California-Southern

[MandaMunky]

Regarding there not being a breeze... does this only apply until the baby chicks are completely feathered in? I live in an area where it gets breezy every afternoon pretty much & this makes me feel like I can't ever take them outside in those conditions?

 

[froggiesheins]

Regarding there not being a breeze... does this only apply until the baby chicks are completely feathered in?  I live in an area where it gets breezy every afternoon pretty much & this makes me feel like I can't ever take them outside in those conditions?

Peeps, think of those fuzzies like your own human kids.....if they are outside in the warm sun but a cool stiff breeze comes up, you put a jacket on the kid, right? Well you can put up a wind break for the fuzzies pen. I think what OZ meant is in their sleeping quarters, they should not have a breeze or draft.

p.s. I use a old shower curtain for a wind break for my fuzzies outside on a windy day.

 

[MandaMunky]

@froggiesheins That's great advice. I've been using a large dog crate to take them outside every afternoon. I take the bottom pan out & set it in the grass... half shade half sun & they are having a blast! Eating bugs, scratching up grass buds... POOPING up a storm! LOL This is really enjoyable to watch, but they're all still big chickens when ANYTHING unusual happens. If I'm out there they come running up to me & fly up to my shoulders or hide under my legs & if I'm not there for them to come running to then they huddle in a corner & CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP!

Silly little creatures... =)

 

[ozexpat]

Regarding there not being a breeze... does this only apply until the baby chicks are completely feathered in? I live in an area where it gets breezy every afternoon pretty much & this makes me feel like I can't ever take them outside in those conditions?

I meant for the chicks while you have a heat lamp running.

I abhor wasting electricity. No point heating air that the breeze is just going to move away from the birds.

A small 3 sided box with a low wattage light hanging over the top should be sufficient in your coop

 

[froggiesheins]

@froggiesheins
 That's great advice.  I've been using a large dog crate to take them outside every afternoon.  I take the bottom pan out & set it in the grass... half shade half sun & they are having a blast!  Eating bugs, scratching up grass buds... POOPING up a storm!  LOL  This is really enjoyable to watch, but they're all still big chickens when ANYTHING unusual happens.  If I'm out there they come running up to me & fly up to my shoulders or hide under my legs & if I'm not there for them to come running to then they huddle in a corner & CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP!  


Silly little creatures... =)

PERFECT!

 

[chef glenn]

Hi Everyone, I posted on the San Diego BYC that I am looking for a Barthuner ROOSTER, and 2 Brabanter Hens..
If any of my usual Norco meet up pals knows of anything, please let me know.

Thanks and hope to see you all at the Serama Meetup in Ramona!

Glenn

 

[chef glenn]

OOPS! Forgot to mention Zeke (pictured..) is dancing for joy at the prospect of maybe meeting a couple of Brabanter hens, He thinks Hachi is an amazing gal but just not his type.

Thanks, Everyone!

 

[Sylvester017]

I want to be able to rake the yard part and I was thinking if I put 2x2's in the yard it would be difficult to rake around. Hmmm? Would just having a roosting area in the coop part be enough?

I have a portable daytime roost in our open yard. One 5-foot long sturdy board set up to go through two cinder block holes - the heaviest chicken can't knock it down - even a fairly straight thick piece of tree limb bough can be used as long as it fits through the cinder block holes. Ours is set up under a shady pop-up canopy since we have no big trees for shade. Got the idea from Home Depot that had large round 3-inch thick redwood beams going through cinder block holes as a decorative fence on display. Because we're always thinking "chickens" my DH kiddingly said that would make a great roosting pole and then we laughed. It can be disassembled and moved which is what we like because we are constantly configuring and moving things around the backyard for vegetable gardening. It's about 15" high so the Silkies can reach it. I have a couple remnant 2-foot long 2x4's I attached to 6" legs for other areas around the yard. I never realized how much chickens utilized everything in a yard. They utilize rose bushes against the fence to snooze or hide under. We made 3 low lean-to's about 12 inches high for them to dive under when they spot a Cooper's Hawk. They even utilize the recycled dog house for snoozing/hiding. We once saw 3 hens literally dive into it all at once when they spotted the hawk.

 

[Away2me]

I have a portable daytime roost in our open yard. One 5-foot long sturdy board set up to go through two cinder block holes - the heaviest chicken can't knock it down - even a fairly straight thick piece of tree limb bough can be used as long as it fits through the cinder block holes. Ours is set up under a shady pop-up canopy since we have no big trees for shade. Got the idea from Home Depot that had large round 3-inch thick redwood beams going through cinder block holes as a decorative fence on display. Because we're always thinking "chickens" my DH kiddingly said that would make a great roosting pole and then we laughed. It can be disassembled and moved which is what we like because we are constantly configuring and moving things around the backyard for vegetable gardening. It's about 15" high so the Silkies can reach it. I have a couple remnant 2-foot long 2x4's I attached to 6" legs for other areas around the yard. I never realized how much chickens utilized everything in a yard. They utilize rose bushes against the fence to snooze or hide under. We made 3 low lean-to's about 12 inches high for them to dive under when they spot a Cooper's Hawk. They even utilize the recycled dog house for snoozing/hiding. We once saw 3 hens literally dive into it all at once when they spotted the hawk.

Those are great ideas. Thank you!

 

[sol2go]

I have a portable daytime roost in our open yard. One 5-foot long sturdy board set up to go through two cinder block holes - the heaviest chicken can't knock it down - even a fairly straight thick piece of tree limb bough can be used as long as it fits through the cinder block holes. Ours is set up under a shady pop-up canopy since we have no big trees for shade. Got the idea from Home Depot that had large round 3-inch thick redwood beams going through cinder block holes as a decorative fence on display. Because we're always thinking "chickens" my DH kiddingly said that would make a great roosting pole and then we laughed. It can be disassembled and moved which is what we like because we are constantly configuring and moving things around the backyard for vegetable gardening. It's about 15" high so the Silkies can reach it. I have a couple remnant 2-foot long 2x4's I attached to 6" legs for other areas around the yard. I never realized how much chickens utilized everything in a yard. They utilize rose bushes against the fence to snooze or hide under. We made 3 low lean-to's about 12 inches high for them to dive under when they spot a Cooper's Hawk. They even utilize the recycled dog house for snoozing/hiding. We once saw 3 hens literally dive into it all at once when they spotted the hawk.

nice stories too =)