INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Mother2Hens]

I've never had a problem with the sand in my coop getting wet...

I guess it depends on how sheltered it is?


CRSelvey, Sweet PDZ is a bedding additive for horses that neutralizes ammonia, gets rid of the poo smell, and absorbs moisture. It's more expensive than sand, so I just add some to the sand in my coop and it works for me.

I agree-- I've never had a problem with sand in my coop getting wet, but I am really glad to know about PDZ. I clean out the poop in the coop daily, but I do have next door neighbors, so a little PDZ would be good to add-- especially during the warm months. Thanks for the tip, Crafty!

 

[Old Salt 1945]

After looking at more and more pictures of Lavender Orpingtons... I am getting a sinking feeling the Orpingtons might be boys.
As they look identical to each other... what ever one is, the other will be.
If all my Cochins turn out to be boys... Well I might have to commit some kind of random act of violence.... Wonder if there is a pillow in the spare room I can strangle....

On the other hand, you will have no difficulty in waking up at 5:30 AM each day.

John

 

[Old Salt 1945]

Can someone tell me if it would be ok to put all my hens that have babies in a tractor together? I have 1 that has babies who are about 3 weeks now. 1 hatched hers 2 days ago but refuses to come off the nest. And the 3 rd started hatching yesterday and she is still sitting also. The hens had always been together so they are use to each other. If I can't put them together I will have to brood the babies and turn the hens back out which I hate to do that to them. My only other option is kick everyone else out of the coop so they can have it. Im worried about my roos injuring or killing the babies or even the moms. I have 4 roos and theu were plucking my big hens bald so I caged them so they coukd have a brwak and hopefully grow some feathers back. I don't want alk 4 of them going after my 2 banty hens. Anyone have any suggestions? Or need a couple roos? Lol

Keep the roosters penned up and let the hens and chicks do whatever they want to do. Usually, Mother knows best, IMO.

John

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Do you have a waterer in the coop and if so is it the nipple kind? I'm just asking because you said you don't have a problem with wet sand. My chicks tip their hanging waterer all the time! I clean out thier mess daily now and am looking at alternatives. I think one was called the chicken fountain?

I don't keep their water inside the coop except in below freezing weather. What I have always used without problems is just 2 gallon buckets filled with water, though I would not suggest using those with chicks. I have a little quart waterer which I taped some bungees to to hang it from for my current babies. I hate it, but I haven't found anything better.

What kind of waterer do you have with your chicks? I bought a 2 or 3 gallon waterer last year to use with my babies, but it actually had slits all the way through the base to hold the top on and it was constantly leaking like that. :/

 

[itsjustme]

Thank you crafty chick I was thinking about that but I'm not sure the hen that hatched hers yesterday is going to let anyone bunk with her. She's a brat always has been and is even worse now. I'm watching her thinking I may have to take 1 of her chicks away she doesn't treat it like she does the rest for some reason? And John all my chickens except my broodies free range and I'm to paranoid to let them take the babies outside I just know 1 of my other birds would peck them to pieces. And it would probably be the peacocks those nosey little boogers peck everything. I think I will hang a temo. Tarp to divide the tractor and put the new mommies in there 1 on each side. So another question if no1 minds. Do you think my hen with the older babies would be fine in the run if I stick a nesting box in the bottom for them to sleep in? It sits on the ground and I have yard timbers around the outside nothing's ever attempted to get in it. I could staple a tarp around the sides the house covers for extra wind protection. It couldn't get wet if it rained. Sorry now I'm just thinking out loud. What do u guys think?

 

[HouseKat]

We have a concrete pad in our yard where a small one-car garage used to sit and I'm wondering if this would be a good place to build a coop. If so, would it be better to put it up on stilts, leaving an area underneath or sitting it directly on the concrete?

 

[Crafty chick]

We have a concrete pad in our yard where a small one-car garage used to sit and I'm wondering if this would be a good place to build a coop.  If so, would it be better to put it up on stilts, leaving an area underneath or sitting it directly on the concrete?

Ibuilt mine directly on our concrete pad... then found out when it rained it collected and made a MUDDY MESS! So in the middle of winter( yeah I know), my DH and I put it up on concrete blocks and put a floor in it. Soooo much drier and clean. Chickens are happy! They free range during the day, so barely any mess on the floor, just sprinkle some straw around. I have a poop board under the roost with PDZ on it. Love that stuff anyway.... that's what worked for me.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Can someone tell me if it would be ok to put all my hens that have babies in a tractor together? I have 1 that has babies who are about 3 weeks now. 1 hatched hers 2 days ago but refuses to come off the nest. And the 3 rd started hatching yesterday and she is still sitting also. The hens had always been together so they are use to each other. If I can't put them together I will have to brood the babies and turn the hens back out which I hate to do that to them. My only other option is kick everyone else out of the coop so they can have it. Im worried about my roos injuring or killing the babies or even the moms. I have 4 roos and theu were plucking my big hens bald so I caged them so they coukd have a brwak and hopefully grow some feathers back. I don't want alk 4 of them going after my 2 banty hens. Anyone have any suggestions? Or need a couple roos? Lol

I would put the boys in the yard to free range during the day giving them their space and move them to the tractor at night. I would leave the moms and chicks where they are. Another option might be building a coop divider out of 4 2x4s and chicken wire. But then you have less space for the roosters and their alpha roo spats.

I havve a chick that's very lathargic will electrolyte work she didn't absorb all of the yolk in her egg she seems alert she peeping and all but she's not walking she's falling to sleep if you have any info on how to help her please let me know

it should help also try feeding wet food, just don't make a lot of it. The chicks do not really consume large amounts of food in the first 3 days. A trick I have found to keep the chicks happy is to put water in a shallow bowl with a layer of marbles or designer rocks in it. the water barely covers the rocks so new chicks don't drown but they have fun pecking at the different colors. I got mine from the dollar store in the decoration section next to fake flowers. But the bowl and rocks have to be washed every day with hot water since the chicks poo in it while they peck.

Quote: My roos are closer to 4:45 lately. I want to lock them in the back coop but that is whee my 10 wk fry pan chicks are slowly growing. Pretty sure some of them would get beat up by the adult roos and we have lost enough of them already to a couple of cold nights and hawks.

 

[SkinNFluff]

that special moment when you look out and see your cornish rock roo is mounting one of your black silkie hens. i picture a black meat cornish cross in my future. i also picture that darn rooster on my dinner plate this week. smh

 

[CRSelvey]

I don't keep their water inside the coop except in below freezing weather. What I have always used without problems is just 2 gallon buckets filled with water, though I would not suggest using those with chicks. I have a little quart waterer which I taped some bungees to to hang it from for my current babies. I hate it, but I haven't found anything better.

What kind of waterer do you have with your chicks? I bought a 2 or 3 gallon waterer last year to use with my babies, but it actually had slits all the way through the base to hold the top on and it was constantly leaking like that. :/

I just have the white hanging buckets with a red drinking trough from tractor supply. They are hanging by s hooks and dog chains from the top of the wire dog crate they live in now.

It's a messy situation that I have to clean daily. I did get some pdz today and am trying it now. I am very hopeful.

As if we didn't have our hands full with all these birds, our teenage daughter brought a fish home from the fair so we set up a little tank today too . Have a great night and thanks again for all the feedback.