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Post by ovenrack on Oct 26, 2020 8:28:57 GMT -6
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milano
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Post by milano on Oct 26, 2020 8:37:59 GMT -6
Our “chicks” keep flying over the fence and getting into the back yard. They stay close and seem to want to get back into the chicken yard. So I’m not terribly worried. Except for, oh yeah, Shyla the bird dog. Is there a way to keep them from flying over the fence? Other than a new taller fence which won’t happen any time soon or going with survival of the fittest? What about stringing up some netting where they are flying over?
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milano
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Post by milano on Oct 26, 2020 8:39:27 GMT -6
rugger we kept their food in the coop on an elevated surface (hanging from a post, so off the ground) and we had a nipple waterer in there for awhile but they never used it and preferred to drink out of a bowl so we ended up with their heated water bowl in their run.
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tj
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Oct 26, 2020 8:47:19 GMT -6
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Post by tj on Oct 26, 2020 8:47:19 GMT -6
Our “chicks” keep flying over the fence and getting into the back yard. They stay close and seem to want to get back into the chicken yard. So I’m not terribly worried. Except for, oh yeah, Shyla the bird dog. Is there a way to keep them from flying over the fence? Other than a new taller fence which won’t happen any time soon or going with survival of the fittest? What about stringing up some netting where they are flying over? Bc it’s about 160 feet!
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rugger
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Post by rugger on Oct 26, 2020 8:56:56 GMT -6
What about stringing up some netting where they are flying over? Bc it’s about 160 feet! Can you clip her wings? I heard it's just the couple flight feathers and it doesn't hurt them.
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Post by violajack on Oct 28, 2020 13:26:24 GMT -6
The chickens are helping Leonard get settled in.
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Post by violajack on Oct 30, 2020 16:26:50 GMT -6
We've had a lot of rain lately, so Leonard has been hiding out in his house a lot. But today was clear, so he's been out more. D gets so excited whenever he's out.
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Post by violajack on Nov 1, 2020 8:19:24 GMT -6
His royal pigness needs some motivation to wake up and come to breakfast in the morning. D lured him out with banana pieces today. But if he doesn't come out and eat, the chickens will steal his food.
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milano
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Post by milano on Nov 1, 2020 10:47:23 GMT -6
Omg violajack I'm cracking up! That ramp looks perfect, what did you make it out of?
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Post by violajack on Nov 1, 2020 11:04:35 GMT -6
We started with a simple wood ramp, but he didn't like the texture. He put his front feet on it and promptly backed up and refused to come out. We were looking at grip tape options, then we remembered this giant mat that was left from the previous owners, so we put it on the ramp. It's thick and cushy and grippy, and heavy enough that it won't slide around.
He sleeps all day, and grunts and grumps about everything. He's basically perfect.
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Post by Dramaphile on Nov 2, 2020 8:54:36 GMT -6
We have a fox in the neighborhood, and it got next door's ducks a couple of nights ago I'm actually shocked my beagle has not been freaking out more
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Post by violajack on Nov 2, 2020 17:43:04 GMT -6
We thought we may have lost another chicken when one wasn't in the coop at dusk tonight. My husband went looking all around and found her in the old outhouse (which is purely decorative at this point), sitting on 18(!) eggs. I had a feeling one of our hens had found a secret spot to lay since we could only confirm 3 of the 4 older ones were laying in the boxes, and the younger ones have already started to lay. Well. I guess she decided she had enough eggs and she was ready to start spending the night with them tonight. Silly chicken. She has been relocated to the coop and the eggs have been brought in. We'll have to check them over and test them before eating any. We've had two frosts now and waterers were frozen this morning, so I wonder if those eggs have frozen and thawed.
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rugger
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Post by rugger on Nov 20, 2020 13:10:46 GMT -6
We ordered a chicken coop today! And S finally came around to the idea of putting it in our current pea-gravel circle space, which will be so much better, IMO. Do I need to remove the pea gravel or is it ok as a base?
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Nov 21, 2020 9:08:10 GMT -6
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Post by niko8083 on Nov 21, 2020 9:08:10 GMT -6
We ordered a chicken coop today! And S finally came around to the idea of putting it in our current pea-gravel circle space, which will be so much better, IMO. Do I need to remove the pea gravel or is it ok as a base? I would think the gravel is fine. You may want to create some grazing boxes for them with grass. Our run is wood chip base and we have a couple grazing boxes that grow grass for them to munch on. Our run are is so big though, I want to create some more green space for them.
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Post by violajack on Nov 21, 2020 16:53:43 GMT -6
Another chicken started laying eggs in a basement window well. Luckily, MH caught her with only 3 eggs.
Leonard finally decided to go for a walk today. He's mostly hung out right by his house, but today, he was all the way across the yard with the chickens, picking up the cobs the combine tossed through the fence when they harvested a few days ago. He's never ranged far, and then all of a sudden, we see him just hanging out way across the yard. It was really cool to see him finally exploring some. I think he's finally getting settled in. We also gave him a new bale of hay to play with two days ago and he spread out about half of it so far so he can sleep buried up to his ears. He's such a silly pig.
