post your chicken coop pictures here!

[Sylvester017]

You might want to try some Breda. They are sweet and nice to docile breeds and they lay white eggs. They are one of the few laidback white egg layers. They also have feathered legs and feet. They make me think of the old hippie bell bottom jeans, especially the blue ones. They come in Black, Blue, Splash and Mottled.

Hi Penny Hen

The Blue bird in the picture IS a Blue Breda and we've had her over a year now. Excellent temperament and flockmate and one of our funniest "pestiest" prettiest human-friendly girls. She is respectful toward the two oldest Silkies and is not retaliatory if challenged or chest-bumped by one of the littles. Bredas have really impressed us not only for their pet quality and kindness to flockmates, but she has been our most excellent white egg-layer only surpassed by a White Leghorn we used to have. Of course the Breda eggs are not as large as White Leg eggs but certainly large enough for our needs! The Breda in her first year of lay hardly misses a day! She's quite a Chow Hound but with the amount of egg output she gives it's understandable she needs to replace nutrients to her body. She seems to have a preference for dry feed (Scratch & Peck organic) to the wet produce we also provide. All the breeds love hand-fed treats as if it's more special than eating the same treat out of a dish!




P.S. I FORGOT TO ASK HOW LONG YOU'VE HAD YOUR BREDAS? BREDA ARE ONE OF THE LOVELIEST PEOPLE-FRIENDLY/FLOCK-FRIENDLY CHICKEN BREEDS WE'VE EVER HAD!

 

[Sylvester017]

I'm hoping that I have some hens decide they want to brood. If so next hatch will be all natural

no heat required

What breeds do you have that you think might be "broody" types? I didn't think 'Lorps were broody types - at least not like the bantam Cochins or Silkies. You must have more than just 'Lorps in your flock? I have a Breda and a Blue Wheaten Ameraucana and neither have ever gone broody but my two Silkies are forever trying to go broody. We have to make sure to gather eggs quickly or the Silkies will be sitting on everybody's eggs!

 

[Sylvester017]

And im testing a nipple water system for height and interest using a 5 gal bucket.



Within a few minutes the 2 sex links were pecking at it and actually drinking then the white turkey, way bigger, started experimenting and was able to drink at this height. The production red is a mature hen. Im thinking i might try puting it on a slope to allow any height bird to find a nipple the right height but they are very flexible and may not need it. The turkey can squat and the buffs can stretch (i think).

All it takes is for the smartest chicken to drink from the nipple valves and all the flock catches on to the idea. I had three Brite Tap nipple valve jugs out at different heights for the bantams and the large fowl. The bantams stretched for the tall valves, and the large fowl bent down to drink the lower valves - silly birds! Your one bucket should do fine as long as your smallest bird can reach the valves. I'm a worrier so I have three 2-gallon jugs out in the yard in case a valve breaks or water leaks out there's at least another full water jug access. That's just me but I've read where the valves can start a leak and a container can empty (not likely but I worry) so I feel better having at least 2 or 3 jugs available.

 

[gpeters3]

I dont worry about such things. Humans can go several days without fluids, so can chickens. Obviously, if they are allowed to drink when they want it is better for them. I check my feed and water every day so worst case is part of a day. If i start having troible with draining i can always throw in an old drinker, eh?

 

[MeepBeep]

I dont worry about such things. Humans can go several days without fluids, so can chickens.

Just because they can survive does not equate to it not having negative heath effects...

Even a few hours of water deprivation will generally disrupt the laying cycle... And depending on the ambient temperature and weather conditions even as little as 24 hours without water can in fact be fatal to a chickens...

Birds simply don't have the water retention and fat reserves that mammals have...

 

[gpeters3]

Just went out for a look and found 10 or 12 chicks competing for the privelege of pecking the blue water monster. As was mentioned the buffs were actually jumping to get a drink, the height is about perfect for the mature hens but none of them were giving up. I think its the novelty because 3 regular open drinkers were just a few feet away. The ones i worry about are the turkeys (turtles). They are going to be way taller than the chickens once they are grown. They are already bigger and only half way there.

Looks like i worried for nothing, eh? Now i just have to cut a hole in the barn wall for the pipe without hitting any air lines or romex. The spot i have picked out should be about the right height. I can always move the 1" black pipe if necessary. All i have to do is disconnect the barn load center, remove the back board and cut and paste some black pipe.....peice a cake

 

[gpeters3]

Fat reserves depends on where you buy them.....frozen ones of course Not arguing, even humans can have muscle pain if they dont drink enough. If i see an issue it will be addressed quickly but I dont have any qualms about my water setup once in place. Nipples are cheap and having spares will certainly be in the plan

Im thinking about some horizontal ones as well for the turkeys. Hey, does anyone know if you can invert the horizontal ones if there is enough pressure for water flow? It would be cool to have some on top of the pipe as well. Probably could not get the water into their mouth that way im thinking.....forget it, bad idea

 

[famerzellman]

just have to paint the ramp

 

[MeepBeep]

Just went out for a look and found 10 or 12 chicks competing for the privelege of pecking the blue water monster. As was mentioned the buffs were actually jumping to get a drink, the height is about perfect for the mature hens but none of them were giving up. I think its the novelty because 3 regular open drinkers were just a few feet away. The ones i worry about are the turkeys (turtles). They are going to be way taller than the chickens once they are grown. They are already bigger and only half way there.

If you have different sized birds you most definitely have to have nipples at different heights... In my barrel you can see two rows of nipples at different heights from the front to accomidate my peafowls and larger roosters, while on the sides there are cinder block steps to accommodate the smaller chickens, guinea fowl and bantams...

 

[MeepBeep]

Hey, does anyone know if you can invert the horizontal ones if there is enough pressure for water flow? It would be cool to have some on top of the pipe as well. Probably could not get the water into their mouth that way im thinking.....forget it, bad idea

I'm guessing by the time you get enough pressure to close the vertical ones upside down, the minute they were tipped it would like like geyser erupting...