Michigan

[Hillbilly Hen]

Uncle Bubba, those are some nice brooders!

That is a pretty little pullet too.

FunnyBunnies, we used to have ducks, many years ago and I loved using the eggs for baking!

Dh would sell some to a guy at work. This guy was disappointed when we no longer had ducks.
Dh told me that a couple of guys at work have been giving him more money for eggs lately just because they knew we were not breaking even. I would need more hens too to keep up with the orders but there is a limit of how much I can physically do.

 

[SillyChicken]

Quote:
You may want a thermometer to keep track of the temperature so you can adjust the height of the heat source accordingly.

I also had grit available to the birds, it was there if they wanted it, although people said with the food they didn't always need it.

Do you think kitty litter on the walking area is wise? Won't they try to eat it? (not sure what kind of liter you're using) Under a roost where they may not actually access it may be ok. Just be careful they don't ingest something with chemicals etc.

Most people put a little ACV in the water all the time to help with parasites.

As far as introducing them. Will depend alot on your chickens. You may have to section off an area where they can see eachother for a while before putting together. If you do a search on adding chickens I'm sure you'll come up with a lot of threads. The chicks I introduced to my chickens were being covered by one of the hens (they raised their own). None of the other chickens dared bother the chicks!

 

[gotweim]

Thanks! Someone suggested play sand instead of the litter for the little ones. I'm going to go that route instead...that way I don't have too worry about them eating it and it will scoop like the litter.....

 

[Opa]

Gotweim, using a kiddie pool for a brooder will only work for a couple of days. After that they won't stay in it. I would recommend getting a single ply cardboard (Thermoply) that is used for panning cold air returns. It comes 1/8"x4'x8' and can be purchased from Home Depot. Cut it into 2x8 and then you can use it to make a circle of cardboard that will fit inside your pool.

I duct taped the ends together and placed the circle on top of newspaper on the garage floor. When it became dirty we placed more newspaper next to it, lifted the circle slightly and walked the chicks over to the clean newspaper and rolled up the dirty. When the chicks became large enough to fly out but to young to not be in a brooder I place light weight netting over it.

 

[chickflick]

Wouldn't the chicks eat the sand? Could their crops become impacted? I'd stick with the shavings and be safe.
Oh, what a warm day it was! Loved it! Chickens loved it more!

 

[Olive Hill]

No, sand will not compact crops. Neither will 90% of the things you're told will on BYC, but that's another story for another day.

Sand is dirt. Birds have lived in peaceful coexistence with dirt for millions and millions of years. Chicken are birds. Don't worry, be happy.

If you use a thermometer in your brooder for temperature monitoring make sure you do not become dependent on it. You should adjust your heat source according to the behavior of the chicks regardless of what the temperature says. The guidelines you'll find here and elsewhere -- both online and off -- are just that guidelines, not hard and fast rules. If your thermometer says 80 degrees on day one and the chicks are happy and acting appropriately then 80, not 90 is where it should be.

When in doubt or all else fails -- and to shamelessly quote a country song -- don't outsmart your common sense.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Free chicken coop in the Grand Rapida area http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/zip/2220245714.html

 

[keyt1969]

I know this is an extremely silly question of which I probably know the answer, but is anyone interested in roosters? I have 2 BR and 1 RIR and possibly Isas. I also have 2 "farm ducks" males I need to re-home.

Barred Rock

Road Island Red

The one on the left

The two gray ones


Sorry the pics aren't so good. I'm still a little unsteady on my feet so I couldn't stand out there long to get pics. If anyone is interested please pm me

 

[FunnyBunnies12]

Sorry, can't help but great looking ducks! They look like my drakes!

The one closest to the front, the blue with the white ring

Daddy drake

Then this one, the one and only drake that will have a emerald green head

 

[michickenwrangler]

Keyt,

That's not an RIR, it looks like an Easter Egger. He has a pea comb and a muff. A RIR should have a single comb and a clean throat with fairly large wattles. RIRs are also darker and glossier.