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milano
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Post by milano on Nov 21, 2020 17:10:49 GMT -6
violajack oh yay! I'm glad he's exploring more. He seems to go through phases of "I'm lazy and just like to nap" and "I'm an adventurer pig, where is my explorer vest and my canteen" 😄
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rugger
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Post by rugger on Nov 24, 2020 19:14:25 GMT -6
Tell me your most quiet breeds that you have!
I thought I had done my research and chosen Barred Rocks and Wyandottes as quiet, friendly breeds, but I'm being told by little on a CO Chicken group that Barred Rocks are noisy. 😑
I need not-noisy chickens that are also not giant.
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tj
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Nov 24, 2020 19:42:30 GMT -6
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Post by tj on Nov 24, 2020 19:42:30 GMT -6
Tell me your most quiet breeds that you have! I thought I had done my research and chosen Barred Rocks and Wyandottes as quiet, friendly breeds, but I'm being told by little on a CO Chicken group that Barred Rocks are noisy. 😑 I need not-noisy chickens that are also not giant. I have barred rocks and Wyandotte’s and don’t think either of them are loud. But we have a lot of space so maybe I just don’t hear them?
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tj
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Nov 24, 2020 19:42:50 GMT -6
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Post by tj on Nov 24, 2020 19:42:50 GMT -6
Who wants to hear a hilarious story?
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tj
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Nov 24, 2020 19:45:48 GMT -6
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Post by tj on Nov 24, 2020 19:45:48 GMT -6
So it’s been cold and wet and rainy and windy and stormy all day. Let up for a bit, but started again around dinner time. When the storm picked back up, I kept hearing a tippy tappy at the window. We haven’t been here long, but I know that the trash can lid sometimes flies up and taps against the window. So it’s fine. I’m not scared. Even if I’m home alone in a bad storm at night. I’m not scared.
So I’m watching dash and lily. When I notice. Shyla is extremely interested in the tippy tappy. She was growling at first. Then just stood there. Silent. And refused to leave the window. She was indeed NOT going to leave it. At which point I start to worry a bit. Like. What has her so transfixed? She hasn’t even eaten her dinner. She stood there for half an hour. Observing the tippy tappy.
So I finally work up the courage to go check and make sure that it isn’t an axe murderer or a snake. So I sneak up behind shyla. And I inch my way towards the window. But it’s light inside and dark outside so it’s hard to see. Very hard to make out....
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rugger
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Post by rugger on Nov 24, 2020 19:45:59 GMT -6
Who wants to hear a hilarious story?
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Post by ovenrack on Nov 24, 2020 19:46:22 GMT -6
Tell me your most quiet breeds that you have! I thought I had done my research and chosen Barred Rocks and Wyandottes as quiet, friendly breeds, but I'm being told by little on a CO Chicken group that Barred Rocks are noisy. 😑 I need not-noisy chickens that are also not giant. I don't think it's really determined ahead of time - I mean, I know they say it is, but my whole flock is pretty quiet. Some have egg songs but they are pretty chill otherwise. Wait. My cochin mix was loud and the lady who I got chickens from said that was why. Skip the cochins. I have easter eggers/americauna mixes, barred rocks, buff orpingtons, and rhode island reds. None are too loud. I'd say the buffs are quietest, maybe? And the RIRs. Miss Cleo is an easter egger and she has a serious egg song. It isn't annoying though.
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tj
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Nov 24, 2020 19:47:09 GMT -6
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Post by tj on Nov 24, 2020 19:47:09 GMT -6
The chicken. It’s a fucking chicken. Tippy tapping on my window Bc she got locked out of the automatic chicken door in the rain.
I laughed so fucking hard when I realized what it was. Then I had to go outside in the rain, scoop her up from behind the trash, and carry her to the barn. And then I scolded Teeny for being a crappy rooster who doesn’t corral his ladies.
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tj
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Nov 24, 2020 19:48:18 GMT -6
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Post by tj on Nov 24, 2020 19:48:18 GMT -6
Tell me your most quiet breeds that you have! I thought I had done my research and chosen Barred Rocks and Wyandottes as quiet, friendly breeds, but I'm being told by little on a CO Chicken group that Barred Rocks are noisy. 😑 I need not-noisy chickens that are also not giant. I don't think it's really determined ahead of time - I mean, I know they say it is, but my whole flock is pretty quiet. Some have egg songs but they are pretty chill otherwise. Wait. My cochin mix was loud and the lady who I got chickens from said that was why. Skip the cochins. I have easter eggers/americauna mixes, barred rocks, buff orpingtons, and rhode island reds. None are too loud. I'd say the buffs are quietest, maybe? And the RIRs. Miss Cleo is an easter egger and she has a serious egg song. It isn't annoying though. I feel like my Americaunas bock bock all day every day. Not loudly. But they chitter chatter.
