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Post by ovenrack on Apr 21, 2020 17:41:38 GMT -6
I ordered my coop yesterday. I found a local guy who makes a shed style coop that I liked and he had availability to make one for me by late May. The chicks should be feathered and ready to move out the first week of June. We have back up plans in case they outgrow their crate before the coop is ready. I need advice on placement, there are three potential places to put it in the yard: 1. By the house Pros - access to power in case we want a coop heater and automatic door (without having to deal with a solar set up). Chickens will be very close for tending during winter and inclement weather. There's a lot of cover from bushes, plants, and a small tree to protect from aerial predators. Cons - it's a small patch of grass in the middle of a bunch of mulched flower beds (mostly bushes and roses) and I would have to attempt to chicken proof the beds with deer netting, or abandon the mulch to being permanently kicked around. We'd have to take out a section of fencing to move the coop into place. 2. In the near part of the yard Pros - very easy to drop the coop into the yard from the driveway as we have a removeable section of fence there. Still in easy view from the house and nearby for winter tending. Cons - It's a little more in the middle of the kids' play area than I'd like. No power. Very near a section of yard that floods easily in heavy rain. 3. The far side of the yard Pros - the grass out there is already patchy and full of weeds, if I felt the need to build an enclosed run, I wouldn't feel bad about them destroying the grass out there. I was hoping they'd hang out there and poop a lot and use the patchy parts for dust bathing. Cons - It'll be much harder to get the coop out there, though we may be able to drag it out using the riding mower. It's farthest from the house for tending in bad weather. I can't easily see it from the house. It's really open out there, with a line of trees beyond the fence and I'm worried they'd jump the fence to hide in the trees rather than staying nicely in our yard. No power. Those ducklings are awfully cute. I'd be really tempted to get ducks if we could set up a more permanent body of water than the occasional standing water after a hard rain. I'd vote 3. Then maybe 1. 2 sounds bad. Chickens are terrible for kids play areas, and flooding + chickens isn't annoying. Wet poop smells terrible. The chickens will tear up your gardens. Edit: a/c come ON... flooding + chickens IS annoying. I swear I didn't type isn't!
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tj
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Chickens!
Apr 21, 2020 21:12:56 GMT -6
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Post by tj on Apr 21, 2020 21:12:56 GMT -6
I played with baby chicks today. P is the chick whisperer. By the time we left, she had 3 baby chicks rooster up on her arm. That kid. 💜
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milano
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Post by milano on Apr 21, 2020 21:30:32 GMT -6
I ordered my coop yesterday. I found a local guy who makes a shed style coop that I liked and he had availability to make one for me by late May. The chicks should be feathered and ready to move out the first week of June. We have back up plans in case they outgrow their crate before the coop is ready. I need advice on placement, there are three potential places to put it in the yard: 1. By the house Pros - access to power in case we want a coop heater and automatic door (without having to deal with a solar set up). Chickens will be very close for tending during winter and inclement weather. There's a lot of cover from bushes, plants, and a small tree to protect from aerial predators. Cons - it's a small patch of grass in the middle of a bunch of mulched flower beds (mostly bushes and roses) and I would have to attempt to chicken proof the beds with deer netting, or abandon the mulch to being permanently kicked around. We'd have to take out a section of fencing to move the coop into place. 2. In the near part of the yard Pros - very easy to drop the coop into the yard from the driveway as we have a removeable section of fence there. Still in easy view from the house and nearby for winter tending. Cons - It's a little more in the middle of the kids' play area than I'd like. No power. Very near a section of yard that floods easily in heavy rain. 3. The far side of the yard Pros - the grass out there is already patchy and full of weeds, if I felt the need to build an enclosed run, I wouldn't feel bad about them destroying the grass out there. I was hoping they'd hang out there and poop a lot and use the patchy parts for dust bathing. Cons - It'll be much harder to get the coop out there, though we may be able to drag it out using the riding mower. It's farthest from the house for tending in bad weather. I can't easily see it from the house. It's really open out there, with a line of trees beyond the fence and I'm worried they'd jump the fence to hide in the trees rather than staying nicely in our yard. No power. Those ducklings are awfully cute. I'd be really tempted to get ducks if we could set up a more permanent body of water than the occasional standing water after a hard rain. I would probably vote 3, maybe 1. Same as ovenrack. Although my chickens spend almost zero time in their actual run so it really depends on what your plan is. At first I wished I could see their coop/run better from my house but now I know the automatic door works and I spend zero time worrying about them. Although if you have the internet capabilities maybe put a camera out there. I totally would if I had better internet. I would put one in the barn, and outside the chicken and duck coops. They do tear up the run and it becomes dirt/mud almost instantly. They haven't bothered my flowers yet, but MH get after them when they get in the garden pasture because they will dig out the seeds.
