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

[TexasLisa]

Hey OTs, I'd really appreciate your advice on ventilating and setting up my coop. Thanks!



The coop is the rectangular part on the right, with the white edge on the roof. The part on the left is just storage (for now). The eaves are perforated plastic with wire fence inside to prevent predators from entering. The coop part of the building is about 8 1/2' x 16 1/2'. Currently there are 2 dozen chickens. I plan to keep that number fairly steady, or smaller.




Looking left (east) as you enter the coop. Fiberglass roof. The black chicken at your feet is heading out the pop door. Most of the chickens use the top roost, with some on the bottom roost. Nobody uses the ladder except to poop on. Window (dark) behind roosts is to storage part of shed. Window on back wall (south) doesn't open.



Back (south) wall, roosts out of view to the left. We added this opening for ventilation. It is covered with an old metal refrigerator wire shelf. We have more shelves so can put in more windows like this one. Expensive feeders and waterers bought by my DH, bless him. I love the hubby but not the feeders and waterer (although it is heated). The adjustable shelf brackets he put up are pretty cool, though.



Nest boxes and brooder (west wall), built by DH. I love it, and the hens seem to as well. They use the brooder as a communal nest box. We don't use the heat light and I should take it down. The two roof pieces are held open with a hook and wire. That's because some of the chickens like to roost on its edge. When I closed the roofs, they tried their darndest to perch on the slanted top. So I opened them again. There is a mostly unused door in this wall. It faces the woods and neighbors' property.



Looking back at the door you came in (north). I'm planning on putting a short roost between the brooder and the door -- there used to be a garbage can there that the three top birds roosted on. They were very unhappy when I took it out. (Those are the birds who roost on the narrow brooder edge.) Is a roost there a good idea?



And there's the pop door, to the enclosed run. I guess the black hen decided not to go out after all. The horizontal crack of light in the center of the wall is the bottom of an old window opening, which is nailed shut with those vertical 2" x 4"s. I thought it would be too breezy for the roosts?

Many thanks for your thoughts and advice on what to change.

Oooooh! Thank you for posting your pictures. Your brooding coop over the nesting boxes is exactly what I have been thinking about. Now the key is to get my DH to build it for me.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Lisa

 

[qball53]

I'm an AKC judge in lure coursing...strong prey drive dogs for a baggie! I've bred, handled, and shown all breeds for 45 years. You were just lucky to get a dog who knew her job. I'll bet she was taught by her mother, and was not a 7 week old pup when you got her.Where was she before "She became of age?"

Too many people assume = *** (of) U ( and) Me..that all LGDs will simply know what to do, and create LGD monsters.I know, as a board member of our county humane society. They can be dangerous to people and animals if un- trained in basic obedience. You must be able to STOP a dog, and call it off, no matter what breed you have. Otherwise you have a loaded gun about to go off.

Ask me how I know. I had Mastiffs, the biggest in the US at the time. They would guard, but when I said , "Ok", they were likely to end up in your lap, if invited. Snap my fingers, and you did NOT move. Picture the MGM lion here..They learned what "Not yours ! " meant by 8 weeks.

I had a couple whippets we did some lure coursing with. Yes that is a prey drive, (chasing drive). One of the whippets loved to chase cats! He would plant his nose at the rear of the cat and make every turn that cat made. It doesn't take long for a dog to tire a cat. The cat would stop and look at the dog as if to say how did you stay with me no dog ever does that. The whippet would sit back and wait for the cat to run again. If the cat didn't move after a few minutes, the whippet would nudge her with his nose. It was all about the chase for that dog.

Amber was was 8 weeks when we picked her out. The male we got at the same time was about 3 1/2 months. Amber was a typical tail wagging I can't possibly have enough attention puppy. We picked these dogs up in Arkansas from a great working operation. Their dogs, 25 or more, are guardians both around the house and miles away with the herd of goats. They have a few runner ducks for the dogs to experience but no chickens. Ambers litter was not in with any animals, she had recieved no training. Ranger was running the yard loose with a few other older pups and a couple goats but he had not been placed with a herd. It took us a few minutes to catch Ranger as he had not seen many new people. Ranger was aloof, he had no interest in making new friends. They took Ranger in and bathed him for our ride home. He layed on their couch as he dried and kept an eye on us. He did not shy away when we approached nor did he seek any attention what so ever. They said Ranger displayed the perfect attitude to become a great herd guardian.

We also have a very old rescue bulldog and a dachshund in the house. A couple days after arriving home the dachshund went racing by the anatolians. Amber growled and started to grab the dachshund but Ranger reached out and grabed Amber by the snout. No growl that I could decern, no real force, just stopped Amber. That is the only correction Amber has received. The dogs live in the house with us and were crated when we left. They did accompany us when we work the cows and the chickens. I don't ever remember having to correct Amber with the chickens. Ranger has had a couple verbal corrections when the chickens flew up around him. At about 10-11 months Amber decided she did not want to sleep in the crate any longer, she wanted to be outside. The dogs do not respect the fence so that meant Amber had to sleep in our enclosed area for the chickens. We bring her in the house every evening to eat. She eats and gets some attention from us and lays around the house. But by 9:00 she is at the door wanting back with chickens.

