Montana

[montanachicks]

Hi all: a couple of months ago, someone on this thread was talking about the wireless video cams they installed out in their coop to keep an eye on things. I can't find the discussion. I have a feeling that the neighbor kids across the road are getting into the chicken run while I am gone to work. Twice in two weeks I have come home to find that someone/something has closed the main door of the coop. The bolt is not engaged, but door is just closed. We had hardly no wind today, and I have a very strong, tight bungy cord that is bolted to the door, then when I open it, there is a hook that I snap the other end to, to keep the door open and the wind from blowing it around. I always double check everything each morning before I leave for work.

So does anyone else have the cams installed, what kind, how well do they do?

thanks

 

[DuginMT]

Hey Montanachicks, I participated in the discussion about the wireless web cams, and had one installed in my coop. It worked great until I had to get a new wireless router and couldn't get it programmed right again. It is a Wansview I got on Amazon for $50 and it has a lot of capabilities - pan/tilt, night vision, email notification, motion alarm, audio, etc., if you can set it up right. If you want to try the camera I could send it to you with the instructions for 30 bucks or so, but you need to be pretty technically savvy to set it up. Let me know if you want to try it, or you can buy a new one on Amazon, just type in "Wansview wireless webcam". I believe they are $60 now but seem to have an audio upgrade. You need a wireless network to run it and based on my experience your wireless router needs to be less than 100' from the camera and the camera needs line of sight to the router - a window or two between the two would not be a problem. Hope you get to the bottom of what is going on with incursions into your run! Kids will be kids!

 

[montanachicks]

Doug, thanks for answering on the cam. I had already checked out the wireless capability in the coop (took my laptop out there) and had no issues at all -- connected immediately. My router is less than 100' , however, there is no "line of sight". My router is in the dining room, and there are several walls, including the garage, between it & the coop. Darn. I am by no means tech savvy, but work with a guy who is high up in our IT dept at work and he already said he would install it for me. I am going to find this one on the internet, print out info, and give to him. I know it wouldn't be an issue for him installing it -- I just don't want to put money down on something that, as you said, won't work just due to solid walls between here & there.

I put a padlock on the main gate going to the chicken run.

I sell eggs to one of our cities finest, and he was just here buying eggs -- I was telling him what's going on, he just raised his eyebrows when I told him. He is a city cop and I live in the county, so he can't really help but he agreed that getting anything on camera would be the ticket if I can (obviously).

The storm keeps threatening to hit here so I better cut the computer off. Hope everyone has a good evening.

 

[DuginMT]

Got another egg today, making 4 total since the first one last Sunday. This one is slightly darker brown than the others, and was laid in a "virgin" nesting box adjacent to the end box that the other three were laid in. I noticed a RIR inside the coop today along with the EE that seems to be in there half the day lately, so I suspect the RIR laid her first one! The one EE will squat for you almost every time you walk up to it, to the point where I have to pick it up and carry it along when herding the chicks back into their run. She has been squatting more and more for the past two weeks, so I am expecting a blue or green egg any time now! Do your individual layers each tend to use the same nesting box time after time or do they mix it up? Also, can one hen lay a light brown/tan egg one day and then a darker brown egg the next or does the color tend to stay about the same for each hen? Thanks.

Doug

 

[montanachicks]

My experience as far as the egg color goes is that they lay the same color each time. You might have 5 hens that all lay brown eggs, but each one may be just a shade different. They will continue to lay this same color, but as they get older, that beautiful dark shade will begin to fade & get lighter & lighter. You will get to the point where you know who lays what.... may take some time. You learn, usually, by actually seeing them lay the egg, or seeing a hen in a nest, go out 10 minutes later & there is your egg and it's the only one in the nest. I've never heard of a hen changing the color of the egg that they lay, except over time (turning to a lighter shade like I said) Guess it's something individual to each one. Like having one that, every egg she lays, is covered with dark spots. I have one that does that -- one of the breeds I have are Lohmann Browns and their eggs are all the same shade, but one of them lays a speckled egg. Don't know who that one is yet.

