Colorado

[wsmith]

Hello fellow Colorado folks! I live in Denver and am new to owning chickens. My boyfriend and I just built a coop for our (well really mine since he didn't have a say in all this) chicks. I adopted six chicks that were hatched in the kindergarten class I work in. They hatched on my birthday so I was a little attached! Unfortunately I believe that 4 of the 6 are roos. Our plan all along has been to have 4 so I figured taking six chicks I would have a better chance. I have yet to hear any crowing (thank goodness for my neighbors and since I can't have roosters in Denver) but they are only 6 weeks old. Anyone have suggestions what I can do with the boys, I have grown too attached so eating them is not an option for me and if someone else wants ok but to I just don't want to know about it! And then I will be looking for one or two pullets to fill the empty nests. Here are a few pics of the chicks and the coop. I really enjoy these forums, I have learned so much, maybe a little to much!

Welcome EHook518!

 

[gardendufus]

MO, I'm thinking (ex bookkeeper here, so I can do the math) 4:30 is WAAAAAY too early for construction design. I can't help with the box design (have you done a search in the coop section. I pop in there every now and then and there are usually people eager to share their ideas.

From my reading, I'd think you shouldn't be getting much poop in your nest boxes. The idea is to discourage them from going in there for anything but egg laying. My boxes have been there for about 2-3 weeks and not one piece of poop yet. No eggs either tho (sigh). Maybe mine just aren't attractive to the poopy birds.

 

[Minchi]

I think I am still trying to hold on to my hay days when I could pull an all nighter. Not sure if I will last much longer though. Maybe a quick nap and then go to sleep early tonight.

 

[ONSTAD1]

Ty. Not quite the edifice you are building... your coop is bigger than my yard ; )

Hoping to get my neighbor to help me do a little heavy lifting today to get run and coop in place. He has been such a help he'll get the first dozen eggs.


Feel like prep is almost done and eggs are only around the corner...my chicks should start laying in about a week...right??


mo

 

[ONSTAD1]

MO, I'm thinking (ex bookkeeper here, so I can do the math) 4:30 is WAAAAAY too early for construction design. I can't help with the box design (have you done a search in the coop section. I pop in there every now and then and there are usually people eager to share their ideas.

From my reading, I'd think you shouldn't be getting much poop in your nest boxes. The idea is to discourage them from going in there for anything but egg laying. My boxes have been there for about 2-3 weeks and not one piece of poop yet. No eggs either tho (sigh). Maybe mine just aren't attractive to the poopy birds.

thanks Sharon

 

[gardendufus]

The older my birds get the more they are looking like fryers and less like eggers.

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

Wow, lots of posts! Trying to catch up...

Everyone new, Welcome! Glad to see you all!

Garden- Sorry to hear that. . Maybe do a breed check on the What breed is this? Forum to be sure. :/

My news, I HAVE A BROODY, Summer the buff brahma bantam!!! The little twerp had accumulated a clutch of 8 by the time we noticed. DH went to take her eggs away and she was so pathetic, wouldn't get out of her broody pose even after he picked her up off the eggs. Didnt bite or fight, just looked miserable. So now we have 10+ BELGIAN QUAIL D'ANVER eggs shipping tomorrow. Any advise is appreciated, I have never had a broody before.

If anyone would be interested in one or two of the chicks after they hit six weeks or so, let me know. I have no idea how many will hatch but the seller had excellent reviews and Summer is looking like she will make an awesome momma.

 

[dennarahl]

also, as a general rule, do the hens poop in their nest boxes much? wondering about ease if cleaning and how much weight that should have in my design,

mo

I'm not too experienced, but in the four weeks that the girls have had their nest boxes, we haven't had a poo in there yet. Before we put up the blocker to keep the eggs in, there would be the occassional bit of dirty bedding flung in there from them dust bathing in the coop.

 

[coloradochick]

Hey

to akk the new peeps!!

EHook the hen in the last pic of yous is beautiful!!

 

[kmatt87]

we have a pit that has some pretty bad anxiety issues(lots of heavy panting, drooling and shaking with loud noises and sometimes without them) and we took her in to the vet yesterday. We mainly brought her in to see what treatment options were for it.
The vet told us to get rid of her and they said it in front of my 5, 4 and 3 yr old! All 3 of them started crying, which is turn caused the dog to freak out (she doesn't like loud noises) and caused the vet to freak out on us some more!

I think its time to switch vets.