Colorado

[suncatcher]

I've heard of tying the dead chicken around their neck so it keeps hitting them....for a few days. My pyr/golden killed my roo and a call duck this summer...he's now chained...I couldn't bear to do that to my dead roo!

I have tired this did not work for me, dang dog (somehow) ate the chicken off his neck!

 

[suncatcher]

I had a small room on my garage that was converted into a coop. It works wonderfully and it puts my mind at east in the winter for the blizzards and the summer for the winds. It gets fairly hot though which was an issue during our many days of our hot weather this year though. I still have to figure out the whole insulation of that area for next summer. But even on the coldest nights, water I have left in their coop has not frozen yet. *I keep the little waterer filled up as I have 2 sets of babies under 3 months old.

I sounds like your small room off your garage was perfect for a chicken coop. Mine is not insulated, yet, but working on that too.

 

[suncatcher]

#23, Abraham, at 7 months old.

Wow, Abraham looks like a really big boy!

 

[suncatcher]

Thx.

Bone scans this Friday, the CT scan next thursday. AFter that we will be able to plan one way or the other.

Wishing you the best! Anything is possible, stay positive!!!!

 

[Pozees]

Wendell, Abraham looks terrific!

Hoping for good news after the tests.

 

[coloradogal]

I never had an issue with smell prior to winter in my chicken area. I do a deep litter method on the floor and a poop litter for their roosts. I have to scrape the boards every week, strain the poo from the stall dry and add more shavings but it was fine. But since winter has hit, I'm having a harder time. I asked Sarah when they came to test my birds what the problem was as I hadn't changed anything. They said that even though I have ventilation going from the ceiling into the garage, there isn't enough cross ventiation when the window is closed. I never had issues last year from their small coops or their room during the summer with smell. It's only with winter and window closed that I am getting it.

So my brother is going to bring over a power tool (cant remember which one) to cut some holes into the wall going into the garage area for ventilation. I suspect once that happens, smell or rather the ammonia that is associated with chickens, will go away. I can't stress enough the importance of ventilation. I truly, truly, truly thought I had enough and I didn't. In the summer when I assumed it would be worse, the windows were open with a fan going so I had great air flow. I just don't have it during the winter yet. So I go out in the mornings now when it isn't too cold and open their window and make sure i close it at night for bed.

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

Hi guys, question for you. I was looking at different ways to make some extra money this year and am debating hatching chicks for sale. I was thinking a sex link breed so as to avoid the classic issues of straight run sales. Anyone have any advise or input for this? Good idea, bad idea, beware of ____. I don't want to hatch 30 odd chicks then be unable to sell them. :/

 

[wsmith]

Wow, Abraham looks like a really big boy!

Yah...right now he is 7 lbs, 9.2 oz. That's 1.2 oz OVER the weight of an SoP Dominique Cock.....and he is only 7 months old! Good thing about this, is that other than his enormous size, he is an AWESOME representative of the breed. The pullets he will be bred to are on the small side for the breed, so his offspring should be a little smaller than he is, bring the weight back down to standard. I hope....

 

[wsmith]

Wendell, Abraham looks terrific!

Hoping for good news after the tests.

Thanks!
Us too.

 

[Pozees]

Hi guys, question for you. I was looking at different ways to make some extra money this year and am debating hatching chicks for sale. I was thinking a sex link breed so as to avoid the classic issues of straight run sales. Anyone have any advise or input for this? Good idea, bad idea, beware of ____. I don't want to hatch 30 odd chicks then be unable to sell them.

Will you be hatching eggs purchased from elsewhere? If you buy sex-link eggs, you will still get about 50% males, but you are correct that you can determine which are males immediately, and either sell them for less or raise them for meat. Seems like Coloradogal bought hatching eggs earlier this year and didn't get any to hatch, but I know sometimes people have better luck. I'm going to be buying some day-old pullets and raising them for 4-6 weeks or until they're feathered and then sell them as started pullets. I'll try it once with an early shipment, and if it looks like it will work out okay I'll repeat it. Next year I hope to have home breds to sell, but will still probably buy pullet chicks and raise to sell - too many people cannot have or don't want males, and don't like the risk of straight run chicks. I don't know that there would be that much money in it, but I figure every little bit helps toward the feed bill Trying with 30 shouldn't be too bad, I would think as long as you keep track of your costs and ensure you sell for more than you invest, little harm can occur, and it might turn out great! Are there any local ordinances that would prohibit you from doing this?