Day to Day Care

[Le Coop]

Hope this is the right place.

So the death of my little cochin last night has gotten me thinking there is so much more I need to learn.

As experienced chicken owners can some of you share the answers to how you care for and feed and clean your chickens and their living quarters?

What do you feed them, other than a chicken feed?
What do you give them in the way of any supplements, daily or from time to time? Electrolytes? Vitamins? Wormers? any other meds or treatments to prevent anything from causing illness?


I have now one pullet that wanders the back yard. We live on about 3 acres but she seems very content to just hang out in the back yard. Then I have another 5 in a 10x10 pen with a coop inside of that. I am nervous to let those 5 wander. Not sure why, but I feel the more that are out the more trouble they will get into?? So they stay in that run. It is primarily dirt and I keep it cleaned out, raked often. They seem to do really well. They all lay almost daily and don't ever seem to have any trouble. It was the two I let wander, my Golden Sex Link and my Cochin that I lost last night that wander. The Golden is doing good and does not seem too traumatized over wandering the yard alone. She laid this morning as if nothing had happened, so no stress as far as I can tell.

Any suggestions, ideas, what works, what does not work I would love to hear. We can only have about 10 chickens here and I was happy at 7. With the loss of one, we will probably get two more. My daughter was really caring for the Cochin and waned to show her at 4H next year. So I will look to get something that she could do that with.

Thanks again in advance!

 

[1muttsfan]

Birds that are allowed to range are easy targets for all kinds of predators. The decision to allow your birds out loose is very personal, and has a lot to do with your tolerance for risk or for loss. Personally I let some of my older and wiser hens out, but only when I am home to watch them, as I live in the woods and have all kinds of predators around me - just in the back yard I have seen stray dogs, raccoons, fisher, coyote, foxes, bobcats, bald eagles, and hawks. The amount of care and the time involved with raising a chicken to laying age is considerable, and I hate to see it all go to waste just to let the birds run loose. They have a large covered run and a generous coop, and seem very happy with their lives.

 

[bobbi-j]

There's lots of good, down to earth, no-nonsense information in here:https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...l-up-a-rockin-chair-and-lay-some-wisdom-on-us

 

[Le Coop]

I have thought of that a bit. I only let this one out now when I am home. My German Shepherd wanders around with her and they are almost like best friends. The dog is 14 and would not hurt a flea. However I don't think we have many other creatures on our property because of him. When I am gone and at night she is in a pen, coop.

 

[Le Coop]

bobbi-j Thank you! I will read up!

 

[bobbi-j]

Better grab yourself a big cup of coffee and settle in, there's a LOT of reading to do! Disclaimer: As I stated, it's no-nonsense, down to earth, and they get to the point. No pussy-footing or hand-holding. They tell it like it is. Enjoy!

 

[Mrs. K]

you are not going to be perfect, and never lose a chicken. Most live a pretty good life between 2-3 years. People will post on here that they have chickens that are 6-8 years old, but those are the exceptions. And probably live where the winters or the summers are not too hard on them.

You don't say what really happened, so I am assuming that you just found her dead, and are wondering if there was something you did wrong. I think it was probably a internal failure, such as a heart attack.

There are a few main things, and it sounds like you have them to me. 1st Space - if they are fighting, picking at each other, you don't have enough space, sounds like you have the 5 working fine. 2nd - protection for predators, and from wind and wet or snow. If they can get out of the weather, they more in likely can stay warm enough, shade and water in the summer.

Once I was in contact with a very important breeder, and I supposed that he concocted his own feed to meet the needs of his fancy birds. No, he told me, just feed starter when they are chicks and layer when they are grown, and some scratch. That is what I do, mine get table scraps, but I don't buy them human food, or electrolytes or vitamins. Mine do free range and in the top of the summer, they use less feed due to insects but for less than 6 weeks.

Personally, I think that if you have successfully had the other 2 out free ranging, you could let the ones in the pen out for a couple of hours before dark. But really if they are happy where they are there is no need.

Mine is a dirt floor pen, I do try and keep old hay in there too. Especially in the winter as it keeps it from being too muddy. My chickens go through the old hay for seeds, and then I use it as mulch in my garden.

For myself, I have found that I enjoy having a flock around, and have had a flock for the last 6 years. But not the same chickens, chickens come into the flock, and chickens go out of the flock, while they are there, I try and keep them well, but I do expect to lose some, and to hatch some, the circle of life.

MrsK

 

[Le Coop]

MrsK, Thanks! Our pullet was acting funny one night and still the next morning. I researched all day and as the day went on she got worse and worse. Not eating, drinking, standing up. It was determined or thought after talking with others she needed some Corid and I did not have any or a way to get any. We don't have a Tractor Supply near us, 3 hours away. Only one in Colorado.

So by that night she was dead. It's all a learning experience I know that for sure.

The pullet that was left behind seems to be doing O K. She is still eating and drinking and not showing any signs of whatever the other had. We got her two new friends yesterday but she is being hard on them. Slowly letting them get to know each other. She is so social and wants to spend most of her day on the back porch just peeping in our windows to see what we are doing. My others could care less unless I have food of course.

I give mine table scraps or if I see yogurt on clearance at the store for less than a dollar, the big huge containers then I get it and give it to them as a treat. But it's not a regular basis sort of thing. I do notice for sure this summer since letting the Golden out I am going through less feed for her. I just don't think I will let the other 5 out. I don't need them running around the yard and once when they did get out they were not shy at all about leaving the property. So I don't want to start that mess. Most days I get 4-5 eggs out of those 5, so I must be doing something correct.

Thanks again for sharing. It's fun to hear how others do things, both new and old.
We got a little Mille Le Fluer d'Uccle (spelling?) and a Red Frizzle Cochin Bantam. What fun they both are and also social enough that my 8 year old has enjoyed going to spend time and feed them and hold them. Which is the fun we lost in the little cochin that died a few days ago.