NOLA farm
Chirping
Good morning folks. This CV19 has given people time to worry or hopefully get things done. My family is in our 4th year of raising chickens. Along the way we have had a couple random deaths and a culling or two. Nothing extraordinary except for the awesome egg production. We built our own coop/house/mansion and then over doubled the run size 1.5 years later when we did our first new chick old chick attempt.
The first time was a great success. It is hard to find good info outside of this group. It is easier to tune out and think for yourself and make logical decisions that may or may not work out on how to make this work without losing lives. We built a coop within the coop for the 10 chicks. We did not follow feed store advice and get heat lamps, quarantine chicks inside until 5 weeks old or temps are over 80 or 90. We gave an igloo like shelter inside the coop within the coop for the chicks to huddle. All the while the big chicks are getting used to having these new things around. We expanded the coop run and modified sleeping quarters and it all worked out and all lived.
Now this year we are doing an introduction of 8 chicks again. This time we used a dog kennel and bird netting for two days. Then we removed the bird netting and created a cinder block stack entrance only the chicks could get into. Now 7 days later the chicks are roaming around like they have been there all along and the older girls could care less. At first, the top hatters (lowest on the pole) would pick at them. A couple of the older girls began picking on them even more and now they seem to have left the chicks be. It appears we will be successful again this year and wanted to share that here.
Our process once temps get to 67 or higher at night is to:
1) Select breeds we want and find them of 2-3 day old chicks
2) Put coop within the coop in place for a day at least for the older girls to get used to it
3) protect chicks from getting out of the coop within the coop for a couple days
4) Let chicks have access to get out and observe them getting messed with
5) While observing, if they do not run back into their safe place - assist them by hand
6) They should get the hand of it pretty quickly
7) Once they seem to be comfy and no longer careless with protecting themselves remove the bird netting and provide permanent access to roam
8) As time goes on and they size up, providing ample sized exit and entry are the only needs outside of feed and water
9) Watch n amazement how the older girls shuffle their dynamics a little or a lot to re-establish a pecking order with the new chicks
10) Once the coop within the coop is gone the dynamic will shift again and before you know it they are settled.
Seems easy? We think so. Nature has a way...
Our flock has been Brahma's, Maran, Austrolorp, Orpington, Dominique, Easter Eggers, Rhode Island Reds, Golden Wyndottes, Silver Wyndottes, Top Hatters, and now Amberlinks, Barred Rocks, Two more Orpingtons, Golden Comets.
Last tip - we buy new chicks in pairs, except the top hatters we got 4. This is only my theory and so far so good. If they have a buddy they will do better. The old girls had each other so chicks with buddies seem to work.
Happy Spring 2020 everyone!
The first time was a great success. It is hard to find good info outside of this group. It is easier to tune out and think for yourself and make logical decisions that may or may not work out on how to make this work without losing lives. We built a coop within the coop for the 10 chicks. We did not follow feed store advice and get heat lamps, quarantine chicks inside until 5 weeks old or temps are over 80 or 90. We gave an igloo like shelter inside the coop within the coop for the chicks to huddle. All the while the big chicks are getting used to having these new things around. We expanded the coop run and modified sleeping quarters and it all worked out and all lived.
Now this year we are doing an introduction of 8 chicks again. This time we used a dog kennel and bird netting for two days. Then we removed the bird netting and created a cinder block stack entrance only the chicks could get into. Now 7 days later the chicks are roaming around like they have been there all along and the older girls could care less. At first, the top hatters (lowest on the pole) would pick at them. A couple of the older girls began picking on them even more and now they seem to have left the chicks be. It appears we will be successful again this year and wanted to share that here.
Our process once temps get to 67 or higher at night is to:
1) Select breeds we want and find them of 2-3 day old chicks
2) Put coop within the coop in place for a day at least for the older girls to get used to it
3) protect chicks from getting out of the coop within the coop for a couple days
4) Let chicks have access to get out and observe them getting messed with
5) While observing, if they do not run back into their safe place - assist them by hand
6) They should get the hand of it pretty quickly
7) Once they seem to be comfy and no longer careless with protecting themselves remove the bird netting and provide permanent access to roam
8) As time goes on and they size up, providing ample sized exit and entry are the only needs outside of feed and water
9) Watch n amazement how the older girls shuffle their dynamics a little or a lot to re-establish a pecking order with the new chicks
10) Once the coop within the coop is gone the dynamic will shift again and before you know it they are settled.
Seems easy? We think so. Nature has a way...
Our flock has been Brahma's, Maran, Austrolorp, Orpington, Dominique, Easter Eggers, Rhode Island Reds, Golden Wyndottes, Silver Wyndottes, Top Hatters, and now Amberlinks, Barred Rocks, Two more Orpingtons, Golden Comets.
Last tip - we buy new chicks in pairs, except the top hatters we got 4. This is only my theory and so far so good. If they have a buddy they will do better. The old girls had each other so chicks with buddies seem to work.
Happy Spring 2020 everyone!
