Newbie re Buff Orpingtons&Black Astrolopes

[Chickie YumYum]

Beware for locking birds inside a coop in high heat. You will probably need to add a lot of ventilation to the shed. 3ft x 4 ft = 12 ft ^2. So only 3-4 full size hens. (is this just where you plan to keep them until the coop arrives?) When you talk space - you need to state the age of the birds and the number of birds.

Chickens produce a lot of heat, A LOT OF HEAT! - If you keep them in tight confinement - the temperature will really rise - might need a fan.

I feed oyster shell on the side. I feed scraps scattered on the ground. I feed the chicken feed in several spots, placed in the run, so that a bird eating in one spot, cannot see a bird eating in another spot. Sometimes I get crumbles and sometimes I get pellets. I feed mine every day. I take down what I think is enough, if it is gone at night time, I feed a little more. If there is a lot left over, I feed a little less. A big mistake newbies make is over feeding. If you overfeed, a lot just gets trampled into the dirt, making your run stink, and wasting a lot of feed. I only set up 24/7 feeding if I am going to be gone several days.

Some dogs do well with chickens and some do not. You are just going to have to test it and see. We have Australian Shepard that is perfect with them, but sometimes I wonder if that decreases their fear of coyotes?

 

[Chickie YumYum]

Well that settles it. Into the garden shed they go. That's a Much bigger building, I'll just have to move a few tools around for them and it never has direct sun. It's a little bit farther away from the house but I wanted to check re the generator shed because that's at the edge of the carport.
Hadn't thought about a coyote looking like a dog. I hope that they wouldn't mistake one for a dog. I've never seen one here. I've just heard them. Will have to think on that. Will have to check to see if coyotes will stay away free from Irish Spring. I know deer will stay away from that and peppermint.
Thank you so much for your advice.
Lisa

 

[Chickie YumYum]

PSS

Raccoons are my worst night time predator, and they will kill a lot of chickens in a single night. As in all of them, rather sickening to open up in the morning. Been there, done that.

I have tried a lot of things but the only thing that has worked, is a chain link fence and it is chain link over the top and connected with hog rings. Coons are incredibly smart, and can open nearly anything, and can crawl through pretty small holes.

Probably more advice than you need or want. Haha

Good luck.

Terrific, I'll have the coyotes coming here for dinner eventually.
Does having the coop off the ground help with racoons like it does when a dog is in heat? My late husband had deer hunting dogs so we had a heat house.
I'm going to end up, until I relax, having those hens locked down tighter than a tick before and after the hen house and coop get here.
I have a motion detector flood light out back where I'm putting them. Will that help scare off the raccoons? THEY are going to be my biggest problem I think.
Oh, I just read that you either make soup or broth to use in a dish that calls for chicken broth.
Thanks
Lisa

 

[Chickie YumYum]

Terrific, I'll have the coyotes coming here for dinner eventually.
Does having the coop off the ground help with racoons like it does when a dog is in heat? My late husband had deer hunting dogs so we had a heat house.
I'm going to end up, until I relax, having those hens locked down tighter than a tick before and after the hen house and coop get here.
I have a motion detector flood light out back where I'm putting them. Will that help scare off the raccoons? THEY are going to be my biggest problem I think.
Oh, I just read that you either make soup or broth to use in a dish that calls for chicken broth.
Thanks
Lisa

Also my hen house has rat wire over the windows. Will that keep the coons out at night? Thanks

 

[Mrs. K]

The rat wire should be good. The elevated coop will do nothing to keep coons out. They can climb what you will think is impossible. They are very clever, and love a puzzle to get in. And they look so darn cute when you catch them in the trap! ugh!

How many birds are you getting? What is the size of the coop?

Free ranging just sounds so lovely, until the reality of predators gets real. I have fed way too many predators.

This is a true story. I had two roosters to process, I caught one, dispatched him, and went back to get the other one, who had figured out this might not be a good thing. I finally catch him, do the deed, and clean him. The original rooster was not on the table, but at first I thought that he had just fallen off...nope, a coyote came in and snatched him, while I was catching the second one.

I yelled into the prairie - "if you would have waited, I would have plucked him!"

 

[Chickie YumYum]

Ps

Also my hen house has rat wire over the windows. Will that keep the coons out at night? Thanks

Pss
Also the coyotes, if they are stupid enough, I can at least have something to practice shooting with if they get too close. My youngest daughter killed one at 17. We have a bounty on them here.

 

[Chickie YumYum]

Ps

Pss
Also the coyotes, if they are stupid enough, I can at least have something to practice shooting with if they get too close. My youngest daughter killed one at 17. We have a bounty on them herDid you say you'd trapped them? If so I think I'll get one when I go to TSC tomorrow to get feed and feeders if they have them. If not I'll order one. I'm tired of the little buggers getting in the dog food from Chewy and it's delivered to the door. If we leave it on the porch until the next day, the coon has snacked out. Did look so cute sitting on that box though, you're right. I think he needs to be closer to the creek for a while.

You have been so helpful. I appreciate it. Now if you have any horse questions, I know more about them.
Oh, you asked how many- 4, 2 buffs and 2 blacks, or 3 blacks and 1 buff. Mix of almost laying pullets and laying hens. And maybe the rooster He was raised with them and so far liked humans. Depends on what he does when we meet. Should I box him separately for the ride home? I bought 2 hen houses with a long run between them hen houses are a good size for 4-6 chicken each. If this works out, I'll get more pullets in the spring. My oldest daughter wants to sell them cheaper than Grocery store eggs. Which doesn't seem to be a problem with the cost of eggs and the neighbors.