Getting the flock out of here - a diary of a crazy chicken man

[LFchixranch]

Our three week old Guinea Fowl joined the chicks in the coop. We put a cover on the run to keep them in there.

The chicks and keets will stay inside for a week then they will be free to roam outside but within their premises.

Six chicks moved to the brooder.

Its a fun day on the chicken ranch by the sea

Go Oz Go

 

[Ashburnham]

The new improved freezerbator with double glazed picture window and most importantly STS 1000 temperature controller.
Oz - this controller works like a dream - you could build any kind of incubator around it

 

[piglett]

Two of my home grown eggs have hatched into chicks. More to come.

We moved the chicks from the last hatch from the brooder to their coop.
The OGM splash marans looks like a cockerel. The Andalusians from HFR, the Buff Orps from Piglett and Kevs naked necks are all healthy.

Lots of lavender orps BBS orps RIR BBS Jersey Giants and barred rocks.

glad to hear that the buffs are well OZ

looks like i'll be buying 4 or 5 muscovy chicks

i got 11 good looking eggs out of 12 but not a 1 hatched
the shells were super thick i wonder if that had something to do with it
because in with those duck eggs i had buff orpingtons
100% of those hatched so what's up ???

anyhow i can get some chicks for $10 each so i guess that is what i'll do

OZ the lemon cuckoos were no good
not even a pip, not one made past day 18
mostly pullet eggs & all clears/ blood rings

the 1st ones i got were from adult hens
oh well life goes on.

our 4 bronze turkeys are doing well
i need to make them an A-frame turkey tractor out of some 2x4's that i have

have a safe trip back



pig

 

[ozexpat]

The world of shipped eggs is like that piglett.

One batch can be great. The next one bad. When I did a preliminary candle the first eggs we did were Breda Fowl I got on a whim because they were not far from me. They candled 11/12 good. The Swedish Flower hen eggs sent to me in error look like mostly duds. I do not hold a lot of promise with the Lemon Cuckoo Orps either but I might get one or two.

Its a game of two steps forward and one step back.

the adventure continues

 

[ozexpat]

Its our last full day here in Tiling. Tomorrow we will all fly to Manila. Mrs Oz and kids will head back to Cavite while I will return to Cali.

Unlike most trips here where I have the luxury of a vehicle,this time we have had to spend the whole trip on the farm and rely on people dropping off supplies.

Mok,the duck dude/furniture designer has brought out 4 pickups of Hardwood off cuts for the fence and coops. He also brought out 2 amazing chairs and foot rests for our lanai. We ordered a queen bed for the lanai as well as a long bench to replace the 2 we have. The bed was delivered and the bench may come today. I will post photos. Mrs Oz is very pleased to finally have the furniture we have always wanted.

This afternoon some AAA batteries along with a gas powered brush cutter arrive. I can finally finish candling and Bernie will have a new toy to maintain the yard.

 

[maryhysong]

I own the website thecrazychickenman.com so we are in the same class

yes, but when are you going to add to it? would be a great place to upload your photos and things to

 

[ozexpat]

So much to do and so little time.

 

[maryhysong]

So much to do and so little time.

Oh I know; was just saying last night that I couldn't figure out why there was no food in the house, clean dishes, or clean clothes until I added things up.... sleep 6-8 hrs, 9-13 at work, 3 hrs for chickens.....

 

[Sweetpea3829]

Ok, chicken question!!!

Our chicks are five (?) weeks old now. Feels like they should be older, but whatever. I've been bringing them outside daily, and putting them in our Superyard XT pen (BEST baby purchase I made, hands down). I've been keeping them in the pen by putting a mesh net over the top. Incidentally, the mesh net is from our trampoline, which blew across several acres because of said net. I digress.

DH is building the chicken run today, and will be working on the coop next week, so that we can finally get these smelly birds out of the brood box in our house. I'm giving them a fairly large run. Would like to let them free range, but our two dogs would absolutely not have it. Plus, we found out recently that one of our "Englisch" neighbors has been attracting fox by not properly keeping his own chickens penned. His chicken run is only about four or five acres from our own. So predators are a problem right now.

They MUST stay in the run, or risk becoming a dog/fox snack.

So far, my chickens have demonstrated an ability to jump and fly quite a bit higher than I had expected. There is NO way they'd stay in the Superyard unless it was covered. The Superyard is 26" high and I thought chickens could only really jump about 2' max. But these guys think nothing of jumping right out.

Should I clip their wings this young? The area of the run is going to be too large to cover.

Suggestions?

 

[perchie.girl]

Ok, chicken question!!!

Our chicks are five (?) weeks old now. Feels like they should be older, but whatever. I've been bringing them outside daily, and putting them in our Superyard XT pen (BEST baby purchase I made, hands down). I've been keeping them in the pen by putting a mesh net over the top. Incidentally, the mesh net is from our trampoline, which blew across several acres because of said net. I digress.

DH is building the chicken run today, and will be working on the coop next week, so that we can finally get these smelly birds out of the brood box in our house. I'm giving them a fairly large run. Would like to let them free range, but our two dogs would absolutely not have it. Plus, we found out recently that one of our "Englisch" neighbors has been attracting fox by not properly keeping his own chickens penned. His chicken run is only about four or five acres from our own. So predators are a problem right now.

They MUST stay in the run, or risk becoming a dog/fox snack.

So far, my chickens have demonstrated an ability to jump and fly quite a bit higher than I had expected. There is NO way they'd stay in the Superyard unless it was covered. The Superyard is 26" high and I thought chickens could only really jump about 2' max. But these guys think nothing of jumping right out.

Should I clip their wings this young? The area of the run is going to be too large to cover.

Suggestions?

That fence is not nearly high enough to keep chickens in OR foxes out without a roof. OR making the fence higher. Foxes can climb By the way. Even my heavy birds can fly up to the highest perch in the coop which is about four feet off the ground. If you clip their wings you remove all self protection ability they have.

By the way I have plans for covering my yard which is 50 Feet by 75. Couple of poles setup like teatherball with a ball on top and Aviary netting thrown over the top. Then fastened to the fence. In my case I will stretch cable as well but the principal is to put in an upright to hold the netting up. I have seen people use a swing set arrangement for net support. It will keep Chickens IN but not predators our. So that coop needs to be bullet proof. with a well fastened roof. I had a friend get his roof litterally PEELED back by racoons he lost thirty chickens.

How wide is your run there are several options. By the way that run should be dog proof too. I had a dog that could go over a six foot dog kennel panel.

deb