Consolidated Kansas

[Trish44]

My 6 older chickens are 7 weeks old now. I got them some outside time this weekend & I think they liked it. I think they're ready to move outside but I'm so nervous to put them outside on their own.

They'll be fine, they're feathered out, so they really are ready to be outside now. I put mine out even before that if the weather isn't cold. Like it is now they should be just fine.

Must be moving them out time. Lol
Me and GF spent this afternoon building a coop out at " the farm". It's pretty cool that we're buying my step dads place because even though we are a while from moving in yet he is letting us come out and kind of start setting things up. He knew we had the chicks coming along so we I asked him about bringing them out he said " as long as you can keep them safe from my dogs" - so today we built "Fort Chicken" !! It's a 12x 22 open air coop. Originally a lean too style horse stall off the barn, the north wall is the side of the barn, the south and west walls are 4 ft of solid bridge timbers, with the west wall having tin to the roof and the south wall being a hog panel the full length of the top. When I looked at how to close it in, I had figured over $80 in materials and then still needed a door. Went to Orschelns and bought a 12x6 chainlink dog panel with a gate for $130 instead and slapped it up there, then over over layed chain link we had to full in to peak of roof. Next dug about a foot deep trench a buried a hog panel that comes up the front of the chain link to keep digging predators out.
In front of that there is about a 30x30 pen they will be able to graze when we're around.
Then we found an old wooden ladder and wals roosts for all.

It sounds like you got things all set up for them. I hope you put something over the chain link because raccoons can pull chickens through that. I use chain link dog runs, but I have put chicken wire or hardware cloth over it to keep the rascals out. If I was putting chickens in there without a safer place to keep them I would for sure use hardware cloth. Mine that I have chicken wire over are shut up in a coop at night & not out where any critters can get them. I had my chickens in a dog run when I first got them here at this place & didn't have my coop done yet. I had a raccoon pull a hen through the wire & eat her head off. I also had possums go right through it & eat half my guineas in one night. Those are my experiences with chain link.

 

[sharol]

I have chain link with chicken wire fastened to the outside and bent to form a skirt to deter diggers. However, the girls and Butch are shut in a very secure coop at night from dusk till after dawn, and I visually check the run for intruders before their door opens in the morning. I was just thinking today that I should put chicken wire over the bottom part of the door to the run when one of the girls had her head clear through the chain link gate trying to get to some grass. The windows of the coop have hardware wire firmly attached to the frames. If they were going to be out in the run overnight, I would have to get something more secure that chicken wire over the chain link, though.

They'll be fine, they're feathered out, so they really are ready to be outside now. I put mine out even before that if the weather isn't cold. Like it is now they should be just fine.
It sounds like you got things all set up for them. I hope you put something over the chain link because raccoons can pull chickens through that. I use chain link dog runs, but I have put chicken wire or hardware cloth over it to keep the rascals out. If I was putting chickens in there without a safer place to keep them I would for sure use hardware cloth. Mine that I have chicken wire over are shut up in a coop at night & not out where any critters can get them. I had my chickens in a dog run when I first got them here at this place & didn't have my coop done yet. I had a raccoon pull a hen through the wire & eat her head off. I also had possums go right through it & eat half my guineas in one night. Those are my experiences with chain link.

 

[cherwill]

Cherwill, I found the same thing when I tried to dig over a row to plant seeds - it was just too wet and sticky to be able to do it. That was a couple of days ago so with luck I can plant today if it doesn't rain again. I am amazed that all of the straw bedding I pulled out after doing DLM for 6 months, and spread onto the garden, is almost gone. There is just a thin layer on top now. It didn't blow away either - it has been incorporated that fast. I can't dig without encountering numerous earthworms, some of which are so large they look like small snakes, so I suspect they are behind the incorporation of the bedding into the soil so fast. I also take my kitchen compost and "bury" it in holes I did in the garden area. I've been doing that ever since it was tilled in February and last week while I was digging, I encountered a spot where I had previously buried my compost and it was only barely recognizable so the worms must have been having a field day with that too. I figure any organic material that is incorporated can only improve it as a growing medium for my garden so I am really thrilled by all of that.

Don't you love seeing worms everywhere? They're so good for the garden and, as you've seen, they make quick work of turning stuff into compost.

One of our dogs got skunked last night. Times like this I am *really* glad they are outside dogs!

