|
Zeta Taskforce posted:I sold my car last fall I'm not sure how long dry chicken feed lasts, but I do have to question this. How are you going to take chickens to the vet without a car? Chickens have a certain ability to make a car smell like a barnyard pretty quickly and I can't imagine Zipcar would be too happy about that. D'you have a friend with a car that'd be willing to take you for that or something? I only really bring it up because I imagine it'd be better to sort it out now (if you haven't already) than when you actually need to take one in. 
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2012 16:24
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 25, 2024 08:45 |
|
|
Alterian posted:I hope you're being a bit facetious because chickens need more than just a roof. Shelter, not coop, they already have one of those but for some reason they prefer to stay out in the rain. At least it'll keep a part of the run dry for their food. We have horrible clay soil and it hasn't stopped raining in two weeks. And since I'm here, my eggs hatch in 6 days  (Another edit, I've taken chickens to the vet in a taxi, just shove em in a cat carrier and nobody knows any better. Not that the vet would deal with them anyway  )
Nettle Soup fucked around with this message at 16:33 on Apr 30, 2012 |
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2012 16:29
|
|
|
Zeta Taskforce posted:How long does chicken feed keep for, assuming it is kept dry? I’m thinking those big plastic storage bins with the lid. Since I’m within the city limits of Boston, I don’t have a nearby feed store. The nearest one is about 20 miles away. I sold my car last fall, and while I do have Zipcar, I would rather not have to use it every 2 weeks, since it would cost $20 each trip. Can I buy 3 months at a time? Sort of a related question, are there places online that you can order from that would be reasonably competitive with a local feed store? I'd imagine it would depend on what it is made of, but it probably will keep for a while as long as you keep it dry and in an airtight container. Your main concern would probably be all of other things that could get into and eat it. Rodents, bugs, all that sort of stuff. So... take the same storage precautions you would with any other pet food.
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2012 16:32
|
|
|
Fluffy Bunnies posted:I'm not sure how long dry chicken feed lasts, but I do have to question this. How are you going to take chickens to the vet without a car? Chickens have a certain ability to make a car smell like a barnyard pretty quickly and I can't imagine Zipcar would be too happy about that. D'you have a friend with a car that'd be willing to take you for that or something? I don’t want to sound mean, but do I need a vet? I will take all prudence necessary with vaccinations, feeding a varied and nutritious diet and fresh bedding. They will enjoy treats. They will not be overcrowded, will have about 20 square feet per bird, and I have selected hardy heritage breeds appropriate for my climate and that will not wear themselves out laying. I am open to every bit of preventative care possible. But if one gets sick and it proves outside of my ability to heal her, I am not spending money on a vet. I am not getting chickens to make money or save money, but because I am very interested in knowing where my food comes from, and the added benefit of the poop for my vegetable garden. They will be working girls and as someone who grew up on a dairy farm, I am not morally conflicted about what will happen to them if and when they stop working.
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2012 17:12
|
|
|
Zeta Taskforce posted:They will be working girls  Gonna be cluckin' on the garden corner everyday.But v  v yeah, I was just curious about intent and stuff. I don't know a ton in general about chicken health so I don't know if there's like, flock plagues/stuff that makes their meat worthless or whatever that can be treated by a vet or not. VS or Chido or someone would have to weigh in on that. I just know a few folks have mentioned vets and chickens in the thread and thought I'd ask.
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2012 17:31
|
|
|
Honestly, I don't know. My chickens are pets and I get way too attached to any pet I have, and when Rusty had a nasty infection on her tongue last year I took her to the vet. If you are keeping chickens for personal consumption, then I guess you wouldn't really have to take a chicken to the vet unless it's something serious that right affect your entire flock or the chicken is suffering and I don't dare to put it out of it's misery on my own. Also, a lot of vets don't see chickens, and from what I gathered in BYC, a lot of chicken owners just treat their chickens at home because there aren't usually many vets that'd see their chickens, or it's really expensive. I know chickens are very resistant to ailments, and fortunately I haven't had to take any of them to see a vet since last year. However, because I don't know anything about keeping chickens as food, maybe you could ask Velvet Sparrow or even Supercondensar about it since I remember she used to keep chickens as food for he and her dogs. In my personal opinion, though, if your chickens are not pets, then just follow common sense and make sure they are happy and healthy until they become dinner. Chido fucked around with this message at 19:42 on Apr 30, 2012 |
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2012 19:35
|
|
|
Chido posted:My chickens are pets and I get way too attached to any pet I have.
