Recent content by RonC

Got this one this morning.

I can open the man door to the coop inside the chicken house and close the auto door going outside. That will give the little ones private access to the coop. They can play on the roosts and figure out the cup waterers without fear. Little ones were watching one of the older hens laying today...

How old do the chicks need to be before I let them roam with the big girls? Been raising chickens for a while but never tried to integrate new chicks into an existing flock. The two older hens I've had 6-7 years and the six newbies I got as day olds about 6 weeks ago. The older girls free range...

Shed the coop is in is 24 x 16 so it's not really such a confined area. Temporarily covered the open side of the coop near the roosting area to trap more heat in that area during this hard freeze. My average low temp in January is 38, it's 10 this morning with a 15 mph wind! This summer I will...

These 2 are the last of 4 I bought 6-7 years ago so yea they are pets. Learned my lesson about naming them lol. Plan is eggs only at this time. May raise some meat birds in the future. I have had 6 at one time so I know about a surplus of eggs. Good idea with only getting a few and waiting a...

Probably about 8-10.

Recently moved and had to have some shelter for my 2 chickens so I bought one of the coops from TSC. Worked OK inside a 10x10 dog run for a while but was too small. At the old house their run was 8 x 10 with a 9 sq foot coop inside the run. At the new place I sectioned off a part of my storage...

My last ones I brooded outside on the patio in an old workbench I screened in. Had a 125w heat lamp in one corner with windbreaks on that end and part of the back in that corner. One night it got down really cold so I covered about 3/4 of the brooder. I secured the clamp on lamp by wrapping the...

Some small amount of light will encourage them to go in the coop at night. Also helps them to keep laying in the winter months when the days are shorter, once they reach that age. I found a red led bulb at Lowes since mine were used to the red heat lamp.

If you are that nervous I'll warn you that you will freak out the first time you see one dust bathing or sunning itself. Looks like they are dying before your eyes.

I've never had silkies but would think early am and evenings with shade and water would be ok.

I have found that when they are little and on starter they won't work too hard to eat. Just keep filling the feeder. You can try putting something under it to catch the food but they won't dig through shavings to find it. As soon as they are larger I switch to pellets from the crumble. They...

I just mixed the shavings around and it lasts about 3 weeks before it starts getting funky. Of course it depends on the number of chicks, size of the brooder and how deep the shavings are. i keep about 4 inches in the brooder. Sharly if you're only having to clean the water out every three...

I did the run out and reconfigure it when it rained. Now I generlize moving it more. Spring it rains and summer it's hot so it stays. Fall and winter it gets pulled back for light and sun unless it's going to snow then out it goes. North wind blowing I pull it down on the side to block the wind...

I agree it sounds like work. I use a tarp that I can adjust depending on weather. Top of mine is rounded like a hoop coop but it could be made to be a peaked roof also using rope to slide it.