Maine

[PollyC]

This is the start of my new chicken coop. It is 10 x 10 and will have 3 breeding pens inside with outside seperate runs for each pen. Today we will get the rafters and roof on and the outside walls covered, then if we have time will put the metal roofing on. Oh ya, we will also get the windows on.
This is why I was not able to attend the swap yesterday.

 

[MKandtheforce]

Oy. I really need to get my own place. My mom put her foot down on a temporary coop, so I guess that's out. I'll start getting supplies tomorrow for the big coop, I suppose! I just hope I can afford it all. Does anyone out there have any spare lumber, or extra lumber from projects that you never needed that I could buy cheaply? Orrr, any of you guys know of any places I could rent where I could have chickens, bees, and goats? Hah. I really want to spread my wings!

On another note, is anyone interested in buying a Kobo? It's an e-reader. I never use it, but it works perfectly. Comes with a cover and a USB cord. It's nothing fancy, but it's pretty useful. I've just found that I prefer actual books!

 

[superchemicalgirl]

This is the start of my new chicken coop. It is 10 x 10 and will have 3 breeding pens inside with outside seperate runs for each pen. Today we will get the rafters and roof on and the outside walls covered, then if we have time will put the metal roofing on. Oh ya, we will also get the windows on.
This is why I was not able to attend the swap yesterday.

That looks great! good reason to miss a swap.

 

[PollyC]

today we got the roof on (still have to put metal on but need to get the drip edges first), all the windows (3) in, the front and back walls up, one side wall. I need to get one more piece of OSB board to finish the last wall. I am pooped, we all worked our butts off today. We will work all week when my son gets home from work. I will be posting more pictures later when I get the outside done.

 

[annabananaandfamily]

What a busy, and really great, weekend! Felt like we didnt stop moving, but it was all stuff I was happy to do. We finally planted our garden (later than most here it seems). We are brand new gardeners this year, so we bought everything as seedlings from the local garden shop. It is really cool to look out and see the little plants poking up through the dirt. The kids are all really excited about it too, so its nice to be able to go out and work on it all together. We also merged 2 of our little flocks together this weekend. So far it is going well. They still wander around seperately, but atleast there have been no major fights or anything. The one flock we moved in with our originals are just a few months old, which seems to make it easier when blending flocks. I am also trying very hard to sex the chicks I have so I can be sure not to get attached to any that will be going. I dont have room to keep all 40+ chickens here, so I am going to have to thin the ranks sooner or later. Next spring, my husband is going to have to build some separate breeding pens, because some of these are just too awesome not to share!

Anyway, I am off to take the little ones outside and move some perrenials around

 

[MustardTiger]

Help!

So we got the chickens home and all seemed well. We have had them in the coop and the small run for 3 days now. This afternoon one of the easter eggers was hanging back int he coop and she was having some gurggling and rattling while breathing. She looks fine otherwise, no runny or swollen eyes or any other problems that I could see. She did feel a little warmer than the other girls.

As a total noob to chickens.....what should I do?

I know that the stress of transport can cause illness to surface, but do I need to isolate her from the rest? Do they all need antibiotics? Where do I even find such a thing (I am in Cumberland).

 

[ashandvine]

So we got the chickens home and all seemed well. We have had them in the coop and the small run for 3 days now. This afternoon one of the easter eggers was hanging back int he coop and she was having some gurggling and rattling while breathing. She looks fine otherwise, no runny or swollen eyes or any other problems that I could see. She did feel a little warmer than the other girls.

I know that the stress of transport can cause illness to surface, but do I need to isolate her from the rest? Do they all need antibiotics? Where do I even find such a thing (I am in Cumberland).

It sounds like IB to another newbie and if you have a vet they might help but its likely that one of the other gals in here can give you great advice... ask Hoppy!


I have a question, too:
A chicken laid a shell-less egg today! It was SO weird. My daughter found it under the chicken who was apparently acting sortof weird and looking between her feet where the egg was. These hens aren't pullets but it is possible that she hadn't been laying for a bit because of her recent move to here from Klf's house. I read that if they stop and start again that can happen. They have layer pellets and water available all the time and then they have oyster shells in their pens to pick over if they want it. They do get cantaloupe and meat scraps and pasta here (all plain, 'real' food-- I don't use a microwave for cooking). I don't use salt, except sea salt in baking, and they haven't had processed anything. So I'm trying to say its not the diet as far as I can tell. I know not all of them were laying and now more are starting to. I also know we haven't had any thunder storms or anything like that to freak her out. So? Does this sound like its just a restart on laying and her body isn't into the groove of it? Very weird, membrane around an egg. Hey! I can actually candle this one! lol

 

[MustardTiger]

Help!

So we got the chickens home and all seemed well. We have had them in the coop and the small run for 3 days now. This afternoon one of the easter eggers was hanging back int he coop and she was having some gurggling and rattling while breathing. She looks fine otherwise, no runny or swollen eyes or any other problems that I could see. She did feel a little warmer than the other girls.

As a total noob to chickens.....what should I do?

I know that the stress of transport can cause illness to surface, but do I need to isolate her from the rest? Do they all need antibiotics? Where do I even find such a thing (I am in Cumberland).

Update: I sat and watched them for a little while longer and she was interested in food, she ate pellets and some scratch. She seemed to be acting pretty normal aside from being slightly less active than usual (it is hard to tell just yet what is "normal" since they are so new to us). They are all 8 week old pullets. I have heard some other random sneezing but nothing else that worried me. I think I am going to see how they are doing tomorrow morning and if she has not improved I will isolate her. I just don't want to pile on more trauma prematurely.
Any other info is welcome.

 

[hoppy]

sent you a pm and ash/vine- you can candle it but don't expect it will hatch. the bacteria will go right through the lack of a shell.

Update: I sat and watched them for a little while longer and she was interested in food, she ate pellets and some scratch. She seemed to be acting pretty normal aside from being slightly less active than usual (it is hard to tell just yet what is "normal" since they are so new to us). They are all 8 week old pullets. I have heard some other random sneezing but nothing else that worried me. I think I am going to see how they are doing tomorrow morning and if she has not improved I will isolate her. I just don't want to pile on more trauma prematurely.
Any other info is welcome.

 

[Mainechick168]

Update: I sat and watched them for a little while longer and she was interested in food, she ate pellets and some scratch. She seemed to be acting pretty normal aside from being slightly less active than usual (it is hard to tell just yet what is "normal" since they are so new to us). They are all 8 week old pullets. I have heard some other random sneezing but nothing else that worried me. I think I am going to see how they are doing tomorrow morning and if she has not improved I will isolate her. I just don't want to pile on more trauma prematurely.
Any other info is welcome.

Mustardtiger- you got yours from empire acres, right? we picked some up this weekend from there too ( two barred rocks, which are about 6 weeks old and an easter egger and 2 buff orpingtons that are 8 weeks old) I noticed that our new easter egger had a bit of a sneeze going on too, and it was a little yuckier sounding than my other chicks sneezes....I did notice though, they were in wood shavings at the farm, and I have hay in my coop, so maybe that had a little to do with it- today though I have not noticed her sneeze once- I have not been around as much, but in the 15 min. I was out there tonight, no sneezing!
SOmething that is sort of funny- I suppose my original flock is quite spoiled...and fat! they are 6 weeks old, and are almost as big as the 8 week olds we just got..and the 6 week old barred rocks are quite small in comparison.