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2012 19:43
|
|
|
spookygonk posted:Same here. Lucky enough to have a vet that can deal with poultry within half an hour drive (I'm in the UK, btw) and he's brilliant. Cost doesn't matter to us, just the well being of our four hens. Cost matters to me a bit since I've been working part time for months now and the only vet I found that sees chickens is rather expensive. However, if any of my chickens was seriosuly ill or wounded, to the vet it is. I only have one exception, and that's Spaghetti. When we got her from the feed store, she was already a 1-2 year old hen that somebody just dumped her at the store.The poor thing has never pooped normal and has always been underweight. Who knows how she was kept before her owner got rid of her, but it's been almost a year since we took her home, and despite her health issues, she is still pretty active and wanders around the backyard with the flock. Because Spaghetti has always been like that, I don't think a vet would be able to do much to fix her since her problems have been chronic for god knows how long. I do make sure she eats additional treats, and if she wasn't perpetually underweight, you wouldn't notice she's not that healthy. Right now I just want her to be a happy hen and enjoy forraging in the backyard for as long as she can. If and when she gets worse, then I'll take her to the vet and see whether it is worth the effort to help her recover or just put her to sleep. I love my grumpy lady, but I wouldn't keep her alive and suffering just because I can't let go  .
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2012 19:52
|
|
|
As much as I enjoy my chickens, they won't be getting vet care. If they get too sick for me to think I can take care of it myself I will euth them. We got them ultimately as "utility animals" (not really farm animals, since we don't have a farm), not pets. By the same token I won't have a problem rehoming them for cash on craigslist if we need to move to a place that won't allow them at some point in the future. I don't think either view is a problem (pet vs. farm/utility animal) as long as you know which one you are doing and prepare for that (set money aside for the vet or mentally keep some distance so you don't get too attached). In a lighter note: My chicks figured out where the nest boxes are in the coop today! I know they've never found them before this as there was never any poop in them. The boxes are up in the top portion of the coop and I don't think they ever figured out there was an "up" in the coop before today. Also, my Wyandottes are seriously WAY bolder/smarter than my Easter Eggers. They catch on much faster when I'm offering yummy stuff, are much more willing to approach, and started figuring out when the lid was off the brooder and they could attempt to get out about a week before the Easter Eggers did. I thought as they got older it would even out, but even now the one Wyandotte I kept is still way more outgoing than the three Easter Eggers. We found out this past weekend that the one neighbor we were a bit worried about giving up crap over the chickens is actually totally cool with us having them! So that's awesome.
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2012 00:38
|
|
|
Do chickens need vaccines? I gave them medicated feed when they were younger and that's about it.
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2012 00:42
|
|
|
They have to be vaccinated the day they are born,before they are exposed to anything, which is why it's so prohibitive. Most hobbyists aren't able to do it, I know most of the stuff comes in 1000 bird doses and it all has to be used in say an hour of opening or it degrades into uselessness. Mareks is the main problem, once a bird is infected with Mareks,it might not die or even show signs of having it,but it is a carrier and shedder for life. Birds that are affected by Mareks develop internal tumors and paralysis in their legs or wings. It's likely if you get your chicken from any source other than a commercial hatchery you are getting a Mareks infected bird since it is so easy to pass from bird to bird. Theres also Fowl Pox and a few Tracheal viruses that can be vaccinated against. [EDIT] If a bird is going to die from Mareks it tends to happen well before the 1 year mark, all the ones ive seen have manifested in a fairly short amount of time, over the course of a week a bird will be unable to walk and show a general decline in health. I dont think ive ever seen a bird die from Mareks past 1 year. Tim Jong-un fucked around with this message at 01:28 on May 1, 2012 |
|
#
?
