Gullygarden
Songster
- Jul 2, 2011
- 212
- 15
- 139
Thank you everyone! This forum has been a huge help for me as I move from having the occasional rescued chicken living with me, to adding baby chicks on purpose (!) and designing a hen house that my son built for me. Ive been lurking and learning, but I am pleased to join such a special group of people.
Im on the big island of Hawaii, up in the cool, wet, green, ranch country. It is mostly in the 70s in the daytime and drops down into the 50s at night and only occasionally gets either warmer or colder. The wind blows pretty hard and this is the rainy season. I probably caught 2 or 3 inches in my pasture today. I have two older hens, one is about 8 years old, and the other a year. In the past years I lost a beloved bantam rooster and a really nice white hen who used to free range with the wild turkeys and then come home to lay eggs in the garage, to dogs, (dont get me started about people who let their dogs out on purpose because they need to run!) so now any chickens that live with me have to stay inside an electric mesh run. This works fine as long as I remember to turn it off before I try to walk through. No predator losses since 2009 when I installed it. The chickens have plenty of space, including a nice compost pile to rummage in, a pipinola vine (chayote squash), and a banana tree for shade. The hens live in a pvc chicken tractor with a tarp over it and the door permanently open and the chicks are in the new house. They will all share the new house eventually, but for now the ladies pace up and down outside, scolding.
As for me, Im a teacher and artist, born in the middle of the previous century. My new chicks are Lucy, Luna, Goldy, and Nob. 7 weeks old. 2 Barred Rock and 2 Buff Orpingtons. The older hens are a BR and the older one is dark and lovely with complicated feather designs, and I have no idea what she is.
This is the new house with the electric mesh around it.
Im on the big island of Hawaii, up in the cool, wet, green, ranch country. It is mostly in the 70s in the daytime and drops down into the 50s at night and only occasionally gets either warmer or colder. The wind blows pretty hard and this is the rainy season. I probably caught 2 or 3 inches in my pasture today. I have two older hens, one is about 8 years old, and the other a year. In the past years I lost a beloved bantam rooster and a really nice white hen who used to free range with the wild turkeys and then come home to lay eggs in the garage, to dogs, (dont get me started about people who let their dogs out on purpose because they need to run!) so now any chickens that live with me have to stay inside an electric mesh run. This works fine as long as I remember to turn it off before I try to walk through. No predator losses since 2009 when I installed it. The chickens have plenty of space, including a nice compost pile to rummage in, a pipinola vine (chayote squash), and a banana tree for shade. The hens live in a pvc chicken tractor with a tarp over it and the door permanently open and the chicks are in the new house. They will all share the new house eventually, but for now the ladies pace up and down outside, scolding.
As for me, Im a teacher and artist, born in the middle of the previous century. My new chicks are Lucy, Luna, Goldy, and Nob. 7 weeks old. 2 Barred Rock and 2 Buff Orpingtons. The older hens are a BR and the older one is dark and lovely with complicated feather designs, and I have no idea what she is.
This is the new house with the electric mesh around it.
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