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Post by violajack on Jun 15, 2020 11:59:11 GMT -6
I had to separate put the mail quails today. They've been crowing for a while and I noticed injuries on several of them today. We pulled any quail who crowed or were injured and put them in a separate cage. I watched them for a bit and it became clear who the aggressor was. We're out of cages, so he's hanging out in the bathtub for now, with food and water. He could easily fly out anytime though, so this is not a long term solution. The rest of the males seem calm now they're away from the females and the aggressor is out. They can probably hang out in their new cage for a few more weeks. But I may have to deal with the mean one today. I thought I still had a few weeks. Time to put on my big girl panties. I knew this was the consequence of getting a batch of straight run chicks.
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Post by Dramaphile on Jun 15, 2020 14:09:19 GMT -6
Dramaphile they look identical to the pair of baby ducks we got last year! Right down to the beak colors and everything. So cute. Their pen is right up against our fence, so I get to hear them quacking whenever I am in my garden, or if my kitchen window is open. The sound makes me happy
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Post by violajack on Jun 16, 2020 18:38:41 GMT -6
MH built a bachelor pad for the males! He went after dinner last night to get the stuff and we got it set in the ground and the quail moved in before dinner tonight. They're so much happier on the ground. They're so busy digging in the dirt, they aren't fighting. They'll have a happy next three weeks, I hope. Then I can move the breeding group in. The group of females and one of the more chill males are all much calmer now in their hutch. Lots of quail farmers and breeders use the wire bottom hutches, but the more I read, the more I see people advocating for ground pens. Either way, I am definitely separating the sexes at 5 weeks next time around.
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Post by violajack on Jun 17, 2020 16:52:14 GMT -6
I had to do a bunch more rearranging of the male quails. One of them is in a time out pen because he keeps trying to mount the other males and they're getting hurt trying to get away, but the fighting seems to be over. I have now learned that quail are rough at mating in general, and can do serious damage during the awkward horny teenager phase. But quail are also super hardy and can heal from some pretty horrific looking injuries. So, as long as the bachelor pad remains chill, I can give them a few more weeks.
Pro tip - the 1/4' hardware cloth was tearing up their beaks when they tried to get away from Mr Mounty. We got some 1/2" nylon covered cloth to replace it with. We'll use 1/2" cloth from now on. Though, some people recommend the 1/4" for the floor of a wire bottom hutch, our quail seem to be okay with the 1/2" they're currently on in the raised hutch. They also have a generously sized box to go in to get off the wire. But in the future, I think I want them on the ground in and among the bushes as much as possible. They seem much happier that way. I'll just have to see how poop cleanup plays out with this set up.
Oh, and I started my period today, so I'm super glad everyone is getting along now and I can put off the cull a few more weeks. I was really feeling some things around trying to keep everyone safe, and guilt about the injuries, and guilt about helping them to recover just to end things a week later, and guilt about culling them too soon before they're full grown, then MH points out that we're just talking a few ounces, so tonight, next week, two weeks, a month, isn't really going to make that much of a difference. I'll just be here with my wine, overthinking everything while I keep an eye on the bachelor pad.
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milano
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Post by milano on Jun 17, 2020 17:32:58 GMT -6
So my friend brought me these today. They were wandering around a yard and they searched everywhere for the mother and none to be found. So I'm in for another 8 wks of baby duck care- I'm just about to transition the big babies into the pond/coop! I warned the kids that they are wild and would likely fly away when they are grown (I kind of hope they do). And I'm being careful about cross contamination between these and my other ducks. They keep trying to jump out. Sorry duckies, not going to let you get eaten on my watch. So for those keeping track, I now have 5 adult ducks in the coop on the pond, 4 juvenile ducks in my garage, and 2 baby ducks in my garage kitchen. Feathers everywhere.
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Speedy
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Post by Speedy on Jun 17, 2020 17:40:52 GMT -6
Aaaand now I'm thinking about my husband, the (accidental) duck murdered T.T
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Chickens!
Jun 17, 2020 18:40:59 GMT -6
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Post by niko8083 on Jun 17, 2020 18:40:59 GMT -6
The girls have been in the coop for over a week now and they still won’t use the roosts. We have a ladder leading up to the bottom of three roosts, so it’s not like they have to jump/fly up there. They are currently choosing to pile together on the floor every night. Will they eventually figure this out on their own? We’ve been trying to coax them up the ladder with treats and they jump back down. They did have a branch in the brooder that’s they were roosting on before, so it shouldn’t be a new concept.
