NY chicken lover!!!!

[DeansMill]

I have a new question, I'm trying to plan the run which will be strong and covered... but... how did you all do your door? Did you buy one, build one and how did you secure it so nothing could get in under it. Also, how wide and tall did you make it?

 

[wny egger]

She sent me a private message since I'm about 10 minutes down the road from her. It's funny because I have 3 speckled Sussex hen's so I had a moment of panic thinking they were mine haha

She messaged me on Friday and unfortunately I've been out of town and didn't see it until today I messaged her about it and if they are still hanging around I will probably try to go get them. I'm not sure if I would want to keep them but I do have a small unused coop to keep them in for awhile at least so they are protected.

i am so glad to hear this ..i was worried we werent giving it alot of thought but now i see theres a couple diffrent people trying to help ..i new the folks on here wouldnt let this lay ..haha ..no pun intended..i was thinking of those poor birds sitting up in that tree each night thinking they were safe ..i hope the owner can be tracked down or atleast a nice home is found for them ..
i think the owner may have stopped feeding them or thought they would be ok to just free range for all their food ..what ever happen i hope they find a great home ..thanks and please give any updates ..

 

[sarahandbray]

And FYI, our local Craigslist is VERY active here in the Albany, NY area--put them on for $5 and they would be gone quickly! We also have a few poultry swap groups on Facebook--a few pictures and a post about their plight and they would get snapped up in hours!!
-Sarah

 

[horsekeeper]

I have a new question, I'm trying to plan the run which will be strong and covered... but... how did you all do your door? Did you buy one, build one and how did you secure it so nothing could get in under it. Also, how wide and tall did you make it?

One inch square wire sandwiched between 1x4. 30" inches wide as that lets the wheelbarrow and muck bucket fit through easily. 6 foot tall because that is the height of the runs and pens. Framed the whole thing with 1/2 inch space all around, and then put strips on the inside as a doorstop just like you would find with your house doors.





Above shows how you alternate the wood pieces to get the sandwich effect. Put in a few staples to hold the wire in place and then screw together. I added a solid panel so I could close out the cold in the winter or when it is raining hard. This is a small dick house and it has worked out nicely. There is an added layer of hardware cloth so it is safe to leave open at night for more air in the summer. Below you can see a pen door and a coop door made the same way.



I use stall door latches with carabiner clips to lock them shut and that has prevented any breakins by predators. Glad I did it because I discovered a raccoon wandering around down there one night!

 

[Lynzi777]

Question before I forget...

I just thought of a way to keep light on my hens thru winter without having to worry about my roosters crowing at night but the question is...If I keep light on my hens at night over night and into morning will that be ok? Reason being is because Jamie has running electricity down there by the coops but he doesn't turn his light off, he keeps his on all night long. There is no timer, so he plugs his in and just leaves it rather than walking all the way back down there after dark to turn it off. Is it harmful to the birds to have light on them 24/7 or should I go out and buy a timer to plug in to this outlet and light them that way?

I realized today that I have empty coop/doghouse that I just bought from TS. I was using it for Stella and Ella but then I ended up merging them in with everyone and they are all getting along now. Well, the silkies are on their own for breeding purposes. But anyway, I was thinking that at night when I go to lock up. I can keep the two adult roosters in the dog house and everyone else will stay in the big coop with the light on and hopefully they will lay thru winter. Thoughts??

 

[Mrkngpen]

Hi all,

I wanted to update on the homeless Speckled Sussex situation. As of yesterday morning, my temporary flock grew to FOUR hens. The number seems to have halted there, haha. No more this morning.

I understand that it would be best to provide them with a coop for protection but it's not really feasible for me, since it's just for a few days. They are still roosting high up in a row of pine trees at night.

I have a friend who has a farm and has lots of chickens that lives about 20 minutes away. They have offered to take them all. They told me that based on the pictures I posted on instagram, they look like pullets. So, that's why I haven't seen any eggs.

I hung up a sign last night at Stewart's and will give it until Wednesday to see if anyone responds. I ordered a large, long-handled fishing net that is coming on Wednesday. I hope to use it to catch them! I have two large, hard plastic cat carriers, so I will transport two at a time out to my friends farm on Thursday.

Any other tips to catching them? They are very skittish. The closest I can get to them is when I go out to feed in the morning. They all run over to me when I go outside but when I reach out to pet them, they skitter away.

 

[sarahandbray]

We used a big fishing net to catch one of ours when it got out of the electrified pasture. I would throw down Scratch feed or bread and see if you could get them one at a time that way. Best of luck--sounds like a great game plan!!
-Sarah

 

[Lynzi777]

Hi all,

I wanted to update on the homeless Speckled Sussex situation. As of yesterday morning, my temporary flock grew to FOUR hens. The number seems to have halted there, haha. No more this morning.

I understand that it would be best to provide them with a coop for protection but it's not really feasible for me, since it's just for a few days. They are still roosting high up in a row of pine trees at night.

I have a friend who has a farm and has lots of chickens that lives about 20 minutes away. They have offered to take them all. They told me that based on the pictures I posted on instagram, they look like pullets. So, that's why I haven't seen any eggs.

I hung up a sign last night at Stewart's and will give it until Wednesday to see if anyone responds. I ordered a large, long-handled fishing net that is coming on Wednesday. I hope to use it to catch them! I have two large, hard plastic cat carriers, so I will transport two at a time out to my friends farm on Thursday.

Any other tips to catching them? They are very skittish. The closest I can get to them is when I go out to feed in the morning. They all run over to me when I go outside but when I reach out to pet them, they skitter away.

Is there something large for them to walk into and has a door or something on it so that if you were to throw some food in it they would go in to eat it and you could close it?

 

[Mrkngpen]

Not really...I have a garage but it is around the opposite side of the house and they have never ventured anywhere near that side.

The cat carriers are the only thing I have.

 

[Mrkngpen]

We used a big fishing net to catch one of ours when it got out of the electrified pasture. I would throw down Scratch feed or bread and see if you could get them one at a time that way. Best of luck--sounds like a great game plan!!
-Sarah

Thank you! My husband is away this week, so I'll be on my own with this attempt but hopefully I'll be successful! I'll let you all know how it goes.