Colorado

[coloradochick]

Yep Shy, I get all excited when I see the post titles on here and Craigs but then......I see "cockerels" NOOOOOO

As much as I would love all of your
re-homeys to be running around up here I just can't have all those pretty bantam boys darn it.

 

[ColoradoGirl42]

Hi everyone. I haven't posted for quite a while, but thought I'd get back on, so I could encourage anyone who's trying to decide whether to get chickens.

I bought half of an EXISTING flock of Easter Eggers last year, and they have been great. I got 1 rooster, 4 babies (2 boys, 2 girls), and 8 hens.

It was fun watching the boys when they were young, with their mock fights and hilarious teenage crowing, but when they grew up and started treading the hens, I had to get rid of them. :-( One rooster is plenty for 11 hens.

Other than that, the entire experience has been incredibly fun! My rooster protects the hens and calls to them whenever there are food treats to be had. The girls have given me 5 to 7 beautiful eggs a day ever since I got them -- even thru winter. The eggs are turquoise, light blue, green, and pink; some eggs are round, some are "egg-shaped," and some are "snake eggs"--long and green! But they all taste great!

Now, Mama Hen is brooding over an undetermined but large number of eggs. I'm so excited about getting more chicks!

So if anyone wants MY advice: 1. Get an existing flock if you can -- my birds get along really well, with no pecking, because they were a family before I got them. 2. Do it! It's SO much fun, and only takes 10 minutes a day to take care of them, unless you're like me and enjoy watching chickens more than television.

--Skye in Salida, CO

 

[4CrazyEggs]

Hey everyone!

Does anyone have a run that they do not have covered that has worked well for them? I am trying to decided if I am gonna have to spend some more money and cover the run. 12'x12' run f5' tall. Just wondering. Thanks!

Jim

 

[ColoradoGirl42]

My run isn't covered except by wires I ran back and forth and attached old CD's to. Some people believe that scares the hawks away, and it's worked for me for 9 mos. so far. The wires are 3 or 4 feet apart. I see hawks go over every day. My rooster GROWLS at them! Really! When he does that, the hens run into the coop.

 

[4CrazyEggs]

Cool thanks for the info.

 

[ttclan]

So I step away from the forum for a week or so and my goodness, all the chatter! Welcome to the newbies...you'll love it here, it's been great getting to know all these folks!

My babies survived...which I'm sure you all figured they would...maybe I should say, this first time chick mama survived the cold snap after setting them outside the day before! They are 7 weeks old now and while it's still cold up here at night with heat at night they are doing well outside. No more stink in the cabin! Yeah!

I may have said, or didn't, we ended up with Dolly1218's ducklings. Hi, by the way, been meaning to PM you. They are doing well. Growing like weeds. Need to get some pictures taken soon, camera stopped working, wouldn't you know! We've been keeping them indoors at this point. As soon as I move my hens to their new location, the ducklings are getting their old coop, with a small pond added to the run. Can't wait.

We also picked up an LGD the same day we got Dolly's ducklings, so between them all, I've been busy getting settled, fencing and housing up for all my babies.

Anyway, Question?:I may have asked before, but does anyone have thoughts or advice on this issue: egg eating? I think I asked it on the main forum, not here, pardon me if I asked already.

We are having to consider culling our older hens...they are eating eggs and I've tried dummy eggs which worked for a little while, checking and gathering them often through the day and all. I'm not sure which ones are doing it though. I also am struggling with still knowing who are my good layers and whose eating them, but I'm guessing based upon numbers I'm losing at least 3-4 eggs every day.

We are trying to get them moved to a new coop in the next week or so. It will be split in half with the chicks on one side and them on the other until my babies are old enough to put them all together.

Is it possible the change will help? Their nests will be off the ground in the new coop and they will have roosts and more room to roam in general. The current coop - given to us with the flock - is small and they don't sleep on roosts but in boxes so there isn't separate nesting/sleeping boxes and they are more crowded than I think they should be.

Also, how do I figure out whose doing it? Thoughts?

Sorry this is jumbled. It's been a long day and I'm tired.

 

[hispoptart]

Hi everyone. This is day 3 of my BR trying to be broody. I was wondering if anyone may have some BR or RIR fertilized eggs they would be willing to sell me. She really wants to be a mommy and I think she would make a great one.

 

[wsmith]

Progress report:
All the posts are in and 18 sections of rails are in! From this photo you can see the two main sections of the compound. In the section on the right you will see the 4 smaller breeding and brooding pens, while in the section on the left you can see the main run area and the two larger growout pens.

 

[gardendufus]

WSmith I am SO impressed, and so glad you are nearing completion of your fencing project. When I think how hard I struggled to put up a mere 50 ft of fence, I almost begin to ache thinking about all he work you are putting in.

tt wish I knew enough to offer any advice, but I don't. I'm still trying to figure out a new sound my 6 1/2 week olds just started doing. Kind of a trilling, and the strange thing is I THINK the one that started it is gonna turn out to be a rooster. But after awhile, ALL of them joined in for about 5 minutes. A totally new sound, not the crooning I am used to, trilling. What's up with that.

 

[kmatt87]

hi everyone! i'm new to chickens and fairly new to CO as well. I'm located in Loveland and on top of our growing flock i have 3 toddlers that like to "help" and a pit that is terrified of my chicks.