Recent content by sooju

Wow, I went out first thing this morning to check on them and everyone is peacefully coexisting. Amazing! Australorps make great mothers!! It's too funny to see her with her babies who look nothing like her - black hen momma with babies who are white, grey, brown, and yellow. I know my kids...

I let both groups out to free range together for the last hour or two of daylight today and it went pretty well. There was one altercation between the momma hen and another full grown hen but I was able to separate them and they cooled off. Momma tried to get the little ones up the ramp into...

I have searched this forum for advice and can't seem to find anything that pertains to my situation. I have a broody hen raising four chicks (2 silkies, 2 standard) in one corner of the run that is separated by hardware cloth. The chicks are now 4 weeks old and their adopted australorp momma...

Yes, I'm trying to break her of it. I don't have a rooster (just seven hens). I'd consider getting a couple fertilized eggs, except I'm currently fighting with the town about whether or not I can keep my chickens so it's not a good time to be adding to the flock.

My one year old Australorp has gone broody. For the last two days I've kept her in a sectioned off corner of the run (dirt floor) but let her back into the hen house at night. In the morning she's back in the nesting box all warm and dreamy eyed and we're back to square one. Should I make her...

I lost my first chicken today. A sweet and vocal australorp named Terri (we used to be convinced she was a rooster until catching her in the act of laying). The coop is a fortress but someone must have taken off with her at some point during the day. I let them free range all day because...

My girls are five weeks old today and because it's been so hot this week they've spent the last three nights in their coop. The first night I went out at dusk and moved them into the hen house because they were still in the run and making lots of distressed peeps. I figured they'd understand...

I just went to the hardware store and bought a bag of all purpose construction sand.

My MPC order shipped from Cleveland and got to NY in a day. Hope yours arrive shortly!!

I couldn't resist any longer and stopped in at the local pet store today to pick up some crickets for my 10 day old chicks (so far they've only had boiled egg). I asked my five year old the other day if he wanted to feed crickets to the chicks and he said no, but he'd like to keep the crickets...

Our chicks arrived yesterday from mypetchicken.com. All eight are healthy and active, and ADORABLE. I was unprepared for how much it would melt my heart when I pick them up and they fall asleep in my cupped hands. I swear they're bigger today than they were yesterday! Now we just need to get...

I fell in love with thegardencoop.com design and before doing my research I placed an order for the maximum number of chicks that it recommended (8). What is the likelihood that all 8 of my chicks will survive to adulthood? I'm not sure whether to try and modify the coop design to accommodate...

I think the only way this coop is big enough for 8 is if they're bantams. Should I reduce my order to 6 or leave it at 8 figuring that one or two may turn out to be roosters, or not survive to adulthood?

(1) Are you new to chickens / when did you first get chickens? I'm totally new to chickens and can't believe we didn't think of this sooner! Thank you, Martha, for planting the seed... (2) How many chickens do you have right now? I have 8 day-old chicks on order to be shipped June 1st. (3)...

Hello to this knowledgeable group of chicken keepers! I've been lurking and learning for a few weeks but this is my first post. My first 8 chicks are arriving in June (SO excited!) and I'm planning to [have my husband] build a garden coop (thegardencoop.com) in the next few weeks. Before...