Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[mooandmcgee]

@Teila your cook looks AMAZING!!!

Seeing that a lot of you are very chicken savvy I have this question for you: When buying a coop is the poop drawer a must have? Lots of coops on the market have a slatted wooden bottom with cracks between. Is this ok or should I hold out for a poop drawer. Want my chicks to have a clean house, I have enough on my plate and don't want to be constantly cleaning it out.

We are making our own run so only need the coop. If any of you know of any reliable companies please let me know.
Thanks!!!

 

[Fancychooklady]

@Teila your cook looks AMAZING!!!

Seeing that a lot of you are very chicken savvy I have this question for you: When buying a coop is the poop drawer a must have? Lots of coops on the market have a slatted wooden bottom with cracks between. Is this ok or should I hold out for a poop drawer. Want my chicks to have a clean house, I have enough on my plate and don't want to be constantly cleaning it out.

We are making our own run so only need the coop. If any of you know of any reliable companies please let me know.
Thanks!!!

The poop tray is really just a gimmick , never worked for me. Chickens just don't poop where you want them to and half the bedding ends up in there.

 

[MyHaven]

Mo

You cannot predict the dangers awaiting your babies. Just found a cockerel trying to pull one of the chicks through the wire.
Bloody beak and perhaps torn nare , seems to be the only damage.

Mongrel thing. It makes me mad when one of my own is the perp. I hope it's ok.

My magpie experience was 30 years ago. It taught me to be extra wary with chicks - two layers of protection when in the yard so they can not be pulled through even tiny wire. I didn't see it but I suspect the chick thought the magpie was going to show it food.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Mo
Mongrel thing. It makes me mad when one of my own is the perp. I hope it's ok.

My magpie experience was 30 years ago. It taught me to be extra wary with chicks - two layers of protection when in the yard so they can not be pulled through even tiny wire. I didn't see it but I suspect the chick thought the magpie was going to show it food.

It takes years of experience to witness every conceivable scenario and I'm sure I still haven't seen them all. My gold laced Wyandotte momma waits for me to come in the morning and pick her up , remove her from the brooder , where she unceremoniously drops the biggest smelliest broody poop and then hops back in with her chicks. It's almost like she is ' toilet trained '
My other babies are in a rabbit hutch, covered with cherry netting and a second row of wire to stop anyone getting in and anyone getting out.

 

[MyHaven]

Yes, if they ever discover just how broody some hens can be, we'll be overun by the things. Didn't know we had species of cuckoo's here, that's not a good thing for native birds. I get out my camera, and who runs over but Annabelle. Everywhere I aim the thing, is where she needs to be, right then and there. So here's a nice pic of her, looks like she'd just had a drink though, her neck looks wet. Once I took it, she moved on. Master of mischief that girl.

Oh my goodness a chicken who poses for a photo. Mine show the camera their butt, their wing, the back of their head. . .... And so on.

 

[MyHaven]

It takes years of experience to witness every conceivable scenario and I'm sure I still haven't seen them all. My gold laced Wyandotte momma waits for me to come in the morning and pick her up , remove her from the brooder , where she unceremoniously drops the biggest smelliest broody poop and then hops back in with her chicks. It's almost like she is ' toilet trained '
My other babies are in a rabbit hutch, covered with cherry netting and a second row of wire to stop anyone getting in and anyone getting out.

True about every aspect of our lives - if we knew it all, we could predict it all and that's just not natural. Not that we could.

Your GLW is a beauty and obviously smart too.

 

[MyHaven]

That's what I did and all day they were fine then they slept together and then when I went out to them the next day the bigger girls wouldn't let the littlies near the food the silkies were fine with them. They have been sharing the coop with a wire divider for the last 2 days so today when I put them in the new run even the silkies picked on them. Mine were in a run next to each other for 3 weeks before I put them together.  Poor babies

I hope you have better luck.

Fancychooklady a bit of excitement is always good the circulation. I hope they weren't too unhappy with you. 

Myhaven they other night when I put the chicks to bed I accidently locked the ISA's  in the run when I went out later I let them in the coop. Only 1 went in and roosted the other 9 huddled out near the run door. I even shone a torch in the coop so they could see where to go but they wouldn't go in there silly things. Yours sound very clever putting themselves to bed.

I'll be leaving my bubs until they are bigger before I let them mingle properly. They aren't big enough yet and won't be for a little while longer. I'm feeling your pain - between babies, youths, cockerels and quarantine I have 6 pens. It's a lot more work.

If you needed the torch the other night maybe your loves were too deeply asleep. Chooks are "brainless" when asleep. It makes them an easy target for predators, they just don't wake well.

 

[Anniebee]

Welcome.

Can't move past photos. Were you told what breed your chicks are? If they came from a mixed pen it could just be her make up to be smaller. She could even be a naked neck if you are lucky. I can't zoom in on the photo on this device unfortunately.

If she's eating and behaving normally, doesn't have diarrhoea or any bad signs and you're providing all normal care needs. Heat, chick starter etc. I wouldn't stress. She will probably feather out shortly.

Far more knowledgable people than I might have better advice though.

Keep us updated.

I must go now and see who is trying to crow.

MyHaven - if you go to the ORIGINAL photos, you should be able to click or double click on the photographs --- then use (< back ) to return to the post. The first photograph from mooandmcgee shows quite a naked neck on the chicken, so I hope you can help with that diagnosis, if you can take a good look at the photo. .... Will post directly to mooandcmgee with a bit of other info.

Cheers ......

 

[Anniebee]

Welcome.

Can't move past photos. Were you told what breed your chicks are? If they came from a mixed pen it could just be her make up to be smaller. She could even be a naked neck if you are lucky. I can't zoom in on the photo on this device unfortunately.

If she's eating and behaving normally, doesn't have diarrhoea or any bad signs and you're providing all normal care needs. Heat, chick starter etc. I wouldn't stress. She will probably feather out shortly.

Far more knowledgable people than I might have better advice though.

Keep us updated.

I must go now and see who is trying to crow.

MyHaven .... if you click or double click on the ORIGINAL photographs on mooandmcgees' post, you should be able to see the naked neck of the chicken in question. Then use ( < back ) to return to the post .... ( you probably know all that already

). I have run into trouble trying to access larger photo's from re-posts - - - doesn't work. !!

The photograph does show a rather bare chicken neck - and your comments are far more responsible and informative than I could give.

Will post to mooandmcgee with a welcome .... and a comment or two.

Cheers .......

 

[Anniebee]

For some reason, this site is not allowing me to post by reply / quote. ???

Wonder if this will work ?

AB ...