Oregon

[LeslieDJoyce]

Hi everyone, new to chicken keeping in PDX. My chicks are coming tomorrow from C&L Farms in Oregon City. First time having chickens since I was a kid on my grandparents farm. I've been renting this place with a yard for about 2 years now, we talked about getting a few goats, ended up having my interest in chicken keeping rekindeld by my neighbor who has a flock of her own, which i've been admiring from my yard for quite a while now. I notced she was brooding some new chicks and found out she was getting a new coop and offered me her old coop, and a pair of 3 week old Delaware's. I went ahead and placed an order for ten more chicks to give them some company. 2x Amaracauna/Black Maran (hopefully olive eggers?), 2x SIlver Laced Wyandotte, 2x Gold Laced Wyandotte, 1x Blue Maran, 1x Splash Maran, and 2x Buff Polish. They're all 3-5 weeks old. Will upload some photos tomorrow when they arrive. Pretty excited not sure if I can sleep, haha. Went to Foster Farm supply today and picked up a bag of organic chicken starter, feeders, a light, some straw bedding... Got the brooder all set up and ready to go.

Were they raised indoors with lights? Do they still need them? My broody-raised chicks were sleeping on the heir own by the time they were 4 weeks old ... it hasn't been very cold here at night. They just pile up on the floor of the coop. Their hen is back on the roost.

 

[OR4-hmom]

OrganicChicken, welcome to the thread.
I agree with LeslieDJoyce, they may not need the light, just an area in the coop for them to huddle together and get some size. If the Delawares are grown you will need to separate them until your new ones can hold their own.
If using the brooder - have a cover ready. I have 2 week old bantams that are getting 18-24 inches off the ground.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

OrganicChicken, welcome to the thread.
I agree with LeslieDJoyce, they may not need the light, just an area in the coop for them to huddle together and get some size. If the Delawares are grown you will need to separate them until your new ones can hold their own.
If using the brooder - have a cover ready. I have 2 week old bantams that are getting 18-24 inches off the ground.

I can't contain the chicks at all. Luckily they like to be with their buddies, especially at night, so come "home." It's not surprising because the way they survive is by being hyper-mobile compared to the full-grown birds. They are FAST.

I think the OP said the Delawares are 3 weeks old ... I've got Delawares, too. They are good-sized chicks at about 4-5 weeks old now, but not as feathered as the mutts of the same age. The broody hen that hatched the Delawares is sleeping up on the roost, and the Delawares either huddle together, or go find a broody with younger chicks to sleep with.

 

[Yoyo with chick]

Hi I live in CG! I've already been on this thread before so yolo... Any ways I've got four four week old chicks can I move them in their coop?also,I moved other chickens that I got fully feathered at ten weeks from the grow coop to the big one can I let them free range or should I keep them in the run?

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Hi I live in CG! I've already been on this thread before so yolo... Any ways I've got four four week old chicks can I move them in their coop?also,I moved other chickens that I got fully feathered at ten weeks from the grow coop to the big one can I let them free range or should I keep them in the run?

Read back the last few posts for answers to this question from another Oregonian.

 

[Yoyo with chick]

Read back the last few posts for answers to this question from another Oregonian.

So they will follow the other chickens home?

 

[farmgirlroots]

I'm in the middle if trying to treat an egg bound chicken. I'm at the point where I'm thinking I should give her antibiotics, but what can I buy at the local feed store (Salem/Silverton/Stayton stores)?

So far for the last 8 hours we've tried and not been successful at getting the egg out with multiple Epsom salt baths, massage, KY jelly lube of the vent, adding calcium to yogurt to feed her, applying Honey to shrink the swelling, Sent hubby to get Preparation H to try to get the same result, and finally, after all that has failed, I got a large needle/syringe from the pharmacy and extracted the insides of the egg out. I'm hoping I won't have to break it and extract it, but I think that's the last option at which point I absolutely need to give her antibiotics.

 

[Farmer Viola]

I'm in the middle if trying to treat an egg bound chicken. I'm at the point where I'm thinking I should give her antibiotics, but what can I buy at the local feed store (Salem/Silverton/Stayton stores)?

So far for the last 8 hours we've tried and not been successful at getting the egg out with multiple Epsom salt baths, massage, KY jelly lube of the vent, adding calcium to yogurt to feed her, applying Honey to shrink the swelling, Sent hubby to get Preparation H to try to get the same result, and finally, after all that has failed, I got a large needle/syringe from the pharmacy and extracted the insides of the egg out. I'm hoping I won't have to break it and extract it, but I think that's the last option at which point I absolutely need to give her antibiotics.

I have been there, it is not fun, sounds like you are doing everything that you can!

I also had to break an egg that was stuck in an eggbound bantam who laid eggs that were massive for the size of her body. we basically decided to cull her because of it, after it kept happening. it was brutal for her and eventually turned into a neverending prolapse. BOY, if I only knew when I got into chickens what I would be dealing with!

I did not put her on oral antibiotics afterward, but I don't like using them too often. maybe if the extraction cut her up, it would be necessary. I just helped her heal using Prep H and neosporin. the Prep H helps soothe irritation and swelling, it is probably the best thing you can do for her once the shell is out. the neosporin is antibiotic and helps keep infection out topically. After I extracted the contents, the shell sort of collapsed on itself partially and the membrane kept it in tact, it came out in one piece.

 

[donrae]

Anyone heading to Terrebonne this weekend? I'm getting so excited! Not taking anything to swap or sell, but have some purchases lined up

. And, who knows, someone else might jump in the car for the ride home......I am limited, though, as I have a 4+ hour drive home in a Corolla

. Not much space for hitchhikers lol.

 

[OrganicChicken]

Any local coop-builders in PDX? I've been contacting several builders over the past week most have not gotten back to me or have an eight week lead time. My girls are getting big fast. Could use a hand if anyone has experience coop building. No transportation other than public transit makes it hard to imagine being able to get back home from the hardware store with a bunch of materials.