Consolidated Kansas

[Polishpal]

Good morning Kansas today I was woken up by a wonderful rooster in the garage >•< they are so annoying sometimes but I love them

 

[ashncarson]

Welcome to BYC &
Have you thought about what breeds you want yet or researched any? Feel free to ask any questions you have & jump in any time. This thread does move pretty fast.

A local friend of mine (she might be on here, not sure) had a mommy hen hatch out a mixture of eggs about 5-6 days ago. There are barred rocks, cochins, and Easter eggers in the mix. I am not sure how soon our plans can be built and made, but I am hoping to get some from her! Here is the area I am hoping to build in, per city rules, it has be at least 10 feet from the property line, so that limits me from using the shed as one wall of the run.

The tree in the left of the photo died over winter, the plant is the cut all the branches on the top, leaving the main branches towards the ground and building the run around it and then trying to fit the coop next to the crepe myrtle trees on the right side. Its about 30 or so steps from our back door, but halfway down our yard.

We need to measure out property. We can have 3 under 7,000 sq foot. 1 extra for each 2,000 sq ft over the 7,000. We live on 2 lots, so I have my fingers crossed for maybe 4!

 

[chicken danz]

So should i pull the food from the run what do you all think?

It doesn't really matter one way or another as long as the chicks don't eat lots of the layer food.

I have been browsing this website for the last few days, it feels like non-stop! I am from Hutchinson and am wanting to raise chickens. We can have just 3 hens here. Right now we are looking at plans and getting ideas together! We will be making our own coop/run! We have 2 children, ages 10 1/2 and 6. We also already have 2 dogs, a cat and fish! We consume a lot of eggs, and I know that only being allowed 3 in the city probably won't produce me with extras for others, but it would supply enough for my family!

I'm hoping to learn more from you all, Thanks!

Welcome to our little group!! So glad to have you here. Whatever you decide to do be sure and build your coop plenty big enough so your birds have lots of room. It makes a huge difference to their health. Lesson learned after hundreds of birds.
22qzoo, what a great coop! 90% of every thing I have is recycled items. The only ones that aren't, actually are my hoop coops and even parts of them like the floors are recycled. Even my big open faced shed where the peacocks are is all recycled metal.
I have spent a fortune on treated lumber and wire though. Some things just can't be fudged on.
I've been meaning to post this and I have talked to several people since I heard this. If you have problems with coons or possums here is a sure fire way to eliminate them:
Mix Golden Malrin (fly bait) and coke together. It doesn't have to be coke specifically but it has to be a sugar based drink. Not diet. Just put a scoop of Malrin in a pan and a can or two of coke. I have read to give it a little time for it to dissolve but don't know if that is necessary. The coons die within feet of the drink. Just be sure you don't put it where your birds won't get into it cause it would kill them as well.
I tried this out on mice but it didn't do the trick as far as I could tell but I've been told by several people it works beautifully on coons, skunks, possums etc. It also killed a bevy of flies!
I have to go NPIP test for 4H this evening. Ugh! I sure hope there isn't a big crowd. I'm still aching from wrestling birds.
I did take it easy yesterday for me. So today is make up day... Back to work. I've got lots of cleaning and disinfecting to do so I can get some birds set for fall breeding.

 

[ashncarson]

We need to measure out property. We can have 3 under 7,000 sq foot. 1 extra for each 2,000 sq ft over the 7,000. We live on 2 lots, so I have my fingers crossed for maybe 4!

So I went out and measured all my sq footage (the guy on the phone said to include the house as well) and it measures out to 11,375 which means I can have up to 5 hens. So now I have a question....do I start will all 5? or do I start with 3 and then try to add 2 more later? (this is as long as I can get 5 all together)

 

[cherwill]

Grrr. I multi-quoted and responded to a number of things, then it all disappeared when I tried to submit it.

I'll see if I can remember it all:

Danz, I'm sorry about that roo but glad you were able to find him and process him so quickly.