May 1, 2012 01:25
|
|
God I fucking love Diablo 3 gold, it even paid for this shitty title
|
Chicken feed can keep for years, if its kept in an airtight container. You don't mention how many chickens you are feeding, but, for scale, it takes my flock of ten chickens around 3 months to go through a 50lb bag of chicken feed. I keep mine in a metal trash can to keep rodents out, and haven't had a problem. The biggest problems will be bugs and moisture, and a good way to deal with that is to mix in some Diatomaceous earth. Make sure its the food/chemical grade, and not the stuff you use for pool filters. As for vet trips, I personally haven't used the vet. Personally, I'd rather humanely cull a sick bird than risk having them infect the rest of the flock, or become a carrier for something they do recover from. I'll treat for parasites, but that is about it. That said, I've only had to euthanize one hen, and that was because of internal laying. But I've been lucky. I think the key thing is to decide going into it what your limits are for medical care.
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2012 05:25
|
|
|
WrathofKhan posted:Chicken feed can keep for years, if its kept in an airtight container. You don't mention how many chickens you are feeding, but, for scale, it takes my flock of ten chickens around 3 months to go through a 50lb bag of chicken feed. I keep mine in a metal trash can to keep rodents out, and haven't had a problem. The biggest problems will be bugs and moisture, and a good way to deal with that is to mix in some Diatomaceous earth. Make sure its the food/chemical grade, and not the stuff you use for pool filters. This is very helpful. I think I will be somewhere around the size of your flock, maybe a bit smaller; I’m thinking 8. I’m kind of surprised that it takes you that much time to go through 50 pounds of feed. What percentage of their diet do you think comes from store bought feed vs table scraps vs foraging? I had seen figures that each bird could be expected to eat a quarter pound a day, which would mean you in theory would go through 2.5 pounds per day, and go through 50 pounds every 20 days. My day old chicks should be arriving somewhere around June 20th and I’m hoping that for a couple months this fall before it gets too cold can have them explore the lawn and my garden within the confines of a chicken tractor, but grazing opportunities will be limited this year. Next year I am thinking about dramatically expanding the size of my vegetable garden, on one side plant as normal, the other side plant cover crops like buckwheat, clover and field peas, and every day give my girls access to a few square feet to demolish. The following year I will plant my vegetable on the side that I grew the cover crops on, hopefully enriched by all the manure and cover crops.
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2012 15:18
|
|
|
Zeta Taskforce posted:My day old chicks should be arriving somewhere around June 20th and I’m hoping that for a couple months this fall before it gets too cold can have them explore the lawn and my garden within the confines of a chicken tractor, but grazing opportunities will be limited this year. Next year I am thinking about dramatically expanding the size of my vegetable garden, on one side plant as normal, the other side plant cover crops like buckwheat, clover and field peas, and every day give my girls access to a few square feet to demolish. The following year I will plant my vegetable on the side that I grew the cover crops on, hopefully enriched by all the manure and cover crops. This is my plan as well. Fence off one half of the yard for grass, the other half all garden & chicken space. It's going to be a tiny suburban farm. I'm sorry if you already posted this, but what are you going to do for a main coop? Mine need to go out within the month but building my own coop gets harder as I put more planning into it. I figure I can build my own for $300-400 with insulation & a window I found at the Habitat for Humanity store, but there is a guy locally selling almost the exact same design I want for $600 and it looks like good quality. Other than satisfaction and half the price, is there any benefit to building my own coop? I have hardly any building experience so most of the difficulty is in learning to cut angles, put on shingles, etc.
