Colorado

[COChix]

Wasn't 80 here last night, but warm enough that the heat was turned off and one bedroom window was wide open all night. I slept pretty good when I slept

And here I was worried you weren't warm enough.

 

[renzanity]

It's been awhile since posting in this thread but I'm in a suburb of Denver. We have two adult ducks, a male domesticated mallard and a female Pekin. They are both about 18 months old. I know the Pekin has a history of laying eggs just fine so I am trying to see exactly when I can expect her to start for us. We got them as their third owners in October. They are a bonded pair. She tends to be quite skittish as she is pigeon toed and therefore a slow mover, so I think she was an "easy catch" for little hands with her first owners :/ I have caught her in the nesting box a couple of times in the past two weeks but no eggs. I have seen the pair mating. They share a 50 gallon pool. It's her favorite place to be. Has anyone gotten any eggs from their ducks yet for this season? Thanks in advance.

ETA I check the whole area of their enclosure and house every morning for an egg. At night they are locked in their house so I'm pretty certain she isn't laying any.

 

[lomine]

I've been getting eggs from my ducks for weeks now. Have you checked in the bedding? My ducks like to cover their eggs. Also did you check the pond? I've heard of ducks laying their eggs in the water.

 

[renzanity]

I've been getting eggs from my ducks for weeks now. Have you checked in the bedding? My ducks like to cover their eggs. Also did you check the pond? I've heard of ducks laying their eggs in the water.

Dang I do check through the bedding. I change the swimming water once a week and there's nothing down there. Maybe I'm not letting them out early enough? Their house has windows though...

 

[JessHeller]

Just jumping on the CO bandwagon! I've been on BYC for almost a year now and have 4 hens and 2 new chicks that I couldn't resist and shouldn't have as I'm in Longmont but what the heck. Also have 2 dogs, 3 cats and 2 Russian tortoises - they are my son's but so where the chickens

but I've somehow taken them over. They are a great group of ladies and I really enjoy having them.

 

[Latestarter]

Well greetings Jess and welcome to the Colorado thread! yeah, danged birds can get a little addicting... Nobody here will report you though, so don't worry about that! Go get a couple more, they're SMALL...

 

[COChix]

Ok chicks alert.....so this batch of chicks has been easy one me. Night two outside they put themselves to bed under their heat pad by 7. While there was light I took some shots. Everyone was chirping away.

Little One - she is mishevious always! She is the friendly one of the flock always pestering me when I am around. She snuck her way In the brooder area earlier when I was putting feed in for them. I didn't see her and found her nested down in the bedding behind the brooder. later in the am, I come out to see this, she is bound and determined to get in. So later I let her in with the chicks In the dog kennel. She was interested in their food and water, so I pulled that. She didn't do anything, she just pecked at things they stayed scared up on the heat pad cave in top. She didn't attack them but she didn't call them over or anything. Removed her and then tried again later and let her eat and drink in kennel. The chicks ventured to the feed bowl watching her and she stopping and staring at them, but didn't do anything. Keeps eating and drinking so I remove her again. Might see what she does for longer but I think she was looking for a nest. Behind the brooder away from everyone is a good spot, I found her egg after I came back from an appointment but in the nest box where it belongs.

 

[cdlord]

Hi all, fellow Coloradan here. New to BYC and chickens. Here's my intro thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1094728/hello-all#post_16824447

I think I know what my coop and run are going to look like now. My main concerns are keeping them comfortable and safe in the extreme heat and cold our weather can be. Coop is going to be a 4x4 structure on stilts with an "open" shelter underneath and the run filling the remaining 6x10 area I have in mind.



I'm only looking to raise 4 chickens for fresh eggs and a neat experience for my kids. The area is a blank slate. I read on here someone using sand for the run, is that OK or is straw better (I plan on giving them straw so they can haul it into the coop to build their nesting area anyways). Is straw enough insulation for them in the winter?

 

[Latestarter]

Greetings @cdlord ! Welcome to BYC and the Colorado thread. Some use sand, some use straw, many use wood/pine chips, some use a mixture of organic matter to include weeds, sticks, grass clippings and especially leaves. I think the decision really comes down to how much work do you wish to do, and how often. With sand, think cat's litter box and scooping regularly. With a hodge podge (referred to loosely as deep litter - there are threads here about it) you basically clean it once a year or so... just keep adding more "stuff" over time and let it compost itself as it goes. Different strokes for different folks. Sometimes it comes down to what's available where you're at. Not much in the way of leaves available in high desert areas... That sort of thing.

There's loads of good info, examples, pictures of coops, etc. on the coops thread. You never know, you may pick up a few ideas or pointers over there. The chickens typically handle the cold quite well as long as you give them a place to hunker down and fluff up without direct drafts blowing on them. A 2x4, flat side up as a roost gives them a place to curl their toes over the front and sit on their feet to keep warm. The biggest issue is normally with large combs on roosters and frost bite. LOTS of ventilation in the coop is absolutely critical in heat and cold. You want to get that moisture out, especially in the cold. They wear a down coat year round, except during molt...

If you're in a desert environment where it gets really hot during the summer, some folks set up misters or freeze soda bottles to put in their water. The big thing is really to just provide them a shady area to escape the sun and catch a breeze now and again. Some use a small pool or basin with about 3-4" of water in it that they can step into to cool their feet. Not too deep though as chickens don't swim.

Anyway, glad you joined us! Have fun with the whole process and share some pic updates as you progress! Oh, and just a tip/hint... Unless you have willpower of steel, chicken math could strike you as it has so many others. You always want to build a little bigger than you think you need to make room for "just one more" bird down the road

Remember, the old birds who no longer lay don't count, the babies don't count, designer birds don't really count as chickens... so those 12-15 birds might really only count as "6" chickens...

 

[cdlord]

@Latestarter Thanks for the info! What I'm planning to do should be enough for 4-5 birds and while I am going for egg laying, it's a convenience, not a necessity, so when they take their winter break or get too old to lay (and thus qualify for a "seat" at the dinner table) it won't be a big deal.

I think I'll try for straw as their ground cover that way I just have to worry about one material instead of two and I can supplement that in the summer with grass clippings and garden waste. I like the misters idea and may try to implement as long as it doesn't get too muddy for them.

My Coop I am looking at 4'x4' for 4 chickens and you mention using an elevated 2x4 for them to roost on (as opposed to the floor). Is a "double decker" roost feasible (meaning I'll have to make the coop taller than I originally planned)? Think a cube with a canted roof (and I plan to use rain runoff as supplemental water supply) where the 4' height is the peak. The roof will then cover the full 6'x10' area including coop and run.