|
Post by violajack on Apr 14, 2020 6:28:15 GMT -6
Paging niko8083 who also brought home so adorable fluff balls yesterday. And anyone else who has chickens. I want to talk about my chickens. I want to hear about your chickens. I'm about to get real obnoxious in here about my chickens. I've been dreaming about having chickens for so many years, and we're finally in a place where I can have them. I had read about chicken antics, but seeing it first hand now, they are pretty hilarious! They mostly hang out in a chicken pile under the brooder plate, so I put my phone on camera down to see them and they came over and gave me that curious chicken look. It was so cute to see in real life instead of just memes! So far, I've seen all 6 of them come out and eat, but only two go for water. My goal today is to make sure I see all 6 come for water. Also, we're using a brooder plate instead of a heat lamp, and I'm not convinced it's getting them warm enough since they spend all their time huddled up, but maybe that's because they're brand new too? I mean, the brooder plate is built to do exactly what it's doing, so it must be warm enough under there, right? What are your chickens up to? What does your coop set up look like? How do you collect and store eggs (my husband wants to know how quickly we have to go get them after they lay)? Fun side note: I showed MH the IMMS thread with the other chicks and he was like "is that your cloth diaper forum? or your used-to-cloth-diaper recovery forum?" We're back in cloth now that we don't have access to industrial compost but we're also beginning to potty train the last child, so unless I diaper the chickens to let them in the house, we'll be done with cloth soon too.
|
|
|
Post by ovenrack on Apr 14, 2020 7:05:32 GMT -6
If the chickens are happy, the brooder plate is good. They’ll come out when they’re comfortable (and when they get more feathers). I’m sure they’re all drinking, and eating.
I love my chickens. We check for eggs a couple times a day (kids!) but only once a day on the days when we’re all away from the house. In the coldest winter days, if we don’t check often enough, the eggs sometimes freeze.
We occasionally get an egg-eater, but upping the protein content of their feed or treats usually helps. And we keep fake eggs in the nesting boxes.
We keep eggs on the counter in an egg skelter.
|
|
milano
Emerald
Posts: 10,914 Likes: 36,993
|
Post by milano on Apr 14, 2020 7:07:58 GMT -6
violajack did you touch each chick's beak to the waterer? You kind of have to show them how to drink, but they pick it up quickly. Congratulations on your new feathered friends! I have 7 chickens currently, all hens. We are looking to get 4-5 pullets sometime soon. We had a great rooster but he got sick and passed away this winter. We may get another one at some point. My chickens will not lay in their nesting boxes in their coop and instead lay all over the barn. So it's like an easter egg hunt every day trying to track them all down, which keeps my kids occupied. We have white leghorns, rhode island reds, a speckled sussex, a black australorp and a blue andalusian.
|
|
|
Post by violajack on Apr 14, 2020 7:38:17 GMT -6
violajack did you touch each chick's beak to the waterer? You kind of have to show them how to drink, but they pick it up quickly. Congratulations on your new feathered friends! I have 7 chickens currently, all hens. We are looking to get 4-5 pullets sometime soon. We had a great rooster but he got sick and passed away this winter. We may get another one at some point. My chickens will not lay in their nesting boxes in their coop and instead lay all over the barn. So it's like an easter egg hunt every day trying to track them all down, which keeps my kids occupied. We have white leghorns, rhode island reds, a speckled sussex, a black australorp and a blue andalusian. Yeah, I know I should have touched each chick to the water, but in the chaos of set up yesterday I forgot. I moved the food and water closer to the brooder plate this morning so they wouldn't have to go as far from the heat. They all came running when I tapped in the food and all dug in. As soon as our morning zoom is over, we'll go make sure to introduce all of them to water. I'm going to have to go grab two of them soon since both kids want to share a chick for presentation time. I found a nearby place that makes big chicken coops and delivers. But do I really need a walk-in coop with 8 nest boxes? I can totally see myself ending up there eventually, but I feel like I should start with just a little coop with an attached run for now.
