Their diet is an organic layer crumble, augmented by hay, grass clippings, mealworms, oyster shell, and some kitchen scraps. She is eating very well and is a big healthy chicken!
She isn't eggbound (i've been through that before with other hens). I am afraid to catch her and look at her...
I have two Easter Egger pullets that a broody raised last year, Laverne and Shirley. In the beginning of January, at 8 months, Laverne started laying. In the middle of January Shirley started laying, beautiful sky blue eggs. I was thrilled! Shirley has always been a very skittish hen. I have 4...
Yes, they are. Between the birds at their feeders, and the rats attracted to my coop, the hawks must have a pretty good hunting ground. Hope they catch a few wild rabbits too!
I like to keep them in the house for the first week (a chickquarium), then transition to a larger brooder in the garage or shed. But like DobieLover said, if you can raise them in the coop with the others that would be ideal.
So it turns out there is a family of at least 3 small hawks (either Coopers or Sharp-shinned) living in the trees directly over my new run :eek: I suspected as much, but my neighbors, who are avid birders, just confirmed it. I'm SO glad the hens were only briefly in the run before I decided to...
Clean?! A chicken coop is supposed to be clean? Please don't tell my chickens!
I'm happy if it just doesn't stink. Knock the cobwebs down and sweep out the old litter twice a year, sift the poopboard once a week. The roost is a mess and I think it'll be easier to make a new one than clean the...
I'm not familiar with Cochins, but I wonder if you got bantams by mistake? I'm not a huge fan of stuff in the water, maybe try going with just water for the chicks? Or offer them both? Don't want to risk them not drinking enough and getting dehydrated.
Don't use hay or straw--they are the worst for smell! I agree with the wood chips and the bonus is they will stay moist and help keep things cool. A nice thick layer. When it get really hot here in the NW (not often), I put out a pan of water with frozen water bottles in it. So they can sip cool...
I use a tarp, I've had the same one for many years. It is actually clear with nylon threads in it but a solid one would work well also (you could go camo):). If you use bungee cords to fasten it, it won't flap around in the wind and will last longer.
I agree, some kind of slope, even a slight...
You can set up some "safe zones" with hog wire if you are concerned. IIRC a 6 week old should be able to get through that, but the older ones wouldn't. Put food and water for the smaller ones in the safe zones. But I think they will be fine after the initial kerfuffle.
Thanks so much for the feedback, it is really interesting to see the range of opinions on the subject. I guess I would lean towards the slightly paranoid of predators end.
Jreardon--your setup looks a lot like mine! and your thinking on the big run is similar.
I agree that breed selection is...
So for 11 years my chickens (around 6 hens) have had a totally enclosed 12 by 12 run, and an 8 by 8 coop, and seemed fairly content with the situation. They get locked up in the Fort Knox coop every night and I haven't lost any to predators. But my last batch of hens included 2 Welsummers that...
Maybe I don't have the terms right--I believe skirting is the stuff going out away from the run about 2', and apron is the stuff going up the sides of the run about 2-3'. Or is that backwards?
Regardless--neither of these is going to keep rats out of your run! They can tunnel under the...
I haven't posted on here forever, but happened to read this and can feel your frustration! I just have to say--if anyone is depending on a hardware cloth apron to keep rats and mice out of their run, forget about it! A rat will climb right over any apron in no time, believe me, I have watched...