Maine

[lazy gardener]

Got a Two-fer!

Such pretty little creatures! Is that a Hav-a-heart, or is it a TSC knock off? What did you use for bait? Rain barrel to finish the job????

 

[athomas718]

IMO, breeds with small combs that stick close to the head (rose, pea) are preferred over birds with large straight combs. I also prefer birds with out feathered shanks/feet. I recommend that you wire your coop for electric so you can keep heated water during the winter months. This allows you to ride out a storm without making multiple trips to the coop every few hours to carry fresh water to them. As far as ventilation: have the coop tall enough so that the upper ventilation does not blow in on them as they sit on the roost. Multi level ventilation helps remove any ammonia. Good to have some vent close to the bedding, as well as the ceiling venting. A well placed window or two will also help. You can always block off some venting as needed, but good to have it installed with the coop build. All venting and windows should be protected with 1/2" hardware cloth to prevent predator entrance. As for breeds, check out Henderson's chicken breeds chart. My favorite breeds that meet my criteria: Dominique, EE, and Wyandotte. Do you plan to keep a rooster and hatch your own eggs? That will enter into your decision, especially when you consider the options to create your own special brand of birds, and breed your own sex linked birds! Half of my home bred flock are small combed, black sex-links, most of which lay blue or green eggs.

That's a lot of information!! Thank you so much. We do not plan on keeping a rooster. I would like to one day have my own chicks with their hen mothers.... I'm trying to think how I can do that without keeping a rooster. i don't want my neighbors to hate me with a crowing rooster at 5am! We will have two high vents at the roof. The coop is about 7ft tall or so. It's an old shed, so very easy to move around comfortable. We will have two windows and a run door at the bottom. I'm not sure how we can have a vent at the bottom. Do you have suggestions? I don't want to allow rodents in with bottom vents.

 

[lazy gardener]

Rodents won't get in if you put hardware cloth between the vent and the opening. You can easily hatch your own chicks w/o a rooster. Just get some fertile eggs from a neighbor who does have a roo! Then you can either stick them under your broody hen, or in your incubator. You can make a very decent incubator for around $20. Always good to have a back up incubator, just in case your broody hen fails at Motherhood 101. BTW, you can't "make a hen go broody". Nor can you get a hen who does go broody to go broody when it's convenient for you. She'll choose to do it when her hormones tell her it's time to do so. Some confused gals even do so in winter. If you want the broody experience, choose a breed known for being broody. However, what you gain in broodiness, you loose in eggs!

 

[Hiltonizer]

Such pretty little creatures! Is that a Hav-a-heart, or is it a TSC knock off? What did you use for bait? Rain barrel to finish the job????

I think its an actual hav-a-hart, but it was on sale at TSC. One of the 2-for-1 bundles with a large and small trap for $35. Both work good, the larger one is outside the barn and keeps catching our retired Tetra's, though it did get a honker of a rat a few weeks ago.

I made a ball of peanut butter, sweet feed, and cracked corn... handy as I can just throw it into the back of the trap.

22 between the eyes finishes them off... then I toss them on the lawn and watch the eagles carry them off. Between dead rodents and baby chicks, I've trained the birds of prey to stick around and they keep the field clear of rodents... hoping in time it helps with the rat infestation.

 

[Johnny valdez]

Hey guys i have a question. About my parents chickens that has bought about 6 weeks. They Are chicks.they all are seems good. Except there is one that has been to weak to get up i guess and the eyes are closed. And doesn't. Want to eat but seems only alittle wants to drink. Its head is in the floor and it been laying there for about 1 hour.
If anybody could help me or any advice.
please. Thank you

 

[buckabucka]

Hey guys i have a question. About my parents chickens that has bought about 6 weeks. They Are chicks.they all are seems good. Except there is one that has been to weak to get up i guess and the eyes are closed. And doesn't. Want to eat but seems only alittle wants to drink. Its head is in the floor and it been laying there for about 1 hour.
If anybody could help me or any advice.
please. Thank you

You could try to syringe feed the sickly chick. You can get a syringe from the pharmacist. Fill it with yogurt mixed with egg yolk, or very wet feed, -something you can drizzle into the side of it's beak. Syringe feed some water while your at it, just a drop at a time.
Have the chicks been indoors and recently moved outside? Sometimes they get coccidiosis when exposed to the soil. If the symtoms just started, medicated feed would help with that.
Some chicks just have something wrong, and suffer from "failure to thrive", in which case it will die soon. Good luck with it!

 

[Hiltonizer]

If anyone is looking for young pullets, I picked up 130~ surplus comets down in MA the other day. They're 2 weeks old, selling for $2/piece.

I'm in South China if anyone is interested.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Are they vaccinated and are their beaks clipped?

 

[diana507]

I'm so excited! Headed out shortly to pick up my 6 new barred rock babies! The feeling is better then Christmas as a kid! Lol

 

[Hiltonizer]

Are they vaccinated and are their beaks clipped?

nope and nope, au naturale.