The coop is 8x6 with a good sized roost made out of 2x4s. Run is 16x8. There are two windows that I cover in the winter. They're next to my shed so no wind comes through them. It gets cleaned regularly so I don't think there is any infestation.
I have 7 black australorps that are five...
Never had this issue with previous flocks. They sleep out in the run huddled together and under the 18" that isn't covered (even in the rain). I've tried locking them in the coop for a few days with no change. It's starting to get colder, worried they will freeze to death one night.
They...
Black sex link about 7 months old. She laid one egg about a month ago and not one since. She is at the bottom of the pecking order out of 5 birds. The others have pecked most of the feathers off her back but they are finally starting to grow back. When we go out to give them treats she...
Got my first two eggs over the weekend but not one today. Is it normal for their egg laying to be erratic the first few days? She dug out the nesting box today but I couldn't find an egg hidden anywhere else.
Maybe it's just us they don't like. They don't seem to be making the noises when we aren't out there. Watched them for a good hour from the window and no noise. Went out to take them some snacks and the squawking started again. This is a new behavior in the last two weeks. Not sure why...
They are all about 18 weeks old. 5 hens, no rooster. Coop is 48 sq ft, attached run is 80 sq ft. The run/coop gets some sun before noon but shaded the rest of the day.
The birds I had two years ago hardly made a sound except when they laid an egg. This new batch is obnoxiously loud. Seems they are always squawking and they haven't started laying yet. Same breeds as last time, black and gold sex links.
Anything I can do to quiet them down?
I bought chicks from Cal Ranch a couple of years ago. Ended up with 3 roos and a cornish hen. I did notice this year that they have the bins labeled pullets.
Babied her for a while and she finally started to eat. Seems to be doing better tonight. More active.
Couldn't get any of them to touch the boiled egg.
Nothing notable for the first week. Noticed yesterday that it's not very active. All of the rest are up and moving around all the time. This one sleeps until disturbed, then goes back to sleep when the others go away. If I pick her up she chirps for a minute and then closes her eyes and lays...
Anyone have a source for sex links in the SL Valley? I bought mine from Sunnybrooke last time but looking at her website she's changing her focus to ducks.
After several hours of debating max # of hens, we discussed the reason why 12 would be a good number, which was to give us the ability to rotate out our flocks. We then worked it out to the 5 hens, 5 chicks option. This seemed to be a good compromise between those against and those for.
For those that didn't see my other post, after 8 months of work West Jordan has finally approved chickens!!!
5 hens and 5 chicks allowed
5' from property line, 20' from neighboring house
Issues covered by current nuisance laws (smell, noise, animals at large)
3 year permit required
City Council last Weds approved 4-2 the keeping of chickens in residential zones. As the discussion progressed I got more and more nervous but we made it.
The original ordinance presented in November would have made keeping them very difficult so they formed an ad hoc committee of several of...