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2012 19:02
|
|
|
jenelle posted:This is my plan as well. Fence off one half of the yard for grass, the other half all garden & chicken space. It's going to be a tiny suburban farm. I'm sorry if you already posted this, but what are you going to do for a main coop? Mine need to go out within the month but building my own coop gets harder as I put more planning into it. I figure I can build my own for $300-400 with insulation & a window I found at the Habitat for Humanity store, but there is a guy locally selling almost the exact same design I want for $600 and it looks like good quality. Other than satisfaction and half the price, is there any benefit to building my own coop? I have hardly any building experience so most of the difficulty is in learning to cut angles, put on shingles, etc. Any photos or links to the coop this guy is selling? People here might weigh in on whether or not they think it's worth the price. When you add up all your time and energy (plus potential for accidents/problems), sometimes it pays in the long-run to get a coop that's already built. Plus, it's nice to help employ a local carpenter. In addition to pics of cute chicks and chickens, I also enjoy seeing photos of people's coops and backyard set-ups for their chickens.
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2012 19:22
|
|
|
jenelle posted:I'm sorry if you already posted this, but what are you going to do for a main coop? I have a small garage/shed in the back of my house. I am going to block off a corner of it and build nesting boxes and perches inside. I will cut a hole into the side to allow access into an enclosed run. The run itsself will be small as to not attract attention from commuters from the nearby train station. My neighbors are cool with me getting them. Actually my next door neighbors just got bees so I've made a deal for eggs in return for honey. 
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2012 19:29
|
|
|
Inveigle posted:Any photos or links to the coop this guy is selling? People here might weigh in on whether or not they think it's worth the price. When you add up all your time and energy (plus potential for accidents/problems), sometimes it pays in the long-run to get a coop that's already built. Plus, it's nice to help employ a local carpenter. That's kind of what I thought about it too. Time/energy investment is huge, and I don't know entirely what I'm doing with a circular saw and angles. Here is their website: http://awesomeplayhouses.com/ChickenCoops.aspx Zeta Taskforce, that sounds like a sweet setup! Now all you need is a third neighbor with some fruit trees, so the bees can pollinate and your chickens can fertilize them.
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2012 20:30
|
|
|
This is great for coop ideas: http://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/2/Coops/page/
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2012 20:38
|
|
|
Zeta Taskforce posted:I have a small garage/shed in the back of my house. I am going to block off a corner of it and build nesting boxes and perches inside. I will cut a hole into the side to allow access into an enclosed run. The run itsself will be small as to not attract attention from commuters from the nearby train station. My neighbors are cool with me getting them. Actually my next door neighbors just got bees so I've made a deal for eggs in return for honey. Wanna live next to you and your neighbor, that's awesome. Bee fresh honey for chicken fresh eggs! Now all you need is to have someone move in nearby that has goats. Milk, honey and eggs all for barter! Also make sure to post pictures when you're done, I'm interested in seeing how it comes out!
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2012 20:43
|
|
|
Bash Ironfist posted:Wanna live next to you and your neighbor, that's awesome. Bee fresh honey for chicken fresh eggs! A goat! We are in Boston and that big building behind me is a train station that serves thousands of riders a day, but that would still be pretty cool if someone could get away with having a goat though. My neighbors on the other side are Vietnamese so who knows? I do want to plant fruit trees, but first I have to save up to remove some big shade trees that are in the way. I’m trying to decide if when I block off the corner of my shed if it is better to have a solid wall between the chickens and everything else, or better instead to block it off with wire, to increase ventilation. The shed is about 15 feet by 20 feet, and I want to give them 10 by 10 feet of it. I will have windows on 2 sides and they will have access to their run either way.
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2012 20:59
|
|
|
Zeta Taskforce posted:I’m trying to decide if when I block off the corner of my shed if it is better to have a solid wall between the chickens and everything else, or better instead to block it off with wire, to increase ventilation. The shed is about 15 feet by 20 feet, and I want to give them 10 by 10 feet of it. I will have windows on 2 sides and they will have access to their run either way. You might want to build a solid wall. Chickens have a way of flinging poop and everything else from the floor (hay, shavings) all over the place -- not to mention dust/feathers/dirt. Anything else stored in the shed would get pretty filthy. Not sure how cold it is there in the winter, but would a wire wall also make it harder to insulate the coop? Drafts can kill chickens if it gets too cold. jenelle posted:http://awesomeplayhouses.com/ChickenCoops.aspx The designs are nice but I'm not a big fan of using particle board/OSB sheathing to build with, especially if the wood is going to be unpainted and exposed (like it shows inside the coops). Normally OSB sheathing is behind/underneath things that are going to be covered with something else (under shingles; as sub-flooring; over wall studs/framework). The problem is the OSB sheathing is held together with various glues and can expand/contract from moisture and if exposed directly to water may eventually fall apart. Don't you need to occasionally hose down the inside of a coop? Perhaps someone else will comment on using the OSB sheathing and whether or not a coat of paint on the interior of the coop would make it okay to use. The carpenter is saving some money by using OSB but regular plywood would be more desirable, I would think. Inveigle fucked around with this message at 23:01 on May 1, 2012 |
|
#
?
