Nevadans?

[Jeeper1540]

haha. So if i stick eggs under the broody thats all i have to do? i have no idea how to feed her, since she wont get out of the box to eat or drink, i dunno if i put her in a separate box on in the regular coop...
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... the first thing I thought was "I bet the chicken will know what to do!"

 

[NevadaRon]

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Did you ask the chicken?

Seriuously, I have no idea, either.

 

[Jeeper1540]

Everytime i try to talk to the chicken, she pecks and squawks at me for sticking her in broody jail
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Did you ask the chicken?

Seriuously, I have no idea, either.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

For my broody girls, I like to have food and water close by them. Generally she will leave the nest once a day (I have some that do this twice a day) to go bathroom, maybe run around and dust bathe.

I have had them brood in all kinds of "nests" - recycle, cat litter pan, milk crate - anything.

I do like best - the small plastic dog kennel/crates. This keeps the others out of her nest and lets me move her around if I need to. Some I keep in the main coop, some I move to a shed - just depends upon the hen.


Yup, just set the eggs in front of her, and she will do all the rest of the work.

 

[SparksNV]

Another great run today! Love this warm weather as do my chickens! All 6 of them in one spot, in the sun dust bathing! What a site!

Congrats with the broody. I think if one of mine goes, I will get some fertile eggs, too.

Congrats with the rooster - hope it all goes well. My neighbor 3 house down has one and it is kind of background noise now.

Genny your heritage, Garnet, looks alot like my Meringue! Meringue has the densest feathers out of all of the birds. But I don't get to hold her much - she and Chuck just do not like being handled.

Sunny, thanks for the science fair projects. I think Olivia is going to do one that examines how different fluids affect the shells.

Carol

 

[briteday]

Heads up! I had a coyote in my chicken pen at 8:30 this morning. One of our dogs responded to the noise from the hens (unfortunately the only roo, big guy!, is in the breeding pen right now) and distracted the coyote. I noticed the dog pacing the fence and went to reprimand her. Then I saw the coyote in the run. The coyote saw me, looked at me just like one of my own dogs (whaaaaat???? with the tilted head), jumped up to the top of the 6' wooden perimeter fence, turned around and watched me for a bit. Then he went over the fence and was gone. In broad daylight, very bold. We are only missing one hen, thank goodness. And if that coyote dares to touch one of my wee little dogs I will be hunting it down with a wildlife officer.

In the meanwhile the chickens only get to come out when someone is home to watch them. Good thing we have a fairly large coop and no babies taking up space right now. And the chain link will get reconfigured so that the wooden perimeter fence is no longer part of the run. Talked to neighbors who had a similar experience and the problem went away when the coyote was forced to scale the chain link instead of the wooden fence. Obviously the pop door will be promptly closed at dusk and, for a while, they won't be opened up until mid-morning...hoping to break any trained habit this coyote might have while roaming in the morning. Wee little dogs can only go outside if someone is watching.

If anyone has other suggestions, I'm all ears. My chickens are livestock and I can take an occasional loss. But a mass slaughter would be unacceptable. The dogs are pets, and wee ones at that. But they don't stay outside unless we're home. Now they'll have to be watched every minute.

 

[SunnyDawn]

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Cool! Let us know how it turns out.

Briteday, thanks for the heads up! Sounds like you are doing all the right things. I'm afraid I would freak and shut them up for three days or until I could build the new fence and cover the run!

 

[Jeeper1540]

Ordering from My Pet Chicken for some new chicks and I was wondering if i should pay to have the Marek's Vaccination??
Hoping one of my fellow Nevadians can help!

 

[briteday]

I don't have my chicks vaccinated and have never had a problem.

 

[Jeeper1540]

What breeds would you guys recommend? I plan to get Polish and Easter Eggers for sure. I'm debating on Cochins, Jersey Giants, Delawares, and a couple others. I was wondering what yall thought about different breeds, both based on attitude and laying. Hoping for some results!!