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Speedy
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Post by Speedy on Jun 17, 2020 18:53:51 GMT -6
niko8083, I've heard some people say that they have to go in after dark and put their birds up on the roosts for about a week before the birds get it.
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Post by ovenrack on Jun 17, 2020 19:00:26 GMT -6
niko8083 , I've heard some people say that they have to go in after dark and put their birds up on the roosts for about a week before the birds get it. This is what I did.
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Post by violajack on Jun 18, 2020 5:06:30 GMT -6
I got lucky that my chickens figured out the roost on their own on the second night. They spent the first night huddled on the floor. There was no more carnage in the male quail pen, so I hope that was the worst of it as they come to sexual maturity. Man, it's just like that first baby. I read so much about it, but when it actually happens for the first time it's either then end of the world or the most amazing thing ever. I've never kept any kind of bird as a pet before, so as I go through it with the quail everything is a brand new experience, despite tons of youtube videos and reading. I warned you I'd be obnoxious. So, after two days of fearing the end of the world, the most amazing thing ever happened this morning, 6 weeks to the day of hatching, they have given me my very first ever egg. It's even hard shelled and normal shaped (I read the first few days can be weird as they get going).
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rugger
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Post by rugger on Jun 18, 2020 20:36:12 GMT -6
Ok, I'm lurking in here now.
I posted on our little community's FB Group and asked what others thought of amending our HOA Bylaws to allow for chickens (our city allows them, but HOA looked as though they prohibited them) And just about everyone that responded was for it! And one guy even said they might actually be allowed. The wording in the bylaws make it seem that they are not, but some of the language could be open for interpretation. So now I'm going down a Pinterest spiral on (sub)urban coops. LoL
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rugger
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Post by rugger on Jun 19, 2020 15:36:53 GMT -6
Do you guys think I could make this space work for a coop? Our city guidelines say a coop needs to be set back 10' from property lines, which is a lot when your back yard is tiny
Two pics to show the space w/ and w/o the sketch up
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Chickens!
Jun 20, 2020 21:19:02 GMT -6
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Post by niko8083 on Jun 20, 2020 21:19:02 GMT -6
I would think you could make it work.
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milano
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Post by milano on Jun 21, 2020 9:43:50 GMT -6
rugger that looks plenty big enough! I'm assuming you arent looking to get like a dozen chickens. That would be spacious enough for 4-6 chickens I think, especially if they had run space underneath and you built their actual indoor coop part up above. Like this:
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rugger
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Post by rugger on Jun 21, 2020 9:57:36 GMT -6
rugger that looks plenty big enough! I'm assuming you arent looking to get like a dozen chickens. That would be spacious enough for 4-6 chickens I think, especially if they had run space underneath and you built their actual indoor coop part up above. Like this: Yeah, we'd be limited to 4-5 chickens. Nothing is official yet, as far as then being allowed or not, but I can't help but daydream about it. We also realized we might be able to repurpose this other area and do a more low profile one with a run that leads to the side of the house.
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rugger
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Post by rugger on Jun 22, 2020 14:34:51 GMT -6
I feel like nothing is commercially available that would be exactly what I'd want in a coop. I need an engineer to design one for me.
Anyone know any engineers that want a fun project of designing a chicken coop & run? LoL
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Post by ovenrack on Jun 22, 2020 15:37:46 GMT -6
I feel like nothing is commercially available that would be exactly what I'd want in a coop. I need an engineer to design one for me. Anyone know any engineers that want a fun project of designing a chicken coop & run? LoL You don't need an engineer so much as a carpenter, no? Or I suppose an architect, but I promise a carpenter will do...
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rugger
Amethyst
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Post by rugger on Jun 22, 2020 16:33:02 GMT -6
I feel like nothing is commercially available that would be exactly what I'd want in a coop. I need an engineer to design one for me. Anyone know any engineers that want a fun project of designing a chicken coop & run? LoL You don't need an engineer so much as a carpenter, no? Or I suppose an architect, but I promise a carpenter will do... True. Know anyone?
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Post by ovenrack on Jun 22, 2020 16:58:59 GMT -6
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mapleme
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Post by mapleme on Jun 22, 2020 17:54:03 GMT -6
Dang. People build some impressive coops.
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rugger
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Post by rugger on Jun 22, 2020 19:37:16 GMT -6
Yeah, in thinking a blend of these two coops I've seen. S really prefers it to go where our hydrangeas currently live, which restricts the size a bit to ~ 3ft deep x 4ft tall.
