# New to chickens



## RitaS

My stray chicken came home with nine chicks. I put them all in a coop but they stay in the run all the time. 
I saw poop on one of the chicks but when I went inside the hen wouldn’t allow me near the chicks. She began flapping her wings & pecking at me. 
Will they be ok in the run & will she clean the poop off the chick ?


----------



## robin416

Welcome to the wonderful and sometimes challenging world of chicken keeping. 

They'll be fine in the run as long as they have fresh food and water. 

No, she won't. You might have to put some long sleeves on and take the peep from her to clean it off.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> Welcome to the wonderful and sometimes challenging world of chicken keeping.
> 
> They'll be fine in the run as long as they have fresh food and water.
> 
> No, she won't. You might have to put some long sleeves on and take the peep from her to clean it off.


----------



## RitaS

I was afraid of that lol. How long do I have before it hurts the chick ? 
Also, I don’t know one chicken from another so could anyone tell me about these ?


----------



## robin416

She might be an American Game. A good side shot of her would help. It looks like she has slate colored feet which could point to the game bird.

Games are also ferociously protective of their chicks.

It depends on how much has collected. It sounds like it drew your attention is probably bad enough to have to deal with it. A warm water rinse can help loosen it so you can remove it completely.


----------



## RitaS

What is a game bird ? I'm sorry I don't know a thing about chi


----------



## robin416

It's just another breed of chicken. They can be a challenge when trying to introduce a new bird to the flock. As in, not going to happen challenging. 

She's a very pretty bird. I wonder who lost her because she's got a nice body type and overall pleasant to look at. She's not one that someone would just turn out. 

But everyone here knows I'm the worst when it comes to IDing anything that isn't a Silkie so someone might shoot the game bird idea down.


----------



## robin416

How come you have a coop and run but until she showed up no chickens?


----------



## RitaS

Definitely gray footed & ferocious. 
Ty for all ur help. I’m trying to learn what I can to keep them all healthy. 
I wanted to eventually pick them up & hold them but momma hen is not going to let that happen.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> How come you have a coop and run but until she showed up no chickens?


I bought the coop/run just for her & chicks. Not sure where she came from. Showed up one day & stayed until she would leave for days then show up again now & then. I suspect she was sitting on eggs. I about died when she came home with those 9 chicks lol. I have a friend who is going to take them all but wanted to watch chicks grow for a while.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> It's just another breed of chicken. They can be a challenge when trying to introduce a new bird to the flock. As in, not going to happen challenging.
> 
> She's a very pretty bird. I wonder who lost her because she's got a nice body type and overall pleasant to look at. She's not one that someone would just turn out.
> 
> But everyone here knows I'm the worst when it comes to IDing anything that isn't a Silkie so someone might shoot the game bird idea down.


The


robin416 said:


> It's just another breed of chicken. They can be a challenge when trying to introduce a new bird to the flock. As in, not going to happen challenging.
> 
> She's a very pretty bird. I wonder who lost her because she's got a nice body type and overall pleasant to look at. She's not one that someone would just turn out.
> 
> But everyone here knows I'm the worst when it comes to IDing anything that isn't a Silkie so someone might shoot the game bird idea down.


 vegetable market across the road is very busy. I wonder if someone stopped with a load of chickens & somehow she got out & came here. 1 neighbor has chickens but wasn't hers.


----------



## robin416

Wait, you can't give all the peeps away and just keep her. She needs her own kind to be happy. Chickens are very flock oriented. If she hadn't had a nest she was on she would have eventually made it to your neighbor who has chickens. 

Fresh food and water and they should be good to go. Once you can get past the "am I doing everything right?" phase they are pretty easy keepers.


----------



## RitaS

Oh no she would go with them. Sorry if I confused that. My friend already has chickens & I can’t keep these. I really don’t have the time to care for them.


----------



## robin416

OK, I thought all the chicks were going to a new home but you were keeping Mom. Your friend is going to get a really good looking hen. If they have one of the same breed they could breed some nice babies from her and the right rooster. 

That's sad. I wish you could keep them. Chickens are kind of like watching fish in an aquarium. They can be very relaxing.


----------



## RitaS

I watch them all the time. They are very funny. She will run & boy those chicks run too. She kinda bows her head so I wonder if she’s teaching them something. I go out & “talk” to her several times a day hoping she will get used to me but hasn’t so far. Ty. I think she is very pretty & the splash of rust color makes her even prettier. I will miss them when they go but just can’t keep them. It is sad.


----------



## robin416

Well, you know where they're going to be.

Yes, the hen does teach them stuff. Usually they make a sound to alert babies there's something tasty right there and to come get it.

As long as her peeps are so young she's only interested in protecting her young. That changes as they become more independent. I've got Guineas, talk about protective Mommas. Do not go out without long sleeves and pants on if you have to do anything that Momma perceives as a threat to her little ones. Almost everything is a threat in the early days. Even me. And she knows me.


----------



## RitaS

It’s amazing that the closest neighbor is about 1/2 mile away or better & my hen had chicks lol. 
I managed to catch the pasty chick this morning & cleaned off the poop. Idk who was shaking more, chick or myself. I grabbed it up & momma hen was not happy... she flew at me but I already had chick in hand.... she will never trust me again !!
Is there anything I need to do for the chick now ? Started putting some grit out for them a couple days ago. Will that take care of poop getting stuck ?


----------



## robin416

If peep is healthy you shouldn't have to worry about it. 

Can you imagine never being nervous enough to shake dealing with one of the little ones. Guineas are big birds, have one of those Mommas or Daddys come after you. Now that gets your heart going in the morning.

So, how long are they going to stay with you until they go to their new home?


----------



## RitaS

It was exciting to hold the chick. It cheeped the whole time & what a wiggly little thing. But adorable ! 
I think I’ll keep them until mid to late fall. I want to watch the chicks grow some before I let them leave. I don’t want cold weather before the go because I don’t think the coop is going to be adequate for them. I saw the hen go up to check out the coop yesterday but the chicks must be too small to climb the ladder yet. Will they eventually go in the coop ?


----------



## robin416

If she does, they will try. But that ramp isn't very baby friendly. 

Had I not gone through this for a keet that's struggling I probably wouldn't have recognized the challenge. My steps were a little closer spaced than yours but one still couldn't make it to the top. I put non skid in between the steps, that's all it took. Once keet had traction it could roost with the others. 

Non skid is kind of scary though too because toes can get caught in the little holes so I stapled the heck out of it so there were no loose areas and it laid flat and tight against the ramp.


----------



## RitaS

Could I use the nonskid strips that is used for steps. It’s rough & don’t want any injury to chicks feet ?


----------



## robin416

Nope. Because of its roughness it can cause damage to all of the chickens' foot pads. It causes what is known as bumble foot, a staph infection that gets into the bottom of the feet from the skin being broken. 

Want to talk about a pain in the behind dealing with it, that's one of them. 

I didn't want to use the non skid because of the little holes but for what I had here it was the safest option.


----------



## RitaS

Oh my. Ok thank you. Glad I ask.


----------



## robin416

If there's a niggle in the back of your brain it's always good to ask first. There is usually someone who can say yes or no. It's the doing then asking after causing harm that bothers chicken people the most.


----------



## RitaS

I’m an ask first person. I thank you for all this conversation we have had, I’m learning so there’s lots more to come ! Lol


----------



## robin416

That's fine. I don't know where everyone else is but being Summer and some parts of the country in extreme heat they might all be trying to keep their birds cool.


----------



## RitaS

Omg hen was in the coop but left 1 peep in the run. Poor little baby was cheeping continuously. I picked it up & put it in the coop with the others. All quiet now. idk if I can do this , I felt so badly for the chick. What woulda happened to it if it never got in the coop with momma hen ?


----------



## robin416

It would have returned to where it usually slept once it wore itself out.

I've had to deal with this just recently with a guinea keet. I couldn't stand for it not to be able to sleep with the others. So, I understand how it bothered you. 

You've probably got an idea now when she decides it's bedtime. Check on them about a half hour after that time to see if peep made it.


----------



## RitaS

They still sleep under her. Is it ok that I put chick up there with the others ?


----------



## robin416

Yep, it will root around until it finds a space where it fits. And if it doesn't it'll shove someone out of the way. Mom probably won't even act like she notices that all this pushing and shoving is going on under her. 

If you get a chance, see if you can teach it about the ramp. Maybe about the time Mom says it's bedtime.


----------



## RitaS

Well she won’t let me unless she’s already in the coop & I can close her in. I hate it when she gets defensive over the chicks lol. 
I have pine bedding in the coop & she’s sitting right in it with chicks under her, is that ok ? She won’t suffocate them, will she ?


----------



## RitaS

Big black bugs keep getting into the chickens water. What is the best waterer to keep things out of the waterer ?
Will the hen be ok eating the starter grower crumbles ? Little late, I guess, but I was giving her & chicks free range food.


----------



## robin416

I thought about that after I went to bed. Once she's hunkered over the others you're pretty safe but if peep has been left alone for long they get so wound up there's no way to teach them. It's a frustrating circle.

Shavings are great. It's what almost all of us use. 

Yep, I've kept all of my birds on 20% their entire lives. I had several live to be well over 8 years old.


----------



## RitaS

What about water ? I have well with softener so I’ve been using bottled water. Was wondering if distilled would be better or spring water ? 
All nine chicks made it down out of the coop this morning yay ! Let’s see what happens tonight. 
Chicks have lost most of their fluffiness & I see pretty little feathers. They seem slimmer without it.


----------



## robin416

I forgot to answer your question about the waterer. Is it elevated? That should help keep bugs out. Mine are on concrete blocks with something the little ones can use as a step to get up to drink. 

There has been discussion about softened water and using it for chickens. There is concern the salt might be more than they should have but I've don't remember anyone coming up with a consensus on whether it's safe or not. 

Coming down is a lot easier than going up. Once they get wound up about being left alone they forget how it worked the last time.


----------



## RitaS

Everyone is in the coop tonight. First thing I did when I came home was check. I am so glad for my chick ❤


----------



## robin416

Hurray for baby getting it right!!!


----------



## RitaS

‘‘This coop has nesting boxes but I didn’t put in dividers. Should I just put pine shavings in there & let them use it that way ?


----------



## robin416

Follow their lead. If they want to use that area they'll go to it. It won't be long where roosting is going to be their preference.


----------



## RitaS

What about acv? I read where it’s beneficial to chicks. If so , Is it a must to use the kind with mother in it ?


----------



## robin416

I've never used it. From what I've read use of the one with the mother is important.

I hatched and raised hundreds of chicks with very little mortality without ever adding it to the water.


----------



## RitaS

Ok thanks. 
Well the chicks are now starting to hang out on the ladder & go up into the coop. Dang they’re just too stinkin cute.


----------



## robin416

Oh oh, sounds more and more like you're really going to have a tough time letting them go.


----------



## RitaS

Lol. I’m guessing you’re right on that. Always been one to easily get attached to the sweet things no matter what animal it is. I realize I can’t take care of them once they begin to multiply so it’s best I give them a new home plus there’s other chickens there so it’ll be a ready made home.


----------



## RitaS

Reading about giving corn on cob. So confusing, one says yes & another no ! One said roll in peanut butter then feed. What’s everyone else say ?


----------



## robin416

I keep short frozen cobs in my freezer for the birds. They don't get it often just as an occasional treat. It's really a junk food and just like us humans they'll choose junk over balanced every time.


----------



## Sylie

I'd like to weigh in 
Is this corn on the cob that you are talking about dent corn or sweet corn?
Sweet Corn on the cob is fine, they love it but Robin is right, it's a treat, don't let them guilt you into making it their primary diet.
Don't roll it in peanut butter, like dogs, they struggle with the stickiness and can choke because of the shape of their tongues. (triangle)
Dent corn is also fine but not on the cob, take it off and smash it up, it's too hard and they cannot process it because of that. Dent corn is something that needs to be chewed. Of course, chickens don't have teeth, they swallow 98% of their food whole. So you have to "prechew" it for them by smashing it (that's what cracked corn is, smacked up dent corn)

On the ACV front, yes, it is very beneficial for your whole flock, not just the babies. Yes, the kind with the mother is best (look at Braggs, it's the highest quality) 
Use 1 TBS per gallon of water, change the water daily.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Some strains of Gamefowl will even roost in trees at night. It is not unusual for a hen to isolate a bit with her chicks as they are very protective. They are also very tough and durable. If you have adequate nutrition and shelter they will be fine, even if they don't take advantage of your coop. Game mamas are always thinking about predators and not being closed in. I work hard to coop train everything from the start just because it makes things easier. I wonder what cross the babies are and what they will look like.


----------



## RitaS

Sylie said:


> I'd like to weigh in
> Is this corn on the cob that you are talking about dent corn or sweet corn?
> Sweet Corn on the cob is fine, they love it but Robin is right, it's a treat, don't let them guilt you into making it their primary diet.
> Don't roll it in peanut butter, like dogs, they struggle with the stickiness and can choke because of the shape of their tongues. (triangle)
> Dent corn is also fine but not on the cob, take it off and smash it up, it's too hard and they cannot process it because of that. Dent corn is something that needs to be chewed. Of course, chickens don't have teeth, they swallow 98% of their food whole. So you have to "prechew" it for them by smashing it (that's what cracked corn is, smacked up dent corn)
> 
> On the ACV front, yes, it is very beneficial for your whole flock, not just the babies. Yes, the kind with the mother is best (look at Braggs, it's the highest quality)
> Use 1 TBS per gallon of water, change the water daily.


I was talking about sweet corn. I didn't know about dent corn lol. I'm so new at all this, I know nothing. 
Thank you for the info. It's nice to have experienced people that are willing to help out.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> Some strains of Gamefowl will even roost in trees at night. It is not unusual for a hen to isolate a bit with her chicks as they are very protective. They are also very tough and durable. If you have adequate nutrition and shelter they will be fine, even if they don't take advantage of your coop. Game mamas are always thinking about predators and not being closed in. I work hard to coop train everything from the start just because it makes things easier. I wonder what cross the babies are and what they will look like.


She used to roost in the tree at night. About 8 pm she would get in the tree. All of a sudden she was gone for a day or 2 & I worried she was caught by a predator. I'd be outside working & turn around & there she'd be lol. That went on until she came home with the chicks. Lol. What a surprise. I haven't heard any crowing roosters so I'm not sure where she found him. I know there's a place with chickens a ways up the road but don't know if there's a rooster. Would she have traveled that far ?
sometimes she runs around the run acting as if she's trying to find a way out. Kind of makes me feel bad for pinning her up. 
I see a lot of dead ***** On the road every day so I don't feel that bad for pinning her up lol. Actually I am shocked that she made it this far. 
I wish I knew what cross she was but unfortunately I don't. I can't wait to see what they look like. They sure are cuties though.
Thank you for your reply and like I told Robin I'll have tons of questions as time goes on.


----------



## RitaS

Before the chicks I remember seeing hugh poops & I was worried something was wrong with my chicken. Last night I saw a poop that wasn’t as large as that but larger than normal. Is something wrong with my hen ??


----------



## Poultry Judge

The biggest risk was travelling with the chicks but she made it to you with nine, so that is probably a full clutch, (9-12), for Games. Try using mealworms and treats to get them to come to you. I just sit in a lawn chair and scoop the chicks up to tame them and get them used to being handled. Mama will be okay with it if she sees you're not stealing her chicks.


----------



## Poultry Judge

RitaS said:


> Before the chicks I remember seeing hugh poops & I was worried something was wrong with my chicken. Last night I saw a poop that wasn't as large as that but larger than normal. Is something wrong with my hen ??


Probably not, depends what she is eating.


----------



## robin416

Poultry Judge said:


> The biggest risk was travelling with the chicks but she made it to you with nine, so that is probably a full clutch, (9-12), for Games. Try using mealworms and treats to get them to come to you. I just sit in a lawn chair and scoop the chicks up to tame them and get them used to being handled. Mama will be okay with it if she sees you're not stealing her chicks.


So, she is a game?


----------



## Poultry Judge

Try to get some more pictures, but yes, more than likely a game cross. Do you have any game farms nearby?


----------



## robin416

She's got a really good pic of the hen in this post. Peeps not so much since Mom is so protective at this point. And well, chicks.


----------



## RitaS

I don't know of any farms nearby except for the few chickens up on the hill that's a ways away. Idk what she is but Robin says she's a game & she does have gray feet that Robin mentioned also


----------



## RitaS

The days of roosting in the tree at night lol ❤


----------



## RitaS

This is the best one so far with the chicks


----------



## RitaS

I would watch her When she would leave before bringing home the chicks. I went to where she would run to after she came back with chicks & I found a bunch of egg shells & 1 whole egg. Right off a busy highway & where cars pull over to visit the market across the highway (2 lane). I’m surprised they all made it


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> Try to get some more pictures, but yes, more than likely a game cross. Do you have any game farms nearby?


Not that I know of. 
I keep them pinned up. During day in the run & they been going up to the coop the past 3 nights so it's hard to get pics. She goes to the other end of the run every time I get near


----------



## robin416

They're probably too young to be able to spot the possible cross of the chicks. I see mostly pink legs, the dark ones look like they might have slate colored legs.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> Probably not, depends what she is eating.


She's eating what the chicks eat ...starter grower feed. I did give them boiled eggs. They love that !!


----------



## robin416

Yeah, hard boiled eggs seems to be an absolute favorite of the birds.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> Yeah, hard boiled eggs seems to be an absolute favorite of the birds.


Hen is ok with chick food, right ?
Was thinking of putting sand in most of run, leaving a little grassy area for them. Would that be ok ?


----------



## robin416

If it's non medicated then it's fine that she's eating it. Medicated could cause problems for her. 

I've had mine on 20% crumbles their entire lives, many lived well past 8 years old. 

Sand is a great idea, they can use it as a dust bath. And it's a little bit of grit that they can eat.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Some grass areas are always a good idea.


----------



## Hunty

I'm new to the chicken keeping but thoroughly enjoying it.


----------



## robin416

You and every other chicken addict. Rita is going to have a tough time letting hers go to their new home.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> You and every other chicken addict. Rita is going to have a tough time letting hers go to their new home.


Welcome to the world of hens & chicks lol. It chose me tho & I worry to death about mine. I can't imagine the worries winter would cause. Heck, I'm gonna worry when they all move
Yes that's soooo true. I'm already in a hurry to get home at night after work just to make sure they're ok. 
I opened the coop door so I could see her & 3 of the chicks had their heads stuck out from under her, like they were tryin to see what I was doing lol. Just how long do they sleep underneath her ? For the life of me, I don't know how she sleeps ! 
Im hoping the sand I bought has dried out so I can get it down in the run in the morning so momma can dust bathe. I love watching that.


----------



## RitaS

Just thought of a question..... may sound a bit ridiculous but I don’t know this stuff lol.
IF i have a chick that’s a rooster...hoping NOT.... then I will have many more chicks, right ?


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> If it's non medicated then it's fine that she's eating it. Medicated could cause problems for her.
> 
> I've had mine on 20% crumbles their entire lives, many lived well past 8 years old.
> 
> Sand is a great idea, they can use it as a dust bath. And it's a little bit of grit that they can eat.


