Colorado

[Pozees]

Pics of White Silkie cockerel



This shows his type nicely although he was shifting his weight and his wing dropped a bit, next pic shows his FF encrusted face, because I still have not had time to bathe him, but better view of his wing carriage.

 

[Pozees]

Pics of Fogle RIR chicks and Yashar via Mayah Colloncas chicks just over a month of age

 

[EHook518]

New pics of the Cochins

Pullet (cockerel behind her and White Silkie cockerel to the left)

Cockerel (they switched positions)

Hard to see in these pics but they have beautiful, lush foot feathering.


And Ol' Crusty showing his FF face LOL

I love the one in the first picture! She is beautiful.

 

[Pozees]

I love the one in the first picture! She is beautiful.

Thank you! They were hatched from shipped eggs, out of a BBS pen. The pullet appears to be a splash, her base color is so pretty, very pale silver - I have no idea how she would be regarded in comparison to the LF Cochin Standard, have not had time to read it, for all I know she might be considered too light, but I love her. They're only just over 2 months old so a long way to go to maturity.

 

[FrogEggs]

I am in Texas, so getting updates from hubby and kids....

I put the 6 week chicks in the coop late Thursday night (left town at 4am Friday). They are loving the sand floor (dirt floor under that). No more wasted food, mysteriously empty waterer, etc. Clean, happy.... but the pretty little Orloffs are lonely for their big sisters. When I get home, we'll finish the coop, build the run, install solar panels, and get the little girls out there, too (they still need heat).

 

[skippyscage]

Hey all!

I am new here, we are trying to start our small flock in highlands ranch. Preparing to submit our coop plans for approval. Anyone done this here before who knows how long the approval process is? Or pics of coops that were approved?
I would also love to know if there are some local breeders that I could purchase chicks from? Lots of questions and I am sure to have more. Thank in advance for any help you can offer!

I might be a little late here, but the approval process is simple - you submit your plan (a one page process) and can include photos or plans etc. A coop is basically just a non-permanent building, and as long as it falls inside the maximum sizes for a shed etc it's good. (I'm also in HR)

In other news, I finally finished the coop and put it down where it's due to live. (the photos I snagged of FB so might be a little compressed)

It's a nice shady area, with the house, deck and a tree bordering three sides. The chickens will have free range most of the time.

4 x chickens will arrive tomorrow!!!!

 

[skippyscage]

and here's the photos (for some reason the site kept putting them in the quoted part of the message

 

[Pennoppom]

Hi Y'all,
I just want to confirm with some experienced Colorado (dry climate) chicken keepers that I'm keeping a healthy coop. Here are the facts:

• Coop is about 4x4 with 3 adults and 3 adolescent (10 weeks, now independent from mom)
• Free range through back yard all day
• Using DLM, adding pine shavings every few weeks
• Coop has poop trays under roosting bars
• Spot cleaning nesting boxes and poop trays often
• No moisture issues, smell or flies present
• Replace all shavings 3 x per year

Does this seem okay? It seems unnatural to me to let the poop stay on the floor of the coop, but I can't get the poop out without taking 50 gallons of shavings....


Please let me know any tips or tricks that work for you all, I'm always open to suggestions.

Thank you!

 

[urbanfarmer101]

I clean all the shavings out of my coop and run area once a week. I scrub the coop floor (peel and stick tile) and the roost monthly. Water and feeder get cleaned once a week with disinfectant. However, I do have a little coop 3x4. As long as you are not smelling any funk and the poo is drying you shouldn't have any issues.

When I had my larger coop 10x12 I did a total clean out monthly and disinfected the walls, concrete floor, perches and nesting boxes.

 

[Pozees]

Hi Y'all,
I just want to confirm with some experienced Colorado (dry climate) chicken keepers that I'm keeping a healthy coop. Here are the facts:

• Coop is about 4x4 with 3 adults and 3 adolescent (10 weeks, now independent from mom)
• Free range through back yard all day
• Using DLM, adding pine shavings every few weeks
• Coop has poop trays under roosting bars
• Spot cleaning nesting boxes and poop trays often
• No moisture issues, smell or flies present
• Replace all shavings 3 x per year

Does this seem okay? It seems unnatural to me to let the poop stay on the floor of the coop, but I can't get the poop out without taking 50 gallons of shavings....


Please let me know any tips or tricks that work for you all, I'm always open to suggestions.

Thank you!

I use DLM with no trays. I check the bedding daily when I collect eggs, if it begins to look too matted down I stir or throw in some scratch and get the chickens to stir, and add some fresh shavings. I clean out 1/3-1/2 twice a year (spring and fall).

If you don't have odor issues I'd say you're fine. The main issue with the dry climate is that the DL really doesn't get composting well, and I wind up either putting it in the compost pile, or this spring I spread it on my beds a month or so before I planted them, watered it in, let the chickens stir it into the soil, watered it in a few more times, then just planted the beds last weekend. So far the plants are doing well. Chicken manure can be "hot" and adding directly from the coop to the garden is usually not recommended.