Still having issues with my new leghorns wanting to lay their eggs everywhere but in a nest. I don't know if that will ever change. -- they are 17 months old, and were a "rescue" situation. I got 16 of them, and 8 of them were adopted by Azriel. It's amazing, in less than 2 weeks since I've had them, the quality of their shells have improved tremendously, and their yolk color is getting oranger every day. they are finally spending more and more time outside, which they never had before. Makes you feel good to know that you've given them a better life than what they had. For such a small bodied bird, they sure do lay big white eggs!

Have a good night, all. Doug--before you know it, you will be overrun with eggs.... oh happy day!

 

[DuginMT]

Thanks Montana Chicks! It appears I have three laying then - a BA, a BR, and a RIR. I should have said I did not have complete line of sight for it to work. The router still had to signal through one interior wall, one exterior wall, and then the window of the playhouse to get it to work when I had the camera in the playhouse. Until I put the camera in the window, it would not communicate. So, a couple of walls and a window, or even three wooden walls and you may be fine. Worth a shot!

 

[karlamaria]

Hi all:  a couple of months ago, someone on this thread was talking about the wireless video cams they installed out in their coop to keep an eye on things. I can't find the discussion.  I have a feeling that the neighbor kids across the road are getting into the chicken run while I am gone to work.  Twice in two weeks I have come home to find that someone/something has closed the main door of the coop.  The bolt is not engaged, but door is just closed.  We had hardly no wind today, and I have a very strong, tight bungy cord that is bolted to the door, then when I open it, there is a hook that I snap the other end to, to keep the door open and the wind from blowing it around.  I always double check everything each morning before I leave for work. 

So does anyone else have the cams installed, what kind, how well do they do?

thanks

I'm ordering a foscam, they seem to be real nice and great picture quality. Getting t in two weeks.

 

[DuginMT]

You must be looking forward to the Foscam Karla! I know a lot of people like them. This was our first 2-egg day and the day is only half over! We found a very small light brown egg on the floor of the coop, it looks like a first egg, and my son's EE has been spending a lot of time in there, so we think it is hers. My son is estatic! It could have been another chicken's first egg, I was hoping for blue or green from the EE's. The other egg was dark brown and the biggest so far, we suspect it was a BA's second egg. We ate the five first little eggs this morning and they were delicious. All had nice hard shells except for one, which had a thin shell, and a small hole pecked in it. Didn't go through the membrane though, so I don't think the chicken had a taste of the contents. It tasted great to us though - nice orange yolks and full of good flavor. Seven eggs so far and it seems we get a new layer every day or two!

 

[karlamaria]

You must be looking forward to the Foscam Karla! I know a lot of people like them. This was our first 2-egg day and the day is only half over! We found a very small light brown egg on the floor of the coop, it looks like a first egg, and my son's EE has been spending a lot of time in there, so we think it is hers. My son is estatic! It could have been another chicken's first egg, I was hoping for blue or green from the EE's. The other egg was dark brown and the biggest so far, we suspect it was a BA's second egg. We ate the five first little eggs this morning and they were delicious. All had nice hard shells except for one, which had a thin shell, and a small hole pecked in it. Didn't go through the membrane though, so I don't think the chicken had a taste of the contents. It tasted great to us though - nice orange yolks and full of good flavor. Seven eggs so far and it seems we get a new layer every day or two!

it feels so good to get them first eggs !! Im so happy for you, i know its hard to wait so long, hen when they come its mind blowing, or it was for me anyways.my chickens are doing well, since it cooled down im getting plenty a day again. puzzling, im getting 2 olive eggs, and my only olive egger went from pullet to broody and is on 9 eggs. she is also in a carrier so no possibible way an olive egg from her can get into a nest. oh and i have only 2 girls that have pea combs, and she is one of them, the other is my pip, she is an ee and lays white eggs. im so puzzled.

 

[DuginMT]

I can see why that would be puzzling Karla. I'm sure you will figure it out! Took some pics of my rooster this evening, he is really filling out and heading to maturity. I think he is quite a handsome and good cockerel. He is quite active now and seems to breed about 10 times per day. Hoping for a 3-egg day tomorrow!

Doug