Ashncarson, the area you plan to build in looks like a great place to do it. We have three lilacs in our chicken yard and they really appreciate the shade. I have to warn you, they will eat all the foliage they can reach, though. You could also take a few branches from the dead tree and run them through the chicken wire across a corner or two to make roosts. We have a couple of those, only a few inches off the ground, but the girls love to stand on them.

Tweetybaby, get to the chiropractor! I know from experience that the longer you put off something like that, the longer it takes to recover once you have it treated. And we get no points for suffering, so why do it?

HEchicken, good news and bad news for you yesterday. That's funny about the duck. Maybe you shouldn't go out of town any more; who knows what you might forget about next?!!

As for the snake and the chick, waste not, want not. Every creature serves its purpose and every creature has to eat, right?

Stay cool everyone!

 

[ashncarson]

Ashncarson, the area you plan to build in looks like a great place to do it. We have three lilacs in our chicken yard and they really appreciate the shade. I have to warn you, they will eat all the foliage they can reach, though. You could also take a few branches from the dead tree and run them through the chicken wire across a corner or two to make roosts. We have a couple of those, only a few inches off the ground, but the girls love to stand on them.

In that area there a lot of new trees that pop up around the root line of the large tree that died....will that be a problem to them in the run? I know if they did come up they could eat them.

The coop we are looking at building is 4x8 and I found it on here It will be similar, but not exactly the same. . https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hinkel-haus-made-of-pallets-recycled-wood-pickets Is that size OK for 5 hens? I would like to build the next boxes (looking at making 2) to be able to be accessed from the outside of the coop. PVC feeders and would like to see about either chicken nipples or water cup system!

 

[chicken danz]

ashncarson I'd suggest you start out with more. Number one if they aren't old enough to sex you are going to have to get rid of some boys in time. Number two you always have to plan on a loss here and there. If I were going to have 5 hens I would probably start out with 10-12 chicks (unsexed). Of course every one knows I am excellent at chicken math. Your other option might be to get fewer chicks with the option of picking up some pure breds you get interested in later.
Tweety I had so many back problems and surgeries I can't take naproxin or ibuprofen or or almost any prescription pain killers any more. I only take tylenol. I did find that the ibuprofen gel caps aren't quite as brutal and you still get the benefits from them. ALWAYS take everything like that with food.
Yeah I'd suggest a chiropractor maybe but not the kind that cracks your bones. Use one that uses the impact tool. I was actually told by my two neurosurgeons that back crackers can paralyze you if you already have a ruptured disk. It isn't worth the risk. I have two relatives that are chiropractors and both of them agree with this theory as well although they don't admit this to their patients. Your other option which I would recommend is to go to your regular physician and get some physical therapy ordered. If you have a local work out center or pool just walking in the water backwards then forwards for 15 to 30 minutes or so at least every other day is the best physical therapy you can get for getting your back back in order. Not just my word. It's been ordered therapy for me more than once by neurologists and neurosurgeons. It's also cheaper than paying medical bills.
Sleep with a pillow between your knees if you are a side sleeper. A pillow under your knees if you are a back sleeper. And if you are a stomach sleeper....STOP IT!
Well I had another casualty last night. My spare sussex roo whom I missed butchering didn't make it into the coop last night I guess. He is missing this morning. I'm sure glad that the birds are shut up at night. The only ones that aren't are the geese and the ducks. I lost an awful lot of ducks this year to the owls. I am just hoping I don't loose more. Speaking of which I just pulled 6 cayuga babies out of the incubator that were eggs the last hen that taken by the owl was sitting on. I am so glad they hatched. It had been over 24 hours she was off of them before I was sure she was gone.
I need to get out and feed. It is getting hot and humid out there already. That couple minutes of rain made my beans come up this morning. Yay!!!

 

[cubbysan]

Well, we had a little surprise this today, my daughter just called to tell me that my two broody bantam cochins just hatched a baby chick this morning. I did not think these eggs were fertile. We bought these cochins over two months ago, and I placed them in a large dog crate with nesting box to isolate them for a while. They laid eggs from day one. After about a couple weeks my daughter took some eggs to incubate, to our surprise two babies hatched 3 weeks ago.

