Recent content by ChickenMan77

  1. ChickenMan77

    Our backyard set-up... Are we on the right track??

    I use pine shavings too at times, but mostly straw. The pine shavings help in the nest boxes as well as the whole coop. The only negative thing I have ever heard about using pine shavings is that it doesn't compost as quickly as straw. I don't have room to compost more than one bin or so at a...
  2. ChickenMan77

    Our backyard set-up... Are we on the right track??

    If the sand ganuals are about 1/3 smaller than a pea you should be fine with not grit. If the sand is much smaller, like beach sand, you might consider some grit. Don't forget that sand gets cold cold cold so make sure to provide about 4-6 inches of straw in the coop during the winter or the...
  3. ChickenMan77

    Combining new chickens with existing flock

    Ouch! Got home tonight and one of the Reds was pecked under one of her wings, missing feathers and blood. I have divided the groups again, creating a better situation this time around for the laying hens to lay in a better nesting box. We'll try this again in a few weeks.
  4. ChickenMan77

    Fear of birds?

    Last year I got my chicks long before I built the coop. I am embarrassed to say that they lived in a large brooder made out of cardboard and a tarp till they were almost fully grown in our spare bedroom. It took a while to clean the dust out of the room after the left and this year I did not...
  5. ChickenMan77

    Coop Design

    I insulated the walls of my coop thinking it would be too cold for the chickens. I learned that many of the laying breeds are cold hearty, which means that they are good till about 10deg below 0. I think insulation is a good thing for the summer however, to keep the coop cooler. If you are...
  6. ChickenMan77

    Combining new chickens with existing flock

    We have 4 hens which are 1 year old. One of our EE's and our Buff Orpington are at the bottom of the pecking order. Our Plymouth Barred Rock is at the top and the other EE is right behind her. Well..at least this is what I think based on what I have observed. I have 5 new chicks which are 7...
  7. ChickenMan77

    Coop Design

    From what it sounds like, you are building the coop off the ground a bit. My coop is smaller, like about 4x5 (off the ground by about 3 feet with a run below it) and it is easy to clean out with a rake. I don't think you will need doors on 3 sides just to clean out the coop. Hinging the roof...
  8. ChickenMan77

    Hi! I'm NEW HERE AND new to raising chickens too!!!!!! :)

    From what I have learned, the Araucana and Americana are both very rare breeds and are usually only found by going directly through a breeder. I thought I had Americanas till I did a bunch of reading online and found that I probably have what is referred to as an EE or Easter Egger. The EE is...
  9. ChickenMan77

    Is My Backyard Okay For a Coop?

    The only time my chickens went over my 6 foot fence is when my buddie's Australian Shepherd went into the back yard while the chickens were out. Two of them, one Easter Egger and one Plymouth Barred Rock went right over the fence without issue. I consulted my vet about clipping the wings after...
  10. ChickenMan77

    Is My Backyard Okay For a Coop?

    This is funny and great info. One time I saw one of my Easter Eggers on the out-door roost screaming up a storm pacing back an forth, looking down at my Barred Rock and other EE like she is preaching or something. After about a minute the Buff Orpington came out of the coop, and likely the...
  11. ChickenMan77

    Chickens and Lawn Fertilizer

    I'll have to check, it was bought at an all natural yard supply store. I know the anti weed component is corn gluten but I cannot remember what the fertalizer content was off hand.
  12. ChickenMan77

    Chickens and Lawn Fertilizer

    I think it goes without saying for those who have seen a chicken peck through a back yard that chickens will most certainly eat fertilizer if they see it just like they peck, at and eat, everything else in the yard. My question is, will organic lawn fertilizer hurt the chicken or contribute...
  13. ChickenMan77

    Early Signs of Having a Rooster

    Thanks for the insight. I was planning to keep all of them till I knew for sure regardless but I was hoping for some early indicator. Thanks for the responses.
  14. ChickenMan77

    Bayfield Colorado

    Starting the back yard chicken revolution in Bayfield Colorado. Willing to offer advise if anyone needs it. Would also love to get a feel for how many folks in Bayfield keep chickens. I would love to open a feed store here which would specialize in Chickens, chicken feed, and seminars on how...
  15. ChickenMan77

    Early Signs of Having a Rooster

    My wife had this great idea to get some chickens last year, It has become my favorite hobbie. Last year one of our chicks (Buff Orpington) was much smaller than the rest and didn't get feathers on it's back till long after the rest of them did. That is the one that ended up being the rooster...
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