Ha! What started as a little joke a few weeks back between my mom and I started becoming a reality last weekend. My husband (who is allergic to eggs) noticed how many eggs I and our 2 growing kids can go through in a week and came around to the idea of starting a coop. The last week I have done a lot of research on the subject because I don't enter into anything that involves a living being lightly. Friday, we celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary and learned that I am now officially done with cancer treatment. Our plans went from going out to dinner just the two of us, to "do you wanna skip dinner and get going on the chickens?" We spent the afternoons Friday, Saturday and Sunday working on turning the existing dog run into a chicken coop, complete with 3 chickens! The guy I bought them from said they are Bovan hens... a "hybrid" of RIR and something. I don't care, I just want eggs. And chickens. Anywho...they are at the end of their molt so not just the prettiest girls you've seen but we are worried that they don't know there is a nesting box "upstairs". Anything I need to do? Should I physically put one of them up there? AND we just found out that some friends of ours need a home for their two chickens. Their daughter just started treatment for leukemia and barnyard animals are a big no-no. Thoughts on what works best for adding new hens to the coop?
Kansas girl starts chicken coop....
- Thread starter NachoMama
- Start date
Welcome to BYC! It's great to have you.
How large is the coop? If it can hold five birds comfortably, I don't see an issue adding to the flock. Usually you would need to take integration measures, but if they are all mature hens, and you do it reasonably soon, you shouldn't have an issue. Squabbling will be minimized as both groups will be new to the environment.
How large is the coop? If it can hold five birds comfortably, I don't see an issue adding to the flock. Usually you would need to take integration measures, but if they are all mature hens, and you do it reasonably soon, you shouldn't have an issue. Squabbling will be minimized as both groups will be new to the environment.
Greetings from a fellow Kansan, NachoMama, and
! Great to have you in our community! Always great to have another Sunflower Stater on BYC! First and foremost, congratulations on the end of your cancer treatments!! That is the best news of all!
As to your chickens, a great place to to gather tons of great poultry knowledge is the Learning Center here https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center You said you don't get into caring for living things lightly - well the Learning Center will leave you well-prepared.
I have heard of Bovans but have never seen one or even knew what they looked like. If they are at the end of their molt they are likely at least a full year old as hens usually do a full molt during the second autumn, although they can go through a light molt during their first fall. I only say this as I hope you were sold hens in their prime egg laying stage of life and not those out of their prime. Also, winter time is a slow egg laying time so don't be discouraged if they aren't fulling up the nest boxes with eggs - chickens needs 14 hours of light per day for steady egg laying. They still lay during the shorter and shorter days of fall and winter but it will be quite a bit fewer. For instance, I had a few zero egg days last December and January - and I had over 20 hens!
About them using the nesting box - yes - put them in it physically so they will learn to lay there. They need to get used to the proper place. Some folks place fake "eggs" like golf balls in the nest boxes to teach them where to lay. Usually that's with first time layers and not established ones like yours. About taking those other two chickens - you want want to read about quarantining in the Learning Center. Don't want to import diseases into your flock! Anyway, thanks again for joining and congrats on your remission. Feel free to post questions in the various forums should they arise - or to pm me - I'm on BYC a lot! Best wishes!!!
As to your chickens, a great place to to gather tons of great poultry knowledge is the Learning Center here https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center You said you don't get into caring for living things lightly - well the Learning Center will leave you well-prepared.
I have heard of Bovans but have never seen one or even knew what they looked like. If they are at the end of their molt they are likely at least a full year old as hens usually do a full molt during the second autumn, although they can go through a light molt during their first fall. I only say this as I hope you were sold hens in their prime egg laying stage of life and not those out of their prime. Also, winter time is a slow egg laying time so don't be discouraged if they aren't fulling up the nest boxes with eggs - chickens needs 14 hours of light per day for steady egg laying. They still lay during the shorter and shorter days of fall and winter but it will be quite a bit fewer. For instance, I had a few zero egg days last December and January - and I had over 20 hens!
About them using the nesting box - yes - put them in it physically so they will learn to lay there. They need to get used to the proper place. Some folks place fake "eggs" like golf balls in the nest boxes to teach them where to lay. Usually that's with first time layers and not established ones like yours. About taking those other two chickens - you want want to read about quarantining in the Learning Center. Don't want to import diseases into your flock! Anyway, thanks again for joining and congrats on your remission. Feel free to post questions in the various forums should they arise - or to pm me - I'm on BYC a lot! Best wishes!!!
Nice to meet you Nacho Mama - glad you joined the Backyard chickens flock
- Thread starter
- #5
Greetings from a fellow Kansan, NachoMama, and! Great to have you in our community! Always great to have another Sunflower Stater on BYC! First and foremost, congratulations on the end of your cancer treatments!! That is the best news of all!
As to your chickens, a great place to to gather tons of great poultry knowledge is the Learning Center here https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center You said you don't get into caring for living things lightly - well the Learning Center will leave you well-prepared.
I have heard of Bovans but have never seen one or even knew what they looked like. If they are at the end of their molt they are likely at least a full year old as hens usually do a full molt during the second autumn, although they can go through a light molt during their first fall. I only say this as I hope you were sold hens in their prime egg laying stage of life and not those out of their prime. Also, winter time is a slow egg laying time so don't be discouraged if they aren't fulling up the nest boxes with eggs - chickens needs 14 hours of light per day for steady egg laying. They still lay during the shorter and shorter days of fall and winter but it will be quite a bit fewer. For instance, I had a few zero egg days last December and January - and I had over 20 hens!
About them using the nesting box - yes - put them in it physically so they will learn to lay there. They need to get used to the proper place. Some folks place fake "eggs" like golf balls in the nest boxes to teach them where to lay. Usually that's with first time layers and not established ones like yours. About taking those other two chickens - you want want to read about quarantining in the Learning Center. Don't want to import diseases into your flock! Anyway, thanks again for joining and congrats on your remission. Feel free to post questions in the various forums should they arise - or to pm me - I'm on BYC a lot! Best wishes!!!
Thank you frothed info! My son and I went out to check on the girls after I posted and there they were...up there n the nesting box!
- Jan 30, 2015
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Hi and welcome to BYC - you have some great advice and links already so I'll just say hello!
All the best
CT
All the best
CT
Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!
Hello there, and welcome to Backyard Chickens! You have gotten amazing advice and whatnot, so I will just say hi, and I hope you make yourself at home here!
- Thread starter
- #9
Sounds like lots of good things are happening for you! Congrats on finishing your treatments...getting a flock...getting your 1st egg! You might enjoy "meeting" other BYC members in KS. You can find them by using the search box (upper left) to find the Kansas state thread.
Thanks for joining us, it's nice to have you here!
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