Got chicks?

[Kendra]

I have wanted to get chickens for so long but we have so many foxes that live around us. We have talked about building a run for them but not sure I would want to see them locked up al the time. I also live very close to Inghams whom are probably the biggest supplier of chicken to most supermarkets in Australia. They have a massive creek that runs along the boundary of their property and from what we are told its a foxes paradise. I have seen them running through the back paddocks of a morning and even saw one very cunning one sitting in the middle of a paddock watching my thoroughbred eating his breakfast. I had to look twice as I thought it was my boxer who is a tan colour like most of the foxes here.

When we first brought in 2007 we had swans have babies but unfortunately they all didn't make it. Whats everyones thoughts and experiences on runs and having them locked up???. Ive seen some fairly horrendous photos over the years of chicken farms and the conditions that they are forced to live in and how little room they have to move around in.

Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions

My chickens never free range. It's my job to keep them safe, and their enclosed runs are how I do that. It's not "inhumane" to prevent them from being eaten by a predator.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

There is actually a formula for how much space is needed per bird. It depends on the size of the bird, too. Chickens are well adapted to live in an enclosure. The game breeds may be less content, but most chickens are fine staying in a pen. A backyard situation is totally different than commercial production.

Mine are usually free range, but when the bird feeder is up for the winter we get predators. The "girls" have to stay enclosed then. They are fine either way. One can put some alfalfa for them to scratch in, scraps, corn on the cob, watermelon--lots of goodies to keep them satisfied and clucking. I bring home restaurant leftovers in a to-go cup. They love spicy rice, shrimp tails, gristle, spaghetti...

 

[paintponylvr]

Ryan -

Here is a "larger" type chicken tractor that can be pulled if you are very strong by you or by a pair of ponies (haven't done it that way yet) or by a riding lawn mower.

This one (the only one I currently have pics of) is heavier because I used 2x6's for the base. It's made about 8x10 square - 2 16' cattle/stock panels are hooped & then covered in chicken wire (you can use hardware cloth if you have serious predators). I made the "long sides" 10' long so that it could be used as a "skid". I am about 5'6" tall, and I can easily stand up in this coop - which I love. Currently we aren't using it and now I have 3 of them. We used them at the previous place and the birds stayed in them while at a friends place for 3 months while we were in the process of moving out/closing on new property-house/moving in. The new place has smaller chicken pens that we are currently working on getting hooped/wired and moving the birds around in so that I can stand up in the pens. They are about mid/back height and man do I hurt when I go in to feed the two pens right now... they aren't free ranging yet. They may not all free range at all. The larger pen/coop is free ranging - our older/full size chickens & my older hens are already laying where ever they want to and have taught the 5 younger ones to do the same. Hard to find their eggs that they lay everywhere. And since they were so used to roosting in our carport at the previous place - they have adopted the carport here rather than returning to to the pen/coop they have - hubby is MAD about that! We are now getting lots of flies in the house when we put the dogs in/out since the birds are right there too - making a mess.

The 2nd and the 3rd one have 2x4s for the base and are a little easier to move. Still heavy. You do want to figure out how to coop the birds off the ground OR move it while they are roosting - as I killed two birds that didn't want to move while we were pulling the "tractor" and the one made out of 2x6s pulled over those two hens. Kinda gruesome - couldn't process them at that point either (yuck)...

It took us about 2 weeks to put the 1st one together and by the time we got to the third - our SIL put it together in 1 long day. You can make them larger if you want, they can also be stationary instead of moving. I have pics of all sorts of configurations for the back and even for the roofs - you can attach green house panels or tin for the roof rather than a tarp! You can make a lighter/shorter "run" to attach to it and then maybe put the birds in that while moving the coop itself, then move the "run"? Thought about that myself - still thinking... I DO plan on using all 3 of them here - want to get heritage birds to use for meat to keep out in the pony pastures. They'll be able to go out in these - if I move them at dusk/night or early AM or do cages I can put the boys in, I can start using the ponies to pull them - so we'll just move them to new grass and let the birds fertilize and loosen the soil/sand. Haven't purchased the birds yet - haven't been able to work the logistics to pick them up when they come into the post office.

