California - Northern

[Chickengirl1304]

Ok great thank you everyone

 

[PetRock]

i recently got a new waterer/feeder (the bowl on the bottom can be flipped over to change it from one to the other, rather handy) that's quite wide at the base & a short "jar" above -- and the chicks haven't managed to knock it over even once. makes a HUGE difference from those usual narrow/tall ones!

Do the chicks land on the top? Mine want to play king of the hill on mine if I don't have something on top of it.

 

[ronott1]

Sorry I'm not being clear

I mean lights to keep them laying through fall and winter. When are they not really needed anymore. When do they have enough natural light hours and don't need the artificial lights any longer

That was my first answer but did not provide enough detail.

The light goes on mid October and goes off in Mid February if you want the to keep them laying all winter. I want mine to have a bit of a break, so I start the lights on a timer in November and stop the lights in mid January.

If the light is added in the morning then the Hens will start up making noise which could bug the neighbors. I added the light in the evening last winter. I may not use light this year--I have a lot of pullets that should keep laying without light.

Debs_flock gave good details in another post.

 

[PetRock]

For my indoor brooders, I use hamster bottles for them to drink from. Just hang it on the side of the bin. Push their beak into the tip until you see them swallow and they instantly learn how to use it. Water stays clean!


Production birds aren't known for their temperament, just for pumping out eggs quickly. When people come to my house, the first pen they always stop at and say WOW is the RIR pen. They don't even recognize what the bird is until I tell them. An exhibition RIR looks NOTHING like a feedstore bird. And they are HUGE!

I'll have to try the hamster bottles. I keep thinking about buying those chick cup waterers that fit on to a water bottle. What do you use for your quail? They are way messier than chicks!

Exciting news about heritage RIRs! I didn't really plan on adding them to my list but Ron's pics seduced me into buying them!

 

[capayvalleychick]

I keep thinking about buying those chick cup waterers that fit on to a water bottle.

I have about a dozen of these that I don't use because they are a pain. I'll give you one next time I see you.
Mine are metal with no threading. It's hard to get them on the bottle so they stay on the bottle. Then putting it on/in the cage so that it stays put and doesn't leak, without spilling most of the water out in the process is a challenge.
Maybe I'm just doing it wrong but I don't like them.

 

[PetRock]

I have about a dozen of these that I don't use because they are a pain. I'll give you one next time I see you.
Mine are metal with no threading. It's hard to get them on the bottle so they stay on the bottle. Then putting it on/in the cage so that it stays put and doesn't leak, without spilling most of the water out in the process is a challenge.
Maybe I'm just doing it wrong but I don't like them.

Kim, Thanks for the warning! I guess I'm glad that I didn't order any! The ones that I have been looking at are plastic and thread onto the bottle. Maybe if DH wins more than $3 on the lottery, I'll try one of them.

 

[debs_flock]

Quote: I use them for everyone except ducklings. And ducks can use chicken nipples, but with a hamster bottle they have to be able to push in the metal ball. I don't think their bills will fit

The quail, chicks, turkeys all use the hamster bottles with ease. I have about a dozen of them (the 8 oz size, so they aren't too long). If there are a lot of babies in the bin, I just hang multiple bottles.

Here, you can see them hanging.

I get them at Walmart, they are like $2.

 

[PetRock]

This is the kind that I have been looking at on eBay. Only the eBay ones are colored!

http://www.gundogsupply.com/-4449-2-.html

Cutler supply has them, too.

http://www.cutlersupply.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=853

 

[MossyoakLane]

I use them for everyone except ducklings. And ducks can use chicken nipples, but with a hamster bottle they have to be able to push in the metal ball. I don't think their bills will fit

The quail, chicks, turkeys all use the hamster bottles with ease. I have about a dozen of them (the 8 oz size, so they aren't too long). If there are a lot of babies in the bin, I just hang multiple bottles.

Here, you can see them hanging.

I get them at Walmart, they are like $2.

Ok, everytime I see this photo......I show my hubby and say "see, I am not a crazy chicken lady" LOL

 

[debs_flock]

Quote: Actually, they were driving me crazy before they got moved outside. EVERYONE except the ducks had figured out how to jump out. You'd look in the room and there'd be ten chicks perched on the edges and another ten running around the floor. You'd look in the bins and constantly there was someone in the wrong bin. They'd jump out and in with someone else.

My son has told me I am now the crazy chicken lady. We all have our own definitions of crazy. I remind him of the house we went to when he was in 4H. The lady had loose chickens EVERYWHERE. When you walked into her carport, you had to look up. There were so many chickens roosting on the roof joists, you had to make sure you weren't directly under a chicken (they don't look before they poop). She had breeding pairs split up all over under flipped over baby play pens. Her beautiful built in swimming pool (with hand crafted Spanish tile edges) was taken over by ducks & geese and was bright pea green with algae, floating feathers and goo.

I always remind my son............................I'm not there yet