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rugger
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Post by rugger on Jun 23, 2020 7:21:27 GMT -6
Sorry, I'm clearly taking over this thread 😬
This is my morning brain dump on ideas.
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Post by niko8083 on Jun 23, 2020 14:03:05 GMT -6
Not chickens, but the kids got a couple of bunnies over the weekend. They are so stinking cute!
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Chickens!
Jun 23, 2020 14:05:47 GMT -6
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Post by niko8083 on Jun 23, 2020 14:05:47 GMT -6
I like it rugger. We also extended about a foot of hardware cloth down under the ground Around the perimeter of our run to help keep predators from digging under to reach the chickens. Something to take into consideration.
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rugger
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Post by rugger on Jun 23, 2020 16:06:43 GMT -6
I like it rugger. We also extended about a foot of hardware cloth down under the ground Around the perimeter of our run to help keep predators from digging under to reach the chickens. Something to take into consideration. We definitely plan on using hardware cloth as a base layer beneath and around the run.
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tj
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Chickens!
Jun 23, 2020 19:14:31 GMT -6
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Post by tj on Jun 23, 2020 19:14:31 GMT -6
Not chickens, but the kids got a couple of bunnies over the weekend. They are so stinking cute! What are they for?
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Chickens!
Jun 24, 2020 6:29:47 GMT -6
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Post by niko8083 on Jun 24, 2020 6:29:47 GMT -6
Not chickens, but the kids got a couple of bunnies over the weekend. They are so stinking cute! What are they for? They are house pets.
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Chickens!
Jun 24, 2020 6:32:12 GMT -6
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Post by niko8083 on Jun 24, 2020 6:32:12 GMT -6
Last night, all the girls were successfully roosting in the correct place! Only had to place them up there 2 nights in a row and they all figured it out! I was thrilled when I opened the coop door and saw them up there!
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Post by violajack on Jun 24, 2020 8:07:32 GMT -6
Yeah, take the time to bury the hardware cloth. I was lazy and did not. I should have at least run some on the ground around the perimeter. I was lazy and naive and lost 8 males to a racoon. After all we went through to get them to a place where they were happy. I mean, at least they were happy those last few days. But it was not a good death and it was my fault. We have since raised the bachelor pad and reinforced both our hutches. We also had some leg injuries including a hen who lost a toe because of the 1/2" hardware cloth the original hutch was made with. We tore it out and put 1/4" cloth on the bottom, and then put hay down just to keep them up off the wire more until we can deal with the racoon. We have had no losses since and the quail seem calm and happy now.
We're left with the breeding covey of one male and 5 hens (only 5 hens out of 16 chicks, pretty disappointed in that too), and two bachelors. But then hens are now giving us 4 eggs a day. The one who lost a toe did not produce an egg while she was inside recovering for a few days, so she'll probably take a little longer to get going because of the trauma.
I had read about how quail seem to bring all the predators to the yard, and I'm understanding more why battery cages in a barn are more popular. But I want them to at least be outside until I can really build out something bigger. I may look into converting a greenhouse or something with a floor and solid lower walls.
Good heavens, MH came in before I could hit post. I told him about what I'd like to have and he just shot down and argued every single idea I had. It's exhausting and demoralizing, and a large part of why I paid for someone else to build our chicken coop, and why the first iteration of the bachelor pad didn't work out. We can't communicate ideas. He's going to build whatever he wants to build and isn't going to listen to any of my ideas. It makes me want to give up on the whole thing. Sorry this took a turn. I'm going to go cry into another cup of coffee now.
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rugger
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Post by rugger on Jun 24, 2020 9:16:26 GMT -6
So far, I've researched that Wyandottes, Barred Plymouth Rocks, Australorps, Brahmas, and Buff Orpingtons are all calm, friendly, quiet breeds that would be good for a backyard coop. But also that Brahmas and Orpingtons are BIG birds. So probably not those breeds for our little yard. I'm thinking Barred Rocks and Wyandottes might be good. Anyone have these?
Also, anyone in here have Bantams? I'm curious about their size and if their personalities are any different than their standard sized counterparts. I keep trying Google searches, but it's just a 🐔 in a yard, with zero size scale. Like, I wanna see someone holding a bantam hen. Or see the bantam hen standing next to a standard hen of the same breed. Why are there not photos of this?? (I did find 1 photo of a buff Orpington vs a bantam Orpington, and the bantam looked like regular chicken size)
A wants a "little chicken" so maybe a bantam would be good? They have both decided they want one mini chicken and one regular chicken.
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