Intro and very Newbie question

Date sort Score sort
From TN. Welcome Angela
Dont know much about Guineas
but you chx will eat bugs if you free range them. if you want to have a certain roo with
certain hens you will, ( as I have) to have
a seperate coop for them.
I have feathered leg cochins.and didnt want certain hens to be with other roos.to keep down the ticks and mites i put down some
permectrin dust on thier floor then add a sack od wood shaving
as they need it and keep it stired up and never had a problem and no smell.
and it stays all winter just adding wood shaving as need and stir once a week. I fully clean out the coop once a year.
hope this helps
 
I agree with everyone. This site is the only one, imo, to go to, when it comes to chickens. And then some!
lol.png
I've learned so much since I found this wonderful website. And, I THOUGHT I knew what I needed to know.
hmm.png
Prepare yourself for a wonderful learning experience! And welcome!
big_smile.png
 
The chickens will take care of the bugs. They LOVE bugs. If they don't have enough bugs to eat, they will eat your garden instead.

We keep our chickens in their new house for about a week. Then they come to think of it as home. After the week is up, we let them out to free range. They come back before dark on their own. We don't need to corral them at all. If they don't come back, they don't think of it as home yet. Lock 'em back up, make sure they have a perch in there to roost on, try it again in another week. We've never had this fail.
 
Welcome...alrite...1st off --there are no dumb questions-- now you are going to want 2 keep them in their coop or whatever you have for them to sleep in for about 2 weeks or so...just until they know whats home...then you can free range them and they will com back to the coop at nighttime on their own...they will start 2 get closer 2 the coop as it gets closer to dusk then about right at dark they will meander in the coop...
 
Hi Angela,

This may sound crazy but I'm brand new to chickens...about five weeks into this new adventure. I have 25 five week old chicks that I've raised in a makeshift brooder that is actually a 100 gallon water tank for horses. As my chicken house is not quite ready for the chicks they get to go into their chicken yard for the day and I collect them up in the evening. Last night I was a little later collecting them and when I went to their yard all of them had gone into the water tank which was laying on its side and they were snuggled all together in the shavings. Do I have smart little chickens or what!?!?! Once I get their house finished and I get the door in I guess they'll go inside when it's evening. As far as free ranging which I also hope to do...I have no idea how to corral them or if they'll just know it's time for bed and head to the chicken house.

Deb
in Southern Colorado
mom to a 14 year old daughter, 4 dogs, 5 cats, 2 parrots, 6 horses and 25 chickens and I have a husband who is a saint for so many reasons
 
A warning: Don't let them free-range too early, unless they're in a penned in area that is covered. I once had 10 chicks, about a month old, that I thought would love to be out of their stifling dirt-floored pen and into a penned area on grass. When I went to check on them, I 'interrupted' a hawk that promptly flew out of the pen, leaving behind carnage. One chick was never even found. And these chicks were the size of doves! Now, I always cover their grassy area with chicken wire till I'm sure they're too big to be prey.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom