Recent content by weazel922

I'm building an elevated 6x4 coop. We want to make sure it looks nice as I have 5 neighbors adjacent to my back yard, so we don't want a dump that they can complain to the city council about. With that said, I already had a 6x12 dog kennel. That will be our run. I'm looking at about $600 for...

Looks great. How many chickens do you have? I'm trying to figure out a system for my 5 hens, but I don't want something so big that the water sits in there long enough to get contaminated. I'm not sure what the magic number is. Big so I don't have to fill it a lot, but small enough that the...

Thanks for the help!

I'm raising my first batch of chicks. I have 5 total but 2 RIRs. They were bought the same day, were the same size, and out of a "pullet" bin, but now (only two weeks later)- one has 4 rows of wing feathers, back feathers, and tiny tale feathers. The other is barely starting it's second row of...

Then sand them down or angle cut them with a skill saw, but honestly it doesn't hurt their feet because they sit flat on them. A lot more comfortable than frost bright on the toes! That's the purpose of the 2x4's in cold climates. They can cover all their toes on a flat roost by sitting on them.

Quote: You keep your chicks in a brothel? So how much does a young cockerel need to pay for a visit?

I'm by no means an expert, but here's a couple things I've read. (I'm raising my first group of chicks right now too!) 1) I know a lot of people on here use pine shavings with no problems. I read somewhere to put down pine, then put a layer of papertowels over that just for the first day or...

It all depends on what you want. I only have 5 chickens, so I don't really want to lose one. Therefore they are monitored and locked in a coop at night. My friend (who has about 3,000 acres), has around 200 chickens (and raises buffalo). He lets them free range and doesn't even have a coop...

Quote: So you've never had chickens before, but you've been a member of BYC's since 2009 and have over 1,200 posts. Now that's dedication, congrats on finally getting them!

Quote: This has been working great for me so far. I just put a little food in my hand and lay it there. I'm letting them come to me for the time being and get use to my hand. Rather than chasing them around the brooder trying to catch them, which obviously startles them a bit.

I've been researching this same question, and one thread said to make sure you're giving them grit if you start giving them treats. When are they old enough for grit?

Well I'm no expert by anymeans. (I'm raising my first group of chicks right now). But I got an outdoor thermometer from the local hardware store for $4. That's the only way I can think of to measure the temp ahead of time. Otherwise you go out of town and have no control over what's going on...

Set it up now and see what the temp is first thing in the morning(coldest time of the day) when you get up. If it's high enough, I think you're fine. If it's not, I wouldn't do it. But I think testing it ahead of time is the only way to know.

Quote: Whoa, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but those are some WEIRD looking chickens!