NY chicken lover!!!!

[AQHAchick22]

Quote:
They are housed separately but share a big run. None of them grew up together. I have an Egyptian Fayoumi, Buff Orpington and Welsummer. The Fayoumi and Welsummer are together and the Orpington is on his own but again in the same run area. I think they all get along because they seemed to work out their own pecking order. The Fayoumi is very independent and flies out of the fenced in area when the Orpington gets mad at him, or when he just doesn't feel like being around the girls haha, and the Welsummer is a wuss so runs away. I think what helps is they each had their own established flocks before I merged them (which I did slowly using fence and then letting them free range together before opening up the fence so they could mingle in a smaller environment). So the Orpington tends to hang around his girls, the Welsummer with his and the Fayoumi with his. It's a strange little dynamic but they all seem to work it out just fine and I haven't had a fight yet *knock on wood* Sorry for the long answer haha Forgot to add that they are all different ages...the Orp is about 1 1/2 the Fayoumi is maybe 10 months and the Welsummer is about 8 months and that's also the way the pecking order goes, with the Orp on top.

 

[Lynzi777]

Quote: Ohh ok I see, this is what I was most curious about - their ages and when they were merged together. I'm curious is I were to ever get another roo, but not know it until it was older, if it would be possible to "merge" another roo in with Gru. Not when it was older and crowing but when it was younger and ready to "grow out" in the chicken yard with the others.

 

[AQHAchick22]

Quote:
I think that helped with me because they weren't fully matured yet so they weren't combative when it came to taking over the hens. I think what helps is that all 3 of my roo's aren't very aggressive. They will get ticked off at each other once in awhile and you see one go running across the yard but they generally know their place. The Fayoumi shared a fence with the Orp since before he even started crowing and then I had them free range together so there was a lot of space. The Orp (Ethan) just looks at him the wrong way and the Fayoumi flies over the fence or runs away.

 

[Lynzi777]

I think that helped with me because they weren't fully matured yet so they weren't combative when it came to taking over the hens. I think what helps is that all 3 of my roo's aren't very aggressive. They will get ticked off at each other once in awhile and you see one go running across the yard but they generally know their place.
The Fayoumi shared a fence with the Orp since before he even started crowing and then I had them free range together so there was a lot of space. The Orp (Ethan) just looks at him the wrong way and the Fayoumi flies over the fence or runs away.

LOL Thats what I'm hoping will be the case with Gru, he's not aggressive at all. If he was he would have gotten kicked to the curb by now. He's a gentleman with the ladies and even the ducks he leaves alone. So I'm thinking if I were ever to add more in with that group I may be ok if I ended up with another roo. Who knows...Guess I'll have to wait and see when that day comes.

 

[JLaw]

Morning!!

It is soooooo windy out there today! I wanted to create some sort of trough for the ducks and chickens today out in the chicken yard but thats not going to happen. I don't put water or food inside the coops, so what I usually do is have two buckets out there, one for water and one for feed. But of course they always get knocked over. I wanted to take an old rubbermaid bin and cut it down in half or even by 3/4 and keep it close to the netting so I can just dump the water and feed in. The ducks like they're feed mixed with water so theirs is more like soup. The chickens I've noticed eat more of the feed that is wet than the feed that is dry so I think I can get away with making one trough for everyone than to have two separate ones in the chicken yard.

I use these 2.5 gal rubber made Tupperware things they sell at walmart single or in kits. I take it filled in morning out side then I toss another colander full in when I leave for work. I took up the heated dog bowl someone said on here for my water. Not that it's needed with all my puddles but keeps it from being frozen at least. I don't use a run so easy for me to fill both as needed. Here is a pic of what I use. It's specs are 16.6"L x 11.3"W x 5.5"H. I don't think I've seen it tipped over but one time when empty and I had a small bird under it. My chickens will stand in it to eat when there is enough crowding it, little chickens and the older ones they don't care. I have wife bring it back in at night and it return any left over feed to the fermenting buckets. Just thought this might be alittle easier than cutting a toat down and no chance of sharp edges or spurs.

 

[Lynzi777]

JLaw - that looks like a good idea but I've used something similar and the ducks tip it over. If it were just the chickens it would work. But the ducks can get pretty messy/clumsy and move things around more easily than the chickens. Today I moved the kiddie pool out there and I just dump the feed on one side and the water seems to stay towards the front (since my yard is a hill) of the pool. I guess that's good enough for now. This way if any feed gets in the water the ducks will get it.

 

[JLaw]

JLaw - that looks like a good idea but I've used something similar and the ducks tip it over. If it were just the chickens it would work. But the ducks can get pretty messy/clumsy and move things around more easily than the chickens. Today I moved the kiddie pool out there and I just dump the feed on one side and the water seems to stay towards the front (since my yard is a hill) of the pool. I guess that's good enough for now. This way if any feed gets in the water the ducks will get it.

Yeah I have no experience with ducks yet. Could take a tin roof screw maybe and screw it to a piece of wood or something to help weight it down and keep them from moving it or do what I like to do with a lot of things. Drill a couple holes in the top of it then zip tie it to your run fence. As long as strong fencing the only way they could really tip it would be open side to the fence but that's only if they put head under the thing and flip it that way.

 

[Lynzi777]

Yeah I have no experience with ducks yet. Could take a tin roof screw maybe and screw it to a piece of wood or something to help weight it down and keep them from moving it or do what I like to do with a lot of things. Drill a couple holes in the top of it then zip tie it to your run fence. As long as strong fencing the only way they could really tip it would be open side to the fence but that's only if they put head under the thing and flip it that way.

It's not really a fence but poultry netting. The pool is holding up well today. I'm actually surprised the wind hasn't blown it away with the little water/feed I have in there. I just like the fact that the feed stays in the pool and if the chickens wanna go in there and scratch around at it they have the space to. Rather than scratching at it all over the ground and half of it becoming wasted.

 

[rancher hicks]

Now here's a tip about Barnes and Nobles books. We've been a member for a long time. Since we buy a lot of books we find it worth it. You save 10% off all purchases, BUT during the year and especially at this time of year they send you e-mails for 20% or more additional savings.

We just renewed it $25. So far we've saved more than that already.

I just ordered "Dream Snow" by Eric Carle and saved $10 at least. Plus I got free shipping to my grandson in TX. Mostly at this time of year I use the coupons to buy Starbucks coffee and stock up.

Also if you have college kids they can use the membership for text books.

And if you forget your card you just give them your phone number.

I do get coupons to save on the Nook and all that but I prefer paper to plastic in my books too.

 

[Pyxis]

I feel awful. Featherz was nice enough to give me a sweet little cochin hen and I had her in my workshop area to get her used to my cochin pair that she was going to housed with for the time being. My chicks were also in there. I guess I didn't secure her pen well enough because she got out and killed one of my buff barred cochin pullets and one of my faverolles pullets. Plus, I think the stress has caused one of my other two faverolles pullets to develop wry neck, sigh. Poor little birds, I should have been more careful