NY chicken lover!!!!

[java girl 2]

Quote: Well, the ones I was getting rid of are hatchery stock and I HAVE NO INTEREST IN KEEPING HATCHERY BIRDS NO MORE!!!! And the new birds are breeder stock so its not so bad, just need to get the dog kennels for them. hey, I was wondering something. how much money did you put in the hoop coops you made if I may ask? I really like them!

 

[Henicillin]

Rancher, I think one of my two brooder chicks from you may be a frizzle - the feathers on its back seem to be coming in as frizzled.

It and the Del are both entering the homely little feathered dinosaur stage - so crazy-looking that they're cute!

The final total appears to be three chicks hatched, which is fine, as I have a lot of birds running around here. I'm probably going to have to give Lenore one of Mrs. B's chicks to break her, as otherwise she's liable to sit forever.

 

[Henicillin]

Check this out - it's the Rolls-Royce of hoop coops! http://mychickencoopplans.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/mobile-chicken-coop.jpg

 

[featherz]

did I mention that I don't know why people downsize for winter? I just can't see starting back up in the spring. IMO by the time the new hens start to lay you'd have to downsize and start all over again.

I'm glad your girls are doing well and sales are up. I never get enough to feed them for the month but it keeps the feed bill down. Don't forget to give out the literature. I know it brings in business.

I try and downsize for winter because I free range my chickens and it costs more to feed them through winter when they can't eat bugs/grass/etc. Although if we have another winter like last year should be no problem LOL. Plus if I can downsize one of my coops I can go from three coops to two, which is less work in the snow. =)

Not to mention, one of my coops is a tad crowded - which is no big deal when free ranging.. but if they have to stay in the coop all day, could be a problem..

Still haven't decided if I can keep the electric netting up during the winter. I guess I'll probably leave it until there's a 'big' snow. It's been absolutely wonderful, just in case anyone is thinking of buying. I'm still wondering why none of the 50 chickens in that area haven't flown out of it! (now that I've said that, they all will lol.

 

[vmdanielsen]

Check this out - it's the Rolls-Royce of hoop coops! http://mychickencoopplans.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/mobile-chicken-coop.jpg

Beautiful!!!

 

[vmdanielsen]

I try and downsize for winter because I free range my chickens and it costs more to feed them through winter when they can't eat bugs/grass/etc. Although if we have another winter like last year should be no problem LOL. Plus if I can downsize one of my coops I can go from three coops to two, which is less work in the snow. =)

Not to mention, one of my coops is a tad crowded - which is no big deal when free ranging.. but if they have to stay in the coop all day, could be a problem..

Still haven't decided if I can keep the electric netting up during the winter. I guess I'll probably leave it until there's a 'big' snow. It's been absolutely wonderful, just in case anyone is thinking buying. I'm still wondering why none of the 50 chickens in that area haven't flown out of it! (now that I've said that, they all will lol.

I move my electric netting in the beginning of december(keep an eye on the weather) My husband has made me a gate to use that I use all winter. The first winter I used it, 2 years ago, we had all that snow and it did become saggy. last year I put t posts in for support,but as we had no snow it was not needed. I have used my netting, the heavier one, not the lighter one, with good luck all winter. i too, have found the electric poultry netting quite satisfactory.

 

[Framac]

Short version. I've read advice to take the first few chicks and hold them in a brooder til she hatches the rest of the eggs, then give them back. I just moved two chicks from one broody to put under another hatching chicks. Took the six eggs from the one and put them under the one whose chicks I took. She is now sitting on seven. One of her own (she hatched two of three) and the six that hadn't hatched yet. I'll give her another day or two. If no eggs hatch I'll toss 'em. I'm not sure if I'll give her back her chicks or not. I have to move her to a place by herself.

I will keep that in mind for the next time.

I use milk crates for laying boxes with a wooden 2X2 lip. I have fashioned a piece of hardware cloth to go over the face and keep everyone contained. Last hatch before this one, there was 2 chicks when I left in the morning, and when I got home there was 1 chick and hen and they broke out. I am assuming the other chick got eaten.

This time i took the cover off and put here in an isolation pen.

To my surprise when I got home, only 3 of the 5 eggs left to hatch were in the crate, she rolled 2 out of the crate and under her.nothing hatched by this morning, fs nothing by tonight, I will take them from her and let her raise the 4 chicks.

 

[Sallysec]

Hope everyone did okay with all the nasty weather yesterday. Today I am doing cleanup outside in the yard/garden. A section of the backyard floods when we get heavy rains so I am hoping it's not too bad, noticed some of the tomato and eggplant on the ground, but they were just finishing for the season. I'm all ready for chicks, I setup a fifty gallon fish tank for the first few weeks, after that I was going to let them grow out in. A larger box setup in the downstairs basement bathroom. .....last few weeks, I am sooo excited!


Have a great day.

 

[Lynzi777]

Check this out - it's the Rolls-Royce of hoop coops! http://mychickencoopplans.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/mobile-chicken-coop.jpg

Wow, that IS nice!

 

[Lynzi777]

I'm beginning to wonder about my silkies...I don't know they're getting broody or they're not liking this cooler weather. I opened the door to the coop this morning, they came down for a few minutes and have been back up in the coop ever since. Along with Duncan, my little roo too. They spent quite a bit inside the coop yesterday too but I figured that was because of that crazy storm we had all day. Hmmmm....