Colorado

[wsmith]

Thanks. Do you think 8 chickens will be enough to supply a family of 6? 2 adults 4 kids

Here's a formula to use... figure out your average egg usage from the store. Lets say you use 2 dozen per week just for discussion purposes. So you need to get 2 dozen per week. OK. IF each hen lays 5 eggs per week, you will need 5 hens, minimum. But not all hens will lay 5 eggs a week, and you have winter laying slowdown or stoppage, depending on the breed, you have moulting which slows them down, excessive heat can slow them down, etc. So with that in mind, adding one or two more sin't a bad idea, and you can give away or sell any extras. Back during WW1, the basic formula was two hens per family member. But lay rates are higher in most chickens today, so 12 hens probably would be too many. We have 5 EE hens that we keep for some friends. they are 2 adults. One hen isn't laying, the other two have slowed somewhat. The other day my friend told me they have 3 dozen eggs in the fridge........

 

[wsmith]

What do the Egg-sperts recommend for my humidity in my incubator? It's currently sitting around 55% but I am still waiting for it to stabilize.

I kept mine between 40% - 60%. It got down to about 25% one day. We had a 65% hatch on eggs shipped from Virginia. My goal this year is to have 85%-90% or above hatch rates. We'll see.

When I was a kid, we had one of those old round incubators that was heated by a light bulb. We had a pan of water under the screen. No hygrometer. A bulb type thermometer. We turned them twice a day by hand. Our hatch rate was dismal. about 25%, and this was with eggs we got from our hens.

 

[wsmith]

We have 5 EE hens that we keep for some friends. they are 2 adults. One hen isn't laying, the other two have slowed somewhat. The other day my friend told me they have 3 dozen eggs in the fridge........

One isn't laying and the other 4 have slowed. Where in the world did I get 2+1=5? Chicken math?, no that goes the other way.....

 

[Minchi]

What I did, and has worked out well is derived from the fact that I am cheap. I prefer frugal, but my kids say I'm cheap.

I built my windows with screen in them, and plexiglass on hinges on the top. These can be opened to allow additional ventilation or closed in winter or really bad weather. I don't have to deal with climbing critters, so my screens are regular window screen. Not a good choice it it within reach of growing bored cockerels. (I have to replace one this spring) Also not a good choice if you have climbing critters, like possums, racoon, etc. If you are in an area with these kinds of animals, I would suggest welded wire or "hardware cloth" for screening. Lots of good ventilation takes what could be a hot-house or an oven, to a nice cool pleasant shady coop in the summers. It can be used in the winter to cut down on moisture buildup inside. Moisture combined with cold is a chicken's enemy. They can handle the cold jsut fine, as long as the air is relatively dry. Add moisture, and you will get frostbite and other respritory issues. These we want to avoid. If you hvae a nice big run for them, my experience is that they will tend to stay outside unless laying, even in the winter. Snowstorms, rainy and windy days they will probably be inside the coop. Some peopl like to open and close the chicken door of the coop morning and night to let them in and out. Some of us leave their door open all the time, unless bitter cold. It is really up to you and how you want to do it.

Chickens can and will get bored occasionally. The smaller the space per bird, the more this happens. When they get bored, bad things can happen. imagine a bunch of girls cooped up together during their time of the month...... Lot of scratch grains, space to move around is important to keeping your flock happy. Happy hens lay more eggs and are healthier. If they are bored, they can start picking/pecking at each other, and can injure each other in the process.

Preparing for chickens can be a lot of fun. Get things ready BEFORE you get your first chicks/chickens. Don't be afraid to ask questions. You WILL get many different opinions. Decide what method of chicken husbandry you want to follow, and go for it.

Bored hens also crap on everything, kick the hay out of the nesting area and dump there water on the floor.

Welcome krcchickens! You will fine all the information you need and more here. I have EE's and a Silver Laced Wyandotte they have done well this winter but I spoil mine, it is hard not to.

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

What kind is it again?

Farm Innovators 4400 Pro. It has a turner, so that will be easy. The temp gauge on the machine is off by 8 degrees. I have a little thermometer in there that is much better and a third thermometer/hydrometer coming in the mail today for confirmation of my readings.

 

[krcchickens]

Bored hens also crap on everything, kick the hay out of the nesting area and dump there water on the floor. 

Welcome krcchickens!  You will fine all the information you need and more here.  I have EE's and a Silver Laced Wyandotte they have done well this winter but I spoil mine, it is hard not to.

Holy moly I'm do excited but its an overwhelming amount of info to process!! This should be fun

 

[Pozees]

I kept mine between 40% - 60%. It got down to about 25% one day. We had a 65% hatch on eggs shipped from Virginia. My goal this year is to have 85%-90% or above hatch rates. We'll see.

When I was a kid, we had one of those old round incubators that was heated by a light bulb. We had a pan of water under the screen. No hygrometer. A bulb type thermometer. We turned them twice a day by hand. Our hatch rate was dismal. about 25%, and this was with eggs we got from our hens.

65% on shipped eggs is pretty darned good! Did yuo do anything special with them, like let them rest or anything, or just pop them into the incubator?

 

[wsmith]

65% on shipped eggs is pretty darned good! Did yuo do anything special with them, like let them rest or anything, or just pop them into the incubator?

I let them rest for about 12 hours, then put them in the incubator. They were also packaged superbly. Little bubble wrap packages, each egg individually wrapped, then more bubble wrap around all the eggs, in a foam lined box. The thing that REALLY surprised me was that the eggs were 2nd month pullet eggs.

 

[Minchi]

Holy moly I'm do excited but its an overwhelming amount of info to process!! This should be fun

Just some information I learned, I have only been doing this for eight months so I am no expert but want to offer anything I can think of from a newbe point of view that might help....

I am sure a lot of people here will agree ACV (apple cider vinegar) is your new best friend. I use a table spoon of Bragg's per gallon of water, two in summer. Also sugar helps calm them so when I make major changes, like moving them to the coop or on mowing days that I have to keep them locked up I dissolve a table spoon or two in there water as well. While they are young you can give them feed mixed with Greek yogurt and bananas, oatmeal and eggs, or just mash(feed and water) as a teat, I started doing this at two weeks old you might wait a little longer then I did. I used the medicated feed with mine and had no serious problems, however I am sure there are many opinions on that point. I also made sure to mix grit into there food. They will crap in the food, if you can put the food up that would be best mine always kicked the wood shavings in the food and then could not find it. For treats I found a shallow cat dish that was rectangular so each of them could get to it without blocking it from the others. I started giving mine mealworms at 3 weeks old, kind of early. That is all I can remember right now. As I said I am new as well and I am sure there is better advice out there, this is just my thoughts from my first batch.

 

[wickedlees]

Hi all, poking my head in today, have been sick the past couple days.
Does anyone who lives in the city worry about the noise? My girls never used to make a peep hardly, just a chicken song now and again, but the house behind us is being sided and MAN oh MAN they are puttin' up a racket the past 2 days! ALL 7 birds are making so much noise! They only stop making noise when I go out! I feel like they are calling me outside to play! The second I hit the back door, they flock me and flap and flap. Talk about chicken therapy!
I'm getting really worried about trying to add turkeys though. I really wish I knew what type of noise to expect. I just want 4 broad breasted bronze, I've decided for my small area they will be the best ones, I've read a lot about other breeds and they are prone to being escape artists and such... Just can't do that in my tiny burb.... As it is I've run over a jar of honey to all my close neighbors that touch because I feel like the girls are making so much noise! Of course it's only during the afternoon, likely half of them aren't even home. But, still.....
Maybe I should play them some music or something !