Non medicated is what I use. I give them grit too


----------



## RitaS

RitaS said:


> Not that I know of.
> I keep them pinned up. During day in the run & they been going up to the coop the past 3 nights so it's hard to get pics. She goes to the other end of the run every time I get near


Omg how they've grown just this past week. Not great pictures but momma is sooo protective lol


----------



## robin416

I've seen half grown chicks up under Mom's wing even when she's got a new brood to raise. So, there's no time limit. 

Yep, if one is a rooster chances are good chicks could be coming out of your ears in about 8 months. 

Those pics might be good enough for someone to give you an idea of what else in in babies as far as breed. 

And for night time checks, I have a small red light. It doesn't disturb them as much as a white light does.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> I've seen half grown chicks up under Mom's wing even when she's got a new brood to raise. So, there's no time limit.
> 
> Yep, if one is a rooster chances are good chicks could be coming out of your ears in about 8 months.
> 
> Those pics might be good enough for someone to give you an idea of what else in in babies as far as breed.
> 
> And for night time checks, I have a small red light. It doesn't disturb them as much as a white light does.


Ugh I can't have any more chicks. Lord I would not have room. Sure hope no rooster in this clutch lol


----------



## robin416

The odds of that being the case are slim to none. Sorry. 

You're beginning to sound more and more like they have a permanent home.


----------



## RitaS

Might be lucky ... tail feathers don’t look like sickle feathers but then I’m new to this chicken raisin lol. All kinda look like her tail feathers


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> The odds of that being the case are slim to none. Sorry.
> 
> You're beginning to sound more and more like they have a permanent home.


Lol well..... I just don't know about that coop/ run for the winter. Not sure I can winterize it.


----------



## robin416

Remember, they're wearing what they stuff jackets and pillows with. They've got the best insulation in the world. They can puff their feathers out a bit which traps body heat and keeps them warmer.


----------



## RitaS

What is this chick doing ? They all have been in the coop the previous 3 nights. Tonight I sat & watched them all go up except 1. It acts like it doesn’t know where the others are or where the ladder is , just roaming around the run cheeping.
Well finally it just flew up there. Chickens gonna be the death of me lol


----------



## robin416

If you get to watch them for a bit you'll often catch one that is off doing its own thing. Everyone will move off, the loner won't notice and when it does it loses its mind. 

It's a pretty common thing. I usually stand back and watch and if after some arbitrary time limit peep doesn't figure it out I intervene.


----------



## Poultry Judge

lol, that is exactly what they do! There is always one or in my case six baby ducks right now that don't want to go in the coop.


----------



## robin416

Poultry Judge said:


> lol, that is exactly what they do! There is always one or in my case six baby ducks right now that don't want to go in the coop.


LOL Between the two of us it sounds as if there's a lot of common sense to be had.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Robin, I guess we're just long time chicken folk. My father, rest his soul, would have told you that when I was a kid on the farm I didn't have an ounce of common sense!


----------



## robin416

Ever watched World's Dumbest? Have you noticed who does the bulk of the dumb, painful things. So, your dad might have been right when you were a boy but grew out of it when you reached being an adult.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Maybe. I wanted to farm and the family absolutely wouldn't let me. They made me go to college. My father also used to say that there were two kinds of smart...and I was the wrong one!


----------



## Sylie

I noticed a few questions/comments in the mix here that did not get answers so I'll put them here. I may have missed some questions that did get answers so if they are repeats here, I apologize to you and the commentor for the oversight.



robin416 said:


> Remember, they're wearing what they stuff jackets and pillows with. They've got the best insulation in the world. They can puff their feathers out a bit which traps body heat and keeps them warmer.


Robin is correct here BUT...they can still get very cold, they can freeze to death and they can get frost bite. Watch them closely for shivering and huddling constantly.
Maybe it's just me but I, personally, never found down to be that warm, my husband bought me a down comforter for our 5th anniversary, very expensive, I loved it but I half froze to death. I grabbed a wool blanket to put underneath the down one.

The sickle feathers won't show themselves until quite awhile after the crowing starts, you'll know it's a rooster long before the sickle feathers arrive.

The chicks will sleep underneath Momma until they get too big to fit, usually around 3 or 4 weeks. Some move out sooner, some later, but that's an average.


----------



## robin416

Poultry Judge said:


> My father also used to say that there were two kinds of smart...and I was the wrong one!


That was just mean. But I did laugh.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> LOL Between the two of us it sounds as if there's a lot of common sense to be had.


I need common sense or the chick ??


----------



## robin416

No, not you or the chick. The Poultry Judge and I. You've only seen this one post, there are others where one of us goes behind the other and pretty much agree totally with each other. 

Just goes to show that having a few chicks behind us means we've seen or experienced quite a bit with the feathered ones.


----------



## robin416

And to add, for someone who has never had chickens before you've done a bank up job keeping Momma and peeps safe and well cared for. That takes confidence and good instincts.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> And to add, for someone who has never had chickens before you've done a bank up job keeping Momma and peeps safe and well cared for. That takes confidence and good instincts.


Thanks. I'm really trying. I couldn't stand it if something happened to one of them. I've read a lot but still have some stupid questions at times. 
I , also, read a lot & want to make sure they're safe. Right now I'm already worried about getting the coop ready for winter. Yes, at this time I am considering keeping all these sweet chickens, even tho I can't get near them. Not really sure what I'll do IF there is a rooster lol. I didn't realize sickle feathers came after the crowing.... my neighbors will kill me... lol


----------



## robin416

Questions are not stupid. They never are if it helps the keeper and the birds. 

There's a good chance you'll have to rehome some of them anyway. The coop you have probably wouldn't support as many as you have right now. What is is it 2X4 foot or 4X4? Those don't have enough space for many birds. 

Things will calm down. She has babies and is in a new place. My neighbor's wild game rooster spent all of his time over here. He got so that when he saw me he'd come running to the door. That isn't how it worked when he first started hanging here. He was scared out of his mind of me.


----------



## RitaS

Idk what size it is lol. 
If I have to move any then they will all go. I want them to stay together, they’re family lol. 
Today they’re chowing down on watermelon & chicks are lovin it lol.


----------



## robin416

Hate to tell you this but chickens don't form family units. Once they get to the point that Mom is no longer raising them they go their separate ways. Although chickens need other chickens for company and can form bonds to another bird they just don't do the family unit thing.

Don't go to overboard with the treats, I know how easy that is when seeing the delight they have at eating it. You might end up with a bunch of messy bums to clean up. 

I remember the first time I went too far. Luckily mine weren't little so I just pulled back on how much I gave them at one time.


----------



## RitaS

Ooh ok. Will give less treats. Ty
Omg I hate to hear there’s no family once they’re grown . That is really sad. Much like my own kids then lol.


----------



## robin416

LOL Even more so with the chickens.


----------



## RitaS

So everything besides their feed is a treat, right ?
I started putting acv into their water. It still gets changed everyday or more/ less frequently? I made ice with the acv water too. It’s been pretty hot/ humid here.
Is it ok to use plastic containers for feed & water ? I read no metal with acv so don’t know what else there would be besides plastic, lol. how old do chickens have to be roughly to know if there’s a rooster ?


----------



## Poultry Judge

You can use the plastic feeders and waterers from the farm supply places, they will last a long time and are good for putting ACV or medications in when needed. I only use one gallon waterers for medication and change it every day to monitor intake. Outside, I use three gallon double walled galvanized waterers for everything. Some are third generation, as long as they don't get scratched or rusted, they are okay for ACV. In the winter they go on heated base plates. Try not to stress too much over the birds, you will do just fine. If I count the chickens from when I was growing up, I have cared for well over a thousand chickens/turkeys/ducks/peafowl in the past fifty years and you get very attached to some of them.


----------



## Poultry Judge

robin416 said:


> And to add, for someone who has never had chickens before you've done a bank up job keeping Momma and peeps safe and well cared for. That takes confidence and good instincts.


And keep reading, you're doing great!


----------



## RitaS

I do stress over them. I can’t stand the thought of finding a dead one.
I think I saw a sore spot on one chicks chest. I haven’t seen any fighting but I’m not here in the evening. It’s only the one. Is there sometime should put on it ?
I appreciate all the conversations here. Thank you all so much !


----------



## robin416

Just watch for now. If it seems to be getting bigger then you're going to have a gay old time catching it. One of the things that works well to both camouflage and heal sores is Blu Kote. Messy stuff. Stains everything forever but is effective.


----------



## LisaO

RitaS said:


> View attachment 34152
> What is a game bird ? I'm sorry I don't know a thing about chi


She could be a Black Copper Marans or cross. Your hen's comb and wattles are smaller so maybe that indicates she is a cross. They have slate or pink legs which may or may not have feathers. The hens are mostly black with a little copper on the hackles. The amount of copper they have seems variable from the pictures I've seen. If she is, they lay a very dark brown egg that is supposed to be the best egg. Or she could be something else!


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> Just watch for now. If it seems to be getting bigger then you're going to have a gay old time catching it. One of the things that works well to both camouflage and heal sores is Blu Kote. Messy stuff. Stains everything forever but is effective.


Ok. Why will I have a hard time catching it , I can't seem to now lol


LisaO said:


> She could be a Black Copper Marans or cross. Your hen's comb and wattles are smaller so maybe that indicates she is a cross. They have slate or pink legs which may or may not have feathers. The hens are mostly black with a little copper on the hackles. The amount of copper they have seems variable from the pictures I've seen. If she is, they lay a very dark brown egg that is supposed to be the best egg. Or she could be something else!


j


LisaO said:


> She could be a Black Copper Marans or cross. Your hen's comb and wattles are smaller so maybe that indicates she is a cross. They have slate or pink legs which may or may not have feathers. The hens are mostly black with a little copper on the hackles. The amount of copper they have seems variable from the pictures I've seen. If she is, they lay a very dark brown egg that is supposed to be the best egg. Or she could be something else!


She definitely has slate colored leg & copper markings. I don't see feathers on her legs.


----------



## robin416

Well, you have to catch chickie which wants nothing to do with you and you have Mom that is going to light into you for messing with one of her little ones.


----------



## RitaS

That’s the truth for sure lol.


----------



## RitaS

About momma attacks.... will she actually peck me or just try to scare me away ? She has a pretty long beak , I don’t want a hole in my arm that size for sure lol 
Once they kill all the grass in the run do I need to move the coop so they have grass ?
I’m putting sand in most of the run & going to leave small area of grass but that won’t last long.


----------



## robin416

There's no telling how serious of an attack she'll launch. She might be far enough along her raising of the peeps that she doesn't care or she could still be ferociously protective. 

I wouldn't worry about the grass. If you want them to have something green you can offer things like lettuce. Chickens destroy a grassy area in the blink of an eye.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> There's no telling how serious of an attack she'll launch. She might be far enough along her raising of the peeps that she doesn't care or she could still be ferociously protective.
> 
> I wouldn't worry about the grass. If you want them to have something green you can offer things like lettuce. Chickens destroy a grassy area in the blink of an eye.


Ok thank you, appreciated!
I'm not sure yet but the chick with the red spot .... might have been from watermelon stain ? It looks more brown colored today lol.
if it turns out to be more ... I can get povodine iodine swabs at work, will those work ? I could add a drop of blue food coloring? Read this some place but wanted to check here as I trust you all.
Thanks for all the help. I'm sure I'll need plenty more answers.
I think she's still ferocious. Lol. Still gets chicks as far from me as she can . I want to hold those babies so badly but don't want her upset lol.


----------



## RitaS

I was wrong ... no watermelon stain. The pic isn’t good but I think you can see the spot center chest of the chick. Almost all of them have the same spot same place. I saw 1 without a spot. I also saw them act like they were going to fight.


----------



## RitaS

Here's pics


----------



## robin416

It looks like their breasts are rubbing on something. Check where they sleep, see if it's flat and smooth and that there is nothing standing up. Like a nail.


----------



## RitaS

They sleep under her. They are in Pine bedding & the tray is flat. I’ll check tomorrow to see if anything is in the bedding. I’m at work & they’re asleep when I get home


----------



## robin416

If you can get a better pic this weekend we might be able to give you a better idea of what is going on. 

And I forgot this, don't use the iodine, that's a color that will attract attention and I don't think you can add enough blue food coloring to mask it.


----------



## RitaS

Sorry I thought Blu Kote was iodine with blue coloring. What do I use ? Should I wait & see what happens ?


----------



## robin416

I couldn't see what you're seeing very clearly. Other than there is a disturbance to the breast feathers. That's why I asked if you could get a better pic this weekend. 

You can try antibiotic ointment. What you want to stay away from is anything that is red.


----------



## RitaS

I’ll try to get pics but momma makes it rough to do lol. Ty


----------



## robin416

I figured. It would be better to stop whatever this is now before it can progress to something more serious.


----------



## Sylie

I have a thought on your protective momma. If you have a small cage like a dog kennel/carrier or something of that nature, put on some heavy gloves and long sleeves and see if you can catch her, put her in the kennel and then you can hold the babies and get better pics for us to help you with the problem on their chests. You may find the source yourself if you are able to hold them. Keep momma in the kennel but in the same space as the babies, don't freak her or the babies out by taking her away, just lock her in where it's safe for you to handle the babies.


----------



## RitaS

Sylie said:


> I have a thought on your protective momma. If you have a small cage like a dog kennel/carrier or something of that nature, put on some heavy gloves and long sleeves and see if you can catch her, put her in the kennel and then you can hold the babies and get better pics for us to help you with the problem on their chests. You may find the source yourself if you are able to hold them. Keep momma in the kennel but in the same space as the babies, don't freak her or the babies out by taking her away, just lock her in where it's safe for you to handle the babies.


Hmm I don't have any cages , etc. I don't even have gloves. 
Could I possibly snatch up a chick after they are in the coop for the night ? Is that too stressful for them ?


----------



## robin416

That could work. She's not going to get too irate. Night time they go into a sort of stasis. 

If I'm out near my birds after dark they will make some quiet alarm noises but when I let them know it's me they quiet back down.


----------



## Sylie

As long as you don't take it too far away it might work. If the chick freaks out, Momma will too. Be careful.


----------



## RitaS

Sylie said:


> As long as you don't take it too far away it might work. If the chick freaks out, Momma will too. Be careful.


That sounds scary lol. I'm afraid anyway. I would have to bring the chick inside so I can see. I don't know what I'm looking at but I could get a pic so I can get some much needed help. I'm hoping it isn't anything serious.


----------



## RitaS

Well I’m a failure at taking care of my chicks. Idk who’s more afraid .... me or hen ! I hope it isn’t anything but fear I’ll lose all of them


----------



## robin416

Something to keep in mind, chickens have survived in spite of us for thousands of years. Not knowing what that spot is on the breasts could be more of a threat to them than anything you can do.


----------



## RitaS

I can’t catch a chick. I’m going to get some DE to see if that helps. Is there an antibiotic I should give. I’m beside my self & in tears over this.
Could I catch one if I buy a fishing net ?


----------



## Poultry Judge

I would just keep working with hand feeding with meal worms to tame them. Get a big bag of dried worms at the farm supply store, that's the only cost effective way. You can use a closely woven net for the chicks but as they get older you risk snagging a leg or wing, and then sometimes you have the issue of trying to get a bird out of a net. The DE is an overall good practice.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Also, try to de-stress a little. My strong suspicion is that you have some form of game cross, perhaps Slates or Blues. If you do, they will be full of personality and incredibly sturdy. Train them now with the meal worms and get them coop trained so they're not roosting in your trees.


----------



## Poultry Judge

If you go to the farm supply store get a can of Blu-Kote to use on all of the superficial wounds. It is messy and stains everything but that's part of the intention. With farm animals, it's easy to see who is being treated. We use a lot of the Vetericyn products at Fossil Ledges too. The spray bottle ones are easy to use.


----------



## robin416

Stop, just stop. Relax. The more fired up you get the more fired up they get. You're not going to hurt them. And yes, the little buggers are fast as lightning but if you can be methodical you will be successful. 

And what PJ said, get the blu kote before you catch one. That way it can be treated if needed while you have it in hand.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> Also, try to de-stress a little. My strong suspicion is that you have some form of game cross, perhaps Slates or Blues. If you do, they will be full of personality and incredibly sturdy. Train them now with the meal worms and get them coop trained so they're not roosting in your trees.


They have only lived in the coop except for the time before she brought them home after they hatched.


----------



## RitaS

Is this what I want ? No local places have any so have to wait on delivery from Amazon


----------



## robin416

That's amazing, every feed store I've ever been in has blu kote. It's widely used on most livestock. 

Yes, that's the one. Don't be fooled, that spray bottle can make as much of a mess as the pour on.

Thing is, she probably knows what a coop is but for some reason she left her other digs or was abandoned. If she's a game bird like everyone suspects, that is normal behavior for them. You just have to learn to work with it. 

Without chicks they can be very sweet to their humans. Even the roosters. 

My Guineas are very much a game bird but in a much bigger size. Over the years I've learned how to deal with their wildness. I always turn my back when I've got things to do in the coop and the hen has little ones because I can guarantee you she will come after me.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> That's amazing, every feed store I've ever been in has blu kote. It's widely used on most livestock.
> 
> Yes, that's the one. Don't be fooled, that spray bottle can make as much of a mess as the pour on.
> 
> Thing is, she probably knows what a coop is but for some reason she left her other digs or was abandoned. If she's a game bird like everyone suspects, that is normal behavior for them. You just have to learn to work with it.
> 
> Without chicks they can be very sweet to their humans. Even the roosters.
> 
> My Guineas are very much a game bird but in a much bigger size. Over the years I've learned how to deal with their wildness. I always turn my back when I've got things to do in the coop and the hen has little ones because I can guarantee you she will come after me.


Lol yeah she just had a fit when I put the DE in the run. She's not taking any chances with her chicks that's for sure. thank you all for helping me. I guess I'm protective too & that's why it upsets me. I want to fix it ! I feel helpless.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> That's amazing, every feed store I've ever been in has blu kote. It's widely used on most livestock.
> 
> Yes, that's the one. Don't be fooled, that spray bottle can make as much of a mess as the pour on.
> 
> Thing is, she probably knows what a coop is but for some reason she left her other digs or was abandoned. If she's a game bird like everyone suspects, that is normal behavior for them. You just have to learn to work with it.
> 
> Without chicks they can be very sweet to their humans. Even the roosters.
> 
> My Guineas are very much a game bird but in a much bigger size. Over the years I've learned how to deal with their wildness. I always turn my back when I've got things to do in the coop and the hen has little ones because I can guarantee you she will come after me.


I live in a very rural area & there isn't many stores around. I'm sure the locals bought it all out & stores take their time to replenish. Amazon can't deliver until August 18 but I need to find it somewhere sooner.


----------



## RitaS

Look at the chicks on the roost.... how sweet is that !!! Lol


----------



## robin416

Something is up with that then. My guess is it's a problem with getting the product or the ingredients for it. 

Have you got any association with any of those that might have livestock? You could ask to buy some or borrow some.


