How do you Raise your Chickens?

[Isadora]

same but I don't sing

I can't help it! I sing 24/7

 

[neo71665]

I can't help it! I sing 24/7

If I sang the chickens wouldn't come anywhere around me

 

[Isadora]

If I sang the chickens wouldn't come anywhere around me

Haha, you think so? I'm guessing animals aren't as picky as people when it comes to singing ability...

 

[Sablehaven]

Awwwww!! Mine aren't free range (as much as I'd love to, my dogs would kill them or I'm sure some outside threat would manage to harm them), but they have a pretty big coop and run, with an extra perch and anything I can add in there for them. It's also Fort Knox - hardware cloth buried a foot deep and covering the entire top of the run. I have corrugated metal buried around the interior perimeter of their coop (it's built on sand and the large door is pretty much ALWAYS open to the run - unless an extreme storm is expected - very rare since I live on the California coast). I go in there at least once a day and have special chicken coop clothes and a beach chair AND a chicken blanket I put on my lap for the days I just sit and read my book while they sit on me . They love blankets, by the way. Anytime I leave it on the chair or drape it over their perch in the coop, someone gets up there to scratch at it or just sit on it .

We also call our coop Fort Knox but that is incredible! Mine are free range, but we've had some accidents. I'm lucky, my dogs are harmless and also chase away hawks.

It sounds like you have a wonderful set up to visit them, that lawnchair idea is very nice. Of course, mine would have to be bolted down because of the wind

 

[MysteryChicken]

I raise my chicks with lots of care, & attention. I handle them from day one, & I handle them as adults too.

Alot of my Roosters are big babies thanks too me . The hens & Pullets are mainly brats compared to the boys. I do have 1 silkie rooster who is a butthead though.

 

[CalBickieMomma]

I raise my chicks with lots of care, & attention. I handle them from day one, & I handle them as adults too.

Alot of my Roosters are big babies thanks too me . The hens & Pullets are mainly brats compared to the boys. I do have 1 silkie rooster who is a butthead though.

Awwwww! I love roos! I have this knack for ALWAYS ending up with a roo, no matter how many babies I get (that’s why I have several right now because I get attached to them). I even suspect the chick I volunteered to adopt (apparently mom and the siblings were hit by a car ) is a roo (still hoping he’s a she, though!).

My Gerard (Buff Orpington) is a sweet boy and will sit on me when I go into his compartment (I have to keep everyone separated so they don’t fight, but they are all right next to the main coop/run so are still members of the flock.)

Eddie (Cuckoo Marans/Cream Legbar) can be a butthead (and I say it to his face!), but I blame it on youthful hormones. I can sit in there with him and pick him up and cuddle him, but he also takes any sudden movement of my hands as a threat. Silly boy! Fortunately, I have abs no fear of boy chickens .

 

[MysteryChicken]

Awwwww! I love roos! I have this knack for ALWAYS ending up with a roo, no matter how many babies I get (that’s why I have several right now because I get attached to them). I even suspect the chick I volunteered to adopt (apparently mom and the siblings were hit by a car ) is a roo (still hoping he’s a she, though!).

My Gerard (Buff Orpington) is a sweet boy and will sit on me when I go into his compartment (I have to keep everyone separated so they don’t fight, but they are all right next to the main coop/run so are still members of the flock.)

Eddie (Cuckoo Marans/Cream Legbar) can be a butthead (and I say it to his face!), but I blame it on youthful hormones. I can sit in there with him and pick him up and cuddle him, but he also takes any sudden movement of my hands as a threat. Silly boy! Fortunately, I have abs no fear of boy chickens .

I keep all my boys together with ladies, have very little fighting. Only time it picks up, is during breeding season.


One of my Orpington roosters loves to hog the camera, & is an attention hog also. My Biggest Baby is my boy Maran, a Marans/Gamefowl cross, he loves getting petted, occasionally follows me around, let's me pick him up, & comes when I call his name. Sometimes during the spring he becomes a bit frisky, & will charge at me. Every time he does that I walk towards him, put my finger in his face, & tell him, we're not doing that. Afterwards, he behaves, but will repeat sometimes. He never actually attacks me. Later on in the season, he's back to his normal self, it's just due to a hormone overload.

 

[CalBickieMomma]

I keep all my boys together with ladies, have very little fighting. Only time it picks up, is during breeding season.


One of my Orpington roosters loves to hog the camera, & is an attention hog also. My Biggest Baby is my boy Maran, a Marans/Gamefowl cross, he loves getting petted, occasionally follows me around, let's me pick him up, & comes when I call his name. Sometimes during the spring he becomes a bit frisky, & will charge at me. Every time he does that I walk towards him, put my finger in his face, & tell him, we're not doing that. Afterwards, he behaves, but will repeat sometimes. He never actually attacks me. Later on in the season, he's back to his normal self, it's just due to a hormone overload.

Yay! If mine were able to free range, I could pr let my roos mingle together. Mine have never attacked, either. Just a peck on occasion or, in Eddie’s case, gone into defense mode (because I clearly didn’t love on him enough as a chick ). And yeah, those boy chicken hormones! I also worry about my bigger boys having access to my Polish girls (they’re so little!). Don’t want to have any accidental injuries or even deaths. Here are some pictures of my sweet boy, Gerard.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Yay! If mine were able to free range, I could pr let my roos mingle together. Mine have never attacked, either. Just a peck on occasion or, in Eddie’s case, gone into defense mode (because I clearly didn’t love on him enough as a chick ). And yeah, those boy chicken hormones! I also worry about my bigger boys having access to my Polish girls (they’re so little!). Don’t want to have any accidental injuries or even deaths. Here are some pictures of my sweet boy, Gerard.

View attachment 2624610View attachment 2624609

Mine aren't free range.

He's pretty.

 

[CalBickieMomma]

Mine aren't free range.

He's pretty.

Impressive! I let my boys stay integrated with the flock as long as possible, but Gerard accidentally sliced open one of my girls (requiring expensive surgery) so he had to move to his own bachelor pad - a sectioned off part of the run, so he’s still part of the flock. Sometimes when I’m working in the yard, I’ll let him out (I know he won’t wander off from the flock and one chicken is easier to keep an eye on than several - in case the dogs get too curious).