the chick wasn't easily accessible, and I got pictures of them for you guys. All I remember is that the black one is named Lucy Lawless. Mom says that the one with the ridiculous ear tufts is an Americana or mixed?









And a shot of Napoleon--very hard to get a good angle when the chick is running up to you.

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • Post
  • Reply