Illinois...

[Faraday40]

Yes, I completely understand how hard it is to make those decisions. I have 3 roos & keep changing my mind about the one that's leaving. After today, I certainly love all 3 for giving the warning & keeping the hens safe. They were hatched together & work as a team. At night, I just put them into the garage. They can crow all they want, but no one can hear them. I let them out around 8am after all the crowing is done. They have a hard time deciding whether to eat or mate 1st. I have a hard time not laughing at them.

 

[ChicagoClucker]

Yes, I completely understand how hard it is to make those decisions. I have 3 roos & keep changing my mind about the one that's leaving. After today, I certainly love all 3 for giving the warning & keeping the hens safe. They were hatched together & work as a team. At night, I just put them into the garage. They can crow all they want, but no one can hear them. I let them out around 8am after all the crowing is done. They have a hard time deciding whether to eat or mate 1st. I have a hard time not laughing at them.

Haha, my only one that is starting to get frisky is Mickey the bantam. I did notice all the aprons on your girls. That Bielfelder could do some major damage. He is a big beautiful boy.

Most of my girls are going thru a minor molt too. But my Leghorn looks like your bare breasted girl. Poor things. And you have a tough choice between your 3 amigos, they are all beautiful!

I am hoping to be able to keep all of them, I love them all. Mickey is a big boy in a little boys body. Thor is very masculine, Al is just pure sweet, Mickey even bullies him and Al is 7 times bigger. But poor Crazy legs fate, will be soon at hand. He is getting so big. I am not looking forward to that day what so ever.

 

[4stakes]

Faraday40, That hole looks like a rat hole. Can you lift up where the hole is and try and kill it?

 

[Pixie]

Originally Posted by tamiadele

I'm in Gurnee! I don't have chickens yet, but we're looking for land in the Wadsworth area and looking into laws regarding chickens. Lake County allows them, but I don't know if wadsworth/gurnee has separate regulations. Anyone know? Also, where have you had success buying chickens from?

Hi!

I am in your neck of the woods!

The MUNI Code for Gurnee says: "Sec. 14-7. General restrictions on keeping. A minimum of five acres in total area shall be required to keep, maintain, tether, confine or house sheep, horses, cattle, goats, swine, chickens, roosters, ducks, or similar domestic animals anywhere in the village unless otherwise provided in this Code or by ordinance. The shelter for such animals in any structure, whether temporary or permanent, must be set back from all property lot lines a distance of at least 200 feet. This provision shall not apply to rabbits, chickens, ducks or such animals that are kept as pets and are housed in an enclosure or cage. However, it shall be unlawful to keep more than four (4) rabbits, chickens, ducks or such animals at any one time as pets. (Ord. No. 2008-26, § II, 3-17-2008) "

If you are going to find land, try and get something unincorporated. (Then you only have to deal with the county laws- less laws is always better.)

Good luck with the land search.

p.s. (Here is the URL for the codes.... http://www.gurnee.il.us/municipal_code)

 

[ChicagoClucker]

If anyone is interested, I have 2 girls up for sale. Light Blue Marans and a Lavender Ameraucana. They are both 5 months old and are at the point of lay. They hatched together, and are good friends, so will not separate. $20.00 for both.



Won these eggs on BYC auction thread from Bhep, if I remember correctly. I only kept 1 of each, and need to make room for the Orp frenzy I got myself into.

 

[Pixie]

My back is finally feeling better after over a month of dealing with pain, so I was finally able to get one of my brooder/breeding pens into the coop and in turn got a majority of this last summers birds out of the house finally... But, as luck would have it I'm now sick (as are the kids) so that has slowed down progress down yet again... I need to get the second pen into the coop in the coming days as well as add more stuff to the deep littler to get ready for winter... I added 5 bags of pine chips the other day and all it did was peppered the color of the bedding no real volume change...

Where did you get the totes you used for nesting boxes? I have been looking for cheeep ones! p.s. I love your setup!

 

[MeepBeep]

Where did you get the totes you used for nesting boxes?  I have been looking for cheeep ones!   p.s. I love your setup!

http://www.menards.com/main/grocery.../p-1478256-c-8292.htm?tid=8211111449865407499

They are not the cheapest option but they are a no brains quick option and to me that is money saved, plus they are easy to clean with a pressure sprayer...

I started with just 2 of them and purchased one every week until I had the bottom row done, and now every so often I purchase another for the top row as needed, this way I avoided a one time big $$$ purchase...

 

[chickendreams24]

They look like covered cat litter boxes to me extra large ones. But I could be mistaken. If I'm not Walmart and farm and fleet carry them. But idk where else

 

[chickendreams24]

If you have cats and use tidy cats litter we have used their 35# plastic tubs. As we haven't gotten our permanent ones built yet. You just cut off the larger half of the flip lid and then it has a lip to keep bedding in. They work great for our Isa browns, wyandottes, EEs and orps

 

[ChicagoClucker]

My back is finally feeling better after over a month of dealing with pain, so I was finally able to get one of my brooder/breeding pens into the coop and in turn got a majority of this last summers birds out of the house finally... But, as luck would have it I'm now sick (as are the kids) so that has slowed down progress down yet again... I need to get the second pen into the coop in the coming days as well as add more stuff to the deep littler to get ready for winter... I added 5 bags of pine chips the other day and all it did was peppered the color of the bedding no real volume change...

First off, I hope you feel better soon. Second, Nice setup with the grow out pen above the nesting boxes. I did see those bins at Menards in the pet department and considered them for the new coop. But I am cheap, so I did storage totes and cut the opening. I am also waiting for the leaves to fall to add to the coop for their deep litter.