Got six of them--and have four nest boxes, but only three are open for use. They were 13 x 13, so they "smush" down into the 12 x 12 boxes after I cut the corners off a little. :)
And--I got eggs yesterday! Two little ones! Which means either I missed seeing that first one (she laid it in...
I have astro turf ones, but my girls aren't laying yet. I put pine shavings in on top of the pads, and a ceramic egg in each. They're investigating, but nobody poops in there, and no eggs just yet. (Waiting...waiting...waiting...)
Yes. I have a pair of crocs for quick trips (to scoop poop and fill feeders/water) and a pair of chicken boots for longer stays or when the weather is really nasty. We've had insane monsoon rains this year, so the boots have been awesome. I only wear them from the garage to the run, and...
Best place to sell point of lay pullets? I have 17 pullets, and need to sell eight or nine of them. The ones for sale: 4 Buff Orpington, and 3 Speckled Sussex, and two Delaware.
They're all 18 weeks old, as of yesterday, and healthy.
(I'll get photos today--we've had monsoon rains for over...
I have two Delaware hens. They're just 18 wks old, but both have red combs and one has begun to run out in front of me, stamp her feet, and squat. I will probably have eggs from her before any of my other hens.
I got them at Walmart--in the section with bins and totes. :) They're actually stacking toy boxes, I think. As far as the girls, they're not quite laying yet. I got some astro-turf type nesting pads, put them in there, some pine flakes, and a ceramic egg in each one. They've been checking...
It's been great! Cackle sent 20 (I ordered 15) and 19 of them are big and beautiful now. I had two males, which I'll be dispatching next week sometime. The pullets should be laying within another month, if not sooner--there are some seriously red wattles and combs in the group. :)
I have a 3 gallon white plastic waterer. Actually I have four waterers, two in the coop, and two in the run. No worries about extra humidity in the coop or drips--they're both in pans and we live in the mtns of eastern AZ where the only time it gets even a little humid is during the monsoons...
Mine recently started too. The second in command cockerel is not, so far as I can tell, but Drumstick is sure working hard to learn. Isn't it funny how excited we are about this perfectly normal (and later annoying) phenomenon? :P
I feed mine wet mash--the same food as they have in their feeders--and they go crazy over it and wait impatiently every morning for me to bring it. I also cut weeds for them (we can't let ours free range) and give them the occasional cut up roma tomato or some grated zuchini (one tomato or 1/4...
Mine is still tentative about it, and only does it just as the sun's coming up and the wild birds are really tuning up their morning chorus. He doesn't do it once they're out in the run. I can't wait til he does, though--I want to see him! He's afraid of me because he pecked me really hard on...
Yes, they do that, those cockerels. But it's one of those "firsts" that we get all excited about. The neighbors, not so much, but nobody lives right near us just yet, so...
It's so cute! Not bad for a beginner.
Our Delware Drumstick is growing up. He's three months old, and looks...
Here's ours before the chicks moved in. It's plywood with a 1 x 2 lip around the edges. Half sand, half PDZ. Super easy to scoop, never any smell. Nineteen chickens, and they all use the one side. The last photo is of the separation pen for chicks or bachelors, w/ a manual pop door...
I have nineteen chicks--ten weeks old. They all seem healthy, with good appetites and normal activity. They've figured out the roosts (although some still prefer the edge of the poop deck) at night. They're all common dual purpose breeds.
What I'm noticing is an occasional poop that is very...
My chickens pile out of their coop first thing in the morning, then at 6 ish I take them wet mash, which they eat while I scoop the poo and do a 360 around the run to check things out. Then I open the other pop door and the human door, so they're sort of in and out all day. In the heat of the...