|
|
jnu76
Gold
Posts: 947 Likes: 2,957
|
Post by jnu76 on Apr 14, 2020 8:20:10 GMT -6
Can some of you please post chicken pictures so the non-chicken owners can enjoy the fluff, too? Thanks!
|
|
milano
Emerald
Posts: 10,914 Likes: 36,993
|
Post by milano on Apr 14, 2020 8:23:07 GMT -6
Chickens! Anna, Elsa, Penny, Amy Farrah Fowler, Henrietta, Belle & Mabel.
|
|
|
Post by violajack on Apr 14, 2020 9:40:26 GMT -6
Update! It is hard to dip a chick's beak in water. I think I got them all, or at least the ones I haven't seen take a drink yet. As the day goes on, they're getting more active and adventurous, so I'm feeling better about them being warm enough. I have set up a baby monitor pointed under the brooder and the kids are now fighting over who gets to hold the video.
|
|
mapleme
Amethyst
Posts: 6,067 Likes: 16,083
|
Post by mapleme on Apr 14, 2020 9:44:05 GMT -6
I don't have chickens, but we regularly visit the chickens at the high school. We've been doing that for ages (it's along the bike path and it's a good motivation target for the kids), but we noticed that since the lockdown the chickens are WAY more interested in us. I'm sure they are lonely and have way less people contact than before. They might be stressed too, as some are missing butt feathers.
|
|
|
Post by violajack on Apr 14, 2020 9:45:32 GMT -6
|
|
|
Post by ovenrack on Apr 14, 2020 10:14:58 GMT -6
L-R: Nicole Kidman, Sage, Ahsoka, Nellie Oleson, Zuma Lady Gaga and Miss Cleo in the background.
|
|
|
Post by niko8083 on Apr 14, 2020 13:04:58 GMT -6
We have 8 girls in all (not all pictured), 2 buff Orpingtons, Clementine & Clarabelle, 2 light brahmas, Rosie & Cupcake, 2 black australorps, Anna & Elsa, and 2 Easter eggers, Penny & Daisy. Penny is the smallest and she still has her umbilical cord attached (looks like dried string stuck to her) but I’ve been keeping a close eye on her. This is our first time with chickens as well. We are so excited and I’m also in the camp of wanting to know everything. We went big with our coop and run (can always expand the number of chickens). We bought a 8x10 shed and converted it into our coop. I’ll have to dig up some pictures. We are using a brooder plate also. The chicks usually come running out whenever they hear the kids or someone and they eat and drink and then go back under the plate. Thanks for starting this thread violajack!
|
|
|
Post by niko8083 on Apr 14, 2020 13:07:48 GMT -6
Our coop and run.
|
|
|
Chickens!
Apr 14, 2020 13:14:14 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by niko8083 on Apr 14, 2020 13:14:14 GMT -6
violajack did you touch each chick's beak to the waterer? You kind of have to show them how to drink, but they pick it up quickly. Congratulations on your new feathered friends! I have 7 chickens currently, all hens. We are looking to get 4-5 pullets sometime soon. We had a great rooster but he got sick and passed away this winter. We may get another one at some point. My chickens will not lay in their nesting boxes in their coop and instead lay all over the barn. So it's like an easter egg hunt every day trying to track them all down, which keeps my kids occupied. We have white leghorns, rhode island reds, a speckled sussex, a black australorp and a blue andalusian. Yeah, I know I should have touched each chick to the water, but in the chaos of set up yesterday I forgot. I moved the food and water closer to the brooder plate this morning so they wouldn't have to go as far from the heat. They all came running when I tapped in the food and all dug in. As soon as our morning zoom is over, we'll go make sure to introduce all of them to water. I'm going to have to go grab two of them soon since both kids want to share a chick for presentation time. I found a nearby place that makes big chicken coops and delivers. But do I really need a walk-in coop with 8 nest boxes? I can totally see myself ending up there eventually, but I feel like I should start with just a little coop with an attached run for now. I would recommend going as big as you can from the beginning, you’ll probably end up with more chickens and then you won’t have to invest again to get a bigger coop, etc. But again, I’m new to this.
