I want to start by saying that I am VERY new to this! Got a book from the library (City Chicks), retro-fitted a coop type thing in the back yard & then got some laying hens & brought them home last night!
Here is one of my 7 birds. I think an EE, since she seems to have a butt? Though - she does in this picture, but when I look at her in person (or is that "in chicken"?), i don't think she does have a butt??
Their coop has a dirt floor. Will the deep litter method work - using dried yard leaves as the litter??
The coop:
Here, you can see my very excited son, Everett with the new hens. But, behind him you can see the dirt floor. This was last night. Today, I decided to add leaves, so they could forage a bit - I feel awful they need to be locked in here for 4-5 days to get used to the space! I want them to run around now!
The ladies LOVED the leaves in there! They were diggin all about & were thrilled to have the leaves!
Is there a chance that the DLM will work with leaves?
Next question (you didn't expect just one, right?)
So, the cage thingy I already had in the yard was divided into 2 thirds on the right side & one third on the left. I built a small "hen house" in the left side, accessed by a ramp from the right. My intention was to lock them in the tiny hen house for nighttime. Well, they don't want to go in there! They'll go in if I put them there & stay & hang out for a bit, but they'll walk back down the ramp before I collect all the ladies. I really was just worried that some ravenous animal would scare the bajezus out of the hens in the big open part & I wanted them to have a safe spot. We regularly have fox, deer, armadillo in the yard... & that's what I see.....
So, inside of this little hen house are 2 nest boxes & then a roost up above them. I guess the girls are ok in the big coop at night. Maybe I'm not, but I think they are.?? IDK??
Today, mid day - someone laid their VERY FIRST EGG (well, first egg at their new home!) & it was just sitting in the back of the coop in the leaves. Not in the nest box....... not even close.
Are my nest boxes to remote you think??? I have some egg crates, I wonder if I should put them in the corner of the coop to make a more accessible nest??
Help is appreciated!!!
Here is one of my 7 birds. I think an EE, since she seems to have a butt? Though - she does in this picture, but when I look at her in person (or is that "in chicken"?), i don't think she does have a butt??
Their coop has a dirt floor. Will the deep litter method work - using dried yard leaves as the litter??
The coop:
Here, you can see my very excited son, Everett with the new hens. But, behind him you can see the dirt floor. This was last night. Today, I decided to add leaves, so they could forage a bit - I feel awful they need to be locked in here for 4-5 days to get used to the space! I want them to run around now!
The ladies LOVED the leaves in there! They were diggin all about & were thrilled to have the leaves!
Is there a chance that the DLM will work with leaves?
Next question (you didn't expect just one, right?)
So, the cage thingy I already had in the yard was divided into 2 thirds on the right side & one third on the left. I built a small "hen house" in the left side, accessed by a ramp from the right. My intention was to lock them in the tiny hen house for nighttime. Well, they don't want to go in there! They'll go in if I put them there & stay & hang out for a bit, but they'll walk back down the ramp before I collect all the ladies. I really was just worried that some ravenous animal would scare the bajezus out of the hens in the big open part & I wanted them to have a safe spot. We regularly have fox, deer, armadillo in the yard... & that's what I see.....
So, inside of this little hen house are 2 nest boxes & then a roost up above them. I guess the girls are ok in the big coop at night. Maybe I'm not, but I think they are.?? IDK??
Today, mid day - someone laid their VERY FIRST EGG (well, first egg at their new home!) & it was just sitting in the back of the coop in the leaves. Not in the nest box....... not even close.
Are my nest boxes to remote you think??? I have some egg crates, I wonder if I should put them in the corner of the coop to make a more accessible nest??
Help is appreciated!!!
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