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mapleme
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Post by mapleme on Apr 22, 2020 4:40:22 GMT -6
milano, if you’re looking for an internet connection that reaches your barn (vs looking for better internet at your house), the Eero is amazing. It’s a mesh network which basically means it’s several routers that all work seamlessly together to cover a large area. It’s super easy to set up and you can cover a near infinite amount of space. I’ve got 3 for my 3000 sq ft bakery (also 3 for my 1700 sq ft house because of a different layout).
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milano
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Post by milano on Apr 22, 2020 5:32:04 GMT -6
milano, if you’re looking for an internet connection that reaches your barn (vs looking for better internet at your house), the Eero is amazing. It’s a mesh network which basically means it’s several routers that all work seamlessly together to cover a large area. It’s super easy to set up and you can cover a near infinite amount of space. I’ve got 3 for my 3000 sq ft bakery (also 3 for my 1700 sq ft house because of a different layout). I will look into this! That would really help out my SIL too since the internet even just above the garage is spotty at best. And then I could have all the cameras.
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Post by violajack on Apr 22, 2020 6:25:24 GMT -6
I ordered my coop yesterday. I found a local guy who makes a shed style coop that I liked and he had availability to make one for me by late May. The chicks should be feathered and ready to move out the first week of June. We have back up plans in case they outgrow their crate before the coop is ready. I need advice on placement, there are three potential places to put it in the yard: 1. By the house Pros - access to power in case we want a coop heater and automatic door (without having to deal with a solar set up). Chickens will be very close for tending during winter and inclement weather. There's a lot of cover from bushes, plants, and a small tree to protect from aerial predators. Cons - it's a small patch of grass in the middle of a bunch of mulched flower beds (mostly bushes and roses) and I would have to attempt to chicken proof the beds with deer netting, or abandon the mulch to being permanently kicked around. We'd have to take out a section of fencing to move the coop into place. 2. In the near part of the yard Pros - very easy to drop the coop into the yard from the driveway as we have a removeable section of fence there. Still in easy view from the house and nearby for winter tending. Cons - It's a little more in the middle of the kids' play area than I'd like. No power. Very near a section of yard that floods easily in heavy rain. 3. The far side of the yard Pros - the grass out there is already patchy and full of weeds, if I felt the need to build an enclosed run, I wouldn't feel bad about them destroying the grass out there. I was hoping they'd hang out there and poop a lot and use the patchy parts for dust bathing. Cons - It'll be much harder to get the coop out there, though we may be able to drag it out using the riding mower. It's farthest from the house for tending in bad weather. I can't easily see it from the house. It's really open out there, with a line of trees beyond the fence and I'm worried they'd jump the fence to hide in the trees rather than staying nicely in our yard. No power. Those ducklings are awfully cute. I'd be really tempted to get ducks if we could set up a more permanent body of water than the occasional standing water after a hard rain. I would probably vote 3, maybe 1. Same as ovenrack. Although my chickens spend almost zero time in their actual run so it really depends on what your plan is. At first I wished I could see their coop/run better from my house but now I know the automatic door works and I spend zero time worrying about them. Although if you have the internet capabilities maybe put a camera out there. I totally would if I had better internet. I would put one in the barn, and outside the chicken and duck coops. They do tear up the run and it becomes dirt/mud almost instantly. They haven't bothered my flowers yet, but MH get after them when they get in the garden pasture because they will dig out the seeds. What automatic door do you have? I keep trying to look at them and get so overwhelmed I shut down. But I've made all the decisions I need to make about the coop now, so I can make some room in my brain for the door issue. Or not, we can deal with a manual door for now, but ideally, I'd have an automatic door that would let them into a run, then I'd open the run and let them free range when we're outside too.
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milano
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Post by milano on Apr 22, 2020 6:39:34 GMT -6
I would probably vote 3, maybe 1. Same as ovenrack. Although my chickens spend almost zero time in their actual run so it really depends on what your plan is. At first I wished I could see their coop/run better from my house but now I know the automatic door works and I spend zero time worrying about them. Although if you have the internet capabilities maybe put a camera out there. I totally would if I had better internet. I would put one in the barn, and outside the chicken and duck coops. They do tear up the run and it becomes dirt/mud almost instantly. They haven't bothered my flowers yet, but MH get after them when they get in the garden pasture because they will dig out the seeds. What automatic door do you have? I keep trying to look at them and get so overwhelmed I shut down. But I've made all the decisions I need to make about the coop now, so I can make some room in my brain for the door issue. Or not, we can deal with a manual door for now, but ideally, I'd have an automatic door that would let them into a run, then I'd open the run and let them free range when we're outside too. We ordered it on Amazon. I think it's this one:
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Chickens!
