Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[kzas]

I am a weather wimp, too. My whole family is here and my husband doesn't like to be warm, so there's little hope of escape.

The coop walls are the cheapest board we could find at home depot. They almost feel like a compressed cardboard on the inside but the outside is smooth. We heard they would get nasty and we are first time chicken owners so we didn't want to invest too much in case we needed to change things as we learned.

 

[BullChick]

It's obnoxious how clean your coop is! LOL!

I don't think it'll be much longer. They look about ready.

It's cleaner than my house right now! 

I can't believe we post post at the same time about how clean that coop is! It makes me feel 10 times worse about the picture I showed of Duckling earlier!
I was upset because her hat is off-center, I was upset about that piece of wood against the wall, and I was upset that the coop wasn't clean. I was also noticing that she wasn't dressed perfectly, and ... Seriously! It's a cute picture! I don't think any of you noticed the things that I noticed! And, if you did, you didn't really care!

I am laughing out loud at my computer right now. I was honestly hesitant to post pic #3 because there is poop on the ground. I'm a freak, but also you would die if you saw my laundry/dishes/mail stack.  I will also say the pics with the wyandotte are a bit deceptive, this is the first night any of them have gotten on a roost on their own. Easy to keep it clean when it's 4 feet above their butts.

Thanks for the input. I am getting so excited for them to lay. I'm in Wisconsin, so it's cold and miserable, but we're supposed to have nice weather next week! Hopefully it's all downhill to spring from there.

I also did just buy layer feed, so I'm sure I jinxed myself & they will wait until I buy more of their current feed. Oh well, then I guess I'd just have to buy chicks to eat that food. At least, that's what I've learned around here.   

See above for notes of how I feel the same way about the perfection of things in my photos!
As for the feed, it doesn't matter if they are lying or not. It matters on how old they are. If he doesn't say "when they are laying". It says, "16 weeks". There is nothing wrong with continuing the chick feed though.
As for the temperatures, I've had chickens that begin laying as late as December, and as early as the first of February.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Quote:

I am a weather wimp, too. My whole family is here and my husband doesn't like to be warm, so there's little hope of escape.

The coop walls are the cheapest board we could find at home depot. They almost feel like a compressed cardboard on the inside but the outside is smooth. We heard they would get nasty and we are first time chicken owners so we didn't want to invest too much in case we needed to change things as we learned.

Who doesn't like to be warm??? I don't like being cold or hot. Warm is good. My comfort zone narrows with every decade.

Is that your pooch in your avatar? Chicken friendly?



MC, I didn't notice any of that stuff. Well I did see the crooked hat, but that is part of the charm of being a toddler. Anything perfect on a toddler is fake or photo shopped! I was focused on the set of her mouth. That and her eyes had me trying to figure out if she was scared or just concentrating or wondering why you handed her that giant chicken! Mostly she looks like she doesn't want to move and break the spell.

 

[kzas]

Looked back for the pic- SO cute! Impressed with her bravery on holding that chicken. I'm still working on it myself. haha

@Wishing4Wings yes it is! We have TWO weimaraners who are TWO years old. I'm certain they will eat them given the chance. We haven't free ranged the chickens yet and plan to only do so when they are supervised and the dogs are inside. The dogs love the chickens though. If I ask Mia where her chickens are she runs to the door and cries to go visit the run.

We did some serious training about boundaries before the chicks arrived, so they know better than to go anywhere near the doors when I open them to go inside and generally know that they are off limits areas.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

My two beasts are completely trustworthy around the chickens (even tiny Seramas), but that wasn't always the way. Scooter got into the chicken yard once a few years ago and was chasing the pullets, pulling feathers, and gleefully wreaking havoc. I was trying to get him, but he chased some into the coop run through the pop door and I thought he'd hurt them. The quickest way to reach him was to go through the pop door, but as I am rather well endowed in the read end department, I only got halfway in.

Luckily, I had grabbed a stick, and just as he was going after my favorite girl, I whacked him across the back with the stick. Now, I'm not proud of this, but you have to picture me on hands and knees, my backside hanging out of the run, topside in chicken poo, all out of breath from chasing that dog and thought my sweet barred rock was going to be devoured! Well, Scooter was so surprised, he yelped and jumped and cowered down. I thought at first that I really hurt him, but that wasn't it. He was scared of the chickens!! He thought one of the chickens had karate chopped him!

From that moment on, he had nothing but the greatest respect for the chickens. And since he wasn't trying to chase them, the older dog, Belle, fell in line too. Lucky me!! Not a training method I would recommend, but I can't argue with the results.



Scooter, rehabilitated chicken terrorist. (He came to us as a stray about a year before the chicken attacked him. Shhhhh... It's our secret!)




Now both dogs and chickens live together in peace.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I can't believe we post post at the same time about how clean that coop is! It makes me feel 10 times worse about the picture I showed of Duckling earlier!
I was upset because her hat is off-center, I was upset about that piece of wood against the wall, and I was upset that the coop wasn't clean. I was also noticing that she wasn't dressed perfectly, and ... Seriously! It's a cute picture! I don't think any of you noticed the things that I noticed! And, if you did, you didn't really care!
See above for notes of how I feel the same way about the perfection of things in my photos!
As for the feed, it doesn't matter if they are lying or not. It matters on how old they are. If he doesn't say "when they are laying". It says, "16 weeks". There is nothing wrong with continuing the chick feed though.
As for the temperatures, I've had chickens that begin laying as late as December, and as early as the first of February.

