Meyer Hatchery Chicken pics anyone??

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

Yes, Meyer refers to their version of Cornish Crosses as white broilers. They can go by a lot of names , each hatchery pretty much calls them something different.

 

[christine9]

Yes, Meyer refers to their version of Cornish Crosses as white broilers. They can go by a lot of names , each hatchery pretty much calls them something different.

Great! Thanks for the clarification.

 

[NanaLynn]

Hey Lynn, how much cedar is in those chips? I don't know if it applies to outside the coop, but airborne oils from cedar shavings can lead to respiratory issues in poultry. I would assume there is quite a bit of oil in them if they are very fragarent. I just wanted to mention that, in case you notice the girls sneezing or wheezing, then I would out those chips.

I had read that too. There is not much cedar at all mostly pine and oak. Although, there are some groups of people reevaluating the use of cedar in their coops and even in nesting boxes. Some our even putting cedar shavings in nesting boxes to deter lice/mites. I have not gone that far since it scares me to try that. There is only a little cedar in it and it is only in their well ventilated run. Until I see the results of others experimenting with cedar in the coops and nest boxes I am not trying that.

Thanks for the heads up though

 

[rnchick74]

I had read that too. There is not much cedar at all mostly pine and oak. Although, there are some groups of people reevaluating the use of cedar in their coops and even in nesting boxes. Some our even putting cedar shavings in nesting boxes to deter lice/mites. I have not gone that far since it scares me to try that. There is only a little cedar in it and it is only in their well ventilated run. Until I see the results of others experimenting with cedar in the coops and nest boxes I am not trying that.

Thanks for the heads up though

Glad that you are on top of it! When I was raising parrots, there was a newbie who thought it would be a great idea to use cedar as a bedding. He lost 5 new hatchlings in a week before we could figure out what the cause was! I'm allergic to cedar & pine - gives me hives, so I can't use those types of beddings. In my brooder I'm going to use a corn cob pellet bedding, initially covered with paper towels until they get their footing. In the coop I will use the corn cob in the run, and sweet pdz in the coop with straw in the nest boxes...making adjustments as needed.

 

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

Your welcome

I was also worried about bugs in my nest boxes so I mixed a very small amount of cedar shavings in with my normal pine shavings, about 1 part cedar to 4 parts pine. I used this mix in one of my open air hoop coops where the nesting box is very open. I did not notice any respiratory problems but I don't know if there is enough cedar to kill any mites/lice either. I was afraid to add more cedar, since I don't know what level of oil crosses into unsafe territory.

 

[christine9]

Cream legbar available June 9th. We're getting closer!

 

[rnchick74]

Cream legbar available June 9th. We're getting closer!

I JUST SAW THAT!!! I even looked to see if I could move the rest of my flock's hatchday around, but I would have to give up the Blue Orp & the Black Copper Maran...nope, not willing to do that....

Fingers crossed and we will both get what we want!!! I'm still seriously looking at the buff silkies too!!! I would just hate to end up with a roo though

 

[rnchick74]

Ok - still trying to narrow down which coop to buy.

What is everyone's opinion of this coop with the run extension: http://urbancoopcompany.com/product/round-top-chicken-coop/

vs

This coop with the triple run & lift kit & 2 nest boxes:http://www.cconly.com/coop__hutches/cc-18_series

The pro's to the urban coop are: integrated feeder, made of cedar (aged, not fragrant), heavier hardware cloth, little more aesthetically pleasing, little heavier duty

The con's are: cedar (I'm allergic & would break out in hives until the cedar was sealed), cost, little smaller run space

The pro's to the CC only coop: cost, bigger run space, pull out pan for cleaning, not cedar - fir, comes with 2 nest boxes

The con's are: lots of space in my small yard taken up, not as heavy duty as the urban coop, it's ok to look at but not super cute

What does everyone else think? The price difference is significant while they are on sale...still a good chunk while not on sale.

 

[christine9]

I actually like the second one better. It seems more simple, so there's less fuss. I like to remove my feeders for cleaning. Plus, every time I add more chickens, I can add another feeder lol. It's difficult to choose coops online. It took me months to choose a plan and we still made changes as we went. The best advice I got was to pick something that would be easy to clean.

 

[rnchick74]

I actually like the second one better. It seems more simple, so there's less fuss. I like to remove my feeders for cleaning. Plus, every time I add more chickens, I can add another feeder lol. It's difficult to choose coops online. It took me months to choose a plan and we still made changes as we went. The best advice I got was to pick something that would be easy to clean.

I plan on making a PVC gravity feeder similar to the one urban coop shows. With only 6 birds, it should be fine. I'm also going to get a chicken fountain nipple waterer system so they have a constant supply of water. The 2nd one seems like a lot more real estate to me, for less $$. With quality water sealing, it should last quite a while.