My girls are just over 19 weeks old now and we are anxiously awaiting our first eggs! Nesting boxes are in and ready. Hoping it will be soon!
I am curious, however, as to how I am supposed to get them interested in the nesting boxes? They don't seem to be too interested in them, other then...
This is what I'm doing now. There are no predators or reasons they shouldn't be interested in going back in. I'm guessing it may just be that they are young and the whole idea of them going back in is new to them. I think tonight I will just leave them out and see if they eventually figure it...
Thanks for the reply.
Yes I am so glad that I decided to go with this method of waterer! All 12 of my girls have learned very quickly how to use it, and so my mind is at ease! if only I could get them to want to go back inside the coop at night...
When my flock had hit 6 weeks of age, I moved them from their brooder to the coop, but I was not finished building the attached outside run until last week, so for 3 weeks they have been living in the coop. So this past Saturday I finally finished the run and they are loving life!
However...
I recently decided to go the route of 5 gallon bucket + poultry nipples for my watering system and I have a few questions...
For those who are using this system, how long did it take for them to learn to use it? My flock is only about 9 weeks old now, or so and they've been drinking from...
We've had a very unusually frigid winter here in the New Orleans area. This last week alone we experienced the a 2 day ice storm (something unheard of here) and snow in some areas and the schools were closed for 3 days. But in true Louisiana fashion, yesterday was in the 70's and quite nice...
Finally got a few decent pics of the extra packing peanuts that was added to my order from Ideal. Can anyone confirm them as Black Sex Links? Maybe Ideals own Production Black?
Yes. They gave me 5 black sex link males. Apparently this is standard with Ideal from what I have read on the forums. None of the other chicks that I ordered are black which makes it easy.
I have been considering my options regarding the cockerels. I know that for having only a dozen hens, one rooster is more than enough should I ever decide to want to hatch eggs myself. And out of courtesy for my neighbors, I never planned on having any roosters. So I'm left with either culling...
I realize this is an old thread, but I ordered my chicks from Ideal in late December, about two weeks before the estimated ship date of January 8th. Everything went smoothly. They debited my card exactly when it said they would, and actually shipped a day earlier than I anticipated, which as a...
I ordered from Ideal Poultry in January. The "packing peanuts" they sent were 5 mostly black chicks that I am assuming are black sex links. I'll be posting pics of them tonight for a hopeful identification.
It actually took me 2 weeks to figure out that the black chicks were the males...
Hey everyone! Allseeingeye from Mandeville, La. here.
I recently decided to start my own backyard flock in the suburbs and I've been enjoying going over this site for a while now, so I decided to finally register and introduce myself. A little more than two weeks ago our chick ordered arrived...