Need help with chickens

[Newfarmer36]

Hi everyone.
I've never had farm animals before. In August, my neighbor moved out and left her chickens, roosters and her pig. She said she was coming to get them and never did so we've been caring for them. The chicken coop she had was getting really nasty so I got my brother to build one this past week that was closer to my house. Like I said, I've never had farm animals so I didn't know the coop had to be cleaned out. Anyway! The first night, I had to run all around the yard to catch them bc they were going to where the coop used to be. I could only catch 1 rooster and 2 hens. Last night, I had to catch that same rooster, which now thinks my porch is a perch at night. And 2 hens were already in the coop. I couldn't catch the others. Am I going to have to do this every night?? These chickens eat out of my hand, the follow me all over there yard.. so I didn't think they'd be afraid of me when I tried to catch them. Apparently, I'm totally wrong for thinking that! I really need some help on this! It' really really cold here right now and I don't want them out in the elements. They're not kept in a pen so they're all over the place. My neighbors property and mine put together is about 4 acres and I don't have it in me to run all over the place.

Also, this is probably a very dumb question but do hens know if their eggs are fertilized for not? I ask bc they'll lay on some of the eggs and won't lay on others.
Sorry for being long winded but I have no idea what I'm doing and Google isn't helping me that much. Thanks!!

 

[azygous]

Well, stick around here and we'll try to shorten your learning curve.

First, you need to destroy all access to the old coop. Chickens are slow to adopt new habits, and you need to refocus them. Depriving them of the old habit will get them to adopt a new habit more quickly.

Next, since the chickens happily come when you offer treats, that's something to take advantage of. If you are able, continue to lure them toward the new coop early in the day, then throw some treats just inside the new coop so they will go inside. This is more easily achieved while it's still light so the chickens can see into the new coop.

Then shut them all inside for a few days with food and water, not allowing them outside during this break-in period. This will habituate them to new quarters, and it will encourage them to begin laying in the new nests. After a few days of this, they will be more likely to adopt the new coop as home and you can let them out again during the day.

The answer to the question, do hens know which eggs are fertilized is no, they don't have any way of determining that. You would be able to by breaking open the egg and looking for the little faint white "bullseye" on the yolk. But hens that are coming into broody hormones that compel them to sit on eggs will sit on any eggs, or golf balls, or no eggs at all.

If that is occurring and you would rather not have a hen sit on eggs for the next three weeks, there is a way to stop that process in just a few days and get the hen back to normal. I can describe it if you would like.

 

[Newfarmer36]

Well, stick around here and we'll try to shorten your learning curve.

First, you need to destroy all access to the old coop. Chickens are slow to adopt new habits, and you need to refocus them. Depriving them of the old habit will get them to adopt a new habit more quickly.

Next, since the chickens happily come when you offer treats, that's something to take advantage of. If you are able, continue to lure them toward the new coop early in the day, then throw some treats just inside the new coop so they will go inside. This is more easily achieved while it's still light so the chickens can see into the new coop.

Then shut them all inside for a few days with food and water, not allowing them outside during this break-in period. This will habituate them to new quarters, and it will encourage them to begin laying in the new nests. After a few days of this, they will be more likely to adopt the new coop as home and you can let them out again during the day.

The answer to the question, do hens know which eggs are fertilized is no, they don't have any way of determining that. You would be able to by breaking open the egg and looking for the little faint white "bullseye" on the yolk. But hens that are coming into broody hormones that compel them to sit on eggs will sit on any eggs, or golf balls, or no eggs at all.

If that is occurring and you would rather not have a hen sit on eggs for the next three weeks, there is a way to stop that process in just a few days and get the hen back to normal. I can describe it if you would like.

That would be great!! I had a hen laying on about 10 eggs and she stopped all of a sudden so I brought those in. I cooked breakfast this morning and cracked open 7 eggs that had chicks inside. I was devastated!

With the new coop, all I did was move the coop across the yard and put hay inside. I have 2 eggs in one of the laying boxes already but now, I'm scared to crack those open.

 

[diamondsilkies]

So glad you took these guys in.

If you don't want them sitting on eggs, just be sure to collect them every day, and it will be very unlikely that any of them have chicks in them. It can be devastating to open up eggs with chicks in them, I know. Is there anyone sitting on/protecting the two eggs in the other box? If so, then they may have been sitting on them for a while. If not, it's probably safe to open them up.

 

[Newfarmer36]

So glad you took these guys in.

If you don't want them sitting on eggs, just be sure to collect them every day, and it will be very unlikely that any of them have chicks in them. It can be devastating to open up eggs with chicks in them, I know. Is there anyone sitting on/protecting the two eggs in the other box? If so, then they may have been sitting on them for a while. If not, it's probably safe to open them up.

I've had fun with the chickens, I'll have to admit! The pig, on the other hand, is a different story.
None of the hens are laying on the 2 eggs. I wouldn't mind having some chicks though. it would be neat to raise them since I've never done that.
Having these has made me wanna become a farmer. Lol. I'm now wanting to plant veggies and can them, get more chickens and ducks, start composting and start building fences and stuff.

 

[azygous]

Ah! Getting in touch with your pioneer roots! I'm sure you will eventually make friends with the pig, too. Pigs can be just as smart as humans, while chickens are master manipulators, and you will find yourself responding to their demands as a perfect servant.

It takes a few days of a hen incubating eggs to get an embryo started. As @diamondsilkies pointed out, just collect the eggs each day, refrigerate them, and you won't have chicks popping out of your fried eggs.

But to get a hen to stop sitting on the eggs she's determined to sit on, you need some kind of open-mesh bottom cage. Before I found a nice wire dog crate at a yard sale, I just used a steel patio table with a mesh top and I put a milk crate over the hen and clamped it to the table. It was a bit confining but it did in a pinch.