Apr 22, 2020 6:51:26 GMT -6
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Post by niko8083 on Apr 22, 2020 6:51:26 GMT -6
violajack we went with the ador1 chicken door, although we haven’t used it yet. It installed very easily and has worked great during our testing. I can’t get the link to copy for some reason, but I think you can find it on amazon or through their website, adorstore.com. I agree with the others on coop placement. Our run, we laced with wood chips we had from taking down trees on the property. The area can lay a little wet with a lot of ran and the wood chips help greatly in keeping things dry and not a mud pit. We’ll see how well it holds up once the chickens are in there.
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Post by niko8083 on Apr 22, 2020 6:54:12 GMT -6
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rugger
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Post by rugger on Apr 22, 2020 7:09:47 GMT -6
niko8083 that little stripey one is so cute!!
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Post by violajack on Apr 22, 2020 7:26:53 GMT -6
Thanks for the door recs. How are you guys powering your doors? I see all the wires and connections and then look into solar or battery stuff that has to be wired in too and I'm lost again. I'm sure it's not really that hard, but I need like an all-in-one dummy kit or something.
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milano
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Post by milano on Apr 22, 2020 9:19:04 GMT -6
Thanks for the door recs. How are you guys powering your doors? I see all the wires and connections and then look into solar or battery stuff that has to be wired in too and I'm lost again. I'm sure it's not really that hard, but I need like an all-in-one dummy kit or something. Ours has a battery I think - definitely not plugged into anything.
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Chickens!
Apr 22, 2020 9:29:29 GMT -6
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Post by niko8083 on Apr 22, 2020 9:29:29 GMT -6
Thanks for the door recs. How are you guys powering your doors? I see all the wires and connections and then look into solar or battery stuff that has to be wired in too and I'm lost again. I'm sure it's not really that hard, but I need like an all-in-one dummy kit or something. Ours runs off a battery that goes in the top of the door. No wires or plugs. Our coop doesn’t have electricity or anything either as of now. When winter comes and we need heated water bowls, we’re thinking of running outdoor extension cord from the pole barn to the coop. We will re-evaluate things as we go if needed.
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Post by ovenrack on Apr 22, 2020 10:22:48 GMT -6
Thanks for the door recs. How are you guys powering your doors? I see all the wires and connections and then look into solar or battery stuff that has to be wired in too and I'm lost again. I'm sure it's not really that hard, but I need like an all-in-one dummy kit or something. Ours runs off a battery that goes in the top of the door. No wires or plugs. Our coop doesn’t have electricity or anything either as of now. When winter comes and we need heated water bowls, we’re thinking of running outdoor extension cord from the pole barn to the coop. We will re-evaluate things as we go if needed. We run an extension cord (high, so we can shovel/snowblow under it) in the winter for our heated bowls. It works fine!
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milano
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Post by milano on Apr 22, 2020 19:01:34 GMT -6
I've got to say, I was dreading baby birds because we had baby chicks a couple years ago I absolutely hated it and felt like it was so much work. I realized today that raising 32 chicks who live in the upstairs of your detached garage and raising 4 ducklings who live in your mudroom, in your house, are very different experiences and the latter is actually quite pleasant and fun. So I guess I'm not anti-baby animals anymore, just, ya know, I need a reasonable number.
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Speedy
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Post by Speedy on Apr 23, 2020 6:05:52 GMT -6
Okay, so looking forward to next year when we'll (hopefully) have a place to put chickens - I'm thinking that I want some pullets so we can get in eggs quicker, but I also think that I want some chicks, both because F loves watching chick videos and we'd like to possibly incubate some eggs in the future. Do you think that 3 pullets and 6 chicks would be too much for starting out? We can easily go through 6 to 10 eggs in a day right now.
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Post by violajack on Apr 23, 2020 6:07:04 GMT -6
We found a good paint by number app for the ipads and that has kept all of us entertained nicely over the past two days. Yesterday, I took my ipad and a glass of wine and sat and watched the chickens run around, flap, jump up on the brooder, and fall off of the brooder, while paint-by-numbering and drinking. I found my new happy place.
