Reviews by BDutch

Well done. I love to see such repurpose jobs and the nestboxes look really cozy.

Well written with excellent pictures. The boots sticking out from the small coop tell more than a 1000 words. And I love it that you explain why large coops are best but a small coop can work too for some people (with more ventilation and maybe other alterations).

Maybe I should not give a rating bc I haven’t tried this for real. I know you are right about not treating if there are no real health problems to address.

The test description looks very good. If I ever suspect worm problems I certainly buy a microscope and follow these directions.

Very well written article about keeping chickens with nearby neighbours on a small plot. I live in a town that had no formal limit to the number of chickens. Only roosters are a no go if neighbours complain. Neighbour cats keep away rodents.

Two things I miss:

• Bantams need less space and make less poop. Therefore they are often a better choice in a small garden.
• Lots of openings / windows with ventilation keeps down the smell. When the poop dries out quickly it stops smelling. And is better for their health too. I cover/top up the bedding after a week and dry clean every two weeks. I use /re-apply diatomaceous earth as a wall paint.

The article shows interesting points to consider when you buy chickens or are a new chicken owner. But contains a few personal opinions/experiences imho. :

I am surprised about what you claim about bantams: “Most roosters are docile and calm, especially breeds like Brahmas, Leghorns, Silkies, and larger breeds, but you're more likely to end up with a mean rooster when raising bantam breeds like seramas, Old English Game Bantams, and more. ”
And
“CAN I HAVE MULTIPLE ROOSTERS? The answer to that is yes, (except for bantams)”

Where do you have this information from?
I had several bantam cockerels, different breeds, and I had a few very protective but several docile cockerels too.
I can’t keep roosters in spring (when they start to crow loud) but I had several who were 6- 8 months old and their characters definitely showed.
My individual bantam cockerels:
Protective: Dutch, naine de Tournaisis
Friendly: RIR, Sulmtaler, Amrock

+ I rather say protective and not mean. The protective ones just did their job to protect the hens from intruders. And because they are so small, they never hurt me.

The article gives very limited information on how to address an infestation with lice or mites. Many alternatives for permethrin are not mentioned. There has been extensive research by experts into remedies against lice and mites. *

Permethrin is forbidden to use on poultry in the Netherlands , Belgium and some other countries in the European Union. For 2 reasons:

1. residues get in the eggs and meat.
2. it often doesn’t work anymore bc some red mites strains got resistant.

Besides that it’s a pesticide that kills randomly and is also poisonous (attacks the nerve system) for bees and insects, and indirectly for mice, songbirds and other animals like cats.

In my country poultry keepers often use heat (+ 45C) , oil baths at the end of the roosts, diatomaceous earth (food grade) and herbs in the water/food to control red mites (the main problem).

As a poison/chemical only Elector with the active ingredient Spinosad is available in shops for poultry keepers. Permetrin is available too for songbirds and other animals, but not allowed to sell for chickens.
Other poisons/chemical products can only be obtained through the vet. There are 2 products available: Byemite (active ingredient is Foxim, waiting time eggs 12 hours) and Exzolt (contains Fluralaner, waiting time eggs 0 days).

* one of the available research reports with info about red mites : https://edepot.wur.nl/140046

There is a lot of interesting and good information in the article @Kuntry Klucker wrote about older hens, but it contains several mistakes and misconceptions too. Especially in the beginning of this article. The misleading information is written as facts. I don’t know where they come from but I doubt the source(s) as I have other experiences and knowledge.

Unfortunately it seems @Kuntry Klucker is no longer BYC member.

Well written article, combining personal experiences with available literature /research. My experiences with broodies, mama’s and bought eggs are in some aspects the same but also a bit different.
A few times 3 out of 10/12 hatched. But last year I had 9 out of 11. Maybe it’s because I have bantams who prefer to co-brood and co-raise. And with lots of cats visiting our garden I don’t dare to leave the mama’ to free range with the chicks without supervision.
The time the mama’s cared and educated varied from about 8 - 16 weeks. The older hens are definitely mothering longer than the younger hens.