----------



## robin416

RitaS said:


> View attachment 34294
> Look at the chicks on the roost.... how sweet is that !!! Lol


Is there a pic there somewhere or are the forum gremlins striking again?


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> Something is up with that then. My guess is it's a problem with getting the product or the ingredients for it.
> 
> Have you got any association with any of those that might have livestock? You could ask to buy some or borrow some.


Unfortunately I don't know any or of any around here.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> Is there a pic there somewhere or are the forum gremlins striking again?


There's a pic but I had to add it. Got so excited to see them I didn't add it until after I posted lol


----------



## robin416

Well, that is just weird. Me replying directly to you made your link show up.


----------



## RitaS

RitaS said:


> View attachment 34294
> Look at the chicks on the roost.... how sweet is that !!! Lol


See momma & im no where near them lol


----------



## robin416

It might be close that she's going to calm down now that babies are gaining more independence.


----------



## robin416

Yeah, she will be on guard but it will slowly reduce. Poultry Judge had a good idea about being the giver of treats and making it as personal as possible. You can begin to gain trust.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> Yeah, she will be on guard but it will slowly reduce. Poultry Judge had a good idea about being the giver of treats and making it as personal as possible. You can begin to gain trust.


How often for treats ? Ugh I don't like touching those mealworms lol.


----------



## robin416

I don't either but we do what we need to do to convince them we're not the enemy or the predator. 

A couple times a day would be good. I bought five pounds of mealworms from Chewy. I transfer some of them into a plastic container that holds quite a few. Keets now recognize the sound of the container being shaken and go crazy running to me.


----------



## Poultry Judge

RitaS said:


> View attachment 34294
> Look at the chicks on the roost.... how sweet is that !!! Lol


That's too cute!


----------



## Sylie

I wouldn't use a net in this case, that's really dangerous for everyone involved. The chick will freak out and struggle and Momma will come to it's rescue and go after you, possibly getting hurt herself in the net or whatever when you go to defend yourself, you could lose your balance and step on someone, it's just not a good idea inside a coop.

You can use the mealworms as suggested but it'll take at least a few days to get Momma to trust you, she's the one you have to win over in order to get to the chicks. By the time you win Momma over, whatever is going on with the chicks could be solved on it's own or so bad that you can't do anything about it. 

Are they eating, drinking, behaving normally at this point? Are you seeing large amounts of diarrhea in the pen? 

Maybe, if you are patient enough, you could lay down on the floor by the pen with your camera ready and toss meal worms in, eventually one of the chicks will investigate and maybe you can snap a quick pic that isn't too fuzzy for us to really see what's happening. 

Can you tell if these patches on their chests are bare naked? Like, loss of feathers? Are the feathers just rubbed funny? What (maybe I missed a post earlier, I apologize if I did) makes you think they have an injury to their chests and why would all of them have the same injury? I'm just mystified here.


----------



## RitaS

I c


Sylie said:


> I wouldn't use a net in this case, that's really dangerous for everyone involved. The chick will freak out and struggle and Momma will come to it's rescue and go after you, possibly getting hurt herself in the net or whatever when you go to defend yourself, you could lose your balance and step on someone, it's just not a good idea inside a coop.
> 
> You can use the mealworms as suggested but it'll take at least a few days to get Momma to trust you, she's the one you have to win over in order to get to the chicks. By the time you win Momma over, whatever is going on with the chicks could be solved on it's own or so bad that you can't do anything about it.
> 
> Are they eating, drinking, behaving normally at this point? Are you seeing large amounts of diarrhea in the pen?
> 
> Maybe, if you are patient enough, you could lay down on the floor by the pen with your camera ready and toss meal worms in, eventually one of the chicks will investigate and maybe you can snap a quick pic that isn't too fuzzy for us to really see what's happening.
> 
> Can you tell if these patches on their chests are bare naked? Like, loss of feathers? Are the feathers just rubbed funny? What (maybe I missed a post earlier, I apologize if I did) makes you think they have an injury to their chests and why would all of them have the same injury? I'm just mystified here.


I can't tell. I agree they all wouldn't have same injuries. They act no differently. Eating / drinking as usual. Running around as usual.
Ok NO net. Can't risk injury to them. I couldn't take that myself lol.no diarrhea


----------



## RitaS

The spots seem smaller today ! Yay ! 
Could it just be chick fluff fell out to make room for feathers ? Lol
I went out with dried flies, yuck, I meant to buy mealworms. I put a few thru the holes & chicks came running & momma came over, not too close. Maybe a foot away but I wasn’t inside the run either. Chicks took flies outta her beak so she hesitated then took one that I held thru the holes in chicken wire. She did that a couple times. Hope it’s the beginning of trust lol. Going to try again this evening


----------



## robin416

There you go. Doing things like that will earn their trust that you're not a predator. They will get so they recognize your voice and will come running.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> There you go. Doing things like that will earn their trust that you're not a predator. They will get so they recognize your voice and will come running.


Warms my heart to hear that. She's beautiful to me & so are the chicks. Gonna be sad when they move but has to be.


----------



## robin416

I'm not holding my breath that they're still going to a new home. You could always keep a couple of females and let the others be rehomed.


----------



## RitaS

Lol
I’ll think about doing that. I have an outdoor wood burner & the smoke is pretty bad at times. I would worry that the smoke would be too much for them as I’m sure it would go into the run/coop. 
The chicks have little nubs of combs now, dang they’re so stinkin cute. I saw a couple of them trying to dust bath yesterday lol. That was really cute to see, too. Lol


----------



## RitaS




----------



## robin416

Things look like they're calming down. Not long ago she'd be coming at you through the wire getting that close.


----------



## RitaS

She’s tryin to dust bathe & chicks are all over her .... one on her back ! Lol


----------



## RitaS

__
Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
Show Content








2nd treat today was some better. look at that comb ❤


----------



## robin416

Gloves? Yeah, the mealworms are nasty but gloves? LOL

Next open the door and sit there giving them the treats.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> Gloves? Yeah, the mealworms are nasty but gloves? LOL
> 
> Next open the door and sit there giving them the treats.


Lol. Just couldn't touch those things. Yep! Gloves lol


----------



## RitaS

I won’t have time tomorrow but I’ll try on Monday ...
Yep gloves for dried flies everytime hehe


----------



## robin416

Don't you have to open the door to do feed and water? So, they're used to you coming in now.


----------



## Sylie

That is so awesome, you are making great progress, keep up the good work!


----------



## Thomas Lippert

Wish I had chickens just show up at my door.  I wonder if my wife would buy it?


----------



## robin416

Depends on how quickly those chickens showed up after a trip to the feed store.


----------



## RitaS

Thomas Lippert said:


> Wish I had chickens just show up at my door.  I wonder if my wife would buy it?


Lol. I got lucky this time I guess.


----------



## RitaS

We think a truck loaded with chicken stopped across the road at the market & the hen got off & came to my house lol


----------



## robin416

It's possible if they were delivering chickens that she could have escaped. It's happened before.


----------



## Thomas Lippert

RitaS said:


> Big black bugs keep getting into the chickens water. What is the best waterer to keep things out of the waterer ?
> Will the hen be ok eating the starter grower crumbles ? Little late, I guess, but I was giving her & chicks free range food.


I use nipple waterers keeps the water spotless.


----------



## Sylie

I've tried nipple waterers, my chickens just don't understand it...they poke at the nipple and watch the drop fall to the floor, over and over and over and over hahahaha... then they drink the remaining puddle off the floor. I end up with a gigantic mess. The entire month that I had it in there the only water they got was what they drank off the floor, eventually they started showing signs of dehydration so I gave them their bowl back. 
I got new chicks last year and tried again, as chicks and one of them thought it was a shower, she would stand underneath it, poke it and let it fall on her head. The others showed no signs of interest in any way, shape or form and ended up keeping me up all night screaming for water. I gave them a bowl too haha...I'm weak


----------



## RitaS

Thomas Lippert said:


> I use nipple waterers keeps the water spotless.


Will the chicks be ok with those ?


----------



## RitaS

There are hen feathers all over the run. Some long, some short. Is she molting ? Anything special I need to do ?


----------



## robin416

Nope. And you're sure they're hers? Babies will also go through a couple of molts although they are a bit young for their next one. 

Birds drop old feathers to grow new ones, it's what they do.


----------



## Thomas Lippert

RitaS said:


> Will the chicks be ok with those ?


I dunno. I built it after I moved mine outside. I imagine they would be.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> Nope. And you're sure they're hers? Babies will also go through a couple of molts although they are a bit young for their next one.
> 
> Birds drop old feathers to grow new ones, it's what they do.


The feathers are too big to be the chicks' & are her pretty silky black color ❤


----------



## RitaS

Well no luck with building rapport with momma hen this morning but she was closer than before .... she didn’t take the chicks to the opposite end of the run at least. 
The last 2 nights have been chilly here. I’m sure there’s warmer nights ahead but time to start seriously thinking about getting them to their new home


----------



## robin416

If she didn't hustle the peeps away from you then it is happening. It's not a hey we're besties all of a sudden. They need to learn to trust just like we do when it comes to meeting new people.


----------



## RitaS

No luck this afternoon, she didn't even want the flies lol.
I got a pic of this particular chick, the comb looks bigger & it's more red than the other chicks. Is it too soon to tell if it's a rooster?
Wrong pic but compared to other pics it's more obvious


----------



## RitaS




----------



## robin416

Probably a little boy. If that's the only one out of the group those are really good odds. It's a nightmare when the majority are males.


----------



## RitaS

There is one more who’s comb is pretty red. Lordy , I was hoping for no roosters ugh.


----------



## robin416

Talk about a newbie to hatching peeps. Wishful thinking never works with these guys. 

But don't feel bad. I had 17 eggs hatch one time, 15 turned out to be males. If you only have two that's nothing to get to upset about.


----------



## RitaS

Well yeah I’m a newbie lol. This hen found me hehe. 
I don’t want roosters because I don’t want more chicks lol.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> Talk about a newbie to hatching peeps. Wishful thinking never works with these guys.
> 
> But don't feel bad. I had 17 eggs hatch one time, 15 turned out to be males. If you only have two that's nothing to get to upset about.


I won't be upset. I'll just have to get them moved to their new home before more chicks come along


----------



## robin416

You've got plenty of time. Those little boys won't be mature enough to be thinking about reproduction for a couple of months yet. And you can always remove the eggs. Problem solved.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> You've got plenty of time. Those little boys won't be mature enough to be thinking about reproduction for a couple of months yet. And you can always remove the eggs. Problem solved.


Lol. I think ur more determined that I'm keeping the chickens than I am 
Who knows what will happen lol


----------



## robin416

Nah, this time I was relieving you of your concerns about ending up with more chicks.


----------



## Sylie

That one is looking like it could be a roo. Robin is right though, you have plenty of time before you have to worry about chicks. If the time does come that you need to worry about it, all you have to do is collect the eggs every single day, no chicks can be incubated in the refrigerator! lol


----------



## RitaS

He is 1 of 2 with the brighter red comb. Both have legs that are thicker than the other chicks. They are a little bigger than the others. , too.


----------



## Sylie

I never go by legs, it's can be misleading, different breeds have different legs, if you are looking at 2 exactly identical chickens (breed, hatchday etc), you might be able to tell the difference but it should never be counted on as a measure of gender. The comb and wattle development, feather development, wing size and position, those are usually a little better indicators although, they can fool you for sure, I always say "it's a roo until it lays an egg"
roosters, obviously cannot lay eggs but hens CAN crow so you can't even trust crowing to tell you. I have an australorp hen that stopped laying eggs, is growing her comb and wattles out and crows every now and then. Chickens just LOVE to screw with us humans.


----------



## RitaS

Sylie said:


> I never go by legs, it's can be misleading, different breeds have different legs, if you are looking at 2 exactly identical chickens (breed, hatchday etc), you might be able to tell the difference but it should never be counted on as a measure of gender. The comb and wattle development, feather development, wing size and position, those are usually a little better indicators although, they can fool you for sure, I always say "it's a roo until it lays an egg"
> roosters, obviously cannot lay eggs but hens CAN crow so you can't even trust crowing to tell you. I have an australorp hen that stopped laying eggs, is growing her comb and wattles out and crows every now and then. Chickens just LOVE to screw with us humans.


Thank you for telling me. I did not know hens could crow lol. I've learned quite a bit from y'all & appreciate all the help.


----------



## robin416

You've learned a bunch you won't use since they are not staying with you. Unless you are planning on having some control in the future to what occupies your coop.


----------



## RitaS

She took several flies from my hand this morning while keeping as much distance as she could. She allowed the chicks to take from my hand too & they were close enough to touch. A couple ran up & touched my hand & wow they jumped back like they were scared to death. 
What is all the digging? Hen has been doing it for a couple hours now, is she trying to tunnel out to free range ? Lol 
I guess it is useless what I have learned but it has helped me take care of them thus far ❤


----------



## robin416

If she's not making a dust bath area she's looking for buried treasure to share with her peeps. It can be quite entertaining to watch when they come across something.


----------



## RitaS

Oh wow ! Must be why they all went running over to her.


----------



## robin416

Yep, she'll tell them when she thinks she's found something.


----------



## Sylie

yep, she's looking for bugs and worms and teaching the babies to do the same thing so that someday they will have the skill to find their own food


----------



## RitaS

Well I think she may be getting used to me, not there yet but going slowly
She ate some from my (gloved) hand lol & allowed the chicks to also. Not many chicks did but will keep working at it.
Luckily, I don’t see those spots on chicks but do see little tiny “feathers” poking out. It looks like the white tip of feathers. Idk what that’s called
Chicks are getting big... momma has to stretch her wing a little to cover them lol
They get on the roost now & sometimes nap there. I saw 2 of them puff out their chests at each other but no fighting as of yet !


----------



## robin416

Hens can be more suspicious of us when there are chicks present. In the early going with my Guinea parents and their keets I was the devil incarnate. Now they could care less if I'm around them.


----------



## Poultry Judge

It looks like you're making progress!


----------



## Sylie

Sounds great! It will be slow no doubt. There probably won't be much actual fighting among the chicks, they will chest bump (males and females both) and do some posturing, hopping around each other but the chances of actual fights are slim, they are just finding out who is going to be the first boss.


----------



## RitaS

I have 3 bright red combs but hoping still for no roosters lol. I know.... not gonna happen.
Momma took the most ever of the flies from me holding then thru the wire holes. The chicks were allowed to also but maintained their distance as well. I think it’s getting better & I know still a long, slow road ahead.


----------



## robin416

Think back to what it was like when she first brought the chicks to you. You've got a night and day difference from those first few days. And it will only continue to get better as she releases the chicks from her care and guardianship.


----------



## RitaS

I’m not really looking forward to her letting them go but maybe that will make it easier for me to let them all move to their new home. 
I am already wondering about their safety when they move. A **** got 2 of my friends chickens. I know it’s how things go sometimes. I’m going to tell her not to tell me if anything happens to them


----------



## robin416

She won't abandon them. They will be part of her flock.

Does the person getting them understand she's a game bird and may not assimilate into another flock? Same goes for the chicks.


----------



## RitaS

I haven’t discussed it with her because I did not know that. How would she have to take care of them ? Separate them from her chickens ? Would the chickens fight or what ? 
I need to know all I can about this because I won’t send my chickens any place that could be harmful to them. 
Thank you so much for sharing that info with me. I may just be wintering a coop lol


----------



## robin416

Yeah, there can be a lot of fighting. I actually hatched a game bird hen from an abandoned nest because my Silkie was broody. As she matured she became more and more forceful with my birds looking to be top bird. The hens aren't as bad as the roosters. 

The roosters can be very domineering and fighting happens a lot.


----------



## RitaS

Oh no..... I think 3 of these are roosters... really red combed. I hope they prove me wrong but if not idk what to do with them. I sure don’t want them to go with my friend just to be fighting all the time or killed from fighting. 
My chickens are ok being in the run/coop all the time, right?? No free ranging.
If they are , & I kept them, I would need another coop So could the roosters live in 1 & the hens in the other ?


----------



## robin416

Maybe. It all depends on how much of the game bird genes the boys inherited. My neighbor had game birds, something got into the pens and killed all but three. She turned the remaining birds out, two were roosters who got along OK except when they didn't.

But they were living out in the wild where they could escape each other when they needed to.


----------



## Sylie

generally speaking, you don't want to house roosters together but Robin is right, it really depends on their personality, how they get along with each other etc. Once those hormones kick in there could be problems.


----------



## RitaS

Oh my, what do you do with 3 roosters ?
My hen could not take 3 roosters I wouldn’t think.
I don’t know what to do... the time will eventually come I know. Isn’t it around 12 weeks ? I think they were brought to me about 4 weeks ago but don’t know when they hatched.


----------



## robin416

One of those boys will be top bird, he will be the only one allowed to breed. At least that's how it usually works.


----------



## RitaS

Well thank you.... that’s a relief to know ! Lol. mom learning a lot & couldn’t be more grateful ❤


----------



## Poultry Judge

Please keep us posted with pictures as they get older. There are as many game cross strains as there are breeds of chickens.


----------



## RitaS

I will post pics tomorrow. I think they have grown so much. Thank you


----------



## RitaS

This probably sounds like a stupid question but .... how do I clean their ladder ?
Momma is screeching at chicks a lot this morning... she must not like what they are/aren’t doing lol


----------



## RitaS

Chicks ate from my hand this morning.
Look how big they're getting!


----------



## robin416

If it isn't permanently attached take out and hose it down. If it is, paint scraper.

It's a good idea to check when one is raising the roof like that. There could be something out there that's a threat and she knows it. When they've been around long enough you'll recognize what the different sounds mean. 

That's a cute little boy in that pic.


----------



## RitaS

Ty he is a cutie but then they all are lol. Such interesting markings. Wish I knew what the rooster looked like. 
She seemed to be really directing her squak toward the chicks. She was beside them with her head down beside them. I had just been out to collect contains for fresh food/water & I heard her before I went back out.


----------



## RitaS

SNAKE. Don’t know what to do. No hoe to kill it & not sure I could do it ! Now so worried about chicks


----------



## RitaS




----------



## robin416

Try to get it into a bucket. 

Any idea what kind? It's hard to give direction when I don't know what it is. Garter snakes will bite if scared and will even rattle their tails to mimic a rattlesnake. 

I've got a long hollow tube that I put in front of the snake and allow it to crawl part way in, then I grab the part of the body outside of the tube to keep it from going all of the way through. Then I relocated it to the woods.


----------



## robin416

Your pic didn't show up right away. I'd have to dig to find out what that is but I don't think it's venomous. Look at the head, is it a diamond shape? That's one to stay away from.

See if you can divert it away if you don't have a way to catch it to be relocated.

I don't kill automatically if I can relocate. They are great for keeping mice numbers down.


----------



## RitaS

I think round headed. I hate snakes. Going to try & find stuff to “snake proof” the coop. I do not like snakes at all. Scare me to death.


----------



## robin416

Not a lot of people do like them. I cohabit with them when they are not a threat to me or mine. 

Having the birds I've had to get over my squeamishness towards them so it wasn't necessary to kill those that were not venomous.