Gak! They may be outside, but that smell can really carry.

My 6 older chickens are 7 weeks old now. I got them some outside time this weekend & I think they liked it. I think they're ready to move outside but I'm so nervous to put them outside on their own.
I know what you mean. I had a hard time letting my last batch stay out overnight. Was it too soon? Was it too cold? Would I be able to find them if they didn't put themselves inside? And on and on. They were fine. We're just worriers!

 

[chicken danz]

I always keep my chicks in way too long. If I had a pen attached to my brooder house it would help a lot but I have to move them elsewhere. I am always afraid of them getting chilled at night. I know I don't have to keep them in as long as I do. My first brooder house which later became a hen house, and a pen attached so when they got older I let them out little by little until they got used to it and then left the pop door open so they could come and go.
Rooster the way I read it, I thought you perhaps when you put the second layer of chain link you might have off set it so it made the holes smaller... I think that would be fine. I use lots of chain link panels for my pens but I don't worry about the predators because of my dogs. However chicks can walk right through the openings. Heck I've had several that can walk right through chicken wire. It sounds like you built your coop more like a bomb shelter than a chicken coop! LOL
I had planned to work on my hoop coop again yesterday and never found the time. Spent a good deal of the day on the phone with kids.

 

[Frizzled Pink]

Everyone, just a heads up that there were chicken thefts in the Lawrence /McClouth area this weekend of very NICE birds, includes newly imported breeds, south americans and English orpington lines. Please be on the lookout for anyone who suddenly has a very large flock of rare birds.

 

[HEChicken]

Everyone, just a heads up that there were chicken thefts in the Lawrence /McClouth area this weekend of very NICE birds, includes newly imported breeds, south americans and English orpington lines. Please be on the lookout for anyone who suddenly has a very large flock of rare birds.

Oh no, that sounds like ChooksChick's flock. Whoever's flock it was, that makes me so

This isn't like an investment in an inanimate object as in addition to the loss of pricey birds, you have to worry about their welfare. I really hope they are able to find out who did this. Be safe everyone.

 

[RoosterLew]

the chain-link over chain-link part starts about 5ft up - no chance of a chicken being up there anyway, lol..
The bottom couple of feet has the hog panel in front of chain-link.....I'll check tonight when I get there to see if there might be a possibility of pulling one through - may have to add some hardware cloth to it??
Thanks for that info Hechicken! Coons & coyotes will actually be our biggest predator problem!
And Danz - this wont be a chick area, grown birds only! But WOW chicks walking through chicken wire?!?!?!

When we get their yard fenced(it is now but not near adequately,) it will be 2X4 wire with a hot wire around top & bottom - should keep predators out! & if not -We will have 2 big dogs & a Shih tzu that do not like strangers who will be "patrolling" outside that fence and they will have a perimeter fence - Gidget might not be much of a fighter....but that little gal hears and sees, and barks at, an ant passing gas! And Duke can kill anything - even my rake!

So by the time we are done...something will have to get past 2 fences, with hot wires top and bottom & our highly trained special forces K9 team ( thinking about getting them tactical vest and gas masks just to get to the front of Fort Chicken and have a look at our babies!

 

[deb516]

busy, crazy beautiful weekend. saturday filled with soccer games, 3 in all (daugther 1, son 2) soccer season is officially done until fall. Dh brought home 2 turkens and 1 frizzle. turkens are so ugly and cute at the same time, will be fun to watch them grow up they are 3 weeks old. my daughters polish died, she never fully recovered from getting to cold awhile back

Finally planted the garden, my plants were starting to take over the kitchen, and got the chicken coop and run cleaned out. I am loving this weather, I do believe spring is finally here

now trying to get my creative thougths going, i need to create a flier for our fire department, we are having a beer garden may 25 for Bison's 125th celebration. lots of actvities, music, childrens games, raffles, time capsul opening etc. i think i need one more cup of coffee, maybe that will help.

 

[AmySG]

Tweetybaby, regarding that little blue egg, I bet it is Starling egg. Found one with just that color egg under my propane tank cover

. Felt a little bad pulling the nest out, egg and all, but I'd rather not encourage any more Starlings to nest on my stuff than already do.

 

[middlechicken]

Do not shoo him or kick at him. Pick him up and pet him until he relaxes, then hold him gently for awhile, then put him down slowly, then just stand there and wait for him to walk away. Repeat every time he approaches you.