Just starting a "real" hen house.

[Chickenaddict]

I let my broody hens hatch 3 clutches starting early spring. All eggs hatched with no problems

i prefer it that way over a bator just because its soo darn cute to see mama hen and baby chicks in tow.

 

[CrustyCurmudgeon]

Interesting idea for me, as long as one could keep the incubating eggs and the newly laid separate. Having the hens do the work wouldn't bother me, but does that stop egg production? While she is sitting? I'm "Chicken stupid", gotta ask these questions, hope it's entertaining or educational...one of the two... LOL

jeff ><>

 

[Chickenaddict]

Quote:
LOL yes the hen stops laying i usually let only one at a time hatch a clutch that way im only missing one egg a day

. I was asking just as many if not more questions when i started this whole thing. The internet was also VERY handy. Lots of trial and error but i feel i have a pretty good handle on things so far. I still ask questions alot and offer my opinions but im certainly no expert.

Rachel~

 

[fullhouse]

Quote:
I am in the very southeast. In the water between the US and Canada, at the top of Lake Erie. No where near Big Rapids, but my poor dh does hike up there for work on occasion. I think it's 5 hours.

 

[PAChickenChick]

This is just my humble and newbie opinion....
I have small children so I REALLY wanted a bird with a calm disposition. It was recommended to me to get Barred Plymouth Rocks (a dual bird).

I got two pullets (atleast they both better be pullets!!!) and they are both very sweet. The one that we're hoping isn't a Roo is actually super sweet and almost dog like in the way it wants to be held and talked to.

Our neighbor has 3 big dogs and the hens don't seem to be concerned with them unless I put the movable run right up against the property line fence. We also have huge black crows constantly flying over head and they don't seem to worry about them either.

And on another note...about your coop...I don't know what you were considering, but in questioning the collective of this forum I've decided on using sand for the bottom of my coop as opposed to shavings or straw/hay. The advantages are that the chickens will be able to dust bathe in it, it dries out the poo really well, it's easy to clean, handles water nicely, is cheap, and well....I'm rambling now.

 

[CrustyCurmudgeon]

Thanks for the sand idea. I'm still working on what will be good bedding on my floor. This shed is steel, frame, floor, roof walls, think lawn shed on serious steroids. Well insulated so there's on concern about heat, this was used to house RailRoad signal equipment so it couldn't over heat, they planned for that.
With the steel floor there won't be any penetration or drying from beneath, wont' be any rodents chewing in either. I'm considering perforating the floor with my plasma cutter, small holes for 'weeping", but I haven't committed to that yet.
I'm planning on a perch/nest box system rather than leaving them on the floor, does that allow more birds in the same space? And, the Barred Plymouth Rocks, aren't those the black and white birds that fly fishermen pay $50 for the little patch of feathers that comes from around the lower beak and on the front of the neck? My brother-in-law showed me a fifty cent piece size of skin with feathers on it and said he paid $50 for it. I told him I could by him a whole chicken for less than that and he couldn't wrap his head around the idea. LOL

Thanks again,

Jeff ><>

 

[Chickenaddict]

Quote:
What really worked great for me is converting an old desk into nesting boxes with the actual top of the desk as their perch then i also hung a 2 by 4 across from that a little higher to use as a second perch so they have quite a bit of floor space left. The desk we used ended up making 5 nesting boxes so thats plenty for them. I have 22 chickens now but had 28 and only 12 use the coop until the little ones get big enough to use it too. Sand floor is a great idea i may just have to start using that. i'm sure its ALOT easier to rake up the poo then accumulating tons of garbage bags full of dirty pine shavings (the garden can only hold so much) not to mention the price is going up on that as well. Another idea i have heard is grass clippings.

 

[CrustyCurmudgeon]

If I go the long way, I think I can get three perches seven feet long , one at one foot, one at two foot and one at three foot in height, like a stair up to the back wall. That leaves about twenty eight inches at either side of the door to put next boxes, easy three or four to a side. ceiling is high, seven feet at least. If I have three perches and leave the floor space open... how many Australorps in a 42 sq. ft./300 cu.ft space?
I'm still tossing the sand idea around, used to be sawmills around here that would let you shovel your own saw dust for free....think they're all gone now, but I have a field that is ¾ acre that is lawn but going to be corn field, I have lots of room for manure.
Gettin' the bug...oh oh, I never do anything simply... LOL

Jeff ><>

 

[MamaDragon]

Greetings All!

I too, am trying to maintain an old-fashioned flock like my grandmother once had; letting hens raise the chicks and (trying to) let nature take its course. We had a neighbor give our 9 yr old son a hobby flock of 7 hens and a rooster back in early May, and away we went.

We had to hustle to come up with a coop for them and ended up using a 10x10 steel garden shed with no doors, and a re-purposed 10x10 (dog) chicken run attached to it. it sits direct on the ground, sand floor. We usually scatter hay/straw around the run area as it does get muddy when it rains, even tho we have a tarp stretched over the run area for shade and rain protection. Took several 2 in diameter branches of a good length stretched across the chain-link for day-time roosts. Inside the shed, we ended up using a big wooden box to store the hay in, with a plywood top on it, and ALL the chickens get up there together and snuggle in for the night. We tried to put up a couple roosts inside the shed, but none of them were acceptable, they'd rather hang out on top of the box.

The nice thing is we only have to "muck it out" when the heat starts drawing flies (by the thousands), or if it starts to smell. Just rake it up, move it out to the burn pile (the hubby says too much smell to allow it to compost), and lay down a fresh scattering of straw. We're on a rented lot, and the landlord has allowed us to do this as long as none of the neighbors complain about it. Everything has been constructed to be dis-assembled incase we move to our own property.

I do have a suggestion for your bird choice: We have 3 New Hampshire Reds in our flock, two hens and a rooster, and even the rooster is mellow. None of them are hand-trained, but all are tolerant of everyone/thing else that shares our home.

I've got 4 dogs, about a dozen cats and kittens, 4 kids including 1 toddler around the chickens daily and other than an occasional pecked toe the chickens don't act threatened by the kids, dogs, cars, etc...

Right now I've got a White Leghorn sitting a group nest and so far two chicks have hatched out. I'm not one to worry about what breed they are, and don't particularly care for fancy breeds. Just good-ole home-grown chickens for table and eggs.

 

[HeadHen]

I read somewhere (maybe Storey's guide) that it is better to have birds specifically for either laying or meat. That dual purpose birds end up not being really great at either purpose (not a lot of eggs and skinny bird on the table).
So maybe get 1/2 flock great eggs layer breed (very efficient feed to egg ratio, thinner chickens) and 1/2 flock meat breed (put on good weight at younger age while still tender).
Drawback would be that a lot of good egg layers are not good brooders and I have heard that good meat breeds don't brood as well because of their weight (not all). So you might be looking at ordering chicks every once in a while.
I can't stand the thought of butchering and eating an animal I raised (I'm either a budding vegitarian or a hypocrite since I can eat chicken from the store) so my flock is all good egglayers. So far they are 2 weeks old and act like pets with me and all the kids.