I actually have LOTS of file folders of pics of coops, pens, runs etc - put together while I was trying to decide what/how to build what I wanted. There are a lot of ways to put together coops - some can be built out of completely recycled products and/or for free - if you are clever and resourceful. I wanted in-expensive and easy (er) to move and I didn't want a stationary coop I had to go into to clean (hmm, now I have those...). I never realized there were so many different styles of "hoop coops"! Ours are still "works in progress" simply because I haven't finished putting the roosts in (didn't need @ at the time - 2 of these held chicks that we just used small bars across - now wouldn't support a full size bird) and nests in for layers... On our stationary pens now - I need to put "poop boards" under the roosts so that we can put in Sweet PDZ and scoop the poop a lot easier. Hopefully, by this winter we will have it all sorted out and working for us, LOL.

Have you thought about doing a lightweight moveable "run" (made from pvc/chicken wire) to put around/over your garden (I think you said you had raised beds)? You could also do smaller birds - as in Bantams. They are fun to watch, lay just as good an egg as the larger ones (so you use more), if processed - you peel them instead of plucking feathers (much easier to do!!) and have a smaller portioned bird. Take less room and some are much more suited to living in "captivity". There are larger birds that also do quite well in coops/pens w/o free range - no shame in that! You can even build covered sections that you can plant grass in - the cover keeps the birds from scratching dust bowls in and eating the seeds - when the grass grows tall enuf - they eat it thru the cover. I also now have an acquaintance that has her big birds on pastures. The fences are only 3 or 4' high and they go into stationary coops for the night. During the day - they have put out pallets that they have raised about 2' off the ground on posts. WHEN the hawks are out - the chickens have learned to dash "under cover" or return to their coops. She's lost fewer birds than we have and she's been doing this for YEARS.

The bucket in the right hand front corner is to let birds in/out. The lid is attached via the blue braided haystring and doesn't get lost - you pop the lid off to let birds out in the AM and put it back on when the birds are back in for the night... Warning - baby goats can get thru the bucket and eat all your chicken feed!!

Sorry - for some reason I took no pics of the birds in the coop(s)...

 

[paintponylvr]

Back yard chickens dot com is a great resource for pics of coops, types of birds for different situations and support for either cooping/no free range or totally free ranging (which some folks actually feel is wrong, LOL).

I know that several of our members here are also members on that forum.

 

[Debby - LB]

I've got chicks! so far 5 of them and more hatching. They are so cute.



I give these hens wide berth! I leaned around the corner and snapped this one pic. The last time I crowded a Mother hen she like to have run me to death LOL and I had to put my new pocket book up between us to keep her from spurring me, she meant business...yes I said spurs, these hens have them.

Nine little biddies, 3 eggs unhatched. She did good.

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Excellent, Thanks so much for the Info everybody

 

[paintponylvr]

OMG - that's a lot of chicks she hatched!! and they are soooooo cute (I love chicks!).

This makes me want to get more - but the brooder isn't set up here yet and ... kinda reluctant right now since I don't have any way to order my own from a shop. My hens didn't go broody this year - no chicks to hatch. FINALLY have eggs to eat, though.

Prices have gone way up on the feed store chicks and I've lost the last 15 I bought - after moving here and at an age when I would have expected them to be fine.

For right now, I'll enjoy everyone elses'...

**********

Ryan - let us know what/how you decide to do yours!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Debby, that is so wonderful that your hen successfully hatched her eggs!

My dad once told me that when he was a boy he settled a hen on 12 eggs. She hatched them all and he traded the chickens for a little pig!

I had to get my girls out of the barn, they were just too big to stay in the tank. The weather is settling a little and we've actually had sunshine, so I worked this morning to fence off a section of the chicken pen for them. I used hay bales to make a little shelter. Must keep the big girls apart for now, as I could tell at least one seemed aggressive. They are so cute to watch! Even though they have no mother to show them, they instinctively know to scratch. And they know what bugs are.

Our society is too far removed from nature, I think.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Went out to check on mine and they are quite content. Most of my photos did not turn out, as for some reason the focus was on the WIRE--the wire is nicely focused but the chicks were blurry!

I put the bales on pallets and used a tarp for the back. They were all inside earlier. If they don't get on their little roost tonight, I might enclose them in the bale shelter, just till they figure out where they are supposed to go after dark.

 

[Debby - LB]

that's a good idea! makes a nice house for them. I'm worried about my hen. For the first two days she took the biddies back to the greenhouse for the night but the next day it started storming and she stopped at the barn and got in a corner outside one of the unused stalls. I hope a fox doesn't slip up there and get her.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

that's a good idea! makes a nice house for them. I'm worried about my hen. For the first two days she took the biddies back to the greenhouse for the night but the next day it started storming and she stopped at the barn and got in a corner outside one of the unused stalls. I hope a fox doesn't slip up there and get her.