----------



## RitaS

I'm putting hardware cloth on the ground outside the coop , will that take care of the snakes getting inside ? Not too sure what to use to tack it down. I've run out of what I was using lol


----------



## robin416

No it won't. It'll keep anything from digging under the coop to get in.

How big are the squares of the wire on your coop? That's where they can get in if the squares too large.

The snake you saw didn't look like a constrictor and the peeps are all too big for anything but very large snakes to eat. I have had a large black snake kill a Silkie pullet but discovered the Silkie was to big to swallow and backed off. Leaving the dead bird behind.


----------



## RitaS

1/4” squares
How would a snake get in ? I don’t have any holes. 
This chicken keepin is giving anxiety!


----------



## Sylie

I cannot find find your snake anywhere on the internet but I'm sure that I'm just missing it. Someone might come along that knows but I think at this point, it's more important to keep it away from your birds than it is to identify it. There is no such thing as a vegetarian snake so no matter what it is, you need to make sure it can't get to your birds. (Obviously lol)

1/4 inch holes in the fencing should keep any snake big enough to eat your birds out of the run, just make sure that the coop windows are covered with hardware cloth or the same 1/4 inch wire that the run is made of. Most snakes can climb a straight wall up to it's own height. 

Honestly, the best advice is to kill the dumb thing lol, you can try to relocate it if you don't want to kill it but it knows there is food in your yard and will likely just come back. (unless you take it a far away). I don't like to kill anything except mosquitoes, june bugs and I feed cicada's to my girls but my birds come before a snake any day.


----------



## robin416

LOL Yes it does until you have everything fine tuned. Hardware cloth will keep them out. Unless there is a tunnel made by something else they won't tunnel their way in.


----------



## RitaS

I’ll have to find somebody that’s willing to kill it. I was going to run it over but thought that might not kill it. 
All the windows have the same 1/4” wire


----------



## robin416

How big is it? From that pic it didn't look big enough to do any harm to anything bigger than bugs.


----------



## Poultry Judge

You have plenty of hardware cloth there to do what you need to. Your chicks sure are growing!


----------



## Sylie

I've run over snakes before. I have such a hatred of them that when I saw it in the road I made sure I ran it over then backed up over it just to make sure it was dead. It was still in the road the next day but more flat since I was not the only one to run it over hahaha


----------



## RitaS

This probably sounds crazy but I don’t even like the thought of running over the snake... freaks me out ... lol. 
Oh my, yes, the chicks are getting so big & I can’t believe they are so many different colors... I think my favorite is the black/ white one. 
Although they are still skittish, they do get closer now when I feed them their flies. I work a lot so I don’t really get to spend much time working with them. Momma has started standing back & doesn’t seem as protective. 
I still want to re-home them before winter but then again if it will cause them problems I don’t want that.


----------



## robin416

The decision to rehome isn't easy when they wiggle into your heart.


----------



## RitaS

Pics as of today.... look at how big they are & tail feathers coming in as well as waddles ❤❤❤
Look robin416 .....NO glove..... guess around this hen house we're all learning lol


----------



## robin416

You beat me to it, I was going to point out you forgot your glove. 

We need Sylie to confirm this but it looks like there are three little boys.


----------



## RitaS

Lol. Well I guessed 3 so idk what I’m gonna do with 3 roosters but I see one is already pretty dominant lol. If I’m right I’m guessing he will be the breeder. Lol.


----------



## robin416

The simplest way to deal with too many boys is to pair them up with a girl and advertise a pair for sale. Probably really not anything you want to do but it will draw in more if you can make yourself take that step.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Yes, what Robin said, if they get just a little older maybe we can identify the cross, so you can advertise what they are.


----------



## RitaS

Is the lighter combed one a hen ? If not there's 4 roosters


----------



## RitaS

Sorry what is cross?
This little guy has to be the most beautifully marked one to me. Gosh he's a cutie ❤


----------



## robin416

A cross is a mix of two different breeds. Daddy may not be a game bird or he may be. 

I'm not going to touch the question about the pale comb baby. Way too close for me to call.


----------



## RitaS

Lol you know a lot more than I’ll never know about chickens & I’m just guessing. I think your guess would be better than mine. 
Oh ok , yeah I wish I could get a look at the daddy but no clue where he lives lol. 
That brings another question.... she got along with that rooster apparently so is it the hens that would be the problem integrating my chickens into ? I hope I’m making sense.


----------



## robin416

It can be the hens. Game birds are very territorial and very much wanting to be the top bird of the flock. 

I hatched and raised one game bird pullet. Things were fine until she began to mature, then she went around pounding on all the other birds trying to gain dominance. Since my birds were all over six years old I gave her away.

Very rarely can game bird roosters be housed together, they will fight until one is seriously injured or dead.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> It can be the hens. Game birds are very territorial and very much wanting to be the top bird of the flock.
> 
> I hatched and raised one game bird pullet. Things were fine until she began to mature, then she went around pounding on all the other birds trying to gain dominance. Since my birds were all over six years old I gave her away.
> 
> Very rarely can game bird roosters be housed together, they will fight until one is seriously injured or dead.


About what age do these roosters need separated? I do not want to see any dead birds.
I looked in the coop tonight & saw the chicks are behind momma , not under her. Does that mean she will want to get away from the chicks soon ? Am I going to have to get rid of them soon or house them separately real quick like ?


----------



## robin416

It's all a waiting game at this point. They might never do anything or they might all go crazy at once. Momma is pretty much done raising them. They are now part of her flock. They don't need to be removed, especially not the girls. They will live together without issues. 

It's going to be the boys that you'll have to watch.


----------



## Sylie

4 roosters that I can tell from these pictures


----------



## RitaS

Sylie said:


> 4 roosters that I can tell from these pictures


4 roosters & I was hoping for none lol. The odds were against me. Robin said chances were slim to none on no roosters. 
When would be the best time to re-home ? 
I can't have crowing going on , my neighbors will be upset with me.


----------



## robin416

When you're ready to let them go is the time for rehoming. It can be tomorrow or it can be when all of them decide to crow.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> When you're ready to let them go is the time for rehoming. It can be tomorrow or it can be when all of them decide to crow.


lol. Ok well a little closer to crowing time.
I'm giving thot to having firewood delivered on the other side of my house so as not to have to move the coop.... maybe just keep my flock until they crow that is. Lol then keep the girls
why would momma peck at a chick ? She won't hurt them , would she ?
I finally got the nerve to run over the box several times last nite where I saw the snake & when I moved the box this morning... NO SNAKE. Hope it isn't closer to the coop, even if it can't eat my chickens I don't want it biting them or killing them.


----------



## robin416

No, chances are pretty low that she'd hurt one. It's a form of discipline. It's letting one know in no uncertain terms she's top of the flock. That type of thing will go on as they get older. You're liable to see the boys tangling here soon.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> No, chances are pretty low that she'd hurt one. It's a form of discipline. It's letting one know in no uncertain terms she's top of the flock. That type of thing will go on as they get older. You're liable to see the boys tangling here soon.


Oh great I hope they don't fight. I do see some of them push out their chest & bump up on each other. 
If they do fight what do I need to do ? I mean I don't want to get in between them, do I ? Is that when they need separated ? I have no place to put them to separate them ugh


----------



## robin416

It all depends on how knock down, drag out the fight gets. Some will say OK, you're top dog and will walk away. Others want that spot and will really tangle with the aggressor. 

It all depends on how vicious the fight is. You can hose them down if it gets too out of hand. That usually breaks it up pretty quick. You could let the group out to free range and that will minimize some of the not getting along. 

They know where home is and will return to eat and drink and go up for the night most of the time. My Guineas, who are still very much their ancient genetics, return to their coop each night.


----------



## Sylie

They are still pretty young for any vicious knock down drag outs. Usually those kinds of fights start happening just after the full blown adult crowing happens. Right now they are just playing around. Pecks on the head are meant more to say "I'm the boss, accept it now so I don't have to kick your butt later".


----------



## RitaS

Sylie said:


> They are still pretty young for any vicious knock down drag outs. Usually those kinds of fights start happening just after the full blown adult crowing happens. Right now they are just playing around. Pecks on the head are meant more to say "I'm the boss, accept it now so I don't have to kick your butt later".


Yes ma'am, for sure they are pecking the others on the head. 
I wish I knew why this hen came here then brought all these babies... why didn't she move in with the rooster at his coop lol. I worry to death about these chickens lol


----------



## robin416

We all worried in the early days so you're not unusual in your concern. At some point you realize that they're just fine and we can relax and just enjoy them being there.


----------



## RitaS

Any suggestions on how I should winterize the coop ? I’ve read to put plastic sheeting around the whole thing leaving 1” at the top open.


----------



## robin416

Unless you get really nasty winter winds you don't need to do anything. You can cover the side wind usually comes from just so they can be out and not have the wind knocking them around.


----------



## RitaS

At times it gets pretty nasty in Ohio.
If I put 2 coops together will they separate themselves to roost at night ? Or should I maybe separate the roosters if they start fighting?
So undecided lol


----------



## robin416

Why are you asking me those questions? I thought you were rehoming them. 

My first suggestion is to rehome at least one of the boys, two if you can. 

Most of your wind in the Winter comes from the WNW and NW, that would be the side to close up. You can have one of the other sides, like the East side with a rolled up tarp to drop when weather gets dicey. 

No, they are a flock. They'll roost together.


----------



## RitaS

I


robin416 said:


> Why are you asking me those questions? I thought you were rehoming them.
> 
> My first suggestion is to rehome at least one of the boys, two if you can.
> 
> Most of your wind in the Winter comes from the WNW and NW, that would be the side to close up. You can have one of the other sides, like the East side with a rolled up tarp to drop when weather gets dicey.
> 
> No, they are a flock. They'll roost together.


I'm asking you because you have the answers. If you would rather I didn't ask I won't 
I can't re-home them in good faith knowing they're game birds.


----------



## robin416

AH HA!!! It worked! 

Sorry couldn't resist. 

You can rehome them safely. There are folks that won't have anything else but gamebirds. They love the breed. 

They are a personable breed, the males are seldom aggressive to humans. The problem is trying to integrate them with other breeds or a new flock. They demand top spot in the flock and will do everything they can to get that top spot. Males living together is next to impossible where we can get away with it with other breeds.


----------



## Sylie

As for the winterizing question. Some people believe that because chickens have down they don't need any warmth, they are fine outside in the elements as they are. Those are the chickens that you find with black combs, toes, wattles literally frozen off. Chickens ARE susceptible to the cold just as much as we are. 
Think of it this way...would you want to be outside 24 hours a day, day in and day out with no shoes, socks or hat, only a winter coat? Even if you had a group of friends to cuddle with, would you enjoy yourself? Do you think that you would be warm enough?

The belief that chickens don't need protection from the cold comes from the really old days when chickens were not pets, they were not live, living creatures, they were things to be owned, used for their purpose and when they die, you get a new one, who cares. Kind of like a lawn mower. But that being said, would you leave your lawn mower out in the elements day in and day out?

I'm not saying that you should or should not winterize your coop, I'm just pointing out that there are different beliefs and you have to decide how you feel and what kind of effort you want to put into the chickens.

Just because a chicken survives the winter does not mean that it was happy, comfortable or even well for that matter, many die in the winter from respiratory illness, frostbite, predators because they can't move around in the snow as easily to get away etc.

I'm really not giving an opinion here, only a few things to think about before winter does come in. I live in Iowa and I winterize heavily, I would not want to be in my girls shoes ()

I even shovel the yard so they don't have to walk in the deep snow (boy, after rereading this last sentence, I may be babying them just a little bit? hahahaha)


----------



## RitaS

Well I understand babying them ... it’s easy to get into.
No I wouldn’t want to be in the chicks shoes either & no I wouldn’t leave my mower out lol. I’m the type that would want to bring the chickens inside to my enclosed porch if it was bitter outside. lol
Sylie, What do you do when you winterize the coop , if you don’t mind my asking ?


----------



## RitaS

Could my hen be a black sex link ?


----------



## Sylie

Anything is possible (black sex link question) but I am so awful at the genetics thing that maybe Robin or Mitzy would be better to ask.

The actual coops themselves are heavily insulated to start with. Thats a year round thing, we built the coops ourselves and put 2 inches of insulation (floor has foam, walls and roof have blown in insulation). The first year I noticed their combs were getting frostbit and their water bowl was always freezing. It's important here to explain the coop set up...This coop (I have 2 and they are different shapes etc so I am only talking about the big one now) has 2 floors, upstairs and downstairs. In the upstairs my husband cut a hole in the floor in the corner, covered it with metal hardware cloth, built a frame around the hole with 2x4's and covered them with metal plating. Then he covered the 2 walls in that corner with more metal plating. Next he hung the heat lamp in the corner sticking out diagonal so that it wasn't close to either of the walls and was centered over the hole, he made sure that it was securely attached to the wall (I can't explain how he did it, sorry but it can't be knocked down) then used 2 metal grates with small squares (1 inch ) as the 2 sides that were exposed to the chickens area so that they can't reach the lamp, if they freak out and start jumping around or whatever, they cannot hit the lamp accidentally or anything. This provides heat upstairs and downstairs at the same time. In the light zone downstairs it stays about 36 or so (depending on the temp outside since the pop door is open all day lol) and drops to anywhere between 29 and 32 in the zones farthest from the light zone. Upstairs stays a very nice 36 to 40. Every week I go in and wash the lamp bell, wipe off the bulb etc. to keep it working properly and for safety.
Next I put pine shavings 5 - 6 inch depth on the ground in their run and finally I wrap the entire run in clear plastic to keep the wind, snow and cold out. The run stays around 26 degrees depending on outside temp with no supplemental heat in there.

So, long story short and to summarize lol!
heat lamp (heavy safety measures in place)
pine shavings in the run 
plastic wrapping on the run


----------



## Poultry Judge

Yes, you don't want a lot of cold wind moving moving through the coop. I would start making plans to re-home a couple of the roos, it might be easier now than to have significant problems later, especially if you are in an area where you can't have roosters. And as the ladies have said, game cross roos are going to be higher maintenance. They are colorful though!


----------



## RitaS

Thank you all for everything, it’s been a great help to me. 
I have spoken with the potential new owner & she is willing to take all of my chickens. I told her they were game birds & as far as I know 4 roosters.
I would like to see the chicks grow a little more so maybe in 2-4 weeks they will be moved. 
I’m starting to see some hard head pecking , looked like a rooster & a hen. He knocked her off balance & when she walked away he went after her. 
I am amazed at how many different colors my chicks are & although I don’t want to keep them, I think they’re all beautiful. 
Thanks for sharing how you insulted your coop. I can’t do the insulation but if for whatever reason they stay here I’ll definitely put plastic around & pine shavings in the run. 
I’m out in the country so having the roosters would be ok except the neighbors might not like to hear them lol. 
Thank y’all again !!


----------



## Poultry Judge

They are very colorful! Given that you have no history, you won't be able to sort out the genetics on the game cross issue until they are older. You have already done a lot of work, why don't you keep some and then get another breed you like? You seem like you are hooked on these guys and I think folks on this forum enjoy helping. If you have issues rehoming roos you can contact us. We are in Northeast Ohio and are a licensed animal sanctuary and wildlife rehabilitator.


----------



## RitaS

With my schedule I don’t feel I give enough time to my chickens. I work 6 days a week & only go home to them roosting . Like this morning I left before they were up & they will be in the coop before I get home. 
My friend says she will take all of them & she already has chickens.


----------



## RitaS

I have sand covering the run. Momma has been scratching & throwing sand straight into the waterer. I came home last night & saw there was no water, only sand. Is there a way to prevent this or a waterer I can get ?


----------



## robin416

We all deal with things in waterers that don't belong. Can you raise it up? It won't keep everything out but it sort of slows it down. Most times I've got mine up on a concrete block and it still ends up with shavings in the waterers.


----------



## RitaS

I’ll give that a try. Thanks


----------



## Poultry Judge

I have a few old silver plate serving trays that are very low and I set the waterers on those for the chicks and that works pretty good. You could probably use any type of tray that is low enough for your babies to navigate. You have to be even more creative with ducks in a brooder situation!


----------



## robin416

Hers are old enough to hop up but when I have some a tad younger I make it a stair step with something lower. Right now my keets have a 4X6 to jump on to reach the waterer on the concrete block. 

Ducks in a brooder with a waterer? That would be a full time job keeping those clean.


----------



## RitaS

Oh my the one chick now has a “mask” around his eyes like momma....I think it’s one of the roosters. He looks much more grown than the others. 
They didn’t stay babies very long


----------



## Poultry Judge

Indeed it is!


----------



## robin416

Nope, they never do. 

Don't forget to get some pics of the birds before they go to their new home. You will enjoy looking back on the adventure you had with them.


----------



## RitaS

Absolutely. I have many pics now but will get more for sure ! 
I think these chickens stole my heart after all ❤


----------



## Poultry Judge

Get us some more pics of the babies when you can, I'm still curious about the game cross. They do grow very quickly, that's part of the modern hybridization process, although some antique strains grow more slowly.


----------



## RitaS

I haven't heard from the potential new home as of yet so I just might be keeping these babies...
Here a few pics from today


----------



## robin416

You are so torn on what to do. You're attached but still want what's best for them. 

Is today and off work day? You could try letting them out to free range for a bit. It will worry you half to death if you do. I know I'm outside looking constantly to see who's where and doing what but it finally sinks in, they've got this. 

Those boys are too cute. Right up next to the wire checking to see what you're doing.


----------



## RitaS

That’s what my neighbor said “let them free range “ & yes just the thought scares me to death. I have a state route right in front of my house ... she hatched the chicks right off there. My road on the side is heavily traveled also, I saw her crossing one day & a car sped up like they were gonna hit her but she ran & got into our yard. Do you really think they would be ok ? And I don’t want her to go see her rooster daddy again lol. No more chicks please !!
Yes off work today finally


----------



## RitaS

Omg they are just the cutest little babies but then momma is beautiful too. 
Yes I am torn about what to do... if that person calls me then they move, if not I won’t contact them again so they stay here.


----------



## robin416

If you want to feel more secure about letting them out then put up a temp fence. I bought vinyl garden fencing at TSC when it was time for my keets to go out. I put some push in posts in the ground and connected the fence to the posts. When they could fly over it, I took it down.


----------



## RitaS

Do you think this would work ? I'm not good at building things lol


----------



## robin416

Sure, but I'll bet it's not cheap.

There really isn't any building involved in doing the temp fence. If you're ground isn't sandy soil like mine there are plastic posts that you just step on a piece of protruding plastic and set it in the ground. Here is an example: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/american-farmworks-4-ft-white-step-in-fence-post

This is similar to the fence I used except it wasn't that much money. https://www.homedepot.com/p/BOEN-4-...Garden-Fence-Netting-Black-PF-40005/303962666 I got mine at TSC.

Or are you thinking about the fact it's enclosed and they won't be able to wander off?


----------



## RitaS

I was thinking permanent. Also thought I might be able to connect it to the one I have now.... butting the 2 doors & wiring it together. They could go inside the coop at night & come out in the morning when they wanted.


----------



## robin416

I can certainly see a setup like that giving you peace of mind, especially since you work so much.

