Colorado

[wattsjadajoe]

Joe, what did you use for a heat source, fan and thermastat? I am making one but big and I am stumped.

I used a water heater (lower) thermostat and a 12 vdc computer fan. I just slowed the fan down by using a 9vdc source.

Oh heat is a 15 watt and 25 watt lamp. And this was through the winter. I am adding a rheostat to the 25 watt lamp for the summer, since it will not need so much heat!




This is a very good thread!!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ors-whether-they-work-or-not/180#post_8668787

 

[wattsjadajoe]

Joe, I am also in Colorado Springs, and I have gotten all my chicks this year from Elizabeth and Kiowa. In fact I am due to pick up my last chicks in Elizabeth on 4/6. If you just don't want to make the drive, You could call and try to get some reserved at either Elizabeth or Kiowa. Both stores are easily accessible once you get up there. I would be glad to pick them up for you when I go to get mine. Well within reason, you might have to provide a carrier if you are getting a lot.

PM me if this is something you think would work for you.

I would love to, but DW says I need to slow down!!!

I just placed 36 pullets/roos in their outside coops this past weekend, I have 8 chicks (Hatched) in the brooder with 2 ducklings... and I have an order to arrive (15) on April 30th!! So I'm done for this year!! Oh yea, I will incubate 24 eggs starting on April 7th so any that hatch can be placed in the brooder with my April 30th order!!

Hands Full!!

Joe

 

[coloradochick]

Oh come on Joe, since when did any of us listen to our hubbys/wives....Just kidding

My husband Curtis just kind of smiles while shaking his head at me. I made the drive down to the farm stores that Dufus is talking about last week. What a trek!! Over 100 miles roundtrip. I would love to go again but not at 3.70 a gallon to get there. I like them because they have breeds that none of the other stores ever order and they have some that are already several weeks old that haven't been sold yet.

But like you I have hands full'o eggs. Incubator with goose, duck, and chicken eggs; my little gold-laced banty Cochin Princess is sitting on a mix of eggs as of yesterday, yelling at everyone that comes near. And when I went out to shut them up lastnight one of my Silver Spangled Hamburgs was MIA. I found a nest last week with 9 eggs in it and just left it. Well I found her hunkered down in the tumble weeds on it lastnight. I pulled her off of the 13 eggs and put her and them in a nest in the barn. Not sure if she stayed or not. But I couldn't leave her out for the coyotes.

 

[wattsjadajoe]

Oh come on Joe, since when did any of us listen to our hubbys/wives....Just kidding

My husband Curtis just kind of smiles while shaking his head at me. I made the drive down to the farm stores that Dufus is talking about last week. What a trek!! Over 100 miles roundtrip. I would love to go again but not at 3.70 a gallon to get there. I like them because they have breeds that none of the other stores ever order and they have some that are already several weeks old that haven't been sold yet.

But like you I have hands full'o eggs. Incubator with goose, duck, and chicken eggs; my little gold-laced banty Cochin Princess is sitting on a mix of eggs as of yesterday, yelling at everyone that comes near. And when I went out to shut them up lastnight one of my Silver Spangled Hamburgs was MIA. I found a nest last week with 9 eggs in it and just left it. Well I found her hunkered down in the tumble weeds on it lastnight. I pulled her off of the 13 eggs and put her and them in a nest in the barn. Not sure if she stayed or not. But I couldn't leave her out for the coyotes.

We do love our little ones!!!!

I have to even things out before I consider more...although the DW loves the little ones.... I got 2 ducks last week because she wanted them..now I gotta make some duck coops/runs!!
We will get more, just not this season!!

Joe

 

[gardendufus]

I am so trying to hold myself back. you guys with your chickens in the 30-50 range drive me crazy. I'd like to, but I'm already so over my legal limit, even tho I live in the county, the zoning for my area only allows for 2. Makes me so mad, the CITY allows 10. So, only 8 this year, with plans if everything works out with my neighbors to add 2 or 3 new chicks every year. My coop is large enough for 20, and that should allow for me to always have girls that are laying. Sigh.....shoulda checked the zoning before I moved. But I wasn't interested in chickens til afterwards, whodathunkit.

