HOOSIERS Only - INDIANA - Ru1?

[Cathy08]

He is very handsome !
You should be proud of him.

 

[pumphousehill]

I have two Cornish X roosters that are somewhere between 13 and 15 weeks old. They started crowing a few weeks ago. I wanted to let them free range with the other chickens, but the dogs seem to want to get at them more than my other chickens, so I fear for their safety. They are not very fast, and I'm also worried about their legs. I see them stumble a bit here and there. Is there anyone in South Central Indiana who would be interested in having them?

 

[Mskayladog]

Wondering if any long time chicken owners from Indiana can give us newbies advice on how to get the chickens through the winter.

 

[jfishfam]

Can't say I'm a long time owner, but we've had them for a couple of years. We try to keep water thawed for them. The one thing I want to do this year is to create a better wind block for them (ours have an outside run). We've also found that if its too cold we don't even let them out of the coop. Sometimes if they think it's too cold they won't leave the coop.

 

[jfishfam]

Wow, it sounds like your ducks are way out numbered by drakes. Temperment will have a lot to do with how you'll do with that many drakes. I think the average is 1 drake to 6 or 7 ducks. We had 2 drakes at one time, but one was running the entire flock ragged. We had to find him a new home. Right now we have 1 drake and 17 ducks. Not sure what we did before ducks. Love them!!

 

[OldRoo]

Wondering if any long time chicken owners from Indiana can give us newbies advice on how to get the chickens through the winter.

ventalate high on the walls, and heated waterers, no drafts,and you should be fine, where in Indiana?

 

[Momma 2 silkies]

Alright guys, I need alittle help. I live in New Albany and have silkie chickens, I was wondering what size my coop needs to be for 8 or 9 silkes? They have a 10x10 run that will be attached to the coop but I haven't started the coop yet, I only have 5 right now and they are staying in a rabbit hutch at night and have free run of the yard during the day. I am new to chickens and really want to do this right the first time. I was thinking 4x4x3 but I have no clue if that is big enough or not, I know silkies don't need a very tall coop or roosts because they don't fly very well so they are happy to just roost on the floor or low nest boxes. Can any of my fellow Hoosiers help me with this?

 

[teach1rusl]

Alright guys, I need alittle help. I live in New Albany and have silkie chickens, I was wondering what size my coop needs to be for 8 or 9 silkes? They have a 10x10 run that will be attached to the coop but I haven't started the coop yet, I only have 5 right now and they are staying in a rabbit hutch at night and have free run of the yard during the day. I am new to chickens and really want to do this right the first time. I was thinking 4x4x3 but I have no clue if that is big enough or not, I know silkies don't need a very tall coop or roosts because they don't fly very well so they are happy to just roost on the floor or low nest boxes. Can any of my fellow Hoosiers help me with this?

I would go for something a little bigger. I know they're not as big as LF, but they definitely appreciate as much space as you can give them. I give my bantams the same minimum recommended space for LF...4 sq. ft. per bird. If you're run isn't going to be covered, or at least part of it covered, this will be even more important. My silkies are pretty hardy with cold weather, but they don't like snow (and ice globs can cake/form in the foot feathers), so there will be days when they'll choose to stay inside the housing this winter. I can't imagine 8 or 9 silkies crammed inside a 4x4 coop all day, you know? I'd shoot for a 4 x 8 coop, since that's a number that works well w/standard lumber, and will be roomier for your birds.
My silkies do roost, but the roost/dropping board is only about 20 inches high, and I even have a little ramp leading up to it. My silkies also use a ramp un into their coop, but it's really wide, NOT steep, and has good grips (shingle strips). I don't want floor roosting because then they're laying in their own poop.

 

[teach1rusl]

Wondering if any long time chicken owners from Indiana can give us newbies advice on how to get the chickens through the winter.

As was mentioned...ventilation up high (so no winter wind/drafts on roosting birds), no drafts, keep H2O liquid. You might do a search on cookie tin heaters - many set their waterers on these to keep the water from freezing. Changing frozen water out a few times a day isn't fun, so find a way to keep it from freezing. Of course they sell plug in waterers that work well too, but they can be costly. I can't say my birds like cold weather, because sometimes they look pretty miserable (huddled/puffed up), but they handle the cold season better than they handle our summer heat/humidity...

 

[Momma 2 silkies]

Most of the top of the run will be covered, with netting and tin roofing. I have a hawk that hangs around by my old barn. I figured we would also put tarps around the run in the winter to block some of the wind and snow. That is how I do the kennels that my dogs are in to. I thought a 4x4 would be fine for right now, I only have 5, 2 pullets and 3 cockerels but will be adding 3 or 4 more pullets to the mix when ever I find the color that I am looking for. I had 10 before and let 4 whites go and a buff, didn't like my whites, poor hatchery birds and the buff was another cockerel. I figured 1 coop for now and add another next year some time and then I could put boys in one and girls in the other or divide them by color. I still plan to put low roosting bars in the coop along with a nest box or two, I don't want them laying in their own mess either.