Southern NY, Dutchess county and below

[warmheart]

Thank you everyone, for your kind words on my loss of our dear Miss Pru. She will be loved always, and will remain forever cherished in my heart.

Mags, a new driveway, lovely oaken fence, and seeds sprouting? It's all good by you! I'm so happy things are your place are going so well. Please give your beep-beep Silkies a snuggle from me!

Rosie, Eeek, what a horrible scare you and your girls had! Each of your darlings knew that you were there to comfort and protect them when you and your sons arrived home. Such a testiment to those hens knowing how very much each is loved by you. Your girls are so very lucky to be yours! But, I'm so sorry this happened to you. I'm not sure if this might help, but we very cheaply fenced the backyard only, using cheap fence stakes and a roll of cheap wire mesh. Okay, it isn't fancy, but it does keep critters out. Might that be an option for you, perhaps?

Mammo, What a busy weekend you've had with your new coop! I can't answer about the 2 x 2s, but I understand about worrying about illness. I've also gotta stop worrying about my upcoming chicks. But, I think you're doing the right thing in reading the health sections of the forums, so you can feel more prepared in case you ever need the ideas and solutions there. I'm wishing your growing chicks wonderful health and wellbeing!

 

[ChickenAl]

Sorry to hear that this beautiful weekend didn't bring everybody full joy. As I watch my new chicks quickly grow and change over night I am already worrying about them getting sick or something worse. Not knowing what I'm doing then reading these sad stories from seasoned flocksters makes me wonder if I'll do OK.
My weekend consisted of working on the coop. Got the nesting boxes built and replaced half the roof made of found doors with that clear ribbed PVC material. I figured it would give plenty of light and yet the other side still has the doors for shade since that is my south side. I did this because there are no windows but figured there's plenty of venting from the separation between roof and sides of coop due to beams of the roof.
As usual, a question. The roosts...I read that 2x4's layed flat is best for roosts but I have 2x2 strips. Will these be OK to help with the whole "help with the frost bite" thing I've read about? They seem good sized, but I'm worrying about everything at this point. Here's what it looks like so far. Not the fanciest thing in the world, but I hope they'll be happy.

Hi Mammo. The 2"x4" with the 4" side up is the best way to do a roost. The chickens can then sit on their entire foot, keeping them warm throughout the night. On a 2" roost their toes wrap around leaving the ends exposed and subject to frostbite. Having said this, I use 2"x3" lumber on its side and have gone two winters without any problems.

Hope this helps.

 

[Sallysec]

Okay so I've had a funny weekend...was my husbands birthday and we spent one day out with NO KIDS....it was so much fun until we came home and found out neither kid got a nap and both were cranky. My 11month old wouldn't let go of me and cried endlessly if I tried to put her down or pass her to someone else. My five year old had decided to open all my husbands gifts....lol

So on to the chickens, I was cleaning up and had let the girls roam...I can see them in the yard but my dogs were inside going crazy. So I walk onto my deck and do a head count, nine girls. I go down the stairs and I look on the patio to see two chickens hanging out with my cat. The cat is just watching them with this expression of awe as they eat from the dogs food dish. I cracked up laughing which startled my cat into running back inside . The chickens came running thinking I had treats. I worried that dog food was bad for them and put it up. I've found that one of my girls likes to climb up things this weekend. None of them are afraid of construction which surprises me. My husband had his saw going and they came running to see if saw dust tasted good. He surprises me with how much he doesn't mind them being underfoot. They climbed all over his tools, the wood, the patio...and he just worked around them. This morning I had a lovely surprise. The girls have learned to push the one run door open , it has a latch spot but I don't use it often, since they are behind a second set of metal doors....well today I opened up the shed doors to find chickens roosting (autocorrect changes roosting to roasted lol) on top of their run. Yay poop all over...urghhhhh guess I will be cleaning in the rain today. D you guys let the girls free range out in the rain? I feel like they might catch a cold..(stupid right?) .lol so I keep them in, but they got twenty minutes of running around this morning while I was refilling feed and water..

Have a nice week all.

 

[ChickenAl]

Today was an interesting day. Good then horror, then relief that it had a happy ending.

My sons game was a great one. We lost, but my son got a few really great hits and hit that home plate 3 times. He also got to catch in the last inning, so he was thrilled. We then raced to the Ducks game-as we were coming off of the LIE, I noticed smoke in the distance, from about where the stadium is. Hmmm, as I drove closer, the smoke plume got wider and wider and blacker and blacker. So when we had to turn off of Lowell onto Eastview to get there, there were lights and there it was-right on the corner! A fully engulfed house. SO, we got detoured, the EMT's were rude and no help, and I have no clue about Central Islip as far as directions. Finally we saw a nice man in his driveway, with his ice cream truck. I asked him how to get around the area to the other side of the stadium, he gave me great directions and we got there-at the top of the 3rd, which was fine with me-games are long. The Ducks lost, but we had fun, ate cotton candy and pop corn, and I saw a few of my friends from football (small world, huh?) 