May 1, 2012 22:58
|
|
|
My eggs are now in lockdown  I put in 12 eggs, one never developed, but the rest are due on may 5th! This is my first time hatching!
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2012 23:24
|
|
|
This morning there was a little bird collecting all the loose chicken feathers to take home for a nest. It was super cute!
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2012 23:39
|
|
|
Nettle Soup posted:My eggs are now in lockdown Be sure and take/post photos of the chickies!
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2012 23:46
|
|
|
Ceridwen posted:As much as I enjoy my chickens, they won't be getting vet care. If they get too sick for me to think I can take care of it myself I will euth them. We got them ultimately as "utility animals" (not really farm animals, since we don't have a farm), not pets. By the same token I won't have a problem rehoming them for cash on craigslist if we need to move to a place that won't allow them at some point in the future. I don't think either view is a problem (pet vs. farm/utility animal) as long as you know which one you are doing and prepare for that (set money aside for the vet or mentally keep some distance so you don't get too attached). This is kind of how we are as well. Also, a friend of ours who's a vet was over one day and mentioned that by the time birds are noticeably sick, often it's too late anyway. I guess they can be good at hiding problems. They're around for eggs, and for working in the garden. The entertainment value is just a bonus. I'm used to doing a lot of my own vet-y stuff (horse/ranch background), but the problem with backyard chickens is that if you buy dewormers or whatnot, it comes in packages designed for flocks of 10,000. There might be some companies that do smaller doses, but that's what we have in the feed store, so it makes for some fun math trying to figure it out for 7 chickens.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2012 00:15
|
|
|
Zeta Taskforce-I haven't calculated percentages, but I can tell you what they eat. Every day, they get about two cups of 'scratch'-I don't use commercial scratch, I feed a mix of grain and black oil sunflower seeds, so their scratch is only slightly lower protein than their feed. They also get all the edible kitchen scraps (including meat scraps), which is usually enough to fill a big mixing bowl. Plus they get grass and whatever bugs wander into the coop. Nettle Soup: Congrats on the eggs! I want to hatch so incredibly badly. I wish I could get a incubator. My coop has been invaded by Viking Chickens and is full of cocks! I'll have to try to post pictures, since they are very cool looking. A guy I know hatches eggs all the time, and has started giving me his extra roos, to use for meat. This time, I got 2 Easter Eggers, and 3 Icelandic chickens. The Icelandics are descended from the chickens that the Vikings brought to Iceland when it was first settled, and are a really cool kind of chicken. They are also really rare, so I'm trying to find someone who would be willing to raise Icelandic or part-Icelandic chickens. Eating them just seems....wrong, since they are so rare. I'm for sure going to eat at least one of the Easter Eggers, since he's an aggressive little poo poo.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2012 07:23
|
|
|
WrathofKhan posted:My coop has been invaded by Viking Chickens and is full of cocks! The Icelandics are descended from the chickens that the Vikings brought to Iceland when it was first settled, and are a really cool kind of chicken. They are also really rare, so I'm trying to find someone who would be willing to raise Icelandic or part-Icelandic chickens. Eating them just seems....wrong, since they are so rare. Please post photos of the Icelandic chickens! They sound really cool! Would the guy give you a hen so that you could raise Icelandic chickens?
