TSP
Chirping
Long time reader, first post. Sorry the length is “War and Peace” like, but having read so many threads, I figured I’d answer as many of the commonly asked questions as I could up front.
My coop is 7’ by 4’ elevated with an enclosed run beneath that is open for the birds to “free range” in a fenced in 50’ by 50’ yard. I started least year with 4 pullets (Easter eggers). I lost two to predation (neighbor’s dog) hence the addition of the large fenced in area last fall. Since the fence went in, there have been no other problems. Two pullets doesn’t supply enough eggs, so when I found some fertile Bielefelder eggs, I got and hatched out a few. I now have two Easter eggers that are about nine months old and a week ago, I moved the fully feathered 10 week old Bielefelder chicks out of the unheated garage and in with the older ladies. The Biels are two pullets and one cockerel. At ten weeks they are nearly the size of the Easter Eggers and I thought they would be ok. I put the biels in the coop with the pop door (which opens side to side, not up and down) wedged open about two inches. The Easter Eggers would frequently sleep on a tree branch in the run anyway, and usually only go into the coop itself to lay, so I didn’t think the older birds would get too bent sleeping in the run for a couple of days. They can see one another and poke heads in and out. After two days and no major malfunctions, I opened the door and let the threesome out. It was like a WWF cage match! The biels couldn’t get out quick enough and took to roosting on anything that was available in the yard. The cockerel got stuck in a snow bank up to his wings and had to be rescued. I put them to bed that night and separated them as above and tried the same experiment Sunday (two days ago). Same same! Now it’s Tuesday and I’m thinking of trying it again as it’s going to get cold here in the next few days. We live in northern Wisconsin. Daytime temps have been close to freezing, nights in the high 20’s, but it’s going to get down around zero shortly. I think the older birds would be fine with the cold, but the coop itself always runs A few degrees warmer than outside and the run is just hardware cloth with clear plastic to keep the wind and snow out over the winter. I’d like for all of them o be able to go into the coop when it gets cold, but only if they aren’t going to kill one another or get chased off into the snow. How long can I expect the big ones to keep beating up the littles? Any thoughts? I had the “littles” in a fairly large dog kennel in the garage and they could go back in there to get a bit bigger if necessary. I know it’s about resources, I put out an additional feeder and heated waterer when I put them together. Plenty of food, plenty of space, plenty of water... I may put the Easter Eggers in the coop with them at dusk and just go out very early tomorrow morning hoping not to find Cogburn the rooster pecked to death.
My coop is 7’ by 4’ elevated with an enclosed run beneath that is open for the birds to “free range” in a fenced in 50’ by 50’ yard. I started least year with 4 pullets (Easter eggers). I lost two to predation (neighbor’s dog) hence the addition of the large fenced in area last fall. Since the fence went in, there have been no other problems. Two pullets doesn’t supply enough eggs, so when I found some fertile Bielefelder eggs, I got and hatched out a few. I now have two Easter eggers that are about nine months old and a week ago, I moved the fully feathered 10 week old Bielefelder chicks out of the unheated garage and in with the older ladies. The Biels are two pullets and one cockerel. At ten weeks they are nearly the size of the Easter Eggers and I thought they would be ok. I put the biels in the coop with the pop door (which opens side to side, not up and down) wedged open about two inches. The Easter Eggers would frequently sleep on a tree branch in the run anyway, and usually only go into the coop itself to lay, so I didn’t think the older birds would get too bent sleeping in the run for a couple of days. They can see one another and poke heads in and out. After two days and no major malfunctions, I opened the door and let the threesome out. It was like a WWF cage match! The biels couldn’t get out quick enough and took to roosting on anything that was available in the yard. The cockerel got stuck in a snow bank up to his wings and had to be rescued. I put them to bed that night and separated them as above and tried the same experiment Sunday (two days ago). Same same! Now it’s Tuesday and I’m thinking of trying it again as it’s going to get cold here in the next few days. We live in northern Wisconsin. Daytime temps have been close to freezing, nights in the high 20’s, but it’s going to get down around zero shortly. I think the older birds would be fine with the cold, but the coop itself always runs A few degrees warmer than outside and the run is just hardware cloth with clear plastic to keep the wind and snow out over the winter. I’d like for all of them o be able to go into the coop when it gets cold, but only if they aren’t going to kill one another or get chased off into the snow. How long can I expect the big ones to keep beating up the littles? Any thoughts? I had the “littles” in a fairly large dog kennel in the garage and they could go back in there to get a bit bigger if necessary. I know it’s about resources, I put out an additional feeder and heated waterer when I put them together. Plenty of food, plenty of space, plenty of water... I may put the Easter Eggers in the coop with them at dusk and just go out very early tomorrow morning hoping not to find Cogburn the rooster pecked to death.