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Post by violajack on Apr 23, 2020 6:46:57 GMT -6
Okay, so looking forward to next year when we'll (hopefully) have a place to put chickens - I'm thinking that I want some pullets so we can get in eggs quicker, but I also think that I want some chicks, both because F loves watching chick videos and we'd like to possibly incubate some eggs in the future. Do you think that 3 pullets and 6 chicks would be too much for starting out? We can easily go through 6 to 10 eggs in a day right now. 5 chicks has been super easy for us, though the wait for eggs is going to be long. But we're doing it for the fun of having chickens, with eggs being a bonus. Since I've only had my chicks for a week and a half, I cant tell you what it would be like to also have pullets, but I'd imagine they'd be pretty easy. Just be sure to read up on introductions, it looks like it can be quite a process. I think we'll try to hatch eggs next season. N (5) especially loves animals and is very into the idea. Since we homeschool anyway, I can call it school too! I had wanted chickens for many years before I was able to make the move to a place where I could have them. Good luck in getting your place!
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milano
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Post by milano on Apr 23, 2020 9:44:49 GMT -6
Okay, so looking forward to next year when we'll (hopefully) have a place to put chickens - I'm thinking that I want some pullets so we can get in eggs quicker, but I also think that I want some chicks, both because F loves watching chick videos and we'd like to possibly incubate some eggs in the future. Do you think that 3 pullets and 6 chicks would be too much for starting out? We can easily go through 6 to 10 eggs in a day right now. Doing both at once would be challenging, because you would have to keep them separate until the chicks are also pullet age (16 weeks I think). That is 4 months of having two separate chicken storage/raising areas. And then you would have the introduction/merging process. Hard nope for me, personally. I am too lazy for all of that. I would just get pullets to start out and then if that goes well move onto chicks, if you are wanting to speed things along.
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Post by violajack on Apr 24, 2020 18:02:52 GMT -6
I open the crate door when I sit with the chicks to see what they'll do. Today, the big black chick decided to come hang out on my leg. A few others joined him sometimes, but he is always the first to jump out. I'm so hoping he's a rooster.
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milano
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Post by milano on Apr 24, 2020 20:56:30 GMT -6
I forget violajack, do you know what breeds you got?
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Post by violajack on Apr 25, 2020 10:42:00 GMT -6
I forget violajack, do you know what breeds you got? I got a variety pack from Tractor Supply. They listed which breeds were in the tubs, but I didnt pay much attention. We just picked chicks we thought looked cute.
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milano
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Post by milano on Apr 25, 2020 10:53:12 GMT -6
I forget violajack, do you know what breeds you got? I got a variety pack from Tractor Supply. They listed which breeds were in the tubs, but I didnt pay much attention. We just picked chicks we thought looked cute. Oh that will be a fun surprise then to see what they look like when they are all feathered. Mystery chickens!
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Post by violajack on Apr 25, 2020 12:23:47 GMT -6
I got a variety pack from Tractor Supply. They listed which breeds were in the tubs, but I didnt pay much attention. We just picked chicks we thought looked cute. Oh that will be a fun surprise then to see what they look like when they are all feathered. Mystery chickens! Stay tuned for rousing games of What Chicken Is This and Is It A Cock?
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Post by violajack on Apr 25, 2020 13:12:26 GMT -6
My arm makes an acceptable roost apparently.
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tj
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Chickens!
Apr 25, 2020 13:18:16 GMT -6
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Post by tj on Apr 25, 2020 13:18:16 GMT -6
Oh that will be a fun surprise then to see what they look like when they are all feathered. Mystery chickens! Stay tuned for rousing games of What Chicken Is This and Is It A Cock? I feel like I might have played that game in college........
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Post by niko8083 on Apr 30, 2020 5:35:17 GMT -6
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milano
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Post by milano on Apr 30, 2020 8:49:37 GMT -6
Gosh the chicks look so clean! My ducklings are a mess, always. Despite completely cleaning their pen 3x daily.
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Chickens!
Apr 30, 2020 10:42:06 GMT -6
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Post by niko8083 on Apr 30, 2020 10:42:06 GMT -6
I completely clean once a day. Their water gets pretty gross because they kick the shavings in it and one of them likes to sit on top and poop down the jar into the water, so I clean that multiple times a day. I definitely understand why people say they create a lot of dust, they are loosing their down feathers and flapping and kicking shavings all over.
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Post by violajack on Apr 30, 2020 19:42:50 GMT -6
Week 3 chickens are basically tiny dinosaurs.
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