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2012 07:37
|
|
|
He would, but I can only have roosters if my neighbors don't mind. And I have one neighbor who minds.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2012 08:41
|
|
|
Inveigle posted:The designs are nice but I'm not a big fan of using particle board/OSB sheathing to build with, especially if the wood is going to be unpainted and exposed (like it shows inside the coops). Normally OSB sheathing is behind/underneath things that are going to be covered with something else (under shingles; as sub-flooring; over wall studs/framework). The problem is the OSB sheathing is held together with various glues and can expand/contract from moisture and if exposed directly to water may eventually fall apart. Don't you need to occasionally hose down the inside of a coop? Could other people weigh in on this please? I just put up my own coop, and it has OSB floor and walls. I don't expect to hose it down more often than every few months, so degluing of the OSB didn't seem to be too much of an issue for me. A buddy of mine told me it's more structurally sound than plywood, so that's why I used it. Also, plywood can come unglued and delaminate as well. I didn't even plan on painting the inside because I thought that the chickens shouldn't be eating paint chips. If painting would be better than naked OSB, what kind of paint would be good? I'm just glad all this comes up before the inhabitants move in!
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2012 15:41
|
|
|
Inveigle posted:You might want to build a solid wall. Chickens have a way of flinging poop and everything else from the floor (hay, shavings) all over the place -- not to mention dust/feathers/dirt. Anything else stored in the shed would get pretty filthy. Not sure how cold it is there in the winter, but would a wire wall also make it harder to insulate the coop? Drafts can kill chickens if it gets too cold. That is a good point. I will go with a solid wall, but I’m thinking about making a small hole a few feet up so I can have a fan blow air in during the summer. I will cover it with wire to make sure no one decides to fly into the fan. I’m not sure I will have enough ventilation otherwise, especially on some of those hot, windless summer days. How important is hosing down the floor? It would seem that cleaning things out periodically, scraping everything off the floor, and putting down fresh bedding should be enough?
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2012 16:10
|
|
|
I've had chickens for a couple of years now. We don't hose the floor down. Our floor is covered in cheap vinyl flooring and that works great. I use a shovel to scrape the straw out when I'm cleaning the house out and then fresh straw goes on top.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2012 16:30
|
|
|
I no longer use straw or hay at all in my coop, not only can it apparently trap mites, the chickens poo poo on it and it mixes with the shavings and mud from outside and within a couple of days it's turned into a sort of wattle and daub flooring I have to shovel out in one massive piece.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2012 17:26
|
|
|
hey santa baby posted:Could other people weigh in on this please? I just put up my own coop, and it has OSB floor and walls. I don't expect to hose it down more often than every few months, so degluing of the OSB didn't seem to be too much of an issue for me. A buddy of mine told me it's more structurally sound than plywood, so that's why I used it. Also, plywood can come unglued and delaminate as well. I called up an old friend who is a carpenter and a certified/licensed home inspector to ask him about the OSB sheathing and whether it would be good to use to build a doghouse or a chicken coop. He told me that OSB sheathing is NOT good to use for structures where the sheathing will be exposed to the open air or moisture. OSB is meant to go behind walls, or under roof decking or floors, where it will be covered on both sides. Even if you paint the OSB sheathing, the surface is so rough that paint won't seal the wood completely and moisture from the air will cause the OSB sheathing (like particle board) to start breaking down and eventually crumbling. OSB is cheaper than plywood which is why some people try to cut costs and use it for building. My friend said that yes, plywood is also glued together but that it is a lot sturdier than OSB sheathing. So, the cheapest stuff would be plywood or perhaps pine boards, like fascia boards. Of course you'd want to caulk/paint any exterior surfaces. You could check into using Hardiepanel or Hardieplank, but I have a feeling that plywood would still be cheapest. If you're in a cold climate you might also take into consideration how well a thin layer of plywood could be insulated from the winter weather. Jenelle: perhaps you could ask the carpenter how much extra he'd charge to use regular plywood rather than OSB sheathing?
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2012 00:55
|
|
|
By popular request, here are some pics of the Icelandic roosters. Believe it or not, they are all brothers. That is one of the cool things about Icelandics,you never know what is going to hatch. You can't quite tell it from this picture, but unlike the other too,this guy has a single comb.  Don't let the good looks fool you, this little dude is a real jerk.  They say that Icelandic chickens are never a single color, and 'they' seem to be right. This guy has a teeny patch of buff feathers right by his left wing. He is a very gentle, very sweet tempered little guy. I don't want a lap rooster, but this guy would be one if he got the chance. 