Then over a month ago, one of the hens went broody so I let her keep her and her roommates eggs - there are about 12 - because she growled everytime I went near her. The past few days she has been moving around a little more, so I was getting read to try to steal the eggs to throw away, but her roommate went broody about two days ago. Both of them have been sitting on each other sharing the eggs, and no one has hatched. My daughter says it looks like they both thing it is theirs. He peeks out from under them and tries to climb on them. This chick was not there last evening when they both got up for water.

Can two hens share the raising of one baby? Maybe more will be born.

Also, how long can a hen lay fertile eggs after being exposed to a rooster? I thought it was only a few weeks.

So the moral is, chicken math can just happen by mother nature too.

My husband is going to kill me, I have too many bantam pullets and cockerals in my garage already waiting for me to get rid of a rooster in my coop before I put them down there.

 

[Trish44]

In that area there a lot of new trees that pop up around the root line of the large tree that died....will that be a problem to them in the run? I know if they did come up they could eat them.

The coop we are looking at building is 4x8 and I found it on here It will be similar, but not exactly the same. . https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hinkel-haus-made-of-pallets-recycled-wood-pickets Is that size OK for 5 hens? I would like to build the next boxes (looking at making 2) to be able to be accessed from the outside of the coop. PVC feeders and would like to see about either chicken nipples or water cup system!

That's a cute coop! It sounds like you have a good plan. I agree with Danz, you should get extra chicks if you're going to order them because you always lose a few & there probably will be some roosters unless you specifically order pullets. Even then they can make mistakes & you can get a rooster anyway. If you buy from individuals, which really is better a lot of times than hatcheries then you will most likely have to buy straight run because most don't know how to sex the chicks unless they're a sex linked breed. A lot of the hatcheries are sold out of the most popular breeds now until maybe fall, some won't have any till next spring. It depends on what breeds you want to get. I suggest starting out with some really hardy good layers like Barred Rocks, Red or Black Sex Links. or Orpingtons to name a few. My Barred Rocks lay through the heat, the cold, molting & all, they're just laying machines.

 

[HEChicken]

We got goats! Trish44 came with me this morning to pick them up from the same lady she got hers from. It was fun to visit with her while we drove and interesting to see the place where they were bred. They were a gift for my DH (he didn't know where I was going this morning) and after dropping Trish off, I drove home thinking about what to do with them. Originally I had thought they would be with the sheep but I didn't expect them to be so small still. So I thought perhaps we should start them in the lagoon like we did with the lambs. So that is where we put them initially. Gave them a pail of water and they started grazing and were happy. I was starving so we came in and I made lunch and then I looked out to check on them after lunch and they were in with the sheep. I guess the lagoon gate couldn't hold them like it did the lambs. Sigh. So I thought as long as they're in the pasture they're fine but I had concerns they could walk through our gate. The bars are spaced close enough together the sheep can't get through but I was afraid the goats could. So I got my phone and sat out with them reading the forum while keeping an eye on them. Sure enough, after only a few minutes they were trotting towards me. Luckily I was able to grab a hind leg of each quite easily. But I couldn't let go of one to pick the other up without the one getting away. So I yelled for DH and luckily he heard me. He came out laughing because there I am holding a hind leg of each goat and they could apparently care less and are both grazing at the grass in front of them! So we made them their own little run for now. It is only about 12x12 and doesn't have much greenery in it but has lots of shade, a pail of water and I gave them a tub of minerals and a tub with a little grain in it (didn't want to overdo it) and now they are securely contained. I think it is best to keep them there for a few days until they are more acclimated to us and then we can give them more space. I have wire left over from the fencing and we can affix it across the gate so they won't be able to walk out of it again after we let them loose again.


The one with the darker colored head is a doe named Gem and the caramel colored head is a billy named Smokey. The breeder offered to wether him but I decided to leave him intact and perhaps have kid or kids next spring.