Colorado

[PirateGirl]

It's getting cool and I'm getting worried. We have a 4 x 4 x 4 coop elevated two ft off the ground that I built for our hens to shelter in when it gets cold or at night time. The problem is that we have only one hen left so I'm concerned that she'll get too cold being all alone with no one to snuggle with. She's healthy, about five and a half months old, and has started laying.

I've looked at getting started pullets shipped but the cost makes this option not possible. The way I see it, I have only two other options which are to order some chicks and hope they've grown enough by the time it gets cold that they can stay with her in the coop or obtain some hens from a local source--someplace within reasonable driving distance.

So, I thought I'd ask here--Does anyone have a couple of hens they'd be willing to part with before I try ordering chicks? I think at this point I'd take on mature or even retired hens. Thanks. Brandon in Denver

There are laying hens on Craigslist in the "farm and garden" section almost all the time. I have seen more than one person post some available in Colorado in the past week. I think you should be able to build your flock back up.

 

[PirateGirl]

It's getting cool and I'm getting worried. We have a 4 x 4 x 4 coop elevated two ft off the ground that I built for our hens to shelter in when it gets cold or at night time. The problem is that we have only one hen left so I'm concerned that she'll get too cold being all alone with no one to snuggle with. She's healthy, about five and a half months old, and has started laying.

I've looked at getting started pullets shipped but the cost makes this option not possible. The way I see it, I have only two other options which are to order some chicks and hope they've grown enough by the time it gets cold that they can stay with her in the coop or obtain some hens from a local source--someplace within reasonable driving distance.

So, I thought I'd ask here--Does anyone have a couple of hens they'd be willing to part with before I try ordering chicks? I think at this point I'd take on mature or even retired hens. Thanks. Brandon in Denver

https://rockies.craigslist.org/grd/d/chickens/6318013745.html

https://rockies.craigslist.org/grd/d/free-chickens-layers-reds-and/6320862050.html

https://denver.craigslist.org/grd/d/adult-cochin-chicken-hens/6317887107.html

I don't know any of these people and cannot speak to the quality/condition/health of the animals, just some ads I saw recently.

 

[DenverB]

Thanks for responding. Sure--we started with four Buff Orpington chicks that we bought from a feed store in Lakewood. Three have died. Two of the four never grew at the same rate as the other two--these two died within about a week of each other. The first was sudden--one morning it was walking around with the rest and, when I went to check on them in the afternoon, it had died. The other smaller one and the third died after about a week and a half or so of coming down with something. It got to the point where they stopped eating/drinking and then that was it.

 

[DenverB]

Thanks! I'll check out those links.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Your remaining hen being a Buff Orpington should make things easier. They tend to be mellow.
The ad pirategirl linked for the Cochin's has even me tempted! They look to be partridge. They should also be mellow. Not the most prolific layers but nice birds.

I am sorry you got some poorly birds from your feed store. Sometimes folks come on looking for replacement birds and the reasons for their losses have not been fixed like their own dog killing them or no predator protection.
It sounds like you got some genetic issues and had an issue with a illness. Not much you can do to see that coming.

 

[PirateGirl]

In other news I got my first egg!!!! It was definitely my silver laced Wyandot hatched In February. Hopefully the other girls aren't far behind!

 

[21hens-incharge]

Bout time right? Lol waiting on that first egg takes f o r e v e r!

 

[PirateGirl]

And the cat I brought home to take care of rodents (who my husband doubted) made 4 kills this past week.

 

[21hens-incharge]

for the kitty!!

 

[Mtn Margie]

PG, Congrats on the first egg!