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milano
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Post by milano on Nov 24, 2020 20:55:39 GMT -6
Tell me your most quiet breeds that you have! I thought I had done my research and chosen Barred Rocks and Wyandottes as quiet, friendly breeds, but I'm being told by little on a CO Chicken group that Barred Rocks are noisy. 😑 I need not-noisy chickens that are also not giant. I don't know that there is a guaranteed quiet breed. My Rhode island reds were super loud, like obnoxiously so and OR said hers are quiet. My black australorp never made a peep unless she was laying and even then I'm not sure she made much noise. My blue Andalusian was also very very quiet. My quiet chickens were also the least personable, whereas the Rhode island reds and speckled sussexes would have come right into my house if I'd let them and were super chatty and noisy.
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milano
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Post by milano on Nov 24, 2020 20:56:17 GMT -6
Hahaha tj your poor chicken! Good job Shyla for figuring it out.
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rugger
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Post by rugger on Nov 24, 2020 21:04:13 GMT -6
Tell me your most quiet breeds that you have! I thought I had done my research and chosen Barred Rocks and Wyandottes as quiet, friendly breeds, but I'm being told by little on a CO Chicken group that Barred Rocks are noisy. 😑 I need not-noisy chickens that are also not giant. I don't know that there is a guaranteed quiet breed. My Rhode island reds were super loud, like obnoxiously so and OR said hers are quiet. My black australorp never made a peep unless she was laying and even then I'm not sure she made much noise. My blue Andalusian was also very very quiet. My quiet chickens were also the least personable, whereas the Rhode island reds and speckled sussexes would have come right into my house if I'd let them and were super chatty and noisy. I think I'm overthinking a lot of this. I just don't want to bother the neighbors. But I keep getting mixed feedback, just like you and OR's RIR experience. Some people say Wyandottes are quiet, but others say they were noisy. I got the impression that Buff Orpingtons are generally quiet, but they look gigantic, and I don't want gigantic birds.
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milano
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Post by milano on Nov 24, 2020 21:21:06 GMT -6
I don't know that there is a guaranteed quiet breed. My Rhode island reds were super loud, like obnoxiously so and OR said hers are quiet. My black australorp never made a peep unless she was laying and even then I'm not sure she made much noise. My blue Andalusian was also very very quiet. My quiet chickens were also the least personable, whereas the Rhode island reds and speckled sussexes would have come right into my house if I'd let them and were super chatty and noisy. I think I'm overthinking a lot of this. I just don't want to bother the neighbors. But I keep getting mixed feedback, just like you and OR's RIR experience. Some people say Wyandottes are quiet, but others say they were noisy. I got the impression that Buff Orpingtons are generally quiet, but they look gigantic, and I don't want gigantic birds. My big fluffy cochin was the best. But she turned into a he after a year and while she was a she, she was very quiet but once he started crowing then it was nonstop. Again, so bird-dependent! *we just didn't realize that the cochin was a rooster and not a hen because it was our only one and didn't crow until a year after we got him. But my kids think it legit changed from a girl chicken to a boy chicken so that was a good segue into discussing what transgender means 🤷♀️
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tj
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Nov 24, 2020 21:25:09 GMT -6
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Post by tj on Nov 24, 2020 21:25:09 GMT -6
I don't know that there is a guaranteed quiet breed. My Rhode island reds were super loud, like obnoxiously so and OR said hers are quiet. My black australorp never made a peep unless she was laying and even then I'm not sure she made much noise. My blue Andalusian was also very very quiet. My quiet chickens were also the least personable, whereas the Rhode island reds and speckled sussexes would have come right into my house if I'd let them and were super chatty and noisy. I think I'm overthinking a lot of this. I just don't want to bother the neighbors. But I keep getting mixed feedback, just like you and OR's RIR experience. Some people say Wyandottes are quiet, but others say they were noisy. I got the impression that Buff Orpingtons are generally quiet, but they look gigantic, and I don't want gigantic birds. I don’t think my buffs are that big? I mean. They are very fluffy. But I don’t think they take up more real estate than my barred rocks or Wyandotte’s.
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rugger
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Post by rugger on Nov 24, 2020 21:34:07 GMT -6
I think I'm overthinking a lot of this. I just don't want to bother the neighbors. But I keep getting mixed feedback, just like you and OR's RIR experience. Some people say Wyandottes are quiet, but others say they were noisy. I got the impression that Buff Orpingtons are generally quiet, but they look gigantic, and I don't want gigantic birds. I don’t think my buffs are that big? I mean. They are very fluffy. But I don’t think they take up more real estate than my barred rocks or Wyandotte’s. Can you snag a pic of them at some point? With something for size scale? Google searches make them look giant (esp with a kid holding them).
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