It’s great to alter a playhouse into a chicken coop. I altered one myself too last summer.

The quality, price and size of playhouses is often better than prefab coops. And because more people who cant or don’t have the time to build a small coop from scratch I love this tip.

Unfortunately you didn’t describe and showed all the alterations. Can you add more info? I give 5* if the article is completed.

Very good overview of things to consider if you build a coop or transfer a building into a chicken coop and run.
I only didn’t understand this one: Place nest boxes at least three feet off the ground. More important imho is that the roost are located higher as the nestboxes. Heavy breeds need a ramp to go up and the lighter breeds some space to jump.

I also missed the requirements of a coop and run in an overal nice and warm climate are very different from a coop in a country where winters are below freezing for a longer period (large indoor space with windows or a roofed and transferable run). Or where temps in summer often get above 100F (natural shade and a huge amount of ventilation).

This article is perfect for BYC keepers who want to keep their chickens for a certain time like the commercial farmers do. Max egg production comes with a price (poor chicken health).

The numbers given are what you can expect from 6 - 18 months. After that the numbers decline. And it has nothing to do with the number of eggs a chicken lays in total (life span). Some breeds lay not abundant, but keep producing eggs for a very long time. I have 2 seniors of 9 years old that stil lay approx 3 eggs every week in spring and summer (if not broody).

Great read these helpful hints for raising healthy chicks.
It gives a good insight in breeder thoughts, the necessity to consider the needs of young chicks before buying them and a few aspects on how to handle/raise chicks.
It does not point out all the stuff you need to raise young chicks and how to keep them warm.

Very good written article with good tips. Only would change this a little : “For the first week (at least) keep the chickens in their coop.”
To : “For the first week keep the chickens in a large coop or a little coop with an enclosed/safe/covered run. Such a run is always great to have for a little more space and to go outside early mornings when everyone is still asleep“

This is the first article I read that actually makes me want to start raising mealworms. It sounds easy enough to raise mealworms this way.

Was a bit disappointed I cant use the processor from my old Mac though.

Very good instructions how to use DE.
I use it too for 9 years now. Never had SLM or feather lice. And only had an red mite infestation once, last year, when I was to careful applying it in the nest box area where I had two mama’s and 9 chicks. I couldn’t overwin the infestation in the two weeks you describe. Small mites kept coming. Finally managed to stop the infestation after taking an added piece of wood out (for higher roosts). Behind it I found a nest with mite eggs. Used more DE and because we planned a vacation I sprayed some permethrin into a hole in the lid, where I was not able to use the DE paint. And sprayed only one chicken with Permethrin between the feathers. She was a determined broody, who didn’t lay eggs anyway.

I use ribbed paper (from biscuits) to make mite traps, to check if the coop is still clean from red mites.

Very informative article on adding new chicks to an existing flock.
Two things missing imho.

1. If you have a small group of chicks with a broody, integration is of no concern if you have enough space and clutter. In general the mother defends the chicks and the chicks search protection with the mother.
2. The see don’t touch method for young chicks. Where the chicks have an area they can escape to.

You mention having 2 of each breed is easier. Having just one breed is easier. Some breeds come in many colours if you like variation.

Good instructions to built a L-shape coop/run in a warm climate. A few things surprised me though: the tin roof, and it looks as if you didn't sand off the sharp edges of the roosts. Missed a exact list underneath the photo what to buy, but I suppose most of the builders can work that out for themselves.

Love it that you showed all the changes you made after 2 years.

Excellent guidelines and tips for newcomers and some info is good to know/remember for older members as well.

Great to have an article about the risks of pesticides/herbicides. The plants and seeds they sell in the shop often contain lots of poisons too, especially the extraordinary flowering plants like Lillies. Best buy organic of food grade if you have a choice.

I want to add that where I live we already have problems with chemicals in our water (rivers/lakes) an on the ground too. Especially the unbreakable PFAS (Tefal, fire extinguishers, special clothings) are becoming more and more an issue. 40% of the eggs from backyard hobbyists contain too much PFAS.

Good idea to compare a chicken that is brooding in a natural situation with the artificial setup of a coop with nestboxes.