Don't lose sight of the fact there are four boys in that group. Have you figured out what to do about them yet?

How many total birds are there?


----------



## RitaS

Oooh I don't know but sure looks like more roosters. The girls hardly have a comb & there is only 3 of them. Hope hope hope I'm wrong.


----------



## RitaS

I have 10 birds , counting momma & no I haven’t really figured out what to do with the roosters. Approximately how long would I have to find them homes. I’d like to keep them for as long as I safely can , I realize it’s hard to say because I only know when she came home with them not when they hatched.could I keep momma & the hens ? Or do they need a rooster? I don’t want more chicks lol


----------



## robin416

Yes, you can keep just the girls. The biggest problem is finding new homes for just the boys. That one is a challenge. 

I still only see three boys but not all of them are facing the camera at the same time. 

I saw that grey leg color on a couple of the babies, I thought maybe I could tell you something about them. Sad to say, leg color in American games is more dependent on feather color. Which might be an answer in itself, they might be pure American game fowl. We'll need PJ to add his opinion to this.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> Yes, you can keep just the girls. The biggest problem is finding new homes for just the boys. That one is a challenge.
> 
> I still only see three boys but not all of them are facing the camera at the same time.
> 
> I saw that grey leg color on a couple of the babies, I thought maybe I could tell you something about them. Sad to say, leg color in American games is more dependent on feather color. Which might be an answer in itself, they might be pure American game fowl. We'll need PJ to add his opinion to this.


What would that do ? I mean, does it make a difference ?


----------



## robin416

I'm not sure what you're asking.


----------



## RitaS

What’s the difference if they’re pure American game fowl?


----------



## robin416

You might have a better chance of rehoming them if they're pure breeds.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Preface: my apologies, this is a long post but; Yes, what Robin said, is the shorter answer. The longer answer is: American Games cover a great deal of territory, however, you still have some time, before you run into issues with the boys. Give it another month, maybe less and I will be able to sort the crosses for you based on color and conformation. Then you can accurately state what they are, that will sometimes help with placing them in future homes. People like to say "I have such and such strain of such and such breed". The tongue in cheek part is that all American Games are specific crosses and in all general poultry shows, they are shown within the same general classes. I don't wish to say much more because I don't want you to become worried about their classification or showing them, however they will fit in somewhere, guaranteed. I'll give you a quick example: My specialty area is Pre-American breeds of Old English Games. If I didn't have a flock history for one of my birds, (as in your situation), I would use a group of checklists we colloquially call the "chutes and gates model". The major lines of a breed are the chutes and then the more specific color, conformation, feathering and bone structure are the gates which are simply a yes or no checklist and that is how we narrow it down as to x percentage this and x percentage that,which is accurate up to a four way cross. If we sort this out with certainty, we can still issue a certificate of provenance within the European Union. The United States tend not to have flock histories for birds, but I was trained old school in Ireland. My Knowley Stock Earl of Derby Old English, (strain), have a three hundred year flock history leading from England all the way to my four birds in the present which were hatched from eggs I was grateful to get from an American APA judge. He keeps them as a hobby just as I do to keep this antique strain going. The feathering and color become important when we are looking for certain genetic markers in a present generation. My birds are listed as "near extinct", yet there are at least four of us hobbyists worldwide keeping these birds and continuing to document them. It is literally a lifelong learning curve and no single judge knows everything about every breed, we are trained to use the toolkit and judge to the Standard, here in the States, it is the "American Standard" from the APA. Did I mention it's additive? Sorry for the long post, worry less, enjoy your birds more!


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> Preface: my apologies, this is a long post but; Yes, what Robin said, is the shorter answer. The longer answer is: American Games cover a great deal of territory, however, you still have some time, before you run into issues with the boys. Give it another month, maybe less and I will be able to sort the crosses for you based on color and conformation. Then you can accurately state what they are, that will sometimes help with placing them in future homes. People like to say "I have such and such strain of such and such breed". The tongue in cheek part is that all American Games are specific crosses and in all general poultry shows, they are shown within the same general classes. I don't wish to say much more because I don't want you to become worried about their classification or showing them, however they will fit in somewhere, guaranteed. I'll give you a quick example: My specialty area is Pre-American breeds of Old English Games. If I didn't have a flock history for one of my birds, (as in your situation), I would use a group of checklists we colloquially call the "chutes and gates model". The major lines of a breed are the chutes and then the more specific color, conformation, feathering and bone structure are the gates which are simply a yes or no checklist and that is how we narrow it down as to x percentage this and x percentage that,which is accurate up to a four way cross. If we sort this out with certainty, we can still issue a certificate of provenance within the European Union. The United States tend not to have flock histories for birds, but I was trained old school in Ireland. My Knowley Stock Earl of Derby Old English, (strain), have a three hundred year flock history leading from England all the way to my four birds in the present which were hatched from eggs I was grateful to get from an American APA judge. He keeps them as a hobby just as I do to keep this antique strain going. The feathering and color become important when we are looking for certain genetic markers in a present generation. My birds are listed as "near extinct", yet there are at least four of us hobbyists worldwide keeping these birds and continuing to document them. It is literally a lifelong learning curve and no single judge knows everything about every breed, we are trained to use the toolkit and judge to the Standard, here in the States, it is the "American Standard" from the APA. Did I mention it's additive? Sorry for the long post, worry less, enjoy your birds more!


Thank you for sharing that info. I'm trying to learn what I can.
I have to say it's been a worrisome pleasure to have these chickens. I'm sure about the time I get myself settled with "they got this", they will be going to their new home, at least some roosters
Some days I just want them all to stay here no matter what kind they are lol. I will be sad to see them leave.


----------



## robin416

You are not alone in that feeling. It's always hard to turn any of them loose but sometimes it's healthier for the flock to reduce numbers. 

We've all talked about how addicting the birds are so you're not wanting to rehome all of them is no surprise at all. They do stuff that is both relaxing and entertaining for us. And we worry. The worry does become less over time but have one "off" and the worry comes flooding back. 

In the end, you'll make the best decision for you and them.


----------



## Poultry Judge

It is an endless lifelong learning curve and "they do got this". As long as you provide them with the basic necessities, they will be pretty self sufficient and will manage just fine around your work schedule etcetera. I remember thinking a long time ago that I was going to have a stable flock but that's not the case. There is always someone going somewhere new or new babies hatching. I'm not a gambler but I bet there's more birds in your future!


----------



## RitaS

Wondering... gave my chickens a cooked burger this morning & meal worms this evening... is that too much ? They devoured both.


----------



## robin416

I wouldn't do the burger again because of the fat. If there were any spices like salt that's also a no no. Most of what we can safely give them from the kitchen are fruits and vegetables without any spices. 

You might have some extra fun giving them grapes. You might have to break one open then after Mom takes a bit watch the reaction. Just be careful about how many because of the sugar.


----------



## RitaS

Oh no. I read somewhere that they could have burger or I would not have done it. It was 90% lean tho lol. 
I will try grapes next time I go to the store. Can they have lettuce & cabbage ?


----------



## robin416

You should see my Guineas and Quail when I walk out with a head of lettuce. The Quail make this really ugly sound like they're going to hurt me if I don't set the lettuce down right now. I've got one that will flap/jump to almost my waist trying to get at it. So, yeah, they like lettuce. 

I usually cut it into quarters and set the quarter down for them to easily pick off what they want. I've never done cabbage but I know a bunch of people have used it. They would hang it so the chickens had to work to reach it to try to stop bad behavior from boredom. 

One of the things to keep in mind is too much protein can be a bad thing too. Most of my birds would never touch anything cooked. I don't know why, maybe it's the different breeds. I know my non Silkies went nuts going after mice. The Silkies would just share with the mice.


----------



## RitaS

Ok thanks for getting me straight. I don’t want to hurt them. 
Tomorrow lettuce


----------



## robin416

Buy a couple of heads, you might need them. I go through a head of lettuce a day.

Have you figured out yet how many boys are in that group? I was kind of sort of thinking that since there are so many peeps you could sell them as pairs if you can bring yourself to do that. Although whoever you sold them to should know they're brother and sister.


----------



## RitaS

I don’t know how many boys... at least 4 but 2 of the others combs look red, just not as red as “big boy’s”. He is the biggest bird & rooster. I’m going to try to get pics maybe tomorrow so I get get more opinions. The 3 that I think are hens hardly have color to their combs
Why do they need to know they’re brother and sister?
I forgot to ask.... the coop door is inside the run so do I need to close it at night ? I haven’t been because I didn’t want to forget to open it when I leave for work in the mornings


----------



## robin416

Since you don't know their genetics if the new owners breed them together there could be issues. That's probably why I'm having issues with my tiny keet. I don't know their genetics and they might be too closely related. I'm going to have to order keets in the Spring to bring in new blood to fix the issue. 

I was so afraid of something getting into my birds I locked them down tight every night. I had a racoon scale the outside of one of my coops trying to get in through the soffits. So yeah, I was pretty paranoid about it.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> Since you don't know their genetics if the new owners breed them together there could be issues. That's probably why I'm having issues with my tiny keet. I don't know their genetics and they might be too closely related. I'm going to have to order keets in the Spring to bring in new blood to fix the issue.
> 
> I was so afraid of something getting into my birds I locked them down tight every night. I had a racoon scale the outside of one of my coops trying to get in through the soffits. So yeah, I was pretty paranoid about it.


If I forget to open it then they have no food or water access. I would be devastated if something got one of them


----------



## robin416

See, you know what I mean. The plus is there is hardware cloth covering the outside of their outside area. I don't know how strong your coop and pen is. Are you sure that a large dog or racoon can't penetrate it? 

I had a racoon, probably the same one that crawled the outside wall of my one coop, get into my Guinea pen and kill most of my keets. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place at that moment so I wrapped the whole outside of the coop and pen in a second layer of poultry netting. The thing actually broke the wire on the new layer. It quit when it realized there was another layer underneath it. 

I can't tell you what to do. I'm very paranoid when it comes to my birds' safety because of what happened in my Guinea coop. Right now my birds are behind double welded wire and a hotwire at night.


----------



## RitaS

It’s all staked down. I can’t be positive but I don’t think they could get inside.
I just don’t know.
Would garden netting work for second layer ? How do you open the doors ?


----------



## robin416

The doors are covered in their own section of wire. 

How confident are you in the sturdiness of the construction? If you aren't confident in what you think can you have some come look at it for you? Sometimes fresh eyes can spot things we miss.


----------



## Poultry Judge

The wire cloth on the ground may or may not stop a predator. I have an electric eye coop door and red light deterrents on the outside, however if I had a raccoon or opossum that close to the house, (coop is directly behind the house), I would hot wire it with a single electric fence line six inches off the ground. You could use a solar fence charger, I have two of them for the horses and they work well. Around your coop, you could use the inexpensive fiberglass fence rods which would make the whole system flexible in the future as far as size and scope and portability.


----------



## Sylie

I have the exact same coop that you do, it is NOT predator secure, they are expensive but cheaply built, the company that makes them makes a HUGE profit on them. I got mine for free because it was a demo model in the parking lot of the store, we had some wind one night and it just blew right over and broke into pieces. When the store offered to me for free if I could fix it, I took it. We braced the walls and did the best that we could but as an example, I knocked a rake over one time and the handle hit the wire wall and sliced it like a hot knife through butter. If you are going to keep this particular coop and run for awhile, I suggest you take measures to shore it up.


----------



## Poultry Judge

As Robin and Sylie are suggesting, maybe get someone to look at it and assist you with making it sturdier, more predator proof and get it ready for winter.


----------



## Sylie

Yeah that brings up a good point also, (Thank you PJ) the walls are horribly thin and not a bit warm, they barely keep the wind out. You'll want to do some serious winterizing


----------



## RitaS

I’m open to any & all suggestions.
when I brought the coop home I put 3 12” stakes on each long side & tied them with pericord & burned the ends. I put an old shower curtain folded in 1/2 over the west side of the coop, rain was blowing in the run. That’s all I have done.
Can you tell me about the fiberglass rods & electric fence , I have no idea about them. Seriously I need all the help I can get.
Thanks everyone for your replies.... keep them coming please
I don’t know of anyone who knows about chickens that could help out.


----------



## RitaS

The fiberglass rods are for the electric fence, right ? I don’t understand how to put the electric fence together lol.


----------



## robin416

I'll get you a pic of mine later today. It's easy as all get out to install and they even use pics to help understand how it's done. I installed mine as double strand and if I ever remember to pick up the extra handles I'm going to go to three.


----------



## RitaS

I was looking at chargers & there’s so many. Watts & miles ? No clue. I just need it to be simple lol. 
Stupid question again but idea is that predators can’t over the fence to the chickens, right ? What about from above ? 
Could a **** or possum get up top by going up a tree ? Sorry, told you I don’t know anything at all about this kind of stuff lol.


----------



## robin416

I don't know if they'd jump out of a tree. I know any around here haven't jumped down on mine. 

I know it is mind boggling how many are out there. You'll need a small charger, aluminum wire and posts. A handle to disconnect the wire when you want to open the door. 

It sounds intimidating but it's really not. It kept something from digging under my pen to get into my birds. I've heard something scream in the middle of the night when it touched the wire. So, it works.


----------



## RitaS

I don’t think mine care for lettuce, they left half of it


----------



## Poultry Judge

You won't need too many rods and you can buy them individually or in packs at Trac Supp or Family Farm or a Co-Op. So you need a fencer, a ground rod, fiberglass rods, a pack of adjustable insulators for the rods, (usually bright yellow or white),and a roll of fence tape or wire. It can all be assembled by hand, you need to drive the grounding rod into the ground and attach a wire to ground it. For your application, buy a light duty fencer, folks at the store will help you if you explain what you are doing. I would run one line about six inches off the ground and then just keep going, it's all the same strand, run your second strand about twelve to fourteen inches off the ground. This will keep out Opossum, Raccoon, Dogs, Coyotes and Cats and is a super effective deterrent. It will also be portable and flexible to move around as your flock expands. The rechargeable batteries in the solar fencers last about two to three years and are simple to replace. I'm thinking for your application, 150 to 200 dollars would buy you peace of mind and safety for your birds.


----------



## robin416

It might just be a sign that they had their fill. Sometimes with really large heads of lettuce mine will leave some behind but then later finish it off. 

I just got home so I haven't had time to take pics yet.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Yes, Raccoons an Opossum will use a tree to get in but you can run your wire of fence tape around the base of the tree with four or five rods.


----------



## Poultry Judge

If they didn't finish the lettuce, it's because their bellies are full. If you keep working with hand feeding the mealworms every day you can have every single bird tame and trained to be handled by humans. We pretty much start at day one with every species of bird here and they are all tame enough to be picked up, well except for the ducks but I can herd them when need be.


----------



## RitaS

They aren’t ready to be picked up yet & momma still eyeballs me when I get close to them lol. 
What diameter & length rods do I need ? Is the ground rod used to start the wire & fiberglass ones for going around the coop ? I told y’all I’m dumber than a box of rocks when it comes to things like this.


----------



## robin416

Talking about it this way is just going to cause confusion. I'll go out and try to get some good explanatory pics. It really is easy to install.


----------



## RitaS

Here's what tractor supply told me
I know I need a 2 mile pet solar fence charger , if I can find one


----------



## robin416

I don't know why they said you need a 3 mile charger. I had a Gallagher M30, the smallest you can get until it quit after six years. I now have a bigger one only because the smaller wasn't available.

I don't know what those fin things are. We've got a monsoon happening right now or I'd take those pics of mine. I can't use the fiberglass rods, my soil is too loose. I used metal with the spade things at the end to help hold them.


----------



## robin416

I had two pieces of my setup in the garage. I'll have to wait on the metal posts until the rain stops.


----------



## robin416

Of course it's upside down. That roll of wire is 250 feet, it's gone around my 12X24 coop twice and has enough to do a third row.


----------



## RitaS

The fin things she said I put around the wire


----------



## robin416

Since PJ used the fiberglass rods he can probably tell you how they work. 

You will also need a clamp for the ground wire.


----------



## robin416

Pic 1 barely shows the ground rod with its clamp.







Pic 2 shows the handles you'll need







In pic 3 I was trying to show how the upper row of wire is connected to the lower wire. And my Hamburg wanted to know what I was doing.







Pic 4 is the metal posts I used.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Look at Robin's pictures, she has the yellow insulators. If you can use fiberglass rods, use them, they are cheap and endlessly recyclable as you change the configuration of your fence. Use the smallest fencer available, I think Trac Supply has two sizes of solar fencer in stock generally. You only need one metal, (preferably copper), ground rod with a clamp for the ground wire. The fin things are insulators you use with bare wire where it touches metal things like metal posts. The yellow insulators are what Robin and I use, they come in a bag, get the ones which will fit the fiberglass rods. For a poultry electric fence. I do not have a gate setup as mine is only about fourteen inches tall and I step over it. Robin has metal posts and rebar posts. Her setups looks tidy and efficient. I use ribbon mostly but have some of the solid wire for the horses.


----------



## robin416

My doors swing out so I have to use the gate handles. 

I don't know how neat it is. There are places I wrapped excess wire instead of cutting it off. Don't ask me why since the side cutters were right there.


----------



## RitaS

So I use the yellow insulators, not the fins ?
I put the fiberglass rods in the ground, how far apart ? Then put the yellow pieces on the rods ? Then run the wire all the way around the coop , going through the yellow pieces holes ? 2 levels. When I get to the end do I wrap the ends together? Not sure where the copper pipe goes or where the ground wire comes in. It it a piece of the fence wire ? Then how does the solar charger fit into all of this ?


----------



## robin416

Hopefully, you can see this. I don't have three grounds on mine. Just one. Your charger needs to be mounted on a post of some type where exposure to moisture is minimized.


----------



## robin416

What I like about the insulators I use is that they are easily adjustable up or down. I haven't quite figured out those fin things, I guess I'll have to look the next time I'm in TSC which could be months from now. 

I've got my posts about every four feet. My Guinea/Chicken pens are not perfectly square. There are step backs besides the four outer corners which messes with the every four feet. 

If you keep them and get that extension you will need to redo the wire but you'll be a pro by then. It truly is not hard. I think the two worst things are driving the ground rod and crawling around on the ground. But then I left 50 behind a long time ago. 

On the insulator, the wide part is the part that goes over your post. You can just barely see the triangle where the pole goes in. That really wide part is screwed on and tightens to the post. The bottom of the insulator in the pic has two little notched arms that the wire rests in.


----------



## robin416

Here is what they look like and how they go on:


----------



## RitaS

Thank you for all the help with the fence. Just need the time to get it set up. 
Could the solar charger be hung on the coop & what’s the best direction to face it ? I would have thought East but was told south. 
I saw TSC has sunflower & raisins for poultry and I can get the heads from sunflowers too & was told to toss the head into the run. Are those things safe to give them ?


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> Here is what they look like and how they go on:
> View attachment 34662


That's exactly the type of explanations I need since this chicken owning literally walked into a city girl life lol.
Not quite sure how to connect the wire once it's all the way around the coop. Guessing the ends wrap around one another?
For the ground do you just put the copper pipe into the ground (& where ? )Then run wire from that to the solar charger ? What kind of clamp ?
Sorry lots of questions but I don't want to do this wrong. Thank you in advance.