 

[ttclan]

I am so trying to hold myself back. you guys with your chickens in the 30-50 range drive me crazy. I'd like to, but I'm already so over my legal limit, even tho I live in the county, the zoning for my area only allows for 2. Makes me so mad, the CITY allows 10. So, only 8 this year, with plans if everything works out with my neighbors to add 2 or 3 new chicks every year. My coop is large enough for 20, and that should allow for me to always have girls that are laying. Sigh.....shoulda checked the zoning before I moved. But I wasn't interested in chickens til afterwards, whodathunkit.

I feel your pain...we made the mistake in our last home to live in an HOA...city allowed hens but not the HOA...I was tempted to house them in my basement. We have only recently been able to have any chickens after years of waiting...not even sure that we can stay were we are located, but trying to enjoy them while we can. I can't believe that out of town you can only have 2...seems like that needs to change.

PS...we won't tell.

I don't know nothin' nether does anyone else on this board...right?

 

[wattsjadajoe]

I am so trying to hold myself back. you guys with your chickens in the 30-50 range drive me crazy. I'd like to, but I'm already so over my legal limit, even tho I live in the county, the zoning for my area only allows for 2. Makes me so mad, the CITY allows 10. So, only 8 this year, with plans if everything works out with my neighbors to add 2 or 3 new chicks every year. My coop is large enough for 20, and that should allow for me to always have girls that are laying. Sigh.....shoulda checked the zoning before I moved. But I wasn't interested in chickens til afterwards, whodathunkit.

I feel your pain...we made the mistake in our last home to live in an HOA...city allowed hens but not the HOA...I was tempted to house them in my basement. We have only recently been able to have any chickens after years of waiting...not even sure that we can stay were we are located, but trying to enjoy them while we can. I can't believe that out of town you can only have 2...seems like that needs to change.

PS...we won't tell.

I don't know nothin' nether does anyone else on this board...right?

That has to be hard!!!

You would think with all the coop ideas that a coop/run could be built that wouldn't bother anything! I went to a friend's house back home that had hens.....and I couldn't even tell they were there! Good luck!
Maybe we might start some sort of chicken rotation!! Call it "out of town" chicken duty!!

Should I start making some "visiting chicken" coops?


Joe

 

[wattsjadajoe]

Whoo Hoo!!!!
The new shipment of meal worms (3000) arrived today!!!

Gonna have happy chicks tonight!!!!!

Joe

 

[ryan820]

I love my chooks but I do not like them in my house!!!!!! My five new wyandottes are in the garage now. Didn't matter how much I cleaned the pen they stank up the basement horribly! Thank god they're outside pets!

So far I have resisted buying more chooks. I so want blue laced red wyandottes. Murdocks has them and I want them.

 

[ttclan]

I love my chooks but I do not like them in my house!!!!!! My five new wyandottes are in the garage now. Didn't matter how much I cleaned the pen they stank up the basement horribly! Thank god they're outside pets!

That was the BIGGEST reason I didn't have them in the basement...as it is we have our chicks in the cabin with us (if I had a garage they would be there not inside) and I have been begging, okay ranting,

that the new coop NEEDS to be finished like 2 weeks ago, because I can't stand the smell of them any more!

I couldn't imagine living with it full time! YIKES!

It should be finished today...but then we still need power to it. We were going to run a cord from the generator, but decided a couple of days ago to rig up a solar power system - sooo...I must wait a few days more to get all the things we need to get that hooked up. And hopefully, I will only have to deal with the dust, smell and big gals indoors a few days more!

My mistake for suggesting we start them early inside...should have known it would be more than 4 weeks.