So, as we left, the road was still closed and I had to go back around, and I found my way to the LIE. My phone buzzed at me, it was a voicemail from my tenant, she's actually more of a dear friend that lives in my spare apartment. She said my neighbors Boxer got into the yard and he got one of my girls, but her boyfriend saw what was going on, and jumped up and banged on the door before getting it open and the dog ran away-the chicken (who they though was dead,) go up and ran away too. My daughter called her back and asked what color the chicken was, and she said beige. I got all upset-my Buff Orp, Lovey is tan and she's the mama of the new babies from New Jersey. The ride home was silent, the people who own the boxer just moved in right before the Blizzard, and the dog is a nice dog-never barks, always wagging at me and Mac when we walk to the bus. I was upset at the thought of having to knock on their door and telling them what happened.

So, we got home, and the only chickens we could find were May, who was on top of the coop, and the babies, who were under a bush and peeping and peeping. so we got them into the coop, and searched for the rest. we found Flower almost immediately, Diva came out when I called her name, and then I found Merriweather under a Bush in the front of the house. She ran right to me, and let me pick her up-she is never THAT friendly. Miss Boots was still in her nest box/bed, so now we started searching for Lovey and Ducky. I was ready to cry, my sons were climbing through the brush desperately trying to find Lovey because they know how attached I am to my girls, and she's really special. There were tons of feathers outside my back door! Definitely Loveys feathers. 
Finally, my tenant/friend, came out and we were talking about the silkies, and my daughter heard something, and there was Lovey, hiding behind the airconditioning unit. She has a HUGE bald spot on her back, but she came right to me to be picked up. Clucked and clucked, I checked her over and she's FINE! No skin broken, just feathers pulled out. We put her back in the coop with her babies, and they were all happily reunited. Duckey finally came out when I called her, and everyone is present and accounted for. Flower looks a little stressed, but I'm hoping she'll be ok. I just checked on them and all are perched, cuddled and happy. Ugh. I'm so stressed I think a glass of wine will be in order as soon as the cherubs go to bed. 

Thank god for happy endings, I couldn''t have asked for a better outcome. OH, and my neighbor came right over and apologized profusely-the dog broke off the leash when he saw the girls, and he will be getting a better leash and walk in the other direction. I will be discussing a fence-just on one side to keep the girls in the back. They stay only on my property, but I don't want them in the front anymore, as a temptation for anyone else's dogs. 

What a day!

Wow, Rosie, you had to have had your heart in your throat. You never know what will happen when there are chickens, dogs, cats and hawks around. We don't often want to think of the worst, but there comes times where a fence and other precautions are necessary.

Hopefully, you can come up with a good solution that won't break the bank.

 

[Harborview Hens]

OK....Had to post these YouTube videos...both from Jimmy Fallon featuring the Chickneers clucking "Some Nights" by fun. and.....singing " Ho Hey" by the Lumineers." Just have to watch it once. LOL

 

[Harborview Hens]

Quote: I also do the 4" side up.....Think about it...they hunker down to roost, what is more comfy....flat foot or grabbing all night long. My girls seem cozy and happy. I have a coop that has handles (from www.Greenchickencoop.com) and wheels and they are effectively a 2x4 with the 2" up. When they walk on it they teeter, they don't do that on the roost. It's all a matter of preference. Check out some threads and make your decision..

 

[Cheeky Chick]

OK....Had to post these YouTube videos...both from Jimmy Fallon featuring the Chickneers clucking "Some Nights" by fun. and.....singing " Ho Hey" by the Lumineers." Just have to watch it once. LOL

My littlest man, Mac (he's 7) is home sick today with a touch of the croup. He LOVES the band, Fun, and "Some nights" is his absolute favorite. He LOVED that video. Thanks! You made his day a little less coughy.

 

[queenchick16]

Tina, sorry the day you were looking so forward to ended the way it did. Hope she is OK this morning.

Mammo6, join the group. We worry about everything. I use dowels and have never had frost bite. I don't know about the2x2s .

 

[mammo6]

Thanks everybody, very helpful as usual. I appreciate it. I went to Petco today and got the chicks some live meal worms...that was funny. Reminded me of my sons youth football games...ball carrier with everybody chasing, it was awesome. Had them outside for a few hours this weekend and the kids searched for worms and the girls loved those, but to save my yard from holes all over I bought the meal worms. They ate some chopped up sweet potato Friday...that little bowl didn't last long.
Again, thanks for the advise and I hope everybody has a better week.

 

[JerseyHen]

Thanks JerseyHen. I hope it's not a roo cause we aren't allowed to have them, though I was worried about that because I have read that possibility. Hope fully I can post these pics of what we are hoping is Penny and Nugget. How are your bramas at egg production? I was going to get more reds but ended up only getting 1 and added the 2 dark brahmas.

It is still a bit early to tell (and the one in question was a bit blurry), but post another set of pics in a week and I might be able to give you a reasonable guess. I can say that I usually can tell which of the dark brahmas will be boys by their posture at week 3 or so. They also will start to develop the pea comb rows long before the girls. All of mine feathered in much later than the girls too. I will keep my fingers crossed for you.

My brahmas lay between 3 and 4 eggs a week as hens, 4 - 5 as pullets. I think. It is hard to tell since I have so many out there (I am never sure who is laying what anymore). They are very friendly birds though. My dark brahma roo is the sweetest thing around.