The objective is to prevent the hen from getting back to the nest while, at the same time, depriving her of a cozy nest or solid surface that reflects her body heat back up to her, which keeps the broody hormones flowing. By allowing air to circulate freely under the hen, it cools down her body which interrupts the flow of hormones which keep her wanting to sit on eggs. Offer her food and water while she's in the cage, and by the third day, you can let her out to "test" her.

If she runs immediately to a nest and climbs in, she needs another day in the cage. If she shows no interest in heading to a nest, she's "broken" and will get back to laying eggs within two weeks.

If you want chicks and it's spring where you are, then don't break the broody hen. She will sit on the eggs for 21 days and the little ones will hatch without you doing anything. The hen will care for the chicks all by herself, teaching them to eat and drink as long as you provide food and water down at floor level. It's a good idea to provide a nest on the floor to make it easier for the chicks.

If you complete your profile with your location, we can better advise you when we know what your climate is.

 

[Newfarmer36]

Ah! Getting in touch with your pioneer roots! I'm sure you will eventually make friends with the pig, too. Pigs can be just as smart as humans, while chickens are master manipulators, and you will find yourself responding to their demands as a perfect servant.

It takes a few days of a hen incubating eggs to get an embryo started. As @diamondsilkies pointed out, just collect the eggs each day, refrigerate them, and you won't have chicks popping out of your fried eggs.

But to get a hen to stop sitting on the eggs she's determined to sit on, you need some kind of open-mesh bottom cage. Before I found a nice wire dog crate at a yard sale, I just used a steel patio table with a mesh top and I put a milk crate over the hen and clamped it to the table. It was a bit confining but it did in a pinch.

The objective is to prevent the hen from getting back to the nest while, at the same time, depriving her of a cozy nest or solid surface that reflects her body heat back up to her, which keeps the broody hormones flowing. By allowing air to circulate freely under the hen, it cools down her body which interrupts the flow of hormones which keep her wanting to sit on eggs. Offer her food and water while she's in the cage, and by the third day, you can let her out to "test" her.

If she runs immediately to a nest and climbs in, she needs another day in the cage. If she shows no interest in heading to a nest, she's "broken" and will get back to laying eggs within two weeks.

If you want chicks and it's spring where you are, then don't break the broody hen. She will sit on the eggs for 21 days and the little ones will hatch without you doing anything. The hen will care for the chicks all by herself, teaching them to eat and drink as long as you provide food and water down at floor level. It's a good idea to provide a nest on the floor to make it easier for the chicks.

If you complete your profile with your location, we can better advise you when we know what your climate is.

Thank you!!

The pig is just expensive to take care of. This isn't a normal pig that eats everything. He only wants bread, crackers, cereal, dog food, fruit and a little bit of veggies. My dogs food is expensive, I can go to the bread store and get a garbage bag full of old bread but that's also expensive and it' not healthy for him to eat that much bread, we don' have too many left overs and what we do have, it's put in the fridge to be eaten the next day.. he's stubborn and picky..

 

[bobbi-j]

Hi everyone.
I've never had farm animals before. In August, my neighbor moved out and left her chickens, roosters and her pig. She said she was coming to get them and never did so we've been caring for them. The chicken coop she had was getting really nasty so I got my brother to build one this past week that was closer to my house. Like I said, I've never had farm animals so I didn't know the coop had to be cleaned out. Anyway! The first night, I had to run all around the yard to catch them bc they were going to where the coop used to be. I could only catch 1 rooster and 2 hens. Last night, I had to catch that same rooster, which now thinks my porch is a perch at night. And 2 hens were already in the coop. I couldn't catch the others. Am I going to have to do this every night?? These chickens eat out of my hand, the follow me all over there yard.. so I didn't think they'd be afraid of me when I tried to catch them. Apparently, I'm totally wrong for thinking that! I really need some help on this! It' really really cold here right now and I don't want them out in the elements. They're not kept in a pen so they're all over the place. My neighbors property and mine put together is about 4 acres and I don't have it in me to run all over the place.

Also, this is probably a very dumb question but do hens know if their eggs are fertilized for not? I ask bc they'll lay on some of the eggs and won't lay on others.
Sorry for being long winded but I have no idea what I'm doing and Google isn't helping me that much. Thanks!!

Before you destroy the old coop (if you haven't already), the easiest way to catch them and move them to your coop would be to let them roost in the old one in the evening, got out there at night and pick them off the perch. Then move them to your coop. If your coop is big enough for all the chickens, food and water, lock them in for a few days. If not, maybe see if you can put up a covered run attached to your coop so they have a little space during their confinement. (Not only does it help to "home" your chickens to a new coop, it can be a good thing when there are predators about, or a visiting dog that you don't want bothering your chickens.)

 

[Newfarmer36]

Before you destroy the old coop (if you haven't already), the easiest way to catch them and move them to your coop would be to let them roost in the old one in the evening, got out there at night and pick them off the perch. Then move them to your coop. If your coop is big enough for all the chickens, food and water, lock them in for a few days. If not, maybe see if you can put up a covered run attached to your coop so they have a little space during their confinement. (Not only does it help to "home" your chickens to a new coop, it can be a good thing when there are predators about, or a visiting dog that you don't want bothering your chickens.)

It's their original coop. I just moved it and added stuff on the outside.

 

[bobbi-j]

Sorry - somehow I thought you said your brother built you a new coop... I got confused. So, if they're not going in the coop at night, where are they roosting? If they're in reach, it's still easy to pluck them off the perch at night and put them where you want them.