Quote: i have an area for the youngsters to get away, the opening is about 4 wide so they can all sit in a row inside looking out if they want, but the height is about as tall as their backs from the perch when they roost... hard to give an exact #, mine's adjustable with a piece of pvc pip and 1" wire to slide it thru, and a feedbag for the 'door'. youngsters scoot under easily, bigger ones have to work at it to get thru, so it's usually not worth it.
not a great pic but maybe you get the idea... the top is fixed in place (another pvc pipe run inside a feed bag and out one bottom corner) on top of the pen. the top lifts for access before i start letting them range. then the bottom edge, can go nearly straight down giving about a 3-4" gap for babies, and if i slide the bottom pipe out of the wire i can pivot it somewhat making the gap taller or shorter. it pretty much stays where it is tho, as the big girls don't fit easily, and bantam girls usually aren't the problem causers. the end also drops open onto the ground, when i let them start wandering, and inside is a raised plastic tub with shavings for bed.
i built the pen for the quail, but they were too stupid to use the house and huddled under the feeders when it got wet.
i should mention, this is a complete pen - 4x8 with the end 2' enclosed except where the feed bag is, and has a piece of clear plastic siding/roofing over the opposite end to keep the food dry.
Quote:
i have an area for the youngsters to get away, the opening is about 4 wide so they can all sit in a row inside looking out if they want, but the height is about as tall as their backs from the perch when they roost... hard to give an exact #, mine's adjustable with a piece of pvc pip and 1" wire to slide it thru, and a feedbag for the 'door'. youngsters scoot under easily, bigger ones have to work at it to get thru, so it's usually not worth it.
not a great pic but maybe you get the idea... the top is fixed in place (another pvc pipe run inside a feed bag and out one bottom corner) on top of the pen. the top lifts for access before i start letting them range. then the bottom edge, can go nearly straight down giving about a 3-4" gap for babies, and if i slide the bottom pipe out of the wire i can pivot it somewhat making the gap taller or shorter. it pretty much stays where it is tho, as the big girls don't fit easily, and bantam girls usually aren't the problem causers. the end also drops open onto the ground, when i let them start wandering, and inside is a raised plastic tub with shavings for bed.
i built the pen for the quail, but they were too stupid to use the house and huddled under the feeders when it got wet.
i should mention, this is a complete pen - 4x8 with the end 2' enclosed except where the feed bag is, and has a piece of clear plastic siding/roofing over the opposite end to keep the food dry.
Whoa.. as usual I bow to the knowledge in this thread. Thank you so very very much. We have a small area for the littles to scoot under, but varying sizes of birds is a challenge. Have English Orps and Ams. Haaaa! The ORPs are giant and Ams as usual... darling and petite. We're hanging in there today and things may be improving. The early morning is the toughest part when the henhouse is a battleground. We put them "to bed" when they're already in that trance-like state in the dark..... and then the light of dawn takes them to a frenzy as if to say, "Get the heck outta my coop you little things.... you weren't here before and you won't be here for long." At that point we open doors and let em out.
Ugh.... time I suppose is exactly what they need. Thanks everyone. Any more advice would very much be appreciated.
Haha.... I have that problem all the time. I don't hatch them together anymore
Yes you can tell them apart. It may take a few weeks but the marans will have white skin and the BR are yellow. If you are lucky some cuckoos will have feathered legs. Any splashes are Marans for sure. Did you get any blue barred rocks?
Quote:
i have an area for the youngsters to get away, the opening is about 4 wide so they can all sit in a row inside looking out if they want, but the height is about as tall as their backs from the perch when they roost... hard to give an exact #, mine's adjustable with a piece of pvc pip and 1" wire to slide it thru, and a feedbag for the 'door'. youngsters scoot under easily, bigger ones have to work at it to get thru, so it's usually not worth it.
not a great pic but maybe you get the idea... the top is fixed in place (another pvc pipe run inside a feed bag and out one bottom corner) on top of the pen. the top lifts for access before i start letting them range. then the bottom edge, can go nearly straight down giving about a 3-4" gap for babies, and if i slide the bottom pipe out of the wire i can pivot it somewhat making the gap taller or shorter. it pretty much stays where it is tho, as the big girls don't fit easily, and bantam girls usually aren't the problem causers. the end also drops open onto the ground, when i let them start wandering, and inside is a raised plastic tub with shavings for bed.
i built the pen for the quail, but they were too stupid to use the house and huddled under the feeders when it got wet.
i should mention, this is a complete pen - 4x8 with the end 2' enclosed except where the feed bag is, and has a piece of clear plastic siding/roofing over the opposite end to keep the food dry.
I am sick again.... so I need more pictures please
My head just hurts too much to read that 5x's to visualize that.
I set 5.5+ guinea eggs today..... I hope I can sell most of them. I am going to keep some Lavenders and Coral Blues.
I have finally figured out, I don't have to have ever breed.... I can just find suppliers
We really need a list of hatching eggs searchable by breeds/colors/location... what ever. An excel sheet would work. So who is going to take that project on
you will when they feather out shortly. cuckoos are barred; marans are black. also cuckoos have white legs, marans slate gray legs. Barred rocks are barred with yellow legs. I've been practicing! LOL
Oh and I had a hen show up with mutt chicks and one is a feather legged barred mix !
Adds to the confusion. Dad must be a BCM and mom a barred hen ( either a BR or EE/ black sexlink) SHe will lay a brown egg as the EE laid a pale pink shell..
Oh--none of my cuckoos have feathering!! A blessing really.