The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[jlynnet]

Im getting ready to build a coop and wondered what size to have the nesting boxes.

We made ours 12x12. We have Orpingtons now and they will get at least a 14x14 because they're so big! We put a small front, about 2in tall, on ours to keep everything inside. Because of space we put our boxes about 18 inches off the ground. We put their food under it and in winter it kept the water cleaner.

 

[MumsyII]

Waiting for them to internally pip had really increased my hatch rate in the silkies. All that internally pipped hatched last go around. It's before they internally pip I have the issues.

You hand turn right? I do not, so if you hand turn and are still having issues with hatching the whites - I am not sure what is going on. Do you think hot weather has anything to do with it? Jamie told me hatchings this time of year don't do very well for him.. though earlier in the spring his hatch rates are much better. He was surprised when I told him how they keep dying in shell. I'd like to see if time of year really does change things.

I am not good with my handling of eggs right now. The silkies actually bury their eggs. I found FIVE from one pair yesterday. No idea how old they are. I put them in her nest so she is enticed to go broody. Otherwise I am done hatching for the year.

I only have two silkies laying right now. Everyone else is broody.

Average day time temp here for July has been mid 70's. We had a few 80 degree days when they were laying. I kept the eggs in a carton in the coop on top of a bale of hay out of reach. Night time temps are around 49 to 55 degrees. My indoor temp in my house stays a cool 65 degrees. We don't have AC and I don't heat the house at this time of year. I go barefoot on tile floor in a Hawaiian smock all summer. Winter I heat the house with electric wall heaters and the humidity is still a natural 38%. Same as summer. It hasn't changed. I'm on an island surrounded by water in the shadow of the Olympic mountains. I live near a rain forest. It's a very temperate climate. I love living here. I don't think time of year or weather affects my hatch rate but it does have something to do with viability of eggs the hens lay.
I am more and more of a thought that highly bred White Silkies have become so extreme in type that it effects everything about them. My challenge will be using only birds in my breeding pens that can produce chicks naturally and still maintain fertility, vigor, and good hatching rates. All the while keeping their type.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote:
12 x 12 is great for most hatchery birds and many heritage smaller breeds. But like the above poster, I'm going to have some bigger chickens so mine will be roughly 18 x 15 for the big birds and 12 x 15 for the smaller ones. We are making ours out of scrap wood, so we went with 15 inches front to back, but 12 would have been enough for the small birds. I just wanted all of the boxes together so 1 size for for front to back.

 

[aoxa]

Average day time temp here for July has been mid 70's. We had a few 80 degree days when they were laying. I kept the eggs in a carton in the coop on top of a bale of hay out of reach. Night time temps are around 49 to 55 degrees. My indoor temp in my house stays a cool 65 degrees. We don't have AC and I don't heat the house at this time of year. I go barefoot on tile floor in a Hawaiian smock all summer. Winter I heat the house with electric wall heaters and the humidity is still a natural 38%. Same as summer. It hasn't changed. I'm on an island surrounded by water in the shadow of the Olympic mountains. I live near a rain forest. It's a very temperate climate. I love living here. I don't think time of year or weather affects my hatch rate but it does have something to do with viability of eggs the hens lay.
I am more and more of a thought that highly bred White Silkies have become so extreme in type that it effects everything about them. My challenge will be using only birds in my breeding pens that can produce chicks naturally and still maintain fertility, vigor, and good hatching rates. All the while keeping their type.

So you are storing them in your barn, but the temps would vary. Could it be the variance in temp that is bothering the viability? I am just as curious as you.. Because our temp varies here greatly. Day times right now are just like yours, as are our nights.. However, last few hatches the eggs were collected in extreme temperatures. High 90's during the day and 50's at night. Of course it is not AS extreme in the barn is it is outside, but I'd be willing to bet the barn stays somewhere in the early 80's in the hottest, and drops down in the 60's during the night. I leave all windows open 24/7. I know the barn would stay cooler if I didn't, but it is fresh air and I believe it's very important.

I'd say my Barred Rock eggs are less bothered by it.. but still my hatch rate is lower than I am used to in the spring/fall.

I could very well store my eggs in a better place, but I often forget about it. I am so busy with work/chores/life that it just gets put to the back burner. Usually something distracts me and I forget the eggs in the flats in the barn. Whoops...

I need to get a routine going and I won't be so careless. I am not selling hatching eggs, otherwise I'd be much better at keeping them in the right environment.

I'm curious if I put them on a breeding formula of feed if that would help.

 

[joannefiddler]

I'm in Florida where it is quite warm, I've found that the plastic "milk crates" work well because the ventalation is a plus...also no nooks for mites to hide in. I just use a jigsaw to cut one side down leaving a edge about 3 inches high. Fill with hay and they're ready to go!