Gosh, I'm worried about her, too. We lost a chick to a snake once. They just slither up when mom's asleep.

 

[Shari]

Lets see, so far this season I have hatched out....

11.. of my Lavender bantams for a project I plan to work on.

15... Belgian d'Anver Bantams, Quail, Blue Quail, Millie, Lavender and one little odd ball colored one.

Lavender Ameraucana bantams ( lady I was buying them from to replace the ones from last year, was having trouble hatching them out) So she added some White Ameraucana bantams. to make up a total

of 15 chicks. Two didn't make it.

13.... Ameraucana bantams... they should lay pretty blue eggs.

Not yet hatched...

17... Large Wheaten Ameraucana hatching eggs under a couple of hens, plan on having those hens raise what hatches, I hope any way.. From a well known line in MD. Due to start hatching

at the end of this coming week.

Last but not least... and because I am nuts...

16 .. Golden Neck d'Uccle bantams from show quality lines. Pretty much lucked into these. Have 15 more days in the incubator.

Think I over did it this year. LOL Will need another Hen house by Autumn.

I expect, I will be culling about half of the Bantams, because I don't need tons of roosters, not fair to the Hens. Of the 39 running around now (Glad bantams don't take up much room)... will most likely end up with 19. There abouts

Not sure how many of the Golden Necks and LWA will hatch out, but my hatches have been running just shy of 50%. It should give me enough breeding stock to raise my own chicks next year.


Here are the newest batch.... Ameraucana bantams.

The first batch of bantams.... they are in the Bantam house already. Can pick out some of the Roosters already. d'Anvers (the darker ones) and my Lavenders.

Oh, wait before I forget. I bought 3 Welsummer pullets and another blue Marans for the Big hen house. Sold off a number of hens a few months ago, and not quite enough for tick remove-all duty.

 

[Debby - LB]

those are some cute little chicks! love the colors!!

 

[paintponylvr]

Shari - are these your first Ameraucana Bantams? Do you like them? I was thinking about getting some myself (day old hatchlings - straight run), but hadn't made up my mind yet... Would love info from someone who has them...

 

[Shari]

Thank you Debby!

Paula, these are not my fist Ameraucana bantams. These are replacements for the few I sold a couple of months ago. Shouldn't of done that. LOL

I really love these bantams, super sweet, even the Roosters.

Have been told, as they get older they don't lay as much. OK with me... also have them around to eat ticks.

Here are some of the ones I had last year.

 

[Shari]

I had 9 of the Large Wheaten Ameraucana chicks hatch so far... only 8 are alive right now.
Kat sent me 14 eggs. So not a bad hatch so far.

Maran hen kept loosing track of the chicks, so I just brought them into the house.
Not that I really have room with all the bantams, brooding in the house already...
Really did not want to take a chance loosing any more.

The SS hen, still has some eggs under her, and if more chicks hatch, will bring them into the house too.

Maybe when I am better set up, will try to have the broody hens raise them.

They are as big as the bantams that hatched in May, so they should do ok.
Have them in their own little box for a couple of days, then I will move them in with the bantams..

 

[Marsha Cassada]

That's a lot of cute babies under your wing!

My girls are getting quite large now. Their voices are changing. Next week I will let them mix with the big girls. They have been next door for a couple of weeks, so hopefully they will blend without too much turmoil.

 

[atotton]

I had 6 little bantam cochins hatch out. I also couldn't pass up 2 little call ducks at a bird show this past weekend. (Phil and Peach)

 

[Shari]

Beautiful chicks and ducks!! Are call ducks really small?

 

[paintponylvr]

Shari - those Bantam Ameraucanas are BREATH TAKING! WOW, just to look at them is ... calming. I've heard not so good things about bantams being really active and wild - so hadn't really gotten into them yet... I've lost a lot of birds lately - first 10 full size Easter Eggers at an age I thought they'd be OK at. Then recently, several more mature hens that have been free ranging. So, not so willing to invest in more birds right now until I am just a little more prepared...

But this makes me think I'll look into the bantam Ameraucanas some more. I have some barnyard bantams, still, and right now their eggs are very tasty!

I fell in love with the call ducks at the last show I went to.