I seriously didn't notice any of that!!! All I saw was a cute kid and a cute chicken!!!!!

As for the feed, I switched mine a few days shy of 16 weeks and they weren't eatingit at first but they finally did are actually almost done with the bag at only 2 weeks on it but Tuesday or Wednesday I switched them back to chick starter/grower i had ordered. I had made a thread and was told that they likely weren't ready and that really chicks should be on it no sooner than 18 weeks if possible and I should feed starter/grower or All Flock/Flock Raiser with free choice oyster shell until you actually see the first egg. At 16 weeks it really wouldn't have harmed them I was told but any younger (believe it ornot people start them as babies cause they want the flock all on one feed) and you run into kidney problems, bone/growth problems, etc., supposedly it's too much calcium. I believe the 16 weeks on the bag is for productiob hybrids and commercial farms that start laying by 18 weeks. Again, for mine I was later told they were fine, but it just scared me so I switched them. Plus mine are all slower maturing/heritage breeds that may take at least 24 weeks, maybe more, so it would have been a long time. So I switched them. Had to get 40 pounds but I know theyll eat it. Not saying this as anything negative either if it came across that way, just found it interesting.

Looked back for the pic- SO cute! Impressed with her bravery on holding that chicken. I'm still working on it myself. haha

@Wishing4Wings
 yes it is! We have TWO weimaraners who are TWO years old. I'm certain they will eat them given the chance. We haven't free ranged the chickens yet and plan to only do so when they are supervised and the dogs are inside. The dogs love the chickens though. If I ask Mia where her chickens are she runs to the door and cries to go visit the run. We did some serious training about boundaries before the chicks arrived, so they know better than to go anywhere near the doors when I open them to go inside and generally know that they are off limits areas.  

Mine loves to run laps around the pen or charge the fence and TERRIFY them so he is no longer allowed near them until we work on training. He didn't see them as babies.

 

[BullChick]

When I was talking to my mother earlier, I was saying how if anyone noticed the off-center hat they were realizing it was just that she's a toddler. And as for the side of her mouth, it's a new experience and she wasn't sure about it. It's the same look she had on her face the first time the chickens stayed inside while she's collecting eggs. And she got that look when a chicken was still in the nest box the first time. Of course, I didn't show that she had that book the first time she held a chick.
Kz, here are some chick pics. Three weeks ago, and again two weeks ago. She's used to holding the chicks now, and likes that they're big enough to actually get a hold of.

This last picture is from one week ago.

 

[ShrekDawg]

My two beasts are completely trustworthy around the chickens (even tiny Seramas), but that wasn't always the way. Scooter got into the chicken yard once a few years ago and was chasing the pullets, pulling feathers, and gleefully wreaking havoc. I was trying to get him, but he chased some into the coop run through the pop door and I thought he'd hurt them. The quickest way to reach him was to go through the pop door, but as I am rather well endowed in the read end department, I only got halfway in. Luckily, I had grabbed a stick, and just as he was going after my favorite girl, I whacked him across the back with he stick. Now, I'm not proud of this, but you have to picture me on hands and knees, my backside hanging out of the run, topside in chicken poo, all out of breath from chasing that dog and thought my sweet barred rock was going to be devoured! Well, Scooter was so surprised, he yelped and jumped and cowered down. I thought at first that I really hurt him, but that wasn't it. He was scared of the chickens!! He thought one of the chickens had karate chopped him! From that moment on, he had nothing but the greatest respect for the chickens. And since he wasn't trying to chase them, the older dog, Belle, fell in line too. Lucky me!! Not a training method I would recommend, but I can't argue with the results. Scooter, rehabilitated chicken terrorist. (He came to us as a stray about a year before the chicken attacked him. Shhhhh... It's our secret!) Now both dogs and chickens live together in peace.

Hahah that's a great story! Do feel bad for Scooter but not really cause it was only a split second and he thinks the chicken did it I gotta be honest, I wish the cst would WHACK the dog one of these days, claws OUT, and teach him!! Hes a cat and chicken terrorist. The cat runs or if cornered fights with no claws, the chickens used to flock together and ve herded from corner to corner but after one or two times of that now get terrified if he's anywhere near them. About a week ago he approached, not even right next to the run, and an Australorp flew straight up in the air, would have flown out of the 6 foot run if it weren't for the bird netting on top. I pulled him away after that

 

[Wishing4Wings]

You didn't post this one before!

Either that or a few more brain cells called it quits!
Love it!

 

[kzas]

I am dying. I would pay all the money for you to come to Wisconsin and "train" my dogs with the chickens. Hilarious story.

Weimaraners are bird hunters naturally and have an insane amount of energy. A blueberry fell on the floor this morning and Mia spent 10 minutes throwing it frantically around the living room and stomping it. I can't imagine if she got a chicken. Mia used to run at the fence and watch them squawk and fly but one day the rooster pecked at her through the plastic wrap when she came flying in and it scared her. Now she approaches slow and loves to watch, but they don't bother each other.