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xenascully

xenascully

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Oct 2, 2016
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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. :)
 
Greetings from Kansas and :welcome. Great to have you aboard! Sounds like your little angels are confounding you. They can do that sometimes. In terms of the waterer...save your money. They will drink from anything. I use one of those black soft rubber feed pans I think are made for feeding young livestock. Works great for chickens....its bendy so when it freezes the block of ice just pops right out.
For starters you might want to read a few of the articles in the Learning Center here https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center
You will pick up some great insight into chicken raising.

As to posting a question: locate the brown tabs the the top of the BYC page. Click on Forums. Scroll until you see the forum where you think your comment or question belongs. Click on that forum and right above where you see the first posting you will see a tab that says Start New Thread. Click that and a text box will pop up for you type into. Where you are done typing, to the lower right you will see a button that says Sumbit. And you're done! Good luck and best wishes! :)
 
Welcome to Backyard chickens. For one thing I would remove the crate they have been sleeping on. There are some DIU waterers that are not expensive. You could also have them learn to use a nipple watering systems - keeps everything clean.

You could also rehome your roos to keep them happy you would need 10 hens for each one. They are never going to earn their keep. You could check out your birds at "what breed or gender is this," by posting individual photos. This way you won't accidently rehome a hen.

You start a new thread on ANY thread the same way you did here. Just click on where is says "start a new thread."

If your birds were free ranging the hens may have laid eggs during that time, or have hidden nests, or predators may have snatched their eggs. Are you certain they are hens and not old ones. Another reason to post at "what breed or gender is this."

Seeing photos of your coop and set up, we may see something that could be corrected, etc. Getting birds from different sources, can always bring in parasites & disease, if they are not quarantined first. Have your birds ever been wormed , or treated for mites/lice?
 
:welcome
To make a thread you go to forums click on one of the forums you would like to put your thread in the there should be a box thing in the right corner, click on that and hit start a new thread. Good luck!
 
Hi and welcome to BYC - you have some great advice and links already so I'll just say hello!

All the best
CT
 
Welcome to BYC! It's great to have you. I agree with drumstick diva regarding the cockerels...

Regarding feeders and waterers, personally I use this feeder and this waterer (or the 5gal version) wth awesome success. I've gone through probably half a dozen different variations of feeders and waterers and found these to be the most effective and result in the least waste. I find DIY solutions to be pretty ineffective compared to these - my friend who uses PVC feeders is constantly complaining about how much feed she uses. Meanwhile I see very, very little waste or mess using these for my flock of 200.
 

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