Please Help!!!!!

[Foleys]

This site is very helpfull But I think I am getting to much information and am starting to get confused on what I chould be doing at this piont..

My Chicken are about 10 to 12 weeks old

and my roo is a adult so I was told..

. Can someone please tell me what I am susposed to be doing at this point... I want all of them to be very happy and content and not in need of anything. Right now I feed and water them once a day ushually in the morning.. If the water is dirty when I check on which is about every 2 hours unless I am working. then I change it. They are all kinda shy still at this point but I have been making it a point to spend some time with them everyday and say goodnight every night. How many times should I clean the poop up? And is it true that sprinkling fresh pine shaving in the run good for the hens and makes them more likely to lay eggs for you. I just feel I should be doing more. I want them happy and healty.

 

[KellyHM]

Sounds like you're doing fine with them. As long as they have fresh water and food all the time they'll be happy. How often you clean the coop out depends on the size and how dirty it gets. Pine shavings don't make chickens more likely to lay eggs, but they do like to have a nest of shavings (or something else) to lay in. However, yours are still a couple months or so away from laying. You can give them treats (mine love bread and lettuce) and this will make them more social towards you also. Sounds like you're a great chicken owner so far!

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

How often you clean your coop also depends on how large your coop is and how many live in it. And if you choose deep litter method or not. I have an 8x8 foot coop (12 hens) and I clean it twice a year. In spring and again before winter. I use the deep litter method and add about 1/2 bag of pine shavings every two weeks (the hens mix it up for you) I have VERY minimum smells and never had ammonia smells at all. If your coop is getting wet you may notice smells of ammonia at which point you would want to figure out how it's getting wet and correct that.

No, pine shavings in the run does not get them to lay IMO

I also wanted to add that you don't have to add much savings in the spring summer because the hens don't spend much time in the coop then...I live in WI so in the winter I have to add a lot of fresh shavings for them as they refuse to go out in snow

 

[Foleys]

Here is my coop and run I know it is not the best but it is what we can do for now..

Had we been planning on raising chickens it would have been more planned out but they just showed up... and there is 5 in there.
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[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

From what I can see in the pictures it looks like a roof over a few nest boxes? Is there a door going into the building behind that at all? I can't tell if their is a door or not. Looks like their may be but My first concern would be predators if the cannot get into the building. They will be able to break into the run very easily and once they see the chickens, you will be chicken less. Is there a way to build some sort of protection for them? Or possibly having the nest boxes closed at night and open early in the morning if thats where they sleep? And are you in an area where it snows or gets cold at nights in the winter? If they do roost in the boxes I would clean them out daily.

 

[Foleys]

They do sleep and roost in the boxes and I am now going to be puttin doors on them at night.

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[chicmom]

You're doing a good job, don't be overwhelmed! Chickens like things to peck at. A treat my chickens really LOVE is a head of cabbage. I cut one in half and lay it out in the run, and they just go wild pecking at it. They like whole ears of corn, apples, there is a thing called a flock block that you can put in there....(looks like a big giant hamster treat) LOL

If you get that door on the coop, that'll make it much safer for your chickens at night.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Try to raise the water so it's at the level of the smallest chicken's back. That will help keep it cleaner, so you don't have to clean it so often.

 

[snowflake]

As soon as you can I would put some wire mesh or at least chicken wire around them with 6 inches under ground or bent out so dogs or other predators can't get at them. Is your yard fenced in? My birds love caned peas, in winter, this time of year if I go out with a shovel they all come running. they love the worm finder!
Have fun with your chicks, and don't worry to much, they are not fussy .

 

[fastpat]

In a coop with a floor I'd spread out Aspen or Pine chips as an absorbent and just sweep that up and spread around new stuff once a week or when you see it get compacted and with too many droppings in it. How many chickens do you have in that run now? If it's just the five in the photos, that run is okay, but could use to be bigger.

If there's woods on your land you can cut a branch or two with leaves and give that to them. They like to climb on them and the leaves of most trees are not toxic. I have grape vines and they love to eat the leaves from the prunings. Check with your local farm agent, their advice is free.

Your enclosure isn't dog or coyote proof, if you're in Toccoa, Georgia, you likely have coyotes. We have them here, I've shot at them. Feral dogs are just as likely to be a problem too. A friend of mine had about a dozen chickens killed by feral dogs, who then proceeded to kill a neighbors goat herd, about 25 of them. The suggestion about how to place the chicken wire along the bottom is a good one. My friend who lost all his birds had his rather substantial chicken run penetrated by the dogs much easier than he expected, they dug down a little bit and then raised up the wire with their noses. Once they were in they killed every chicken but one, eating one or two, the rest for sport. You also have the potential for raccoons too, they eat chickens.

Chickens are considered adults at approximately 18 months.