New to backyard chickens

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craveman85

craveman85

In the Brooder
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Hi everyone. I just recently moved into a house a friend formerly lived in and inherited his chickens. He had 3 and couldn't take them with them when they moved do to work. The first is a buff Orpington I believe. She's very old and has only given me one egg in 3 weeks.


The next I believe is a spangled Hamburg hen. She looks like a rooster with those spurs but she gives me 4 or 5 small white eggs a week.

The third one he left I believe is an Easter egger. He didn't know what it was. She gives me about 5 greenish brown medium eggs a week.

Then I got these 2 girls 2 weeks ago they're now 14 weeks old, red sex links.


The coop is 10x12' I've got 8 nesting boxes, two branches for them to roost on but the buff roosts on the ground. The outside run is about 9x12.

I guess the coop has been up since the 30s. They used to let the chickens roam the whole back yard long ago but it's in the village and I'm required to keep them contained. They'll let me have up to 8 hens but no roosters. When it cools down I'll be upgrading the run. I'll be tearing down the whole thing and making it about 12x12 with the top going even with the roof. It will have a door so I can get in to clean it up. I'll also be burying 12" of chicken wire to help keep the coons and skunks out. I've already trapped 2 coons and a skunk. Also planning on getting 3 more girls eventually.
 
Greeting from Kansas, craveman85, and :welcome. Pleased you joined us. I agree with your breed identification except rather than a spangled Hamburg I think you have a golden penciled Hamburg. They all look very nice. One bit of advice...when you do the run upgrade you might consider doing away with the chicken wire. It's pretty good at keeping chickens in but not so good keeping determined predators out. You stated you've already trapped a raccoon....they have been known to be magicians about circumventing chicken wire enclosures. Some gruesome stories can be located on BYC about them eating chickens alive after they reach through the wire and subdue a bird. Tough way to die. Invest in hardware cloth which is pretty raccoon proof. Might also bury it 4" or so along the ground to keep subterranean chicken thieves at bay. Best of luck to you! :)
 
I'll probably stick with chicken wire as my friend has a 4'x250' roll he left behind. The coons will be kept under control once I get their numbers down. Skunks are relocated, cats go to farms and raccoons go to my hunting spot where they'll be taken care of at a later date. I think this week were going to check out a couple of other hens awoman we know has a couple Cochins, barred rocks, rir, and silver leghorns.
 
I think the Hamburg and the Easter egger are maybe 3 or 4 years old. I may wait until spring to get some more pullets so they're kinda spread out in age. They're pets so we're not going to be culling the older ones. I'd love to but the woman said no.
 
I determined that my raccoons aren't really much of a problem. It's mainly skunks trying to get in. I've caught 4 so far. No more signs of coon since the 2 I caught. I've seen 5 other skunks since the last one I killed. There's even a couple of dens under my garage/barn. I trapped one today and have yet to deal with him but the animal control guy told me that i caught it so I can deal with it myself. I didn't feel like taking this one out and dispatching it in this heat.
 

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