I have 11 hens which include barred rocks, SL wyandottes, and partridge rocks. They are from Meyers, 1 year old this month, and laying well. I need to get rid of them because I am moving and will give them away, along with a good-size metal feeder, large waterer, and a heated waterer. I live in...
Here in northern Wisconsin, it is fricking cold! The temp hangs around 20F for the high and + or - zero at night. My rooster, usually in the habit of making a racket about 5am, hasn't made a sound in the morning for over week! None of them have ventured out of their coop for more than a few...
Check your chickens for parasites that may have jumped off the owl on to one or more of them. Lordie knows what bugs it was carrying around, they all do!
My coop has two 8'x4' rooms with an opening so they can go into either one. Last night it got down to 10F and I decided to use a 175 heat lamp in the far room. When I came to open the door for them in the morning, I saw they were all sleeping in the unheated room complete with drafts!! So much...
The coop is about 3' off the ground with a walkway up to it. The roosts are 1' and 3' high with a ladder they can use. I am thinking the window in the first room keeps them there because it makes the room lighter. Also, they can see out easily in case I am coming with treats.
My coop is two rooms, each about 4' x 8' for 14 chix. There is an interior wall between them with an adequate opening. The roosts are in the further room and so are the nest boxes. They lay eggs in this room, but refuse to go in there for any other purpose and sleep on the floor in the first...
I bake a lot of bread, but use a bread machine!! Comes out perfect every time! But, then, what do you expect from a guy who isn't into that whole "kneading" thing?
Can't help you on brands 'cuz I am looking, too. I have two problems. One is the door mechanism has to hold up under extreme cold conditions during winter. This does not mean the chickens are going out at -30F, it means the mechanism should be able to survive it and work when I turn it back on...
I've heard good things about Ideal, but was always nervous about ordering from them. I figured northern Wisconsin is a long way from that company. But...if you have no problems getting chix by mail from them where you live, I certainly shouldn't. So I think I will give ideal a try this next spring.
The roos are barred rock. The reason I am getting rid of the pullets is because this is the first time I have dealt with chickens since life on the farm decades ago. I thought my ignorance of the subject would bring a high death rate so I ordered more than I really wanted. Only one died three...
Too soon!! My barred rock roo is 13 weeks old now and crows - and crows. This am it started at 5:00 and went on non-stop until 8:00. It crows intermittently all day. If it continues, which it will, it will end up in that big coop in the sky. I can't have all that noise so early and have it rile...
It is 6:30am and the rooster has been crowing steadily since 5:30am. I am sooooo angry with Meyers for sending me 2 roos out of 5 barred rocks when I paid for females. This is a far cry from 10% guess rate. If anyone wants 2 roos, I will give them free. I will also include 5 free pullets: two...
How many of you living in harsh winter conditions have insulated coops? I have seen some coops here in northern Wisconsin that are not insulated, but we can have long periods of -20 to -30F and shorter periods of even colder. I am just building my coop and think it is necessary to insulate it...
I am looking into this very thing right now. It might be early August, but in northern Wisconsin it is time to start getting ready for our long winter. Am going to Tractor Supply this week and see what they have for heated water containers.
My two roos started at 8-weeks, so according to them, I would say the 3-month cochin is starting. 5-months seems like a long time to get its act together.
Mine are the same age as yours and have started doing the same thing. This is my first year with chickens, but I think they are establishing the pecking order. I haven't been able to determine exactly who is the head one is yet.
I ordered 15 chicks from Meyers this spring. One died a few days later, but that was severe pasty butt. The other 14 are hale and hearty and going on 13 weeks old. Among the order were 5 barred rocks and 2 of them turned out to be roosters. I wasn't real happy about that because I paid for...