----------



## robin416

PJ can address the solar charger. Mine is electric. I'm guessing solar chargers are more weather tight and don't need protection.

Look at the pic, you can see the ground is pretty much straight down from the charger. That's very much the way mine is setup.

Yep, just twist the two ends together if you don't have to use the gate handles like I have to. Where you end will be right next to a post so it can even be connected there to the wire.


----------



## RitaS

Oh geez I totally missed the ground rod ! Musta been tired lol. That’s my excuse anyway. What kind of clamp is that ?
My door swings out too so how do I do that ?
How far out from the coop do I run it ? Do I turn it off when I need in the coop ? I know that sounds stupid to ask but idk these things.
What size solar charger do I need ?


----------



## robin416

Look at pics 1 and 2. That's right at the door of the Quail/Chicken pen. You can see the loops that the gate handles hook to. The gate handles are in pic 2 if I remember right.


----------



## RitaS

I’m not getting how the wire is running all the way around the coop & the door can still open.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Yes, use the yellow insulators on the fiberglass rods, you don't need the fins. For your application I would place the rods probably six feet apart. Do not wrap the ends together, it's not that kind of circuit. Your ground rod is driven into the ground near the charger and the wire from that goes to the ground connector on the charger. The other connector is for your electric wire or ribbon. The charger packaging should have a simple diagram about how to hook everything up. I'm sure it feels overwhelming right now but you're going to laugh about it later, (when you have your chicken empire and fifty chickens).


----------



## Poultry Judge

If you make a door or gate, you grab the yellow insulated handle unhook it and walk through. You could even get fancy and make spring loaded gate with an insulated handle!


----------



## RitaS

I’m sorry I don’t understand how my door will open if I have posts/ wire blocking it lol. Isn’t the fence up against the coop ? 
Oh no ... no chicken empire & no fifty chickens lol.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Yes, what Robin said, you only need one ground rod. Whether you have a solar charger or an AC powered one, get one of the smaller ones. So, at the end of your wire run if you connect the lower and upper strand it's a single circuit and if you leave them separate, they are self-terminated as a double circuit but for your application I would just make it a single circuit, ie: your upper and lower strand are one piece of wire or ribbon. In Robin's picture diagram, that bull is so angry, he has lightning coming out of his nose!


----------



## Poultry Judge

You can have the fence near the coop but definitely not touching it in any way, you would have electric chickens! You might take something like an old screen door or half of a screen door, put insulators on the inside and make a spring loaded gate that way. But maybe forget about that right now and just get your fence up. The gate is a convenience which will make it much easier to move things and carry them in and out. I still predict a chicken empire in your future!


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> You can have the fence near the coop but definitely not touching it in any way, you would have electric chickens! You might take something like an old screen door or half of a screen door, put insulators on the inside and make a spring loaded gate that way. But maybe forget about that right now and just get your fence up. The gate is a convenience which will make it much easier to move things and carry them in and out. I still predict a chicken empire in your future!


No disrespect but I pray that you are wrong kind sir Lol. 
I told you I'm dumber than a box of rock with this chicken stuff ..... how do I open my coop door if there's an electric fence all the way around the coop ? How far away from the coop is the fence ? Yeah I don't want electric chickens


----------



## robin416

I'm beginning to think you're like me, a visual learner. I need to see examples and diagrams.

Here are two pics of what it looks like to hook the handles to the wire.


----------



## RitaS

For sure I’m a visual one. I need lots of explanations & pics lol.
Omg so the fence doesn’t go in front of the door , the handles have the wire hooked to them so the door can open without getting a shock ? But then if I have Two wires how is the top wire not blocking the door ?
I feel so stupid but I can’t figure it out.
Do the handles unhook from the wire to open the door ? Do you turn it off beforehand ? Or does unhooking the handles break the circuit ?


----------



## Poultry Judge

Yes, the handles unhook to open the door. You could shut the charger off but I don't know anyone who does that, you just have a partially dead circuit while your gate is unhooked. As you grow your large commercial chicken empire, you will probably need a bigger security system. My hope is that when you are CEO of aforementioned chicken empire, you remember your humble roots and first electric fence!


----------



## Poultry Judge

I don't give sunflower heads to chicks but I throw the whole heads into the runs outside. It engages their foraging behavior and they are high in B vitamins.


----------



## robin416

Well, you both just met someone who does turn the charger off before opening up. But mine is electric so there's no sense leaving it plugged in all day. 

Rita, I unhook both and hang them on the wire for the pens. You can see it in one of the pics I posted earlier.


----------



## RitaS

Finally I got the door open lol. I take it the wire is pretty flexible/ durable to withstand repeated open/closing of the door ?
I would always remember my humble roots & 1st fence BUT no empire or ceo here lol. 
So why can’t the chicks have sunflowers? I don’t put food/water in the coop, only in the run


----------



## RitaS

I have no outlets outside but my all season porch has one. Could I get outdoor cords & run them out to the charger ? Might be a pain when it’s grass cutting time !?


----------



## robin416

Yeah, my wire has been in place a long time. Just don't sharply bend it again and again. 

I'll let PJ address the question on the sunflower seeds since I rarely use them. I usually get what I have left of my birds the hulled sunflower seeds. Gets expensive.


----------



## robin416

RitaS said:


> I have no outlets outside but my all season porch has one. Could I get outdoor cords & run them out to the charger ? Might be a pain when it's grass cutting time !?


Yeah, cords across the yard can be a pain if you have to cut grass often. And don't forget they're there. I usually just mow up to mine, finish the area I'm working on and then when I'm getting ready to mow the other side I move the cord.


----------



## RitaS

I guess I need to start thinking about what to do with some roosters. I really think the one is so beautiful but I’m not trying to grow an empire lol. Isn’t momma gonna miss them ? I get they don’t have a sense of family but she’s the momma lol.
I’m guessing she might soon want some away time. These chicks walk on her when she lays down & boy does she squak at them


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> Yeah, cords across the yard can be a pain if you have to cut grass often. And don't forget they're there. I usually just mow up to mine, finish the area I'm working on and then when I'm getting ready to mow the other side I move the cord.


Sounds good. I think I may go AC charger. Maybe I can figure out a cover for the cord or bury it. 
Thank you


----------



## robin416

RitaS said:


> I guess I need to start thinking about what to do with some roosters. I really think the one is so beautiful but I'm not trying to grow an empire lol. Isn't momma gonna miss them ? I get they don't have a sense of family but she's the momma lol.
> I'm guessing she might soon want some away time. These chicks walk on her when she lays down & boy does she squalk at them


Nope, she won't miss them at all. And if they go somewhere there are girls they'll completely forget they were moved.

You can keep one. Just don't let the girls sit on the eggs if you don't want more birds.


----------



## RitaS

Will this be good enough??


----------



## robin416

Patriot is another popular fence charger so it should work just fine for your needs. Just remember, it has to be protected from weather.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> Patriot is another popular fence charger so it should work just fine for your needs. Just remember, it has to be protected from weather.


& how do I do that ?
How long should stakes be ? I used J ones on the coop.
Do I take up the ground cloth I was using to predator proof when I put up my fence ?
What length of copper pipe ? 
How far into the ground do the rods need to go ?


----------



## Sylie

I give my adult chickens sunflower heads all the time, I grow them in my garden specifically for them. The black oil sunflowers are the ones that I grow, they are small, easy for them to eat and high in protein for those molting times. I have 3 chickens molting right now (my run and yard look like a pillow factory exploded!!) but sadly, the sunflowers aren't ready yet. I will have plenty of boardom busting activities (the sunflower heads) this winter. I have about 30 sunflowers out there right now. 

I know nothing about electric fences other than...don't touch them when they are hot. I just thought I'd address your sunflower head question.


----------



## RitaS

Thank you for letting me know about the sunflowers. There are some yellow ones I can get from work. Would those be ok as well ? I just need to know if chicks can or can’t have them. 
My hen is losing a lot of feathers, is she molting ? I don’t know how to tell
That’s ok on the fence because that’s about all I know too. Lol. Trying to learn enough to put one up but right now I have so many questions.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> Yes, what Robin said, you only need one ground rod. Whether you have a solar charger or an AC powered one, get one of the smaller ones. So, at the end of your wire run if you connect the lower and upper strand it's a single circuit and if you leave them separate, they are self-terminated as a double circuit but for your application I would just make it a single circuit, ie: your upper and lower strand are one piece of wire or ribbon. In Robin's picture diagram, that bull is so angry, he has lightning coming out of his nose!


Lol that bull does


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> I'm beginning to think you're like me, a visual learner. I need to see examples and diagrams.
> 
> Here are two pics of what it looks like to hook the handles to the wire.
> 
> View attachment 34664
> View attachment 34666


Looks like the fence isn't but inches from the coop. How far into the ground are the rods ??


----------



## RitaS

Just can't get all 10 together for a good pic.


----------



## robin416

I simply can't tell from those pics.


----------



## Poultry Judge

That Patriot fencer will be okay, (until you grow your empire). The ground rod can be steel or preferably copper. I think Robin's is a piece of re-bar. All of mine are steel rods. The advantage of a copper rod is it doesn't rust like iron which eventually after a bunch of years, degrades your ground. You can probably leave your hardware cloth down for now. The fiberglass rods should be placed in the ground about a foot. Hopefully, this is starting to more sense to you now. Remember, the small Patriot fencer does not have a picture of an angry bull on it, so I don't know if it will keep the bulls out and your coop is small, really no room for an angry bull anyway!


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> That Patriot fencer will be okay, (until you grow your empire). The ground rod can be steel or preferably copper. I think Robin's is a piece of re-bar. All of mine are steel rods. The advantage of a copper rod is it doesn't rust like iron which eventually after a bunch of years, degrades your ground. You can probably leave your hardware cloth down for now. The fiberglass rods should be placed in the ground about a foot. Hopefully, this is starting to more sense to you now. Remember, the small Patriot fencer does not have a picture of an angry bull on it, so I don't know if it will keep the bulls out and your coop is small, really no room for an angry bull anyway!


Lol you are funny, love this post but still no empire. 
It's making more sense , just not total sense... if that makes sense
I'm guessing the rods are driven thru the hardware cloth ??
Looks like fence is only inches from the coop ??
Are fiberglass rods used all the way around the coop, including corners ??
Tons of questions still to come


----------



## Poultry Judge

The fiberglass rods could go through the hardware cloth for now, The distance from the coop is up to you, but maybe keep it fairly close for now, I'm thinking a bigger run in the future. You can use the fiberglass rods for the corners. The ground rod should be driven into the ground a few feet if possible. If the ground is super dry, pour a bucket of water around the ground rod. The whole circuit depends on a little moisture in the earth to complete the circuit. If a bull does get stuck in the coop, you should probably get it out before completing the fence.


----------



## robin416

Getting a few chuckles here for sure.

Set the fence so the wire doesn't come into contact with your pen. As you could see in my pics mine is close but not touching. I didn't want too much space between the two so that nothing can jump over without touching the wire. 

The fiberglass I can't address. With the metal posts I used and the fact there isn't really any tension on the posts, mine are not driven more than a foot. More because my soil is very loose so it needed that little extra not to lean.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> The fiberglass rods could go through the hardware cloth for now, The distance from the coop is up to you, but maybe keep it fairly close for now, I'm thinking a bigger run in the future. You can use the fiberglass rods for the corners. The ground rod should be driven into the ground a few feet if possible. If the ground is super dry, pour a bucket of water around the ground rod. The whole circuit depends on a little moisture in the earth to complete the circuit. If a bull does get stuck in the coop, you should probably get it out before completing the fence.


Once I'm 100% sure what I'm doing with these chickens I will definitely remove any stuck bulls lol. Since I'm afraid of bulls I might leave him there & move the chickens hehe.
I am looking at adding to the run also. Hoping to make them feel more like they're free ranging if possible. Just need to figure out how to connect it to the current run. 
Thanks for all the help from everyone but rest assured I will ask more questions & come up with new ones about other things I've not thought of yet.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Are you going to have skyscrapers in the background like the picture? You know, if you had the same amount of land as Central Park for example, you could just fence the perimeter and have the entire interior filled with chickens!


----------



## RitaS

Lol. Now that would be the empire you spoke of & no that’s not going to happen so no skyscrapers. 
What would be a good way to attach it to my current run ? I would put the fence all the way around it too so would it be safe to leave the coop door open ?


----------



## Poultry Judge

Definitely put the electric fence around everything. Most people shut their coops up at night. Sometimes when I'm in a hurry to get fence panels up and things like that, I use heavy duty zip ties.The enclosure you are looking at, looks like it would be conducive to that.


----------



## robin416

I've been trying to figure out how she should attach that thing and be able to avoid having to crawl on hand and knees to get at the coop. So far, I've come up empty.


----------



## RitaS

I have to crawl anyway so I think to get to the current run I’d just open the door at the end of the run to get inside. 
The only reason I don’t close the coop door is because they get up around 5 am & sometimes I’m not up til 7am. 
So I can zip tie the new run to the old one ?


----------



## robin416

That is exactly why I rebuilt the runs my husband put up for my Silkies. (he wouldn't listen to my argument why it wasn't going to work) The moment he returned to the job site for two weeks I tore apart what he did and built them so I didn't have to crawl in, potentially 12 pens, to put up recalcitrant birds.


----------



## RitaS

How can I reinforce my coop ? 
Zip ties won’t work ??


----------



## robin416

I would be more comfortable using wire. That way nothing can chew through it and won't degrade with the weather changes. 

I'm still trying to figure out the easiest way for you to attach that. If you put alongside your coop you'd have to cut the wire on our coop. If you attache it to the end you'd have to cut another door to be able to access which might weaken the structure. 

Do you know anyone that can build stuff? Someone could build you a covered run for about the same price as that wire cage.


----------



## Poultry Judge

You can use zip ties initially to get it where you want it. Then use wire as Robin suggested. I would not be crawling around on my hands and knees regardless, (what if there is a bull in there?). You have to make it functional for yourself, you are the boss at the top of the pecking order! I used to occasionally explain to the Emus exactly where they were on the food chain!


----------



## robin416

How did that talk with the Emus work out for you?


----------



## Sylie

On the sunflower front...yellow sunflower seeds? I've never heard of yellow seeds for sunflowers before. If you can get a picture of them that might help.

Sunflower petals are yellow, the seeds are green before they ripen (do not feed those unripened ones to the birds)

When the petals fall off of the sunflower "head" it will be a couple of weeks before the seeds are ready to be fed to the chickens. You have to wait for all of the "fuzz" to fall off of the seed heads, you will see black things, those are the sunflower seeds. After all of the fuzz falls off and all of the seeds are black (if we are talking about black oil sunflower seeds) then you can cut the heads off the stems and toss it in the run with them, they will probably be afraid of it at first but one of them will be curious enough to take a poke at it and find yummy seeds, the others will follow in time.

Now if you are talking about the black and white striped sunflower seeds, those are fine for them also and the process is the same, its just that those seeds are pretty big and either you or them, depending...will have to crack them open to get to the kernel inside. They could choke if they try to swallow the whole seed but that's only a chance, maybe 25% chance of choking on those (vs 2% chance on the black oil seeds)

Now after all of that, if you have the time and patience, you can take the seeds out of the seed heads yourself and toss the loose seeds into the run for them, they will do their little scratching and pecking thing while eating them. There will be less competition (reducing the urge to fight and peck each other's heads) but generally speaking, they will do fine if you just toss the head in there and let them have at it.


----------



## RitaS

lol well so far there hasn’t been any bulls hiding it there. Idk where you live but if I find one you will be able to hear me screaming. 
Maybe I can just find some unsalted sunflower seeds that don’t have the shell. I was talking about yellow sunflowers. I’ve never seen yellow seeds either
I don’t know anyone who could build a run. That’s why I thought that one might work. It is actually supposed to have 3 doors & I was hoping one just might line up with what I have


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> I would be more comfortable using wire. That way nothing can chew through it and won't degrade with the weather changes.
> 
> I'm still trying to figure out the easiest way for you to attach that. If you put alongside your coop you'd have to cut the wire on our coop. If you attache it to the end you'd have to cut another door to be able to access which might weaken the structure.
> 
> Do you know anyone that can build stuff? Someone could build you a covered run for about the same price as that wire cage.


The current run has a door that lifts up & the new one is supposed to have doors on the ends. No door of either Have walk in doors. I bought a small rake so I don't crawl too far inside the coop now.
The new one says it has a walk in door but can't see that in the pic. It's around $100


----------



## robin416

I decided before you jumped into buying the addon to check it out. The one thing you really want is some strength. I didn't even get past the questions before I realized the seller was dodging the question about the gauge of wire.

It only has 2 stars from those that have bought it. One said they needed to zip tie it to make it more stable. Another said the door kept falling off. Even the other similar one has bad reviews that lost animals to predators. One said that the predator actually bent the side getting at the birds inside.

I'd be afraid of this thing even using with hotwire if it's not completely enclosed in hardware cloth or welded wire.


----------



## RitaS

Well I guess that’s a no go then. It would be rather expensive to cover in hardware cloth, wouldn’t it ? Thank you for checking that out.


----------



## robin416

All it takes is one time to have an attack and you learn to try to never let it happen again. I can tell you from personal experience it hurts a lot.

The price you said is what got me thinking something wasn't right there.

I wish we could walk you through building a yard for them but you probably don't even have the tools needed to build it with.


----------



## Poultry Judge

robin416 said:


> How did that talk with the Emus work out for you?


The discussion usually centered around, and I have to paraphrase the main points, 1. The USDA food pyramid, 2. Emus being classified as livestock in Ohio, and 3. How they were very lucky they wouldn't fit into a regular sized turkey fryer. And then they would steal my hat and take off.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> All it takes is one time to have an attack and you learn to try to never let it happen again. I can tell you from personal experience it hurts a lot.
> 
> The price you said is what got me thinking something wasn't right there.
> 
> I wish we could walk you through building a yard for them but you probably don't even have the tools needed to build it with.


I've been awake a lot tonight because I thought I kept hearing something outside. Turns out it was the people across the road 
No I don't have tools except hammer, screwdriver, & sawzall. 
I don't want to lose my chickens I had to have my cat put down last fall. He was with me for 14 years. Yes it does hurt. Still does


----------



## robin416

There is a huge, visceral impact when they are attacked from outside. I can't describe it sufficiently. 

It's different from when we've had to make the decision, that one we always second guess ourselves. This other, I just don't know how to say it. While we mourn the loss of our close buddies we have recrimination for not doing a better job and like you last night, jump at every unusual sound for a long time. 

Talk to people at work, ask around. Someone knows how to build a simple run out of wire and PT 2X4's. And learn from the person you find.


----------



## robin416

Poultry Judge said:


> The discussion usually centered around, and I have to paraphrase the main points, 1. The USDA food pyramid, 2. Emus being classified as livestock in Ohio, and 3. How they were very lucky they wouldn't fit into a regular sized turkey fryer. And then they would steal my hat and take off.


