Wanted to post an updated photo with all four of the chicks still roosting on the roof of the coop.
Sometimes they come in without too much fuss. Generally at least one of them makes a run for it, and I have to chase him/her around the pen for a while. I put a high roost inside the coop...
My three young Silkies are experiencing their first taste of real cold. It got down to one below zero F last night and is a toasty 18F today. Their coop is well built, but not insulated or heated. They have heated water. Today I attached a few horse grain bags on the West facing side of the pen...
I picked up a 32"x32""x8' ground level rabbit hutch with the intent of using it for my 3 silkies for their winter run. They are currently in a dog kennel run, but I was worried about trying to weasel and winter proof it. The hutch is not elevated, is solid on 3 sides and has hardware cloth on...
I found a bob of wet brown poop outside my coop door this morning. Something must have gotten into the run and had been checking out the coop. I live in New Hampshire, so we have quite a few predators in the area, but I hadn't seen any evidence of their interest in the chickens until today. Any...
My Silkie Chick Crowed Today! Scared me to death. Thought something was eating my chicks. I've been thinking that this Silkie was a rooster for a while, but he proved it today. I've been reading through the threads on ratios of hens to rooster, but didn't see anything that discussed whether it...
I see a lot of coops that use metal roof panels but can't find any that mention predator proofing for the ribs (not sure if this is what they are called; see photo). I'm told that we have weasels and that they can enter through the ribs.
We gave up on the idea of converting our barn into a...
I've been trying to find a run that uses plywood on the bottom 2-3 feet instead of hardware cloth to keep chicken heads in and reaching paws out. I'm starting with a dog kennel and was hoping to save some money by using plywood on 2 or 3 of the sides, with at least one side left "open" with...
Hi Everyone,
I've finally got the space in my barn intended for our 3 new Silkies cleaned out (mostly) but I'm concerned about ventilation and predator proofing the coop. I have two spaces: the "foyer" which may be more or less of an extension of the run (daytime predator proofing), which is...
I had my 3 and 6 week old chicks out in their playpen when it started to rain. I got out there pretty quickly but found them huddled in an open corner rather than under the tarp. They're just damp and now back in their brooder under a 100W heat lamp. Is there anything else I should do or watch...
Hi All,
I have a former goat stall that I am planning to use for my new chicks. I went out today to start cleaning it out and discovered that I had done no cleaning after my goats passed away. The stall has a dirt floor and has old (five years at least) goat manure, hay, shavings on the floor...
Hi,
I just joined the list along with my three Silkie chicks and my 8-year-old son who promises that he will take care of the chickens. I've been reading lots of posts, and am in a bit of a panic about getting a secure outdoor setup for our new family members. One of the chicks is three weeks...