OK, Can't rebuild, what are my options (Realistic Please)

[aart]

As many have said, they will seek the heat when they need it. I thought to put the water and feed just outside the heat area. Thoughts?

Just make sure the heat on the floor under the lamp is about 80°F......and acclimate them to colder ambient temps by cooling the brooder room starting now.
Yep, outside the heat area...how far outside you'll have to judge by their behaviors.

 

[Ms Chicory]

I can see you have really worked hard on your coop, I am sure you can change it a little to make it work. reduce the nesting boxes, possibly relocate them to extend outside the coop. Invest in hardware cloth for 3 sides under the coop and build a Chicken run extending away from the coop on the 4th side so chickens can run under the coop also and still be protected. you could cover the run with a plastic roof to keep it dryer. And yes, reduce your flock until you can have a larger coop. The ramp that the chickens come out of the coop on has to be at an easy angle for them to walk out and needs little rungs on it for them to grip while walking in and out.

 

[CacklingRanch]

The little one looks like a failure to thrive.

 

[Arielle2]

My two cents.
How do you access to clean? Just the end?

If so...

1.Close the end with rat wire and heavy 2x 4 inch fencing to allow air in at all times. Assuming this faces NO into prevailing winds. My storms come from the west, or the north, or north east. My openings face east or south.
2. Move pop door to under laying boxes.
3. Make a human size door across from the nesting boxes you you can reach in and access all areas.
4. Birds need a much larger area to roam during the day. The more the better. My birds roam the whole farm and then roost in the barn rafters. Meaning they learn where home is at night for safety. Others are in smaller enclosures. But always allow 4 sq feet of space per bird. Can you let the birds roam during the day?

5. If yes, eliminate the hole in the floor, and make that part of their outdoor time.

Basically make this into a WOODS type coop. Keep one end very air tight, and keep the far end OPEN AT ALL TIMES. Lack of ventilation will kill the birds fast. Most varieites can adapt to the cold.

6. Have enough roosting space. THe girls will fight over who gets the best spot, and Suzy will sit next to her best friend Dottie. TOp chickens get their preferred spot, usually the highest pole. The lower in the pecking order the more room needed to keep away from the dominant birds.

7. The birds will use the nest boxes for sleeping, so you need to have a way to close it off every night. Cleaning out poo every morning before girls go into lay is annoying, it is more annoying to was poo off the eggs! SUggestion. Remove top two nesting boxes and replace with a roosting pole.

You have done a VERY NICE JOB.

Do try to give them more space to run around on the grass, soon to be dirt.

( My largest woods coop is 12 x 20, and those birds dont need to go outside)

PS. My first coops didnt work out as planned, I adjusted the designs, and build Woods style even if a small coop.

Good luck!!!!

 

[123RedBeard]

I paid extra from the hatchery to make sure they are all females, so I better not have any roosters.

Unfortunately ... the people who check for which gender they are, are not always right ... most hatcheries only guarantee accuracy to 90% ... while they rarely get it right by only 5% ... stranger things have happened!

While you may have paid extra for females, which is standard, as they are usually what are requested (more popular) as not only do cocks/cockrells not lay eggs, but are not required for the pullets/hens to lay eggs ... they may refund your money if you end up with more than 10% cockrells ... you still will have to have the time and feed into them, plus decide what to do with them???

By the end of this year you should be able to tell what gender they are ...

It is also possible that someone at the feed store mixed one odd one in by mistake, they pulled it out of a bin, and returned it back to the wrong bin???

It could be a little Easter Egger (EE) pullet, as they have puny "pea combs" ... and can have the simular down/feather patern when chicks ... time will tell ...

I can't see the feet on the little one ... are they the same color as the big ones? Should be yellow ...

 

[Compost King]

I have had a lot of bad luck with so many things in life but I never never bought day old pullets and ended up with a rooster. Now the law of averages is going to zap me this spring.

 

[Buckeye2002]

Can anyone tell me what this is? I found it in their water dish. Thanks

 

[Compost King]

Looks like something ate a banana and pooped... I have no idea what that is

 

[aart]

Can anyone tell me what this is? I found it in their water dish. Thanks
View attachment 1604454

Size and consistency?
Cut it lengthwise and another pic with a quarter or penny for scale?

 

[Compost King]

If it turns out to be a turd I would start up a thread in another section where people post turd pictures for some of the more skilled posters to diagnose.