NY chicken lover!!!!

[Gramma Chick]

Tomorrow is moving day - my chicks will go outside into the chicken tractor =). I am so excited and can't wait ti watch them explore their new territory. Also on tomorrows list is buying more feed, start the first fermented batch and get some grit. Then once they are out of the "nest" I will have to clean my now very dust garage.
So much other cleaning to do also I could use 6 hands and 2 heads =).

May I ask why you need grit ? Grit is included in their feed already .
If you add more grit to their diet .... they will get weird coughing / choking symptoms .
They will naturally get some grit when they are outside in the dirt .

 

[Nuttyfrom6kids]

 

I haven't seen any foxes thank the Lord.  As for broodies I will make sure I have plenty of nesting buckets in the future. I did put two more together and moved on hen and she seems to be content. The other doesn't seem to want to take to the new bucket but share with another hen. I will try her again tonight. 

I will need more buckets for the back coop as one hen has rolled herself and egg onto the floor and covers it there.  Crazy birds. :/

 
With nearly all hens in one marans coop it's not hard to keep someone on the eggs.  Two hen I moved to a private room and there are no others to get in their places.  

The trouble with other hens getting in while the broody is up to do her business and when she comes back she just gets in any nest that is open. Broody hens like their privacy and it's tricky business keeping them separate.  

Too some hens like the same "spot" everytime they lay.  I have six boxes in the Del coop and find most of the eggs in the same boxes, while others are empty and rarely used.  Cheap, easy to make and easy to clean.  I'll pull and store the extra buckets when I don't need them. Why pay $25 or more for a next box?  The lids are sold separate so if you can score one from a dumpster or side of the road, that's cool.

Milk crates will work too I think.   I've seen these on the side of the roads too. 


I can't take credit cuz I got the idea from Tabs and Travis. 

Rancher glad the wife is feeling better. I use the buckets too and got the idea from Tab and Travis also. The buckets are so easy to use and clean too.

 

[Cass]

Fox is one reason I wouldn't think of free ranging birds here. The other is the constant threat from Red Tailed Hawks. Can't go into one of our hay fields without seeing one.Seeing a Cooper's Hawk taking a pigeon right from the end of the feed alley is one thing; not sure if a Red-tailed would attempt a full grown hen and I will try and not find out first hand.

If no one said it yet a hawk will take a full grown chicken down. Eat it in place. And leave you the mess to mourn over. Sometimes they will actually carry it off....but usually the chicken is too heavy so they eat it in your yard. Da** birds.

 

[cathunter10]

Well I have been gone for awhile and it looks like this thread has changed directions, Any way I now live in Mo. Ill have to get all caught back up with all my old friends on here.
Bill

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Morning all. Rainy here today and damp. My joints dont like that. Chickens were eager to get out this morning. Egg laying has been going on for a while now. Broody silkie girls just growled at me for saying hi and giving them a pet. Sassys was more of a snarl than growl. She is nasty when she is broody and has chicks, which is not a bad thing when everything wants to eat you and your chicks. Now that Junior is gone, Legolas is back to rushing me in the morning and doing the whole Im going to kick your butt dance. I just laugh at him and walk away. Off to the pharm today with a covering pharmacist(meaning I get to do all the work while they sit around and just check the drug to make sure I dont kill anyone and get overpaid for doing so).

To all the veterans on here and in general....Thank You for your service to our country and thank you to the families of these veterans. A special thank you to those who did not make it home, for you are remembered this day and every day for the ultimate sacrifice in service to your country. Lets make every day memorial day. Ssgt Shaun Farrell....you will be especially missed this weekend.

 

[featherz]

I decided to throw caution to the wind after seeing a few of the chicks in my 'broody commune coop' run out and jump from one mamma hen to another - no one tried to eat them - I put the other 14 chicks out under various moms. 8 broodies all sitting on top of each other brooding about 20 chicks.. yikes. I have five EE chicks from Pyxis, the rest are mine - mostly NN chicks (woohoo!).

I'd post a pic but right now it just looks like a pile of pancaked cochins..

 

[ag29ande]

Morning all.... Just wanted to share a picture of my house . We had a tornado whip through here on Thursday (Delanson). Thankfully all of my critters are accounted for!

On the other hand, lots of downed trees, horse fence and one of my chicks runs are in shambles. Looks like we need a new roof and siding.

 

[huntin fool]

looking for advice.... i am about to let my two flocks finally live together, 6 young (10wks) will join 11 older (at least a year +) in the big coop. now heres the dilemma, how should i feed all of them? my feed store said i could give them all layer feed, does this sound ok? the youngsters are on grower right now, should i mix grower with layer? i still have about 20# of grower. the 6 youngsters are almost as big as my old girls, and i believe i have several roosters in that young flock as well. i was going to open the door seperating these 2 flocks and see if they get along. they've been sharing the run with the big girls which i seperated into 2 runs, but they are outgrowing the smaller part i put them in. SO, what should i do? give em all layer feed?

 

[leahlefler]

Morning all.... Just wanted to share a picture of my house

. We had a tornado whip through here on Thursday (Delanson). Thankfully all of my critters are accounted for!

On the other hand, lots of downed trees, horse fence and one of my chicks runs are in shambles. Looks like we need a new roof and siding.

Oh my goodness! A relief that the critters are all accounted for, but yikes! We didn't have high winds down here (in Jamestown) but did have nasty flooding. I hope you can get everything fixed without too much trouble!

 

[rancher hicks]

I decided to throw caution to the wind after seeing a few of the chicks in my 'broody commune coop' run out and jump from one mamma hen to another - no one tried to eat them - I put the other 14 chicks out under various moms. 8 broodies all sitting on top of each other brooding about 20 chicks.. yikes. I have five EE chicks from Pyxis, the rest are mine - mostly NN chicks (woohoo!).

I'd post a pic but right now it just looks like a pile of pancaked cochins..

Frenchy's four come running out in the AM and none of the Delaware hens or roo bother them. It all depends on the breed or specific bird I guess.