Colorado

[lovincolorado]

Hi guys thanks for all the input and advice about getting a rooster...I'm gonna hold off till we get the new coop done... Also my wounded hen that the dogs got awhile back she's been doing good and getting better but her feathers ate growing back and the other hens are terrorizing her! He tail feathers that ate growing back... The little winches pulled them out and are pecking her like crazy. There's was blood around her vent today. How can I detour them from pulling her feathered out and picking on her in general? Poor baby has been through so much. Also I wanted to show some progress on the new coop. It's not going to be flashy but its all wood I've gotten for free from construction sites except the 5 2x6's on the roof which was only like 30 bucks. Other then that we haven't put any money in yet. One more question...where should we put the ventilation and how should we do that.? The front of the coop is facing north,

Nice coop! I have a similar frame, and my vents face west and east (over my door). We get horrifying wind from the west, but it is high above the roost, so i have not yet felt the need to close it. There are also windows facing south and east that we open in the summer. I cut the OSB board, and tacked up a rectangular vent frame that you can buy at Home Depot for $2. I got a bunch, but got a little scared about placing one on the north side. If after placing your vents, the inside coop ever smells like chicken, add more!!! There was a good article here about ventilation, basically stating you cant have too much!! Closing up the coop in winter can lead to respiratory problems, so I add heat lamps when the wind gets bad (we hang from a mountain, and it can reach 60mph!)

 

[WendyGeisler]

so for my label... a gal on Etsy will make a custom label and it costs 8 dollars.
Then I took the file to Vista prints, and then I searched Vista prints coupon codes
and found a 50% off one and fee shipping... now the wait for my stuff to come!
here is the tee shirt, tote bag, and key chain.
I also asked the gal to make me a label for my honey!

 

[krcchickens]

I'm building a coop this summer and was wondering about the foundation-is your coop on cement blocks? It looks like it'll be nice!

Yes it is on cement blocks. Our ground isn't level so we burried them to level things out. Coop building is fun huh

 

[krcchickens]

O

Nice coop! I have a similar frame, and my vents face west and east (over my door). We get horrifying wind from the west, but it is high above the roost, so i have not yet felt the need to close it. There are also windows facing south and east that we open in the summer. I cut the OSB board, and tacked up a rectangular vent frame that you can buy at Home Depot for $2. I got a bunch, but got a little scared about placing one on the north side. If after placing your vents, the inside coop ever smells like chicken, add more!!! There was a good article here about ventilation, basically stating you cant have too much!! Closing up the coop in winter can lead to respiratory problems, so I add heat lamps when the wind gets bad (we hang from a mountain, and it can reach 60mph!)

Ok I'll put lots of vents as high as I can. Do you put in down low for summer? To be honest I've never paid attention to which direction the majority of our wind comes. Our othe coop is up against the garage. So it gets wind protection from the garage as well as the house. This one will be out in the open

 

[urbanfarmer101]

I put my vent in on the west side (least amount of gusty winds here). However, I wish I would have put in a smaller vent because every time it rains it comes in.

 

[wsmith]

Only one chick survived the hatch. The one that was stuck finally got out, but was deformed, and not doing well, so we took care of the situation. The other one went out to the brooder and joined the other 4 from a week ago.

The last 20 eggs of the season went into the incubator this afternoon.

 

[suncatcher]

Only one chick survived the hatch. The one that was stuck finally got out, but was deformed, and not doing well, so we took care of the situation. The other one went out to the brooder and joined the other 4 from a week ago.

The last 20 eggs of the season went into the incubator this afternoon.

Wishing you a great last hatch!!!

 

[gardendufus]

Well, trust me to come up with all the exceptions. I have a hatchery Welsummer hen that mounts the other hens. And NOW she has decided to do the unusual and become broody. Or I guess she's becoming broody. Was gone most of the day. Got back about 2:00, decided to collect what eggs were layed to keep them out of the heat. Floppy, my butch hen was on the nest, so I just closed the box up and left it til later. Got busy til about 5:45, went out to collect the eggs as all the girls are usually done by then. There's Floppy, still on the nest. Pushed her off and out, collected the eggs, then went to my evening position of sitting out and watching the hens do their evening thing. Floppy still in the hen house, but not on the nest. She's eating. Then she comes out, drinks a bunch of water, walks around, plops a ginormous poop. and pecks around the yard a little bit. After about a half hour off the nest, she goes back in and gets on it again. I wait half an hour, trying to convince myself she's just laying a late egg. Then go toss her off again. 5 minutes later, shes back on the nest. I toss her off again. This time it lasts 10 minutes. Now she's back on it again. I'm giving her another half hour, then I'm tossing her again. Plan on keeping her off til roost time. After dark, I'll take her out and put her back on the roost.

I wouldn't mind, but I'm about to leave town for 3 weeks. I have all my help lined up, next door neighbor to take care of my dog and feed and water the chickens. Another neighbor gonna collect the eggs from the exterior egg box. Neither of these people would be comfortable opening the exterior box, grabbing a chicken in it and pushing it out the other side of the box, and to tell you the truth, I'd be afraid I'd end up with a chicken flying around in my yard looking like dinner to my dog. Sigh, what rotten timing.

If I weren't leaving, I'd go ahead and let her be broody, get her some fertilized eggs, and just let my flock enlarge a little.

Didn't I hear you say Wendell, that hatchery chicks had all the broodiness bred out of them. SHAME on you telling falsehoods like that.

 

[maggiemo]

I have a hatchery Welsummer who has gone broody twice this year. She is only 18 months old. Both times I have given her chicks and she has taken them and is a great mum.
She is raising 5 bantams now. She has them marching around the run showing them how to scratch for food. If I give them food the broody takes it from me and throws it on the ground and scratches it. She really wants them to find their own food.

 

[lovincolorado]

O
Ok I'll put lots of vents as high as I can. Do you put in down low for summer? To be honest I've never paid attention to which direction the majority of our wind comes. Our othe coop is up against the garage. So it gets wind protection from the garage as well as the house. This one will be out in the open

I have windows that are approximately roost height that open for the summer...