Colorado

[gardendufus]

Keeping my eye on the Elizabeth CC webpage. All is says is that they will be bringing in chicks starting February.

So I had a Dom that didn't look well when I got home. Just looking all puffy, comb looking a grayish rose color. I segregated her for a week. She was eating and pooping well. Finally stopped puffin herself out all the time, looked like a regular chicken. In the meantime, one of my Welsummers has lost (picked out?) almost all the feathers on the back of her neck. I can see new growth coming in, and no bloody or scabby areas, so maybe it's just a molt of some kind. I thought they typically didn't molt their first year. So I put the dom back in the coop yesterday. Every chicken in the run except my worthless EE was picking on her. Made me feel bad that I had separated her and made her go through re integration. Watched them all for a couple hours. Interesting dynamics. I guess I'm going to quit worrying about having an aggressive bird, seems like I just will always have one. Now it's the second Wellie. Picking on just about every bird in the run except the Barred Rock, and even then only backing off cuz the BR fights back. They were getting along fine before I went on vacation, don't know what changed things.

 

[wsmith]

On a positive note, my EE squatted today, a first for this geriatric, non egg laying, worthless but beautiful bird. Goooooooooo Beauty, lay me an egg.

LOL
Yay!

 

[wsmith]

Keeping my eye on the Elizabeth CC webpage. All is says is that they will be bringing in chicks starting February.

So I had a Dom that didn't look well when I got home. Just looking all puffy, comb looking a grayish rose color. I segregated her for a week. She was eating and pooping well. Finally stopped puffin herself out all the time, looked like a regular chicken. In the meantime, one of my Welsummers has lost (picked out?) almost all the feathers on the back of her neck. I can see new growth coming in, and no bloody or scabby areas, so maybe it's just a molt of some kind. I thought they typically didn't molt their first year. So I put the dom back in the coop yesterday. Every chicken in the run except my worthless EE was picking on her. Made me feel bad that I had separated her and made her go through re integration. Watched them all for a couple hours. Interesting dynamics. I guess I'm going to quit worrying about having an aggressive bird, seems like I just will always have one. Now it's the second Wellie. Picking on just about every bird in the run except the Barred Rock, and even then only backing off cuz the BR fights back. They were getting along fine before I went on vacation, don't know what changed things.

It happens. My #33 was limping the other day. not much moving around. She didn't have any obvious injury, only that she wouldn't put any weight on her left leg/foot. I made sure she was up on the roost with everyone else for next few days, and though still favoring the left leg, she is fine and getting around. No picked on issues, in fact one or two of the other pullets are staying with her most of the time.

 

[wsmith]

Question for those who have walk-in coops - I am trying to come up with a plan for a coop I can divide into 4 reasonable sized areas with temporary plywood and netting dividers, and my initial plan is for an 8 x 16 structure which could be divided into 4, 4 x 8 areas, but I got to thinking I only want 1 walk-through door, which might mean I need kind of a hallway along one long side. Then I thought I hate to use coop space for that - so ... maybe walk-through gates in the dividers when they're up? Open to suggestions. I'm no builder.

For those who opted for metal structures, did you insulate? Seems like they would be cold in winter and hot in summer, but maybe they're better than I think they are.

Are you building this from the ground up? If so, I would do it with 1 people door that goes down the middle, with two pens on eiather side. Each of those would have a chicken door that opens into a separate outside pen for each. That's just me though. If I had looked into my crystal ball, I wouold have gone that direction.

 

[gardendufus]

It happens.

Yeah, SO trying to find the right balance between micro managing and not being attentive enough.

I had the same problem as a company contoller, lol.

 

[Ashdoes]

Question for those who have walk-in coops - I am trying to come up with a plan for a coop I can divide into 4 reasonable sized areas with temporary plywood and netting dividers, and my initial plan is for an 8 x 16 structure which could be divided into 4, 4 x 8 areas, but I got to thinking I only want 1 walk-through door, which might mean I need kind of a hallway along one long side.  Then I thought I hate to use coop space for that - so ... maybe walk-through gates in the dividers when they're up?  Open to suggestions.  I'm no builder.

For those who opted for metal structures, did you insulate?  Seems like they would be cold in winter and hot in summer, but maybe they're better than I think they are.

Are you building this from the ground up? If so, I would do it with 1 people door that goes down the middle, with two pens on eiather side. Each of those would have a chicken door that opens into a separate outside pen for each. That's just me though. If I had looked into my crystal ball, I wouold have gone that direction.

