Colorado

[Regina67]

For all those that free range, does anyone have a snake problem? We get rattlers and red racers ocassionally. Should I be worried?

I'm also curious how those of you that free range keep your chickens in your area? I'm on 5 acres, but with three neighbors surrounding us on all sides - one has 7 horses and 3 dogs. We are working on a fenced 12x24 run attached to the coop and planning to add another chicken-wired extension to give them a sort of partial free-range area, but I'm wondering about letting them out to roam? How does that work? Don't they wonder off? How do you get them back in if you need to, etc? I'm clueless on this one...

 

[BirdaMay]

Hello to everyone in Colorado!
I am in Loveland, and this is my first time owning chickens.

It all started when, for years, I've fantasized about giving my broody 20-year old female cockatoo some fertile chicken eggs to hatch, as she's yearned for so long to incubate real eggs, making nests all over the house and under my clothes and blankets, wherever she can.

Well, this year, we decided to go for it!

I was given 3 eggs- a cochin, an Ameraucana, and a Mille Fleur d'Uccles. The d'Uccles was infertile. But we figured we wanted to end up with some silkies and d'Uccles, so I got 4 day-old chicks of each. They arrived the day the Ameraucana chick hatched! The other egg I put in the incubator with 3 other eggs from another carton I bought from a neighbor. One of them was a double-yolker that quit at day 4. The other 2 in the incubator are a light buff colored egg and a dark brown egg, so that will be fun to see who comes out of those. The cochin egg should be hatching any day now, and the 1 Ameraucana chick, 4 silkies, and 4 d'Uccles in the brooder are doing very well!

My parrot, Birda is back to being broody (what I call "nesty" LOL), so today I got her a ceramic egg in hopes that she will be satisfied with that and not lay one of her own. I've lost a bird to egg binding before- never again, but I can't have eggs in the bator all year, hence the ceramic egg.

I just had major surgery on June 14th, so this chick therapy is a real blessing. I just gave them a tiny homemade chicken swing tonight & tomorrow, hope to expand their brooder & give them a sand box. I really hope to be healed in time to make my chicken tractor & modify one of the two dog houses I got to make chicken coops out of!

Anyway, that's what we're doing at the moment! I just wanted to connect with other chicken owners in Colorado and the north front range area.

Happy hatching!

 

[Auntie Moose]

Winter is coming. Ha ha ha!! I think you are my kind of girl. Why did I not think of GoT names for my chicks?

 

[Latestarter]

For all those that free range, does anyone have a snake problem? We get rattlers and red racers ocassionally. Should I be worried?

I'm also curious how those of you that free range keep your chickens in your area? I'm on 5 acres, but with three neighbors surrounding us on all sides - one has 7 horses and 3 dogs. We are working on a fenced 12x24 run attached to the coop and planning to add another chicken-wired extension to give them a sort of partial free-range area, but I'm wondering about letting them out to roam? How does that work? Don't they wonder off? How do you get them back in if you need to, etc? I'm clueless on this one...

One thing that a lot of folks use is the electro-netting. Not advertising for them and own no stock, but the one from Premier always gets good reviews. https://www.premier1supplies.com/c/fencing/electric_netting/ It's a little pricey, and if you have fliers, they can go over the top and out, but as long as the bugs and grass aren't better outside, they should stay in fine. The nice thing is you can move it easily to different areas to rotate grazing areas. To get them to follow you, train them to "chicken crack" - scratch grains, or meal worms. Every time I feed mine anything special I always call to them; Chick, chick, chick and they come running. You can also put a few pebbles in a sealed metal can like one of the old style coffee cans and shake it when you feed them so they come to expect food when they hear it... Think Pavlov's dogs...

@BirdaMay Welcome to BYC and the Colorado thread. There are several here that live right in your area. I believe @21hens-incharge is in Loveland also. Sorry to hear about your medical issues and glad you are recovering. Congrats on the hatching and new chicks! Since you already had a bird, I'm sure you know how addicting they can be. You'll have a yard full in no time at all!

And they are great therapy when you need a break from everything else... just go watch some chicken TV and it's remarkable how much better you feel afterwards. They make some pretty decent living yard ornaments as well, with eggs as a side benefit.

 

[Regina67]

Hi @BirdaMay - welcome to the group! Congratulations on your new babies - how exciting! I haven't even moved my chicks out into the coop yet and I've already been eyeballing incubators and hatching-egg deals...lol

@Latestarter - thank you for the tips and the link. I've bookmarked it and will run it by my husband later tonight. Maybe next spring we can work it into the budget. Just got off the phone with him and he said he's "got the most elaborate chicken coop going in El Paso county - that's his story and he's sticking to it"...hahaha!

I've already been working on the "bird call" training with them. I call them "pretty birds, pretty birds" every time I go in to visit them in hopes that they'll eventually come to it once they're outside. Keep your fingers crossed for me! My grandmother used to raise ducks and always had various birds, finches, cockatiels, etc., for as long as I can remember. "Pretty birds" just fell out of my mouth one day and I thought...oh, thats what grandma used to call her birds! And so it begins...

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Regina67 start hand feeding your girls cooked rice when you do the "bird call". They,ll start coming right to you when they hear your voice

 

[Regina67]

Regina67 start hand feeding your girls cooked rice when you do the "bird call". They,ll start coming right to you when they hear your voice

Off I go to cook some rice! e

 

[Latestarter]

I am no longer in possession of a BA roo. While filling the feed trough for them, the roo flogged me and got me good on the right forearm in 3 places. I was bleeding quite well (pressure is obviously adequate). He has attempted to numerous times in the past, and had been schooled about the stupidity of doing so. This time he paid with his life. I always watched him when I open that enclosure and he appeared to be minding his own biz in the back corner, then came out of nowhere.

I no longer have to worry about entering that enclosure. Since I am not hatching nor selling eggs for same, it's no great loss. I who profess that there's no reason to keep a mean roo, have followed my own advice.

 

[JessHeller]

I just found out my beautiful Silver Laced Wyandotte named Lacy is seems to actually be a Larry. Anyone interested in a 4 month old roo?

 

[lomine]

Welcome @BirdaMay !

@Latestarter Can't say you didn't give him a chance. Hope he at least makes for a good meal.

@JessHeller That stinks. I'm not permitted roos either. I have some straight run Ameraucanas that I have to worry about. I thought for sure I knew what they were based on feather growth and combs but I have doubts now. I'm just going to have to wait until they are at least 12 weeks old. The good thing is I know a person that will take a roo and I can have fertile eggs in the future. Not being able to have roos in the city can be the pits sometimes.