You were an easy mark for them. I'll bet you wore that hat just so you could play keepaway.


----------



## RitaS

I understand, sorry for your loss.
I work with women lol. They live in the city & are younger so I’ll have to think about any other options I might have
it would probably be a nightmare to tell me how to build their yard. Look at how difficult the fence is for me.


----------



## robin416

LOL Yeah, that can be a challenge unless you work with someone like me. I haven't always lived in the country but I have always had a fascination with stuff like this. 

Do you have a small hardware store near you? That's a good source for finding people that can do simple construction. Or even more complicated construction.


----------



## RitaS

We only have ace hardware


----------



## Poultry Judge

Yes, as Robin said, it's a huge sense of violation and loss when a predator gets in and regardless of the accident and the animal, I have always blamed myself somehow. Someone can build a nice sturdy run for you from treated 2x4s, wire and framing brackets. It will be sturdier, last longer, and be more tailored to your needs. My only suggestion at this point is to make it modular so you can move it or add on to it.


----------



## Poultry Judge

There are some EZ Frame coop hardware kits available where you just add 2x4s. You will still need a saw and a power screwdriver.


----------



## RitaS

The person that was going to take the chickens says she wants them.


----------



## robin416

She might be going to take them but are you going to let them go?


----------



## Poultry Judge

But you've done all this work! I still want to know what the cross is. My feeling is that your hen is still pretty young and she might be a Black Breasted Red, which is a very antique breed brought from Ireland and England in the 1700's and was an established gamefowl breed for hundreds of years before that.


----------



## RitaS

Yes. I must let them go because I’m not able to have the things they need. I don’t know people who will do things to help with that. The last guy I asked to look at my riding mower took my money then cursed me out. It wasn’t much but my own mistake for paying in advance. 
Wow ! If she is that’s awesome. I just know to me she’s a beautiful hen.


----------



## RitaS

Not sure when she plans to pick them up though. I don’t want to be there for that


----------



## Poultry Judge

Well, keep us posted...


----------



## Jenny Erickson

RitaS said:


> My stray chicken came home with nine chicks. I put them all in a coop but they stay in the run all the time.
> I saw poop on one of the chicks but when I went inside the hen wouldn't allow me near the chicks. She began flapping her wings & pecking at me.
> Will they be ok in the run & will she clean the poop off the chick ?


----------



## Jenny Erickson

Rita, if you start hand feeding your hen a very good treat, she will eventually let you pet her & pick her up. She needs to compare humans with food, so when they see a human, they KNOW, there is food coming. But you should put her in the coop everynight, so the babies get used to it at sunset, they love a routine. Just know probably 1/2 of the chicks are possible males. I hope this helps, as I am a kind of new Chicken Mom


----------



## robin416

Luckily, Rita has been able to work out most of her questions. Mom and babies are doing well under her care. 

And welcome to the forum, Jenny. Jump in anywhere and tell us about your flock.


----------



## RitaS

Jenny Erickson said:


> Rita, if you start hand feeding your hen a very good treat, she will eventually let you pet her & pick her up. She needs to compare humans with food, so when they see a human, they KNOW, there is food coming. But you should put her in the coop everynight, so the babies get used to it at sunset, they love a routine. Just know probably 1/2 of the chicks are possible males. I hope this helps, as I am a kind of new Chicken Mom


I've been feeding them treats as time allows me. They love so much stuff & do eat out of my hands. 
They all go in the coop every night on their own, too.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> Well, keep us posted...


For sure I'll keep you updated. No plans have been made & I told her it can't be after it gets too much colder. I'll start on putting clear sheeting up & the fence then they aren't moving. Somehow I'd like a good coop, if they stay, before that white stuff starting coming down, ugh.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> But you've done all this work! I still want to know what the cross is. My feeling is that your hen is still pretty young and she might be a Black Breasted Red, which is a very antique breed brought from Ireland and England in the 1700's and was an established gamefowl breed for hundreds of years before that.


Whatever she is, she sure is a good momma. She's still spreading her wings & covering her chicks every night. They sure aren't little peeps anymore either. Poor momma lol


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> There are some EZ Frame coop hardware kits available where you just add 2x4s. You will still need a saw and a power screwdriver.


Just how easy are EZ frame kits, just in case ?


----------



## robin416

LOL Very easy. Not cheap though. You could also use rafter hangers. Which are bunches cheaper. 

If you can figure out your dimensions before hand you might be able to get where you buy your lumber to cut to length since you don't have a saw. 

You'd want a screw gun if you're not good at swinging a hammer.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> LOL Very easy. Not cheap though. You could also use rafter hangers. Which are bunches cheaper.
> 
> If you can figure out your dimensions before hand you might be able to get where you buy your lumber to cut to length since you don't have a saw.
> 
> You'd want a screw gun if you're not good at swinging a hammer.


Unfortunately, just text with the new owner & she's getting back to me on picking them up because we both work tomorrow. I hope they do well & I can't be here when she gets them. I will ask for some pics as time goes by if they survive


----------



## robin416

It's OK. If you get on a work schedule that isn't six days a week then you can always get more. And this time you can choose the breed you want and only get girls.


----------



## Poultry Judge

The rafter hangers would be cheaper. If you sketch out your dimensions, most lumber places will cut it for you and help you with the hardware list.


----------



## RitaS

Funny because I would be content with my little stray bird. That was kinda special to me. I’ll always wonder why she chose my house out of all the others around here.


----------



## robin416

Your stray girl plus two others for a happy flock. 

It could be as simple as there not being a dog or cat at your house.


----------



## RitaS

3 hens can get along ? They don’t need a rooster just for company, not babies lol Ive debated it & I don’t think I’ll keep her. I have the best memories but someday she will go to hen heaven & I don’t want to see that.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Three hens would manage just fine!


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> Three hens would manage just fine!


I just can't. I'd be a basket case if something happened to them. As much as I like the idea.


----------



## RitaS

What does everyone think of this coop ? Needs painted


----------



## robin416

What are you doing? They're going to their new home today but here you are posting pics of coops. 

It's way small, especially if birds have to be up in bad weather.


----------



## Poultry Judge

It's pretty small as Robin says, it could work for just a few birds and you could attach a run to it in the future. I can't believe they used it for ducks!


----------



## Poultry Judge

I would try to get them down on price though. It looks like a fairly common design. Maybe you could combine it with what you have?


----------



## RitaS

Too small for 3 hens ? Lol


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> What are you doing? They're going to their new home today but here you are posting pics of coops.
> 
> It's way small, especially if birds have to be up in bad weather.


They aren't leaving today. We both work today. She's supposed to call me to figure out when she can pick them up. 
Just entertaining the remote possibility of have 3 hens. If I could get a decent house for them I'd entertain the idea more lol


----------



## Poultry Judge

That will work for three hens.


----------



## robin416

It's still very small. Bantams are supposed to have a minimum of 2 square feet of "open" floor space. No one thinks about the fact that waterers and feeders take up some of that space. It's large enough for three bantams if there is no feed or water in the coop. 

Being as you're in OH and winters can get challenging both will have to be in place in the coop. 

Something else to think about, frozen waterers. If you're leaving before they get up in the middle of Winter than in all likelihood their water will be frozen and they'll be without. So you either have to go swap out a frozen waterer for a non frozen one or you're going to need a heated waterer.

Lots of little nit picky things to think about. The plus is, you're here before making that jump and learning the stuff many don't think about until there's a problem. 

I just took another look at that coop. He's included the nest area in the length. The coop proper is only four foot.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> It's still very small. Bantams are supposed to have a minimum of 2 square feet of "open" floor space. No one thinks about the fact that waterers and feeders take up some of that space. It's large enough for three bantams if there is no feed or water in the coop.
> 
> Being as you're in OH and winters can get challenging both will have to be in place in the coop.
> 
> Something else to think about, frozen waterers. If you're leaving before they get up in the middle of Winter than in all likelihood their water will be frozen and they'll be without. So you either have to go swap out a frozen waterer for a non frozen one or you're going to need a heated waterer.
> 
> Lots of little nit picky things to think about. The plus is, you're here before making that jump and learning the stuff many don't think about until there's a problem.
> 
> I just took another look at that coop. He's included the nest area in the length. The coop proper is only four foot.


Ok I want more room than that & I did think about a heater base lol. 
Maybe there's a reason I can't find a coop


----------



## RitaS

I know it isn’t winter but I go out every morning & give them fresh water, food, mealworms. For some reason the waterer has been dry last 2 morning & I put almost a gallon in. I’m going to add the old glass one back in as well


----------



## Poultry Judge

I use a heated base in the Winter under my five gallon galvanized waterer. I think it's 150 watts and then I use a coop heater too which is 600 watts. So my Winter wattage use pretty much matches my Spring/Summer/Fall brooder usage. My waterer is no longer inside the coop due to the ducks, imagine that!, it's in a little attachment to the coop with a lid and I can hose it down every day or so. I'm thinking there's a lot of room for adapting things with your situation. I'm in Northeast Ohio, Trumbull County. the Winters aren't too bad, and my new coop is protected from the wind by the house.


----------



## robin416

If it's hot and dry the birds are all grown enough that the water intake is higher. If you're not finding a wet spot under the waterer then they're probably drinking it.

Something to look at, a premade shed. You'd still have to put a run on it but it would be big enough for you to go into to clean and do other bird maintenance. And it would have the space you'd need.


----------



## Poultry Judge

It's hot right now in Ohio, just make sure they have plenty of fresh water and it's not in the sun.


----------



## RitaS

I guess they’re drinking it , not an wet spots except what I spill in the mornings. No it isn’t in the sun &?I have an old shelf on the outside blocking it too , just in case 
How big of a shed & what to do with all the height of it ? What about ventilation?
I’m Muskingum County now & last winter wasn’t bad but you never know in Ohio til it happens.


----------



## robin416

It doesn't have to be huge. If you can find one that is 4X4 that would be plenty for three birds, their food and water and nests. And a way to roost.

Generally those sheds are not air tight so they will have a natural ventilation.

Don't get one of those vinyl playhouses. 

PJ, didn't you say you had something like that? A wood shed that was some other purpose?


----------



## Poultry Judge

It's 8x10, with vinyl panels and a metal frame. I purchased it on clearance last Fall at Menard's. I additionally framed it with wood and lined it with plywood, (scrap T111 exterior barn sheathing). I will insulate the roof this fall when I heat it. It was a good starting point and I have made a ton of mods to it, windows etcetera. The good thing with the vinyl panels is I won't have to replace it in my lifetime! Before I put it up, I built a Poplar base for it from sawmill lumber which is twelve inches off the ground. I put down a tarp for a vapor barrier and filled it with twelve inches of insulation, so the birds will be well insulated this Winter. My old coop had railroad ties as a floor and they provided adequate insulation but it was free standing in a pasture and open to the wind. The new coop is sheltered by the farm house and bolted to it.


----------



## robin416

If you go the route PJ did you can do a run that totally surrounds the building. That way you can avoid figuring out how to connect it to the coop.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Yup, confession here, a lot of people wouldn't attach a coop to their house, but it helped tremendously with construction of the current runs. We have plenty of critters, including coyote. Since I am raising Peafowl now and they are a bit higher maintenance, I like being able to go on the front porch to the brooders and the back porch to the coop. And then there is the elephant in the room, (Peacock), we won't talk about, who thinks it lives in the house.


----------



## robin416

I can see why it would. You've got this huge flat area to attach to. Makes some sense for those that go that route. 

We know why some little birds think the house belongs to them.


----------



## RitaS

These chicks are old enough to move, right ? I’m sending their coop too.


----------



## robin416

Plenty old enough. They could have all be rehomed way before you became this attached. 

We poultry people move birds around of all ages, including day olds.


----------



## RitaS

I just got confused because I thought how she sits on them to keep them warm. 
I’ve been gone all weekend & I think the chicks have grown at least an inch. They look so big this morning


----------



## robin416

LOL Yeah, chickens don't waste time growing up. Think about it, by six/seven months they're laying eggs. The boys are crowing. They're still not true adults but are getting there really quick.


----------



## RitaS

Look how they have grown .....so many beautiful colors ❤


----------



## robin416

And it looks like you're right, there are at least four boys in that group.


----------



## Poultry Judge

There are some interesting game patterns there and they are almost old enough to start sorting out. I'm pretty sure, (almost 100%), they weren't all her own eggs.


----------



## robin416

Are you looking at the difference in skin color, PJ?


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> There are some interesting game patterns there and they are almost old enough to start sorting out. I'm pretty sure, (almost 100%), they weren't all her own eggs.


Really. Where in the world would she have come up with eggs ?


----------



## RitaS

Did my hen steal those eggs? I guess I’ll never know if she stole them all, Will I?
I’m getting ready to peel a cucumber, can they have cucumber?


----------



## Poultry Judge

I'm looking at a variety of: patterns, skin color, wings, wing bays, secondary, tertiary bars, beaks, legs, feet and eye color. No, she didn't steal the eggs, she hatched a communal nest. There was a point where your hen got broody and took over that nest. Now for the conjectural sleuthing part. 1. Was the nest from a random unmaintained game flock? (maybe). 2.Was someone breeding for intentional game strains but let the broody hens hatch them, (likely). or 3. Was there some other breeding method, battery, trios, single line? (unlikely). As the chicks get older, this also, could be sorted with some certainty. But...how, why did she leave her original nest/flock area with the protection of roosters etc.? She may have gotten those babies through or under a fence but she didn't get those babies over a fence. The chicks will start to give lots of information soon! I need a good side view of Mom for eye color and conformation. They generally like cucumber if you cut it up for them. If you want to see them go crazy in this hot weather, cut up some watermelon. We even feed the outside pieces and they eat it all the way to the outer thin rind.


----------



## RitaS

I saw where she hatched her eggs. It was beside the highway. All the shells were crumbled in there except 1 egg was whole. I went there because every time she left here that’s where she went... that exact spot.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Wow, this gets stranger and stranger, there is nothing else around that nest? How far away is it from where you are now? I wonder if there are some semi-feral birds around?


----------



## Poultry Judge

And you already said, there are no chickens or farms close to you, that you know of? You need to write a book about all this at some point. You know, Alice Walker wrote a fairly famous chicken memoir journal. It is titled "The Chicken Chronicles".


----------



## RitaS

I tried. If none of these work I'll try again.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> Wow, this gets stranger and stranger, there is nothing else around that nest? How far away is it from where you are now? I wonder if there are some semi-feral birds around?


Just weeds. It didn't even look like she had a nest of any kind. The only chickens are a ways up the hill from me. How far could she travel ? It's quite a ways from here.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> And you already said, there are no chickens or farms close to you, that you know of? You need to write a book about all this at some point. You know, Alice Walker wrote a fairly famous chicken memoir journal. It is titled "The Chicken Chronicles".


Yeah, the unsolved chicken mystery


----------



## RitaS

I just came back from a little trip up the hill ... there are birds about .4 miles up the hill from me. I saw a very large covered pen with dog boxes inside & a coop at the far side .... AND I saw 2 black roosters inside. I couldn’t see anymore than that but it’s so hot today they’re probably all inside.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> Wow, this gets stranger and stranger, there is nothing else around that nest? How far away is it from where you are now? I wonder if there are some semi-feral birds around?


She would run around the corner then down the highway. If she would have gone straight across it would have been shorter.
I just took this pic standing in my enclosed porch. If you look over to the left & follow those high weeds up to the highway, you can see a ditch-like running along the road, where the weeds & ditch meet is where I found the eggshells


----------



## RitaS

She 1st came here about June 12
She came home with the chicks July 13
How long does it take before they lay there eggs once’s fertilized ? Could she have been getting ready by the time she came here ? I do think she got off a truck across the highway at that market but I don’t really know


----------



## robin416

It takes 21 days for eggs to hatch. So, she came to see you before she started the nest. 

That other place isn't really too far. If something went after her while out free ranging she could have gotten lost.

In the end she made a smart choice, she came to you.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Yes, makes more sense now, thanks for the additional pictures of the hen. I'm still guessing that someone has game birds in the area.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> It takes 21 days for eggs to hatch. So, she came to see you before she started the nest.
> 
> That other place isn't really too far. If something went after her while out free ranging she could have gotten lost.
> 
> In the end she made a smart choice, she came to you.


how could she have got in the pen with the rooster? 
So many questions.


----------



## RitaS

Wh


Poultry Judge said:


> Yes, makes more sense now, thanks for the additional pictures of the hen. I'm still guessing that someone has game birds in the area.


What makes more sense now ?


----------



## Poultry Judge

What makes more sense is that there are some birds around you!


----------



## Poultry Judge

What color would you say her legs and beak are?


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> What color would you say her legs and beak are?


Gray legs black beak. Legs might be black too


----------



## RitaS

I have 2 roosters fighting. What do I do ? Squak in & one had the other by the comb. Yikes


----------



## robin416

Watch for now. If it gets really bad you're going to have to separate them.


----------



## RitaS

They’re all in the coop & quiet for now. I thot he was gonna kill the other one. Even when the other one ran away he went after him. He jumped over the other one then pecked at him & grabbed him by the comb. Geez scared me


----------



## robin416

Hormones are starting to flow. This is pretty typical with birds when they are establishing their hierarchy. This is where it becomes complicated when it's gamebirds.


----------



## RitaS

Complicated as in ???
Am I’m going to find a dead chick ?


----------



## robin416

I won't answer that second question because I don't know.

Gamebird males can not usually be kept together. That's what we were warning you about in the early going.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> I won't answer that second question because I don't know.
> 
> Gamebird males can not usually be kept together. That's what we were warning you about in the early going.


I do remember that. I didn't think they'd start so soon. I know you don't know if I'll find a dead bird but I'm thinking it's pretty likely. No choice but to deal with it.


----------



## robin416

I'm not there so I can't say what you will or won't find. It's not uncommon to find blood everywhere when two of them get into a knock down drag out. That isn't only game birds that can happen with. Some birds just truly don't like each other.


----------



## Poultry Judge

If you have a total of four roosters, you might possibly manage with two of them and even then you might have to separate them. Four game roos in close quarters won't work. You probably have a little more time while they are still juveniles but the fights will get more serious. Grabbing a comb is a very common behavior, it's the fighting after which can cause injury.


----------



## RitaS

I sat out with the flock this morning for a bit.... no fighting. I didn’t see any blood, thank goodness. 
There’s actually 3 roos that are fighting & of course the one I really liked is the instigator. 
I know we talked about this but so much has happened I forgot. Can I hang a cabbage in the run for them ?


----------



## robin416

You can hang a cabbage but it probably won't do a lot in this case to get them to stop going at each other.


----------



## RitaS

So far today it hasn’t been too bad. One short fight. 
I think they will free range at new home so will that help or be a new can of worms opened ? All the new hens & roos


----------



## Poultry Judge

I did some checking last night. Your hen is a Black Breasted Red Blueface Oxford Type Gamefowl. If her face would have been darker, she would be called a Gypsy Face.


----------



## robin416

OK, are you driving down to her place to pick them up?


----------



## RitaS

Idk what you mean ... I’m not driving anywhere lol
i hung an ear of raw corn in the run & they’re all afraid of it.


