Recent content by Merax

  1. Merax

    Merging my new chickens...am I doing it right?

    Not sure how I plan to get them into the same coop. I *can* relocate their existing coop with some effort (it was only meant to be temporary so it is kinda sorta mobile. I think that might be the best idea. Primary coop (bear in mind I'm converting metric to imperial): Coop space - 32.27sqft...
  2. Merax

    Merging my new chickens...am I doing it right?

    I have 3x ISA Brown mature hens and a few weeks back bought 4x point of lay White Leghorns. I housed the Leghorns in a secondary coop, located around 25 meters (around 80 ft) from the original. I have an acre that I let the chickens free range on, so it's quite spacious. Original hens...
  3. Merax

    New chickens, new problems. Refusing to roost in coop.

    So an update (as I hate threads that aren't updated). Success! I fitted a solar light to the coop which remains lit (albeit at around 1 candlepower) till around 9pm. No more escape attempts, although until tonight the birds were still refusing to perch. I figured that one out today - changed...
  4. Merax

    New chickens, new problems. Refusing to roost in coop.

    Haven't been able to work from home to fit a light or more windows yet, but it seems that they will slowly get the hang of it. My kids put them away last night and reported that Escape Artist 1 was again up in a gap between the wall and roof of the run whereas Escape Artist 2 was on the ground...
  5. Merax

    Chickens freaking out first week in coop

    I am going through something similar and I think it just takes time. The different reactions from different breeds is also interesting. My original ISA Browns, I put them in the coop the first night, they went in by themselves the next night although I had to put them on perches for the first...
  6. Merax

    New chickens, new problems. Refusing to roost in coop.

    Thanks mate, I will keep at it don't worry. Will probably work from home tomorrow and cut some more windows in the coop for them, and maybe take the top part of one of those solar path lights and mount it so that the light is inside and the solar panel outside. Interesting times!
  7. Merax

    New chickens, new problems. Refusing to roost in coop.

    Let me preface this post by saying one thing: White Leghorns are the ninjas of the chicken world. I decided to expand my flock and after researching how to introduce new chickens, built a temporary second coop and run. Because it's temporary, there were some gaps between the wall and roof...
  8. Merax

    Can't figure out what's going on with this chicken...

    Hi Stephine, it's actually Autumn here (Australia) so it is the time they should be molting. My other girls are fine, only this one seems to be going through a hard molt at the moment. I have checked under the roosts, there is nothing else there besides the regular, normal poop. I checked the...
  9. Merax

    Can't figure out what's going on with this chicken...

    Update - the hen is a bit more active today but (just caught it) seems to have pooped out a lash egg or similar - she may be returning to lay soon?
  10. Merax

    Can't figure out what's going on with this chicken...

    Hoping the experts here can shed some light on what is happening with one of my ISA Browns. This has been going on for a couple of weeks, which I think rules out some serious illnesses: Appearance - pale comb not as upright as the other chickens, patchy feathers (seems to be molting), vent is...
  11. Merax

    My composting solution

    Just thought I'd share what I've done with my coop with regards to composting. Getting chickens (and never having had them before, despite wanting them since I was a kid) made me think about what I was going to lay down on the floor of the coop. While I got the chickens for eggs, I wanted to...
  12. Merax

    Question regarding feed wastage

    Sorry I must have not explained well enough. Treats go in a tray in the corner of the cage, layer feed goes in a bucket feeder like the one in your pic. They get their beaks in the holes in the feeder and shovel seed out. Treats would (considering their free range diet outside the coop / run...
  13. Merax

    Question regarding feed wastage

    Hi All, Just as a bit of background, my chickens free range most of every day. I have an acre, and they always seem to have full crops when we put them back in the coop in the afternoon. They also get kitchen scraps (or at least what is chicken appropriate) each afternoon when they go back...
  14. Merax

    Free range chickens

    I have a fenced acre - for my chickens free range means they are let out into the yard in the morning (between 7:30am and 9am) and go back in the evening (4pm to 5pm). Is your property fenced? It shouldn't matter too much if their coop is a fair distance from the property border. Mine range...
  15. Merax

    What is killing my hens?

    So was it the rooster? Seems really unlikely that a rooster would kill a hen from his own flock.
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