NY chicken lover!!!!

[rooster58]

Ha what's up I'm new here

Hey what's up stevo. Welcome aboard.

 

[FishMtFarm]

Ha what's up I'm new here

Welcome!

 

[rancher hicks]

What does everyone do as far as protection from predators? Last summer I lost a duck to a fisher and another duck to an owl. My ducks were very stubborn and refused to go inside the coop at night. Some nights I was successful in catching them, others not so much, the entire property is clay and a hill so I'm sure you can imagine how slippery and difficult it was. When they allowed me, I at least got them to go into their run. From dawn to dusk they had free roam of property. In the morning they would enjoy scavenging the front lawn with the wild turkeys and then enjoyed their afternoon playing with the daycare kids.

We've been researching electric fencing, just concerned with the daycare. We will also be purchasing smaller wire fencing for bottom half of run, current openings are pretty big. Not sure if I'm comfortable free ranging these babies, a chicken tractor of course keeps me at ease. I didn't allow the ducks to free range until they were much larger in fear of all the hawks.

Our property is loaded with wildlife, but we expect it with our wooded rural location. Raccoons, possums, fishers, coyotes, hawks, vultures, owls, stray cats...

Cant' say about electric fencing, but. when I had my blue swedish I put them in the run with the chickens for some time. Later when they were allowed out into the yard they went in at night with the chickens. Too I've stapled old jeans to trees in the woods and would go out and "mark" them. If your husband/son is willing have them do it for you. I don't recommend women doing this.

Signed up for our free wildflower seeds yesterday to help keep our bees happy this year! Thanks Cheerios! What an awesome campaign!

if you have land to plant extra wildflowers this season make sure to sign up and help keep the bee population strong!

http://www.cheerios.com/bringbackthebees/form
FYI for those who say I can't grow this is what I suggest. Turn a plot of soil, pull the weeds and just take a pack of seeds and toss them in. Water them and watch and see what happens. My GD did this last year where her sand box used to be. Though she didn't dig it, but flowers came up. I buy those cheap "mix" flower packets and gave her two of those to plant. This year I plant to cut some old tires and fill them in. I have plenty of these packets for her to plant. She didn't even pack them down. Just tossed them and I watered and wallah! There were some nice flowers.

 

[rancher hicks]

I saw that - what a great PR item and it helps bees too - wonderful! How many hives do you have now?

They're out of coupons AND seeds.

Don't know why they didn't out them in boxes of cereal like in the old days. I remember one brand that had seeds for Marigolds with the goal of getting "white" marigolds.

But you can still pick up a mix of seeds at the dollar store. 5/$1 usually.

 

[rancher hicks]

Not sure how to share things here from facebook but this guy is nut. "pakalu papito" He has one with chickens he's kneeling and there are purple flower in it. Hope you can find it.

 

[Bullfam]

Gramma Chick,

Yeah raising my coop off the ground. With 14 birds, I am figuring 4 feet per bird for the coop and about 10 feet in the run. My concerns are that 4 ft in the coop will be too cold, especially if it is raised with the wind blowing under it but we can get 2-3 ft of snow in a storm so I don't want the coop on the ground. Maybe I am putting too much thought into it and suffering from planning paralysis, where you never get past planning because all you do is find problems with your plan..... I am trying to figure roof pitch, material, cost ( I am not made of money). I am going to keep reading and looking over coops, plans, and other great information. This site and forum is amazing, and has a ton of info. Thank you to everyone who makes it awesome!

 

[boskelli1571]

Gramma Chick,

Yeah raising my coop off the ground. With 14 birds, I am figuring 4 feet per bird for the coop and about 10 feet in the run. My concerns are that 4 ft in the coop will be too cold, especially if it is raised with the wind blowing under it but we can get 2-3 ft of snow in a storm so I don't want the coop on the ground. Maybe I am putting too much thought into it and suffering from planning paralysis, where you never get past planning because all you do is find problems with your plan..... I am trying to figure roof pitch, material, cost ( I am not made of money). I am going to keep reading and looking over coops, plans, and other great information. This site and forum is amazing, and has a ton of info. Thank you to everyone who makes it awesome!

Don't overthink! You won't get going...I am not a pro builder by any means, am also woman so not overly strong. I have build all my coops myself. Outside I have both raised and ground. The raised is basically a 6x6ft box, 5ft tall in front and 3.5ft in the back, used 3/4in exterior grade ply. Not insulate but covered with Tyvek paper. The roosters keep warm enough - my only b**** is I have to change out the water 2x day. As long as they are dry with no drafts blowing on them and they have sufficient ventilation, they will be fine. They will cuddle up to keep warm. Just make sure you can access them to replace water or run electric to the coop and get a heated drinker.

 

[horsekeeper]

My ducks were very stubborn and refused to go inside the coop at night. Some nights I was successful in catching them, others not so much, the entire property is clay and a hill so I'm sure you can imagine how slippery and difficult it was.

I have the same problem with clay, rocks, and a steep hillside. My muscovies have been giving me fits not wanting to go in the coop at night. The older ones go in with the chickens, but last year's hatch just runs wild. I started training them like you would a horse.

I used my driving whip and chased them until I got close enough to pop them on the tail and kept after them until they went in the coop. They are learning that the coop is the only safe place when they hear that whip whistling or they get spanked. I trained the turkeys and geese with a skinny plastic fencing rod. They were smarter (or more compliant) and all it took was touching them with it to send them scurrying. Now all I have to do is show it to them and tap it on a fence post or rock and they file into their shelter. One corner is wired in for the geese and they actually have learned to go into their designated space.

I learned this from going to a horse training clinic or two where they were teaching how to get a stubborn or frightened horse into a trailer. You don't hit them, just keep tapping and pressuring until the horse decides to go in the trailer so you quit bothering it. I like using the whip or a plastic rod because it extends your reach and helps to head them off or corral them when directing in a specific direction or space. Also helps to separate birds out of a flock when you are trying to corner and grab just one.

 

[horsekeeper]

This is the plastic fence post I use as a chasing stick.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/zareba-48-in-fiberglass-rod-post?cm_vc=-10005

 

[boskelli1571]

I have the same problem with clay, rocks, and a steep hillside. My muscovies have been giving me fits not wanting to go in the coop at night. The older ones go in with the chickens, but last year's hatch just runs wild. I started training them like you would a horse.

I used my driving whip and chased them until I got close enough to pop them on the tail and kept after them until they went in the coop. They are learning that the coop is the only safe place when they hear that whip whistling or they get spanked. I trained the turkeys and geese with a skinny plastic fencing rod. They were smarter (or more compliant) and all it took was touching them with it to send them scurrying. Now all I have to do is show it to them and tap it on a fence post or rock and they file into their shelter. One corner is wired in for the geese and they actually have learned to go into their designated space.

I learned this from going to a horse training clinic or two where they were teaching how to get a stubborn or frightened horse into a trailer. You don't hit them, just keep tapping and pressuring until the horse decides to go in the trailer so you quit bothering it. I like using the whip or a plastic rod because it extends your reach and helps to head them off or corral them when directing in a specific direction or space. Also helps to separate birds out of a flock when you are trying to corner and grab just one.

It's funny you should talk about the horse whip. Last year my new chickens were being brats and would not go in the coop with the others. The previous owner of this place kept horses and I found one of her whips in the barn....worked like a charm with them! A quick tap on the bum was all it took and they went into their coop! I don't even have to get it out now - they go in as soon as I get in the barn in the evening..