- Feb 9, 2014
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My name is Andy and I live in central Utah. I found this forum when I was first contemplating getting some chickens some years ago and found much of the information here extremely useful--especially the various descriptions and plans for chicken coops.
The weather here consists of a couple of months of regular blow freezing weather, six to seven months of temperate weather divided between spring and autumn and two or three blazing hot months in the summer with 100+ temps. Being on the high desert, it's generally quite dry most of the year. Our predators are many and varied, from raccoons to cougars.
I've had chickens a couple of years now with just a few head-scratchers. The first was a a single broody hen (a Buff Orpington) and more recently an abysmal egg production that very nearly resulted in a whole lot of canned chicken broth. I can't be absolutely sure anything I did 'cured' my Buff's broodiness, but the second time it happened I decided to let it run its course as a control. After seven weeks, I gave up on that notion and took measures and she was soon acting normally again. The problem of egg production was solved with a lamp on a timer. After reading somewhere that chickens need 15 hours a day of sunlight to stimulate egg production, I put the lamp in and voilá--egg production resumed.
I was somewhat indiscriminate with the selection of my first flock, not having any experience, so I ended up with two Buffs, two Barred Rocks and two Easter Eggers. I don't think I'd get buffs again. They are a pretty bird, but the broodiness is annoying. I'm ambivalent about the Rocks, but I just love the Easter Eggers. I got a pair because of the blue eggs, but found them to be highly intelligent and personable birds who just lay like machines. They are also incredibly pretty birds as well. They pretty much run the show in the coop.
I built a modified version of the 'Wichita' coop I found here on this site. I don't have a large property, so the efficient combination of run and coop was very attractive. With a couple of seasons under my belt, I'm planning some additional modifications, mainly to integrate some currently ad hoc heating and cooling systems I designed, as well as WIFI video so I can check in remotely from the internet.
Looking forward to an exchange of information and ideas!
The weather here consists of a couple of months of regular blow freezing weather, six to seven months of temperate weather divided between spring and autumn and two or three blazing hot months in the summer with 100+ temps. Being on the high desert, it's generally quite dry most of the year. Our predators are many and varied, from raccoons to cougars.
I've had chickens a couple of years now with just a few head-scratchers. The first was a a single broody hen (a Buff Orpington) and more recently an abysmal egg production that very nearly resulted in a whole lot of canned chicken broth. I can't be absolutely sure anything I did 'cured' my Buff's broodiness, but the second time it happened I decided to let it run its course as a control. After seven weeks, I gave up on that notion and took measures and she was soon acting normally again. The problem of egg production was solved with a lamp on a timer. After reading somewhere that chickens need 15 hours a day of sunlight to stimulate egg production, I put the lamp in and voilá--egg production resumed.
I was somewhat indiscriminate with the selection of my first flock, not having any experience, so I ended up with two Buffs, two Barred Rocks and two Easter Eggers. I don't think I'd get buffs again. They are a pretty bird, but the broodiness is annoying. I'm ambivalent about the Rocks, but I just love the Easter Eggers. I got a pair because of the blue eggs, but found them to be highly intelligent and personable birds who just lay like machines. They are also incredibly pretty birds as well. They pretty much run the show in the coop.
I built a modified version of the 'Wichita' coop I found here on this site. I don't have a large property, so the efficient combination of run and coop was very attractive. With a couple of seasons under my belt, I'm planning some additional modifications, mainly to integrate some currently ad hoc heating and cooling systems I designed, as well as WIFI video so I can check in remotely from the internet.
Looking forward to an exchange of information and ideas!
and Welcome To BYC! Love the Easter Eggers, glad everybody decided to start laying again for you.