Oh! That's a good idea. Like a little hallway. Just make sure you plan for cleaning of the coops, as that's always the hardest part.

 

[wickedlees]

Had another Egg yesterday I have 3 black Austroloups and 1 EE, I watched "the Coronel" waddle up into the coop a couple times and thought, AH-HA! I think we have 2 girls laying now. I'm waiting patiently for the rest. On another note, I made upwards of 30 tubes of lip balm yesterday with some left over beeswax I had from harvesting my honey. All in all a pretty productive day. I'm thinking of making cookies today, I simply cannot get in the holiday spirit. With my Hubby laid off buying presents and spending excess money is last on the list you know?

 

[coloradogal]

On a positive note, my EE squatted today, a first for this geriatric, non egg laying, worthless but beautiful bird. Goooooooooo Beauty, lay me an egg.

too funny. i have a couple like yours... so far, my phoenix is about the most worthless thing ever along with my silkies. all look and no eggs.

 

[Pozees]

Are you building this from the ground up? If so, I would do it with 1 people door that goes down the middle, with two pens on eiather side. Each of those would have a chicken door that opens into a separate outside pen for each. That's just me though. If I had looked into my crystal ball, I wouold have gone that direction.

Hmm, that might be the way to go. Yes, this is a ground-up project. My original vision was to have all pop doors along one long side with what can be one large run, but one that can be separated into four, facing the house so I can keep an eye on them from the kitchen (which is at the back of the house, so this is all behind the house, and in fact would be behind my existing coop and run which will remain the laying flock's digs). As long as the runs were on either side I should still be able to see them. Might make more sense, thanks for the suggestion!

Bob the worrier refused to leave to do his errands today until I returned from grocery shopping - he knows I leave them out free ranging while I leave when I'm here alone, but can't bring himself to do it LOL. He wants to put a temp sensor in the current coop, since we already have a wireless temp and humidity sensor in the barn which we can read inside on the "weather station" and has suggested a bluetooth camera to keep an eye on them. He alternates between worrying about adding more birds, and suggesting how to better monitor them. I guess he's still in that limbo state because he's never had them and his only exposure was as a child visiting his grandparents in Iowa, where Grandma would butcher two chickens of an afternoon and they would feast on what he says was the best fried chicken he's ever had in his life.

As he gets more acquainted with them, he appreciates things like the hilarity of the Blue Cochin (Li'l Lotta) running with wings flapping for a pretty good distance for no apparent reason. The Sussex Sisters almost always exit the run flapping and running, so happy to be free to roam - it does my heart good to see it.

 

[coloradogal]

Hmm, that might be the way to go. Yes, this is a ground-up project. My original vision was to have all pop doors along one long side with what can be one large run, but one that can be separated into four, facing the house so I can keep an eye on them from the kitchen (which is at the back of the house, so this is all behind the house, and in fact would be behind my existing coop and run which will remain the laying flock's digs). As long as the runs were on either side I should still be able to see them. Might make more sense, thanks for the suggestion!

Bob the worrier refused to leave to do his errands today until I returned from grocery shopping - he knows I leave them out free ranging while I leave when I'm here alone, but can't bring himself to do it LOL. He wants to put a temp sensor in the current coop, since we already have a wireless temp and humidity sensor in the barn which we can read inside on the "weather station" and has suggested a bluetooth camera to keep an eye on them. He alternates between worrying about adding more birds, and suggesting how to better monitor them. I guess he's still in that limbo state because he's never had them and his only exposure was as a child visiting his grandparents in Iowa, where Grandma would butcher two chickens of an afternoon and they would feast on what he says was the best fried chicken he's ever had in his life.

As he gets more acquainted with them, he appreciates things like the hilarity of the Blue Cochin (Li'l Lotta) running with wings flapping for a pretty good distance for no apparent reason. The Sussex Sisters almost always exit the run flapping and running, so happy to be free to roam - it does my heart good to see it.

I miss not being able to free range them more on the rest of my property. They have probably close to 2000sq.ft now to roam that is enclosed but the really good weeds are out of the run area. I'm hoping that I can enclose another half acre or so this spring where I can just let them go forage to their hearts content. A couple years ago, I spent so little on feed that I was worried they weren't eating enough. Gosh, I miss those days.

I got my NPIP number yesterday in the mail. Is it just the CO followed by 3 digits? I can't remember exactly now what my number is but something like CO-122. Somehow I was expecting a bigger number.