Maine

[MistyMae]

LOL, still putting on the hardware cloth. So funny, I post a picture about security for the run, with no walls! I am so worried about a predator getting in there!

 

[islandgirl82]

LOL, still putting on the hardware cloth. So funny, I post a picture about security for the run, with no walls! I am so worried about a predator getting in there!

 

[lazy gardener]

Hope you all are enjoying our beautiful Maine weather. It seems that my chicks are! They are 9 weeks old this weekend. 3 or 4 of them decided to sleep out on the perch outside their loft. Still pred safe. 1/2" hdw cloth including skirt. The babies are starting to change their voice. Hope to be able to get them integrated into big coop soon. Should have done so about 3 weeks ago, but wanted to thin the herd a bit first. Need to get the netting on top of the run before babies go into big coop.

Hubby mowed lawn tonight, at least the major part of it. Gave me enough grass clippings to finish off a lasagna addition to the HK bed. Have to top off with 5 WB loads of loam and 2 WB loads of compost, then can plant something... anything there. May need to wait for it to cool down a bit. Soil thermometer will be the guide there. I expect it will run hot for a few weeks. The leaves I dumped there were plenty warm, and I added some 10-10-10 after every layer of hay.

 

[Buzzlee]

I call it chick football. Toss in 1 treat and and watch em go. The adults do it too but it's not as cute.

 

[MainerChick]

We had a wedding to go to this weekend, so when I was heading out on Friday naturally the broody had at least one more new chick hatch out. Due Tuesday, hatching out stragglers Friday. So my broody buff orp's total is three nice healthy chicks. I hated needing to leave. I cleared the nest today to make the brooding area clean and safe for the new peeps as well and to get a feel for the hatch rate. We could certainly have had more chicks, but one egg was crushed at some point after day 18 and was buried in the nest material. Another pipped but never zipped, and one started to zip but never finished. One more had clearly hatched out and was doing ok, dry and fluffed then died outside the nest over the weekend. I suspect it got stepped on and the neck was broken, based on how I found it. I previously pulled one infertile and one blood ring. That's only a 33% hatch rate, but for a first time broody that we had to move partway through her process, I'll take it.

 

[woods79]

LOL, still putting on the hardware cloth. So funny, I post a picture about security for the run, with no walls! I am so worried about a predator getting in there!

We used wire mesh lathe for stucco on the door and run. I still need to finish my run as well.

 

[lazy gardener]

I spent the day putting bird netting over my run. Fun job, that! Alone, working against a strong breeze, up and down on a ladder all day. My saving grace in this job was a new cordless drill. Awesome battery power. The job is not done, but the netting is in place, and the whole run is mostly covered except for a 3' wide strip along the west end.

We moved the hoop coop yesterday afternoon. So, tonight, I'm nursing yesterday's sore muscles on top of today's sore muscles. Still have to finish the netting over the run, and attach the skirt to hoop coop in new location. The babies were so confused yesterday. They'd have spent the night huddled on the ground where the hoop coop used to sit if hubby and I had not captured each one of them and stuck them in the coop. They are not so little any more. Getting their adult voices. One of the roos started crowing yesterday. No clown car honking yet. I love that stage. Hate the hormones. They should have been integrated with the big birds 3 weeks ago, but I didn't want to do that without having the netting over the top.

In the mean time, one of my adults has completely disappeared without a trace. Have been having as many as 3 hawks circling my yard at the same time.

 

[CoopChick719]

Found some chicks to substitute for the unhatched eggs under my broody hen, Matilda. She's a happy mama! Started clucking softly when I slipped the chicks under her.

 

[oldfartfarmer]

OK so my chicks are 8 and 9 weeks old,, 2-giant jerseys 2 buff brahmas, 2 easter eggers
when do i start feeding them the feed i give my 2 yr old comets? I got them as pullets no idea at what age 2 yrs ago, when i was new to this,

I just penned in an area out in the coop for the chicks, and Hansel and Gretal (my 2 yr olds)
are crowing like roosters,,peeking in the coop,,,(they lost there 4 sisters to a fox,,free ranging, and have been penned up since)

got 1/4 bag of medicated chick feed left, and a full bag of un medicated,,

getting a separate outside pen set up this week for the chicks, and hope to slowly integrate the wee little ones in with the BIG girls little by little

 

[islandgirl82]

OK so my chicks are 8 and 9 weeks old,, 2-giant jerseys 2 buff brahmas, 2 easter eggers
when do i start feeding them the feed i give my 2 yr old comets? I got them as pullets no idea at what age 2 yrs ago, when i was new to this,

I just penned in an area out in the coop for the chicks, and Hansel and Gretal (my 2 yr olds)
are crowing like roosters,,peeking in the coop,,,(they lost there 4 sisters to a fox,,free ranging, and have been penned up since)

got 1/4 bag of medicated chick feed left, and a full bag of un medicated,,

getting a separate outside pen set up this week for the chicks, and hope to slowly integrate the wee little ones in with the BIG girls little by little

Your pullets shouldn't eat layer feed until they're ready to begin laying. If you don't want the hassle of feeding separate types of feed you can give everyone an "all flock" or grower type feed and then supply oyster shell separately. The girls who need the shell will eat it and the others may investigate but won't bother with it for the most part.

As for your hens crowing, that's not unusual for hens to take on the roll and even traits of a rooster when there isn't one present which include crowing and even growing spurs.