Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[therapydoglady]

Bryan arrived home tonight with 3 d'Uccles and 3 Golden Seabrites for Samantha. She is ecstatic! They came from over San Angelo way from an older man who is no longer able to show . But he assures us that they are definitely show quality, and he said he has done well with them.

We will go this weekend to Dallas/Ft. Worth and pick up BJ's hens. There are an even dozen of those, counting the rooster, that Adam says would make good show prospects. He had already culled quite a few birds that my mother-in-law was waiting to see at maturity. He said only two of the 21 chicks that hatched this spring showed any promise of turning out good enough to stand up in a show. He is going to help BJ Sunday before we leave and show him why each one is good or bad. Maybe we will learn what to look for. He will bring colored leg bands so BJ can keep them straight in his mind. Adam is such a considerate man, and has been e-mailing BJ with pictures and information on Dominiques. Kinda like some of the folks on this thread! Anyway, we are fast becoming chicken people!

The pens are all set with feeders, waterers, nest boxes, roosts. The feed barrels are full and waiting... Everything but chickens!

Ready, set, Go!

Brie

 

[SunnyAlberta]

Sorry to barge in. Can someone with experience advise me? We are on evacuation notice due to wildfires.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/707372/emergency-evacuation-preparation

 

[Fred's Hens]

I assume you need to run, with your birds?

Hopefully, you have a kennel crate, large dog box, poultry box, or even cardboard boxes. Gather up the birds, put them cardboard boxes if need be, tape them shut, poke a few air holes and go. If you're only running an hour to two? They'll be just fine. Have a place in mind, a friend's farm or somewhere with a stall or pen and you can deal with feed and water when you get there. Best regards to you and yours.

 

[SunnyAlberta]

Thanks Fred. We're ready then!

 

[Kansas Prairie]

There are NO rivers or streams where you live?!!!

I feel for you. Colorado now keeps all of "their" water and our rivers and streams dried up.

We should keep all of our natural gas and let Colorado freeze their....

 

[real_redhead]

For all those who have a lot of experience with chickens what do you do when they have been roosting fine and then all of the sudden won't go in at night/well it has been sporatic the last few months some go in some don't? For the most part they have been going in with no prodding for the last month or so. I have 11 girls, various ages (from 1.5 yrs to 14 weeks old). The oldest one is at the top of the pecking order and I am thinking she goes in first and pecks them as they come in and when they get on the roost; therefore some won't go in. I stand at the people door and watch her sit on the roost right where the chicken door is. If anyone is in when she somes in she pecks them off the roost and stands at the door I swear just waiting for someone to come in. Last night none of them went in except for the oldest, then tonight I put the 14 week olds in (7 of them) and the oldest one went in but when I went to close up the coop a few 14 weekers had come back out and the 3 that are 7 months old were still out too. This has been random for the last few months. I am going out of town in 2 weeks and a friend will be locking up the coop at night I am not sure how good she will be trying to pick them up from the roost the run and put them in the coop - you know how they flap their wings...if you are not used to it it can be knid of scary! Any thoughts / suggestions.

 

[armorfirelady]

Could be your lake would have the same type of small rocks in the sand along it's edges....would be worth a try.

There are NO rivers or streams where you live?!!!

No rivers.....streams yes but none really close to the road where I dont have to carry heavy buckets back to the car for long distances. But I can get close to the lake to get sand so I think thats what I will do

 

[Beekissed]

You can coop them up for about 4-5 days until they retrain to the roost and learn to fight for their roosting rights or you can change the location of the roosts. I like my roosts in the back of the coop and well away from any doors.

Or, if you have an isolation pen, put your bossy hen in it for about a week until a new pecking order has been established and then turn her back into the flock. Worth a shot.

I'm just telling you what I would do if I ever had this situation but can honestly say that I've never had this type of thing happen....could be because I've always had a rooster to sort out the differences and take top roosting position.

 

[bobbi-j]

You can coop them up for about 4-5 days until they retrain to the roost and learn to fight for their roosting rights or you can change the location of the roosts. I like my roosts in the back of the coop and well away from any doors.

Or, if you have an isolation pen, put your bossy hen in it for about a week until a new pecking order has been established and then turn her back into the flock. Worth a shot.

I'm just telling you what I would do if I ever had this situation but can honestly say that I've never had this type of thing happen....could be because I've always had a rooster to sort out the differences and take top roosting position.

That's what I'm going to have to do when my extra roosters are all butchered. Due to poor planning on my part, they are taking up the half of the new coop where I want to put my nest boxes. My pullets are beginning to lay, and I'm finding eggs in all kinds of places. So, once the coop is freed up, the nest boxes will go in, and they're going to be cooped for several days to recalibrate them. I have over a dozen roosters to butcher, but between my job in town and DH starting to harvest, we'll just be doing a few a day or so. Hopefully they'll all be gone within a week or so.

 

[bruceh]

Bryan arrived home tonight with 3 d'Uccles and 3 Golden Seabrites for Samantha. She is ecstatic! They came from over San Angelo way from an older man who is no longer able to show . But he assures us that they are definitely show quality, and he said he has done well with them.

We will go this weekend to Dallas/Ft. Worth and pick up BJ's hens. There are an even dozen of those, counting the rooster, that Adam says would make good show prospects. He had already culled quite a few birds that my mother-in-law was waiting to see at maturity. He said only two of the 21 chicks that hatched this spring showed any promise of turning out good enough to stand up in a show. He is going to help BJ Sunday before we leave and show him why each one is good or bad. Maybe we will learn what to look for. He will bring colored leg bands so BJ can keep them straight in his mind. Adam is such a considerate man, and has been e-mailing BJ with pictures and information on Dominiques. Kinda like some of the folks on this thread! Anyway, we are fast becoming chicken people!

The pens are all set with feeders, waterers, nest boxes, roosts. The feed barrels are full and waiting... Everything but chickens!

Ready, set, Go!

Brie

oh the chicken math begins