|
|
Speedy
Sapphire
Posts: 4,613 Likes: 8,575
|
Post by Speedy on Apr 14, 2020 14:35:06 GMT -6
Eek, I'm so excited to see these chicks! It just makes me want mine more and more lol. I was watching a video from McMurray hatchery yesterday and told DH that I might want to get some rare breeds eventually. I'm totally going to be a crazy chicken lady lol
|
|
|
Post by violajack on Apr 14, 2020 15:07:41 GMT -6
I sold my husband on this idea by showing him a $299 coop from Tractor Supply. I've got to work him up to the idea of the bigger shed style ones. I just showed him a few to get him used to the idea that we'll be spending a little more than $299.
|
|
|
Post by ovenrack on Apr 14, 2020 19:41:59 GMT -6
niko8083That is a very impressive coop and run!
|
|
milano
Emerald
Posts: 10,914 Likes: 36,993
|
Post by milano on Apr 14, 2020 20:03:57 GMT -6
violajack we built our coop and run ourselves. The coop is either 8x8 or 10x10. We used milk crates for nesting boxes, boy that they use them. My chickens free range 98% of the time, I only close their run door if they start wandering too far away, and after being locked in for a few days they stop wandering so far. And we have an automatic door on their coop so they go in on their own at night, the door shuts and opens up at dawn and they wander out. It's so easy. We have a small chicken tractor too that we used for meat birds one year, but it has sat empty for awhile now.
|
|
|
Post by ovenrack on Apr 15, 2020 5:42:50 GMT -6
violajack we built our coop and run ourselves. The coop is either 8x8 or 10x10. We used milk crates for nesting boxes, boy that they use them. My chickens free range 98% of the time, I only close their run door if they start wandering too far away, and after being locked in for a few days they stop wandering so far. And we have an automatic door on their coop so they go in on their own at night, the door shuts and opens up at dawn and they wander out. It's so easy. We have a small chicken tractor too that we used for meat birds one year, but it has sat empty for awhile now. I want to make a chicken tractor as a "summer camp" for my layers, to allow them access to other parts of the property for only a day or two at a time, to help the tick population! My girls don't free range unless we're outside with them, and we're on a busy street so I don't usually let them in the front yard. I'd love to have a temporary fence and coop for them. I need to build one.
|
|
sarenu
Amethyst
Posts: 5,085 Likes: 10,330
|
Post by sarenu on Apr 15, 2020 6:10:39 GMT -6
Ticks are one reason I really wish we could have chickens here.
I could probably talk at least 2 of my neighbors into having them as a group if our city allowed it.
|
|
|
Post by pbandj714 on Apr 15, 2020 6:33:15 GMT -6
I'm loving all these chicken pics!
Our neighbors have a dozenish Rhode Island reds, whose coop is right on the property line so I enjoy "visiting" them when I'm mowing our yard.
|
|
milano
Emerald
Posts: 10,914 Likes: 36,993
|
Post by milano on Apr 15, 2020 6:54:06 GMT -6
violajack we built our coop and run ourselves. The coop is either 8x8 or 10x10. We used milk crates for nesting boxes, boy that they use them. My chickens free range 98% of the time, I only close their run door if they start wandering too far away, and after being locked in for a few days they stop wandering so far. And we have an automatic door on their coop so they go in on their own at night, the door shuts and opens up at dawn and they wander out. It's so easy. We have a small chicken tractor too that we used for meat birds one year, but it has sat empty for awhile now. I want to make a chicken tractor as a "summer camp" for my layers, to allow them access to other parts of the property for only a day or two at a time, to help the tick population! My girls don't free range unless we're outside with them, and we're on a busy street so I don't usually let them in the front yard. I'd love to have a temporary fence and coop for them. I need to build one. MH built ours! It only took a couple days and it's lightweight enough that moving it isn't difficult.
|
|
|
Chickens!