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2012 19:00
|
|
|
That last guy has the most metal comb. They all look pretty small--are they? So, back by absolutely no request at all, here's Napoleon. It's my mom's foot in the first shot, and mine in all the rest. I wear white socks with sandals, get over it.       Little feathers are starting to come in on her head. I'll try to get more pics during the next dramatic change. Also, after these pics, she found a patch of dirt and leaves and dug around in them and had a dirt bath. She was having so much fun. Sorry I didn't get a pic. When will she be feathered and big enough that I can try introducing her to the hens without them pecking at her?
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2012 20:07
|
|
|
Once she looks like a real chicken, fully feathered and a bit bigger in size, then you can slowly introduce her to the flock. When we got Flake she was still a young pullet, but already fully feathered. We kept her inside a bunny crate when we'd put her outside so the other chickens would start getting used to her. If it was too hot or we couldn't be outside with them, we'd bring her inside. It took about a week before I let her hangout inside the run with Spaghetti and the other chickens outside the run, then another week before I felt they could be together without risk of serious fights. Just hang in there, a few more weeks then she can be outside!
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2012 20:23
|
|
|
D'aww. Napoleon is soooo cute. I agree with Chido. 8 or 9 weeks, fully feathered and close to 'small adult' size is when I put mine in together. If they free range, or if you can let them out to free range, it helps to make things go smoother when everyone is tossed in. These guys aren't very big, but they aren't full grown yet. When they are full grown, they'll be on the small side, around 5 pounds.
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2012 22:21
|
|
|
A couple of my chickens went to live outside with a friend (and their flock of adult chickens) at 6 weeks. They were more or less fully feathered by then and I'd had them dealing with outside temps (highs in the 50s-60s and lows in the 40s) for a few days before then. They were a little traumatized by my friends rear end in a top hat dog when they first got there, but they've been there for 3 weeks now and have settled in fine. They didn't get picked on or anything (except by the dog, who keeps trying to hump them). Their chickens are all free range on a pretty large chunk of property though, so there is a lot of space for them to get away from each other. You probably want them to be a bit older if they are in a more restricted area. A couple weeks ago I put a list of foods the chicks can't have and informed everyone that pretty much anything not on the list can be fed to the chickens. Everyone is having great fun offering them bits of new foods and leftovers. It's also making the chicks a lot more chill about us approaching them and going into their pen. My roommate has been brewing and gave the chicks the spent grain yesterday and they were absolutely loving it. I think that may be their favorite food so far besides mealworms.
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2012 02:54
|
|
|
Inveigle posted:Jenelle: perhaps you could ask the carpenter how much extra he'd charge to use regular plywood rather than OSB sheathing? Actually after reading your thoughts on OSB I gave up and decided to just build it myself, then found another local carpenter that makes them with real plywood, closer to where we live, and $200 less. His wife is a sort of urban homesteader who teaches chicken keeping and goat milking/cheesemaking classes so I trust it will hold up well in the climate here. He's also putting in the 2' vinyl window I found at the local Habitat for Humanity store at no extra cost. I love little Napoleon  They grow so drat fast. My peepers aren't even chicks anymore since their heads are all feathered out already. It's been hotter than hades here so tonight their light is off for the first time overnight. Just a month ago they were little fluffballs and now they are already little chickens. At least now all of them have mellowed out enough to be held and petted. They are still small enough to roost on my finger though.
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2012 04:34
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 25, 2024 08:45 |
|
|
Out of 12 eggs, 11 were viable and so far 7 have hatched. I think this is probably it. 1 - Rhode Island Red - Conquest 2 - Ancona - Abacus 3 - Buff Orp - Flora 4 - Buff Orp - Rover 5 - Vorwerk - Eros 6 - Buff Orp - Beatrice 7 - Polish - Christina
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2012 00:51
|
|