xenascully
Hatching
- Oct 2, 2016
- 1
- 0
- 7
I've been peaking at this forum for a while now, since we started with our chickens earlier this year. I thought it might be time to join. I have a question I need to ask, but have yet to find out how to start a new thread to do so (except right here! lol).
Anyway, we have raised most of our chickens from babies. We rescued some "packing peanut" RIRs, who seem to be the most resilient of all chickens we've had. We had also gotten some Americanas from a farm, and a chocolate. They all ended up dying while still very young. It was very upsetting and baffling as we had constant care going on. But we ended up replacing them with older Americanas and another chocolate, and ended up losing the chocolate and two of the Americanas anyway...I think because of the heat. It's sad because we do so much to keep their temperature bearable. Fans, running cool water in the pond most of the day, etc... plenty of shade. Alas, summer this year in VA was killer.
So we have 6 RIRs who I think are all roos. 2 Americana hens. Also have a few ducks now. One of our roos is learning how to crow and currently just sounds like a whiny child LOL. None of the hens have ever laid an egg, which baffles me because they are laying age.
We have a decent sized back yard and they've got a palace of a coop we built over a smaller coop we purchased on craigslist. None of the cool things we made for them get used. We build a perch area but they'd rather use the cage we had in there for a smaller silkie to spend nights in because the older chickens were bullying her. She didn't make it unfortunately. But the cage is still in there and that's their place to gather to sleep...on top of it. The smaller coop is ignored. The feeder we made out of PVC is abused-- we fill it and they just dig all the feed out into the coop until the pipe is empty LOL. Little ********... They've got a kiddie pool pond that we actually bought for the ducks but they like to drink from it. No other waterer has worked for us in all this time. They just poop in it constantly. It's frustrating...but I'm not spending $50 on a 5 gallon bucket converted into a waterer at Tractor Supply lolol.
If anyone can tell me how to start a thread for a question I'd appreciate it.
Anyway, we have raised most of our chickens from babies. We rescued some "packing peanut" RIRs, who seem to be the most resilient of all chickens we've had. We had also gotten some Americanas from a farm, and a chocolate. They all ended up dying while still very young. It was very upsetting and baffling as we had constant care going on. But we ended up replacing them with older Americanas and another chocolate, and ended up losing the chocolate and two of the Americanas anyway...I think because of the heat. It's sad because we do so much to keep their temperature bearable. Fans, running cool water in the pond most of the day, etc... plenty of shade. Alas, summer this year in VA was killer.
So we have 6 RIRs who I think are all roos. 2 Americana hens. Also have a few ducks now. One of our roos is learning how to crow and currently just sounds like a whiny child LOL. None of the hens have ever laid an egg, which baffles me because they are laying age.
We have a decent sized back yard and they've got a palace of a coop we built over a smaller coop we purchased on craigslist. None of the cool things we made for them get used. We build a perch area but they'd rather use the cage we had in there for a smaller silkie to spend nights in because the older chickens were bullying her. She didn't make it unfortunately. But the cage is still in there and that's their place to gather to sleep...on top of it. The smaller coop is ignored. The feeder we made out of PVC is abused-- we fill it and they just dig all the feed out into the coop until the pipe is empty LOL. Little ********... They've got a kiddie pool pond that we actually bought for the ducks but they like to drink from it. No other waterer has worked for us in all this time. They just poop in it constantly. It's frustrating...but I'm not spending $50 on a 5 gallon bucket converted into a waterer at Tractor Supply lolol.
If anyone can tell me how to start a thread for a question I'd appreciate it.