 

[armorfirelady]

Im getting ready to build a coop and wondered what size to have the nesting boxes.

We made ours 12x12. We have Orpingtons now and they will get at least a 14x14 because they're so big! We put a small front, about 2in tall, on ours to keep everything inside. Because of space we put our boxes about 18 inches off the ground. We put their food under it and in winter it kept the water cleaner.

12 x 12 is great for most hatchery birds and many heritage smaller breeds.  But like the above poster, I'm going to have some bigger chickens so mine will be roughly 18 x 15 for the big birds and 12 x 15 for the smaller ones.  We are making ours out of scrap wood, so we went with 15 inches front to back, but 12 would have been enough for the small birds.  I just wanted all of the boxes together so 1 size for for front to back.

I used empty plastic litter buckets for mine. The plastic makes them easy to clean and deters mite since there are no nooks or crannies to hide in. My partridge rocks are decent sized girls and fit comfortably.

 

[aoxa]

I used empty plastic litter buckets for mine. The plastic makes them easy to clean and deters mite since there are no nooks or crannies to hide in. My partridge rocks are decent sized girls and fit comfortably.

I posted an ad on Kijiji (like Craig's List) and someone dropped off 4 buckets. None are big enough to use for nesting boxes unfortunately, but I have put them to good use!

I have one that used to be dog food many, many years ago that I use for the silkies. They LOVE it. Wish I had more!

 

[armorfirelady]

Edie my EE has laid every day since she started. Today was her 6th egg. Even my big girls don't lay daily. They are a very pretty light blue color.

I caught her this morning in the nesting box and watched her tuck the golf ball under her and a few minutes later she laid her egg. I put the golf ball back because she was laying outside for a couple days. But since I put the golf ball in the nest she has laid in the same box, as did e others. I need to find a couple more for the other boxes because there is usually a line

Are EE eggs normally smaller then regular hens? I know these are just pullet eggs since she only 16 weeks old. Just curious is all

 

[MumsyII]

So you are storing them in your barn, but the temps would vary. Could it be the variance in temp that is bothering the viability? I am just as curious as you.. Because our temp varies here greatly. Day times right now are just like yours, as are our nights.. However, last few hatches the eggs were collected in extreme temperatures. High 90's during the day and 50's at night. Of course it is not AS extreme in the barn is it is outside, but I'd be willing to bet the barn stays somewhere in the early 80's in the hottest, and drops down in the 60's during the night. I leave all windows open 24/7. I know the barn would stay cooler if I didn't, but it is fresh air and I believe it's very important.

I'd say my Barred Rock eggs are less bothered by it.. but still my hatch rate is lower than I am used to in the spring/fall.

I could very well store my eggs in a better place, but I often forget about it. I am so busy with work/chores/life that it just gets put to the back burner. Usually something distracts me and I forget the eggs in the flats in the barn. Whoops...

I need to get a routine going and I won't be so careless. I am not selling hatching eggs, otherwise I'd be much better at keeping them in the right environment.

I'm curious if I put them on a breeding formula of feed if that would help.

The first week in July while I was collecting the eggs, night time temp in the coop (hoop coop open on one side) was pretty stable. My barn and all my pens are in shade all day every day. Even on the 80 degree days, the barn stays cool. Dappled sun reaches most of the runs. The Silkies and most of my birds only use the barn, runs, and coops for sleeping and laying. I have injured silkie and the Silkie cockerels and cocks penned now. The Silkie hens and pullets are getting battered and I need to change things up.
I had 100% fertility with those eighteen eggs hatching now. First time I've ever had 100% with Silkies. The one five day quitter was a perfect looking embryo. There was no blood ring which is usually caused by bacteria and it didn't start to turn cloudy until day eighteen. There are four hatched now and one that pipped yesterday still unchanged. Two of the four hatched have vaults. So that is not an issue with this group. All four have correct amount of toes, are active and vocal and I'm happy with them. I want more!

In the winter I store the hatching eggs in an unheated dark closet in the house. Thermometer in there reads 60 degrees or so. I had good hatch rates with those eggs in the winter time.
I don't sell hatching eggs yet but I want to next year so I'm trying to get my system perfected before then.

 

[mlowen]

Re nesting boxes: I'm going to try a commununal nest box. (It'll be a couple of months at least before anybody is laying.) I have an old kitchen cabinet that is about 3 feet wide, 1 & 1/2-2 feet high & 1 foot deep. I drilled holes in the side and back for ventilation. I'll put a small board across the front to hold in the grass hay/shavings & see how they like it. I only have 5, so they should have plenty of room.