We have a few cows and a bull in the pasture surrounding the chicken enclosure. If the bull approaches the chickens too closely she will charge the fence with hair up teeth showing and gowling, quite an impressive display. We can let her out of the enclosure a moment latter and she will calmly walk right past the bull. One time a few weeks ago Diana was working with the chickens. She had someone coming to purchase some hens. Diana expected the person to call when he got to the front gate. Since that fellow had been here before he felt at liberty to walk in. When he approached the chicken enclosure Amber exploded! Fortunately he had not opened the door to the area. Diand heard the ruckus and praised and calmed Amber. She then opened the door and the 'accepted stranger' walked in without any protest from Amber. This is really a remarkable dog and we have fallen in love with the breed !

Of course anyone can ruin any dog of any breed. We have done our work to assure these dogs see us as Apha. They are too large and powerful to allow anything else. Every dog requires some training but that training should just be correctly living with the animal understanding it is a pack animal and not your child or sibling. The biggest reason I would recommend these dogs over most breeds comonly known is their lack of prey drive that is just one less thing to have to train. Prey drive can be a very strong instinct for some making it difficult to control. It is much easier to mold the natural drives of a breed into a good working behavior than to stop the instinctual drive from being displayed at all. I am 60 and do not have the energy to manage the hyperactive demeanor of say a Doberman for 2-3 yrs. Though those were among my favorite breeds. The Anatolians and admittely I have only experienced these two are my dog of choice. Their natural behaviors make it easy for us to live with them. Ranger has yet to mature mentally, not expecting that until at least two. He still spends most of time in the house and worships Diana. Don't think I would want to be the one to threaten her with him around. The biggest issue with these dogs is that they have a much larger interpretation of what their territory is. A good tall strong fence is required if you have neighbors close.

 

[smyers32]

I know everyone is busy with the holiday, so I'll be patiently waiting for thoughts on these fuzzy butts.
The accursed "bendy-toe" I just noticed this yesterday and it must be a recent development. this is the only one with crooked toes. I read up on it a bit, the causes are listed as 1) improper temp/humidity in incubator. I don't think that's it since the other 7 hatched from the same batch are fine and this one was fine until as soon as a couple days ago. It presumably came out of the shell fine and was fine at 1 week when I got it.
2) Brooder floor not warm enough. This is entirely possible, but seems like more than one would be affected.
3) Genetics. Also possible.

Anything, I can/should do about it? Seemed like everything I read says it's easily corrected when they come out of the shell this way, but this guy is 3.5 weeks old.



My second concern is my non-grower. These two were hatched on the same day, and there are a few others that are even bigger/more feathered than the accursed bendy-toe. Why is little 'Groucho' (b/c of the 'eyebrows') so dang small. I honestly don't think he/she has grown in the 2 weeks I've had them. Anything I can do about it?




And just for fun... the nutter pupper behaving herself quite nicely (they are well within her reach) and the old fart sitting there like a blob because she can't stand to not be in the center of things. "Oh mom, don't take the picture yet!! I want to be in it!!"

 

[normanack]

Oooooh! Thank you for posting your pictures. Your brooding coop over the nesting boxes is exactly what I have been thinking about. Now the key is to get my DH to build it for me.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Lisa

Thanks, Lisa! DH didn't follow a plan -- he looked at pictures here on byc (there are some awesome brooders here!), gathered some leftover lumber and supplies, and put it together.

Cutting up rutabagas, gonna make some pie dough, peel a bunch of apples, and get the stuffing ingredients cut and prepared today. Spent the morning cleaning the hellhole known as my kitchen. So much more pleasant to work in when it's clean (as much as I hate to admit it). Happy Thanksgiving, and belated Thanksgiving greetings to our northern neighbors!

 

[delisha]

Lisa..
When you butcher out chickens or ducks or turkeys, they need to rest. If you butcher out today, the earliest best cook day would be Friday. You of course can cook it any day you want. It is sooo much better if you let them rest at least two days. I find my older chickens are best on the third day. The golden bronze turkeys are best on third day. The time is needed for muscle relaxation and break down. You might want to think about putting this fresh kill in apple juice and ice bags to help with the break down.

 

[delisha]

Foot issues
give the little fella some perches. Some breeds need to roost pretty early to straighten and strengthen toes. Chick is cute. If he does not start growing he is a cull unless you have a surprise egg that could possibly be a Serema

 

[smyers32]

Foot issues
give the little fella some perches. Some breeds need to roost pretty early to straighten and strengthen toes. Chick is cute. If he does not start growing he is a cull unless you have a surprise egg that could possibly be a Serema

Thanks. I put an old metal pitchfork in there, they can roost on the tines or the handle. It has only been in there a few days, so maybe his toes will start to correct with a little more time. These are Marans, so I believe the guy could tell the difference in eggs, but who knows. The little runt eats and drinks and runs around, so I'm just going to let it be as long as it seems healthy.

 

[delisha]

He looks healthy. I would not worry.

 

[delisha]

If you look at the chicks in my profile picture you can see a tiny itty bitty gold chick.. Well she is one of the bigger chicks now. It took her a while, and she is fine.

 

[delisha]

Those chicks are 31/2 weeks old?