Apr 15, 2020 7:43:15 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by niko8083 on Apr 15, 2020 7:43:15 GMT -6
niko8083That is a very impressive coop and run! Thanks! At the time, my dad and husband thought I was nuts for making the run that big. “They’re only chickens” dad said. We did this at my grandma’s place, which we currently don’t live at, so I wanted to have room for them to roam safely and then possibly let them out to roam during the hours/days we are there. We should definitely have happy hens though with all that play space.
|
|
|
Post by violajack on Apr 15, 2020 7:52:21 GMT -6
My husband still wants to start small. I think I'm okay with free ranging them with a rooster, or a duck as advised by the guy at Tractor Supply who uses a duck as a chicken alarm system. I told him about the automatic door option. I'm worried about sleeping in and them being stuck in a little coop when they should be out in the daylight. But a little coop with a run that we can lift and move around the yard would be nice, then letting them out when we can. I'm glad I've got a month to worry about all this stuff. Tractor Supply has a small coop in stock at a local store, so if we procrastinate too much, we get the small coop and upgrade if needed. I have warned my husband that I am highly susceptible to morhens disease and there's a good chance I'll catch it. We spent most of yesterday watching hatching videos and my kids desperately want our one unsexed chick to be a rooster so we can have fertile eggs and hatch more chicks.
Two of our chicks seem to be a bit older than the others, or at least they're noticeably bigger with more developed wing feathers. I can already see a change overnight. They're getting so active and eating all the time. I can't wait until the weather warms up and they're big enough to take outside to play for a little bit.
|
|
milano
Emerald
Posts: 10,914 Likes: 36,993
|
Post by milano on Apr 15, 2020 8:08:01 GMT -6
violajack I really love my ducks, so I think adding a duck would be fun. Ducks do need a ton of water though so that would add a lot of work for you and make the run way messier. Just something to think about. Also my hens free range with no rooster and do fine. They do tend to scatter more now, whereas with a rooster they mostly stayed together while roaming around. Hopefully your unsexed one is a Roo but if it isn't and you still want one, extra Roos seem to be easy to track down.
|
|
|
Post by ovenrack on Apr 15, 2020 8:32:24 GMT -6
I had a chicken killed by a hawk, and another close call even when we're outside (I feel good enough that we let them free range when we're spending time in the yard with them). I wish free ranging was a better option for us.
|
|
milano
Emerald
Posts: 10,914 Likes: 36,993
|
Post by milano on Apr 15, 2020 8:45:35 GMT -6
I just messaged a local hatchery about picking up 4 cayuga ducklings tomorrow! I'd have preferred them to be older but whatever. My kids and H will be thrilled that they are babies.
|
|
|
Post by violajack on Apr 15, 2020 11:32:27 GMT -6
I had a chicken killed by a hawk, and another close call even when we're outside (I feel good enough that we let them free range when we're spending time in the yard with them). I wish free ranging was a better option for us. This is my fear. We live near a raptor rehabilitation center and I see sooooooo many various birds of prey circling around several times a week. I'd really like to have some sort of alerting animal to gather the hens when something flies over. But we see so many farms around us with totally open free ranging chickens. The flock we saw near the road definitely had a rooster keeping them together. And another really big poultry yard has ducks and turkeys. Not sure I want the mess of a duck. I think I found a coop that will work for us. We're not exactly build it from scratch people. As much as my husband would like to think he is.
|
|
tj
Moderator
Posts: 9,912 Likes: 24,842
|
Chickens!
Apr 15, 2020 11:37:43 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by tj on Apr 15, 2020 11:37:43 GMT -6
I spent way too long trying to figure out how you had a velociraptor rehab facility near you. Lack of oxygen to my brain is making me v v stupid.
|
|
DGM
Sapphire
Posts: 2,666 Likes: 5,661
|
Chickens!
Apr 15, 2020 11:44:29 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by DGM on Apr 15, 2020 11:44:29 GMT -6
tj, love peen for making me LLOL to think she lives near Jurassic Park, not your lack of oxygen.
|
|
milano
Emerald
Posts: 10,914 Likes: 36,993
|
Post by milano on Apr 15, 2020 12:33:55 GMT -6
I spent way too long trying to figure out how you had a velociraptor rehab facility near you. Lack of oxygen to my brain is making me v v stupid. I also thought this and have no excuse.
|
|