Too Early for Feb Hatch-A-Long Thread??

[CluckNDoodle]

I know that, I need hope at the moment

You guys here is what keeps me sane half the time. I’m about to flip otherwise!

lol, Same here, but my flips have nothing to do with chickens. Life can be crazy. Chickens and BYC are my happy place!

 

[Merrymouse]

I'm joining late! Started mine this weekend and will be hatching at the end of the month.

Welcome! Be prepared...we are a chatty bunch

 

[CluckNDoodle]

My coop backs up to woods and I would love to let them out there more. I would have to figure a way to keep them contained better. Ive considered one of those electric poultry fence but I have trees, rocks, stumps,saplings etc and I think it would constantly short out. Do you just let them out or do you contain them? Ive been trying to come up with something for a couple years and no solution yet. I want some kind of fencing to give them a little defense against predators. I mean there is so many trees so anything that can climb could climb a tree and get over the fence so that is why i've been stuck

I just recently put up a poultry net to keep them in an area (and out of my garden...and not pooping on my back porch, lol) It's working well so far to keep them in their free range side of the yard, will probably need to clip a few wings but I haven't electrified it. It said in the instructions just not to let it come in contact with metal, nothing about trees.

 

[Merrymouse]

I just recently put up a poultry net to keep them in an area (and out of my garden...and not pooping on my back porch, lol) It's working well so far to keep them in their free range side of the yard, will probably need to clip a few wings but I haven't electrified it. It said in the instructions just not to let it come in contact with metal, nothing about trees.

Hmmmm. I thought i remember reading that you had to keep the grass or whatever really short because if it touched the fence too much it would short out.. Ill have to do some more reading. Another question did you get white or green? I want it to blend in as much as possible.

 

[MFF]

I raised my last batch in September and that was a great time I live in Florida so our winters are not to bad but spring is when most people raise there birds

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Hmmmm. I thought i remember reading that you had to keep the grass or whatever really short because if it touched the fence too much it would short out.. Ill have to do some more reading. Another question did you get white or green? I want it to blend in as much as possible.

It's actually black, blends in quite well in the wood line. It was actually hard to photograph.

 

[AgnesGray]

Welcome! Glad to have you join us! What are you hatching? What incubator are you using?

Thanks! @Magicman1623 had an awesome idea to trade seeds for eggs and he generously sent me a mix of these: Blue Super Satins, Blue/Splash Marans, Black Copper Marans, Wyandotte, Olive Eggers, and a flowery Easter Egger. Also have 6 australorps from a breeder here in Ohio that went in with them. I'm using my trusty old Nurture Right 360 that's done well for me twice before.

 

[FortCluck]

My coop backs up to woods and I would love to let them out there more. I would have to figure a way to keep them contained better. Ive considered one of those electric poultry fence but I have trees, rocks, stumps,saplings etc and I think it would constantly short out. Do you just let them out or do you contain them? Ive been trying to come up with something for a couple years and no solution yet. I want some kind of fencing to give them a little defense against predators. I mean there is so many trees so anything that can climb could climb a tree and get over the fence so that is why i've been stuck

I use deer fencing for my chickens. I had a picture but I can't find it. But the fencing is 7 feet high. It's the high strength deer fencing from Lowe's. It's keeps out a 150 lb mastiff that lives somewhere around here. It's not predator proof, but the neighbors have a coonhound that keeps basically all the predators away. When we move we will be getting some type of coonhound or something like that to keep predators away.

 

[Mylied]

Thanks! @Magicman1623 had an awesome idea to trade seeds for eggs and he generously sent me a mix of these: Blue Super Satins, Blue/Splash Marans, Black Copper Marans, Wyandotte, Olive Eggers, and a flowery Easter Egger. Also have 6 australorps from a breeder here in Ohio that went in with them. I'm using my trusty old Nurture Right 360 that's done well for me twice before.

I'm getting eggs from him too! Mine will be here next week, so I'll do those in the march hatchalong. I'll look forward to seeing how your hatch goes.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

It's actually black, blends in quite well in the wood line. It was actually hard to photograph.

View attachment 2023955

I was really surprised at how discrete it is. I really didn't want something ugly.