----------



## RitaS

More Roos ??? I hope not


----------



## robin416

I meant PJ to come pick up his prize of that lovely lady and her brood.

They don't know what it is, once it's figured out they'll go nuts. 

I see four but that doesn't mean that I can see all of them clear enough to say you have more boys.


----------



## RitaS

All 6 lined around in the 1st pic looked like roos maybe ?


----------



## robin416

I just don't know, maybe PJ can see them better than I can. The girls will be developing their own combs too. The paler the comb the more likely it is that it's a female.


----------



## RitaS

Idk. There are 3 with really pale combs


----------



## Poultry Judge

Hen-wise, she has good conformation, (I don't like to do judging by photos). My suspicion still, is she is pretty young. I could get her an EU registration for sure. The chicks: a couple are Black Breasted Reds, (of some type, don't know yet), there are two Spangles, (don't know the strain yet), and the Reds, (don't know the strain yet), but I have some Reds that look like very similar, and they are Black Breasted Ginger Reds, which is another very early strain brought to the United States.


----------



## Poultry Judge

The Games develop a little slower in general. If the combs are getting bigger and redder, they will be boys. There will also be changes in tail feathers. All the complex feather changes will occur later. They can also live a long time.


----------



## RitaS

I think the combs are getting bigger & much redder but idk about chickens so it’s a wild guess.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> Hen-wise, she has good conformation, (I don't like to do judging by photos). My suspicion still, is she is pretty young. I could get her an EU registration for sure. The chicks: a couple are Black Breasted Reds, (of some type, don't know yet), there are two Spangles, (don't know the strain yet), and the Reds, (don't know the strain yet), but I have some Reds that look like very similar, and they are Black Breasted Ginger Reds, which is another very early strain brought to the United States.


Thank you for researching all that. I appreciate it. I'm not sure I can let go of all of them


----------



## robin416

So, keep three of them. It doesn't have to be 3 girls, it could be two girls and your favorite boy. And toss the eggs if you don't want chicks.


----------



## RitaS

Could you tell me how she has so may different chicks ? I know you said you didn’t think they were all her eggs but any thoughts on where she would get eggs ?
What is an EU registration?


----------



## Poultry Judge

EU is European Union, The APA here in the States doesn't generally sponsor any registrars for poultry, like for example pure breeds of dogs, American Kennel Club etcetera. I don't want to speculate too much regarding where your hen came from but I don't think she fell off a truck or anything like that. I think a farmer or breeder, not too far from you, probably lost some fowl at one point. Some young hens used the nest you saw as a common nest and your hen hatched them out. That is purely conjecture, but it's about the only thing that fits. It is not uncommon at all for gamefowl to go wild or semi-wild. I have even had it happen with Eastern Wild Turkeys and Melissa's favorite Muscovy duck. My farm was just her home base. Maybe, think about what Robin said about keeping some of them!


----------



## RitaS

How interesting & I thought she escaped from a truckload that might have been headed to Case Farms ( not too far from here). Wonder what happened to the others?
when my hen came here , my neighbor & I were talking about her. My neighbor has family a mile or so up the hill & they have chickens. They claimed they saw 3 chickens but I only ever saw 1 
One of the black & white roos is testing his crowing skills this morning. He just sounds like he has a sore throat or is hurt.
Ok so let me get this right.... these roos can’t get along with other flocks ? I just remembered something being said here about that but now I’m not sure exactly what that was.


----------



## Poultry Judge

I still believe in my humble opinion that someone near you raises game birds or used to. Those Spangles will be handsome birds! Raspy, that is how the roos sound when they're learning to crow. Plus they have to figure out their crow, it will evolve as they get older. The roos will integrate fine into other flocks of hens. They just won't get along well with each other. In your case, if you have enough physical space, you might be able to have two. One would be dominant and one would not.


----------



## robin416

There could have been another hen that was laying in that same nest. One of the reason we don't want bird sitting on nests unprotected is predators.


----------



## Poultry Judge

I think many folks here are rooting for you and hoping you decide to keep some of your birds!


----------



## RitaS

I don’t want 2 roos or even 1 lol
It is pinging at my heart just thinking about giving up my hen, she came to me ! 
I wouldn’t mind 3 hens 
But, I think about not having time & ability to provide what they need, especially when it comes to their safety. 
Plus, I have already promised them to the new owner. 
This Covid19 has set me back quite a bit, too & that doesn’t help. I had 2 -14 day quarantines & lost 1 job... just not caught up yet & I have no other income. That being said , the chickens don’t cost a lot to actually take care of but the housing sure does. 
I sit here looking at them out in the run & I realize to me they are not just my chickens. They have become part of my life that I’m enjoying. 
Crazy, huh ?


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> There could have been another hen that was laying in that same nest. One of the reason we don't want bird sitting on nests unprotected is predators.


I wonder what happened to the others?


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> I still believe in my humble opinion that someone near you raises game birds or used to. Those Spangles will be handsome birds! Raspy, that is how the roos sound when they're learning to crow. Plus they have to figure out their crow, it will evolve as they get older. The roos will integrate fine into other flocks of hens. They just won't get along well with each other. In your case, if you have enough physical space, you might be able to have two. One would be dominant and one would not.


Which are spangles ? Idk one from the other


----------



## robin416

RitaS said:


> I wonder what happened to the others?


Predators would be one. The other would be being hit by a car.



RitaS said:


> They have become part of my life that I'm enjoying.
> Crazy, huh ?


Not at all. That's how people end up with so many. They enrich a person's life just by being there.

I will not push you anymore to keep them. You don't need that pressure on top of trying to do what is right for you and them. You'll come to a final decision and everyone will respect that choice.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> Predators would be one. The other would be being hit by a car.
> 
> Not at all. That's how people end up with so many. They enrich a person's life just by being there.
> 
> I will not push you anymore to keep them. You don't need that pressure on top of trying to do what is right for you and them. You'll come to a final decision and everyone will respect that choice.


I never felt that you were pushing me to keep them but rather being hopeful because you knew I was attached early in 
I find it amazing that she came here & brought her chicks too. She had oatmeal the first time I saw her so I'm guessing she knew where the food would be for her flock ❤


----------



## robin416

LOL Yeah she knew where to get good treats. 

You didn't run her off so she knew that chances were there was a safe haven to be had at your house. Chickens really are pretty smart.


----------



## RitaS

Will any of mine look similar to any of these ?


----------



## Poultry Judge

The Spangles are the ones with white and black. One interesting chicken factoid is that they can change colors throughout their lives, even beaks, legs and feet. After each molt the new feathers are representative of the currently exhibited genetic material in the developmental life of the chicken. Usually, at a more mature age, after four-ish molts, their colors and patterns stabilize. You can see this fairly dramatically in ducks and chickens, a picture, five years apart, sometimes doesn't appear to be the same bird. It is less dramatic in other species, Eastern Wild Turkeys, for example, but small coloration changes do occur.


----------



## robin416

PJ is the only one that should answer that question. You definitely don't want me to.


----------



## robin416

Poultry Judge said:


> The Spangles are the ones with white and black. One interesting chicken factoid is that they can change colors throughout their lives, even beaks, legs and feet. After each molt the new feathers are representative of the currently exhibited genetic material in the developmental life of the chicken. Usually, at a more mature age, after four-ish molts, their colors and patterns stabilize. You can see this fairly dramatically in ducks and chickens, a picture, five years apart, sometimes doesn't appear to be the same bird. It is less dramatic in other species, Eastern Wild Turkeys, for example, but small coloration changes do occur.


I saw dramatic changes in my Silkies as late as four years old. Better feathering, better confirmation. Although the four year old was my ugly little dwarf, Dwarf, she finally grew a tail at four years old.

And you get to do the pic thing, PJ.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> LOL Yeah she knew where to get good treats.
> 
> You didn't run her off so she knew that chances were there was a safe haven to be had at your house. Chickens really are pretty smart.


I would not turn away anything I thought was abandoned, within reason lol. I may not keep it but I would worry about it until I knew it was safe. 
This hen worried me every time she ran along side the busy highway. Just couldn't stop here. Didn't know she had a nest then


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> I saw dramatic changes in my Silkies as late as four years old. Better feathering, better confirmation. Although the four year old was my ugly little dwarf, Dwarf, she finally grew a tail at four years old.
> 
> And you get to do the pic thing, PJ.


Wow I'm learning all kinds of things here. Never knew color changed


----------



## Poultry Judge

The short answer is yes, you may have birds that look like all of those four. They are handsome aren't they? That last one is perfect or near perfect conformation!


----------



## Poultry Judge

There is an old rule in judging, never to use photographs in competition. But...all that went out the window this year with Covid and now there are many virtual poultry shows!


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> The short answer is yes, you may have birds that look like all of those four. They are handsome aren't they? That last one is perfect or near perfect conformation!


Oh my ... how do I give up such beautiful birds ?! Yes they are handsome fellows. I've always heard that roos are not good to eat , from what I've read that doesn't seem true.
I can't eat eggs or chicken now. Lol


----------



## Poultry Judge

Silkies are an interesting example, they have been heavily hybridized, (breeder selected) since about the 1950's, 1960's. Don't hold me to that, Robin probably knows better when there started to be more strains of Silkies. But, it's a good example of how much variation in genetic material is present. The same thing is happening with Guineas. When I was growing up there were a couple varieties, now there are a bunch. Same thing with the Aracaunas, they became popular because of the pastel eggs and now there are a bunch of strains.


----------



## RitaS

Ok, I’m thinking & just looking but what do y’all think of this coop ?


----------



## Poultry Judge

I like the old colloquialism saying that after the Garden of Eden, every chicken is a cross! Then a group of breeders get together, draw a line in the sand and petition to have a new strain or breed recognized. The scary thing is that 3-4 million years ago they all looked like the jungle fowl, with all of the velociraptor-ish influence.


----------



## RitaS

Oops forgot pics lol


----------



## Poultry Judge

I don't see the coop.


----------



## robin416

Poultry Judge said:


> There is an old rule in judging, never to use photographs in competition. But...all that went out the window this year with Covid and now there are many virtual poultry shows!


I did not know that. I've been out of chickens for about nine years now so I just assumed shows were on hold for this year.


----------



## Poultry Judge

As a chicken tractor, that would be okay to move a few birds around the yard for the summer, for Ohio winters you will need something different.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> I don't see the coop.


I forgot the pics


Poultry Judge said:


> As a chicken tractor, that would be okay to move a few birds around the yard for the summer, for Ohio winters you will need something different.


ok thank you


----------



## robin416

What PJ said, that thing is tiny. Half the floor space is taken up with the ramp.


----------



## Poultry Judge

I'm thinking that once they get virtual online shows sorted out they are going to be the next thing. It's just a big shift. In 4H and FFA for example, so much depends on short interviews with the kids as part of the judging process. But, even that can be done virtually. There are certain judging protocols and scores that depend on handling the bird. You remember, right Robin?


----------



## robin416

Yeah, I do. I think that was the part I hated worst about the shows. Handling the birds, bird after bird. Even though all were tested and appeared healthy there was still that small chance something was contagious.

A few years ago NM told us there was ILT at one of the farm shows that didn't get caught right away. Yeah, shows can be scary when the best birds are there on display.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Yes, I have probably hundreds of judging stories that run the gamut. My flock will be NPIP tested again in the Spring and I have lots of questions about how they are going to move forward.


----------



## robin416

Thinking here because I can't remember the species but they found Covid in another animal. I guess I need to do some digging, it wasn't a dog or a cat either.


----------



## Sylie

it was a tiger in a zoo


----------



## robin416

No, it wasn't those big cats at the Bronx zoo. There ended up being seven of those infected. There was another that was infected that was a surprise but I can't find the story now so someone may have jumped the gun on the diagnosis.


----------



## RitaS

Any thoughts? Roo ?


----------



## Poultry Judge

No, not yet, possible Roo. A couple of your red chicks look almost exactly like my Pioneer Ginger Bantam chicks and they also stay small for a long time and are slow to develop. They are very handsome and colorful as adults. Your Game Roos will likely be very colorful. The hens generally look similar to their Roo counterparts without all the head, neck and tail color.


----------



## RitaS

Which are game roos ? I thought they all were game roos
I see one roo with feathers sticking out of his tail feathers like they’re on quills
Don’t suppose this would work because it’s too much like a playhouse construction ?


----------



## RitaS

??


----------



## robin416

It doesn't have to be near that big if you're only going to have three or four birds. 

PJ can address the material it's built out of better than I can since his latest one is made of the vinyl material.


----------



## RitaS

Does size matter because bigger one is actually cheaper?


----------



## Poultry Judge

Yes, yours are all Games and (like all birds), they go through lots of feather transitions. Sometimes they will look downright straggly as they grow, but not to worry. My shed looks somewhat like that, it is 8x10. I place tiered perches on each side and I may divide it for the Peafowl, I don't know yet. As Robin stated that 8x15 is probably way more than you need. However, it offers a lot of flexibility. The thing about that 8x15, is it would lend itself very nicely to being divided in two with a plywood divider and have a run accessible from each side, if you had different populations of birds as I do. The shed is sort of a shell and then you have to make it into a coop and be willing to cut holes in it. That one could be set up very nicely and could be easy to clean. That's just my opinion though, another plus for the vinyl is I don't have to paint it or roof it in my lifetime.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> Yes, yours are all Games and (like all birds), they go through lots of feather transitions. Sometimes they will look downright straggly as they grow, but not to worry. My shed looks somewhat like that, it is 8x10. I place tiered perches on each side and I may divide it for the Peafowl, I don't know yet. As Robin stated that 8x15 is probably way more than you need. However, it offers a lot of flexibility. The thing about that 8x15, is it would lend itself very nicely to being divided in two with a plywood divider and have a run accessible from each side, if you had different populations of birds as I do. The shed is sort of a shell and then you have to make it into a coop and be willing to cut holes in it. That one could be set up very nicely and could be easy to clean. That's just my opinion though, another plus for the vinyl is I don't have to paint it or roof it in my lifetime.


Hmmm what am I cutting holes for , I'd need help with directions & what to do


----------



## Poultry Judge

I paid about four hundred for mine last Fall on clearance from Menard's. It looks like it is similar construction. It took me three days to put mine together.


----------



## RitaS

This is $90


----------



## Poultry Judge

Cross ventilation would be nice in the summer. And I really love my dawn to dusk chicken door I installed. I open one of my front doors (person doors), during the day right now, since it's hot.


----------



## Poultry Judge

You're kidding? ninety dollars is worth it and would give you an excellent starting point! (for your chicken empire).


----------



## robin416

90$ raises red flags for me. Unless someone is selling it used. I'd have to check it over stem to stern to make sure it is secure and wouldn't fall apart in the first good wind. 

It's going to depend on what you plan to set up on any holes you might need. If you're run is going off the man doors then you don't need chicken pop doors, they can come and go through the man door.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Definitely check it over as Robin suggested. Also, it's a shell, a starting point, you can work on as needed but I would add some internal wood framing as I did with mine. Plus, it's bolted to the house, and attached to a metal roof sheltered run. And it's built on a rough sawn Poplar platform.


----------



## robin416

I found the shed online. The thing retailed for about 3K. Something isn't right with that listing. 

Most of the complaints I saw about it was difficulty putting it together. And one where the floor buckled so PJ's building a foundation sounds like something that should be done.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Yes, the difficulty putting mine together revolved around the cheap imported screws that came with the hardware package. After puncturing my hand three times with the screw gun, I switched to some better quality screws. No more injuries. It still took three days in the heat and uncounted cuss words to get it put together. It can be done with one person but it would have been easier with two.


----------



## RitaS

Now idk what to do. I don't want something that is going to be bad for my hens or too hard for me to get together. I can do the cuss word part but if I know what screws to use I can avoid doing so. Either way still no chicken empire... sorry
Here's all the info I found on this


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> Definitely check it over as Robin suggested. Also, it's a shell, a starting point, you can work on as needed but I would add some internal wood framing as I did with mine. Plus, it's bolted to the house, and attached to a metal roof sheltered run. And it's built on a rough sawn Poplar platform.


can you tell me about the framing ? Difficult ? Is the floor easy ? I don't know what it's called but it's like a floor frame & you add wood ... could I use that ?
I haven't a clue how to make it chicken safe but like the idea of blocking one side off. I might store food there. probably won't bolt it to my house though because I'd have to place it out of sight


----------



## robin416

Where did you see this for 90 bucks? If it's on Ebay or on Craigslist there's something not right. Of course I'm pretty suspicious of a lot of things but this one is concerning. 

You can find reviews for this shed on Amazon. It doesn't look like they sell it anymore since there was no actual price in the listing but it mentioned just under 3K in another spot on the page. 

Most were happy with it.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> Where did you see this for 90 bucks? If it's on Ebay or on Craigslist there's something not right. Of course I'm pretty suspicious of a lot of things but this one is concerning.
> 
> You can find reviews for this shed on Amazon. It doesn't look like they sell it anymore since there was no actual price in the listing but it mentioned just under 3K in another spot on the page.
> 
> Most were happy with it.


I saw it on a Facebook post twice now. I almost bought one for storage of wood.


----------



## robin416

Is it anywhere near you that you can go see it? 

I think it said it weighs like 800 pounds so it's not something you can put in your car and bring home.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> Is it anywhere near you that you can go see it?
> 
> I think it said it weighs like 800 pounds so it's not something you can put in your car and bring home.


actually it said free shipping.
Now I'm wondering if it's a fake ad. its in Utah


----------



## RitaS

It goes through to PayPal for $90 & says free shipping


----------



## robin416

Yeah, this is beginning to sound more and more like a scam. Take your money and run. 

Can you report the post on FB?


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> Yeah, this is beginning to sound more and more like a scam. Take your money and run.
> 
> Can you report the post on FB?


I thought it was legit since going through PayPal... is that not accurate?
Idk if I can even find it on FB to report it. I can try


----------



## Poultry Judge

I would pass on this one, the shipping would be more than 90 dollars, I would think.


----------



## Poultry Judge

I ordered two quilts a couple of year ago from an online retailer through Paypal and it was a scam. Paypal did reimburse the money though.


----------



## RitaS

Ok I’ll pass on it
Thanks for helping me avoid a scam !


----------



## robin416

This one was an obvious "if it's too good to be true" thing. It's easy to spot it when there is no emotion involved. 

You're looking for a way to keep your little flock without having to learn to be a carpenter. I was lucky, I was married to one and I learned a lot from him. Could I build a shed from scratch? Not a chance. I don't think. But I do have all of the tools to build one.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> This one was an obvious "if it's too good to be true" thing. It's easy to spot it when there is no emotion involved.
> 
> You're looking for a way to keep your little flock without having to learn to be a carpenter. I was lucky, I was married to one and I learned a lot from him. Could I build a shed from scratch? Not a chance. I don't think. But I do have all of the tools to build one.


I'm not any good at spotting scams. I take too much at face value. I don't believe everything I see or hear but scams appear real... I can't sort them out.
Yes, I'm trying to find my flock a good new living space but no luck as usual.
Carpentry is not a skill I possess much of, I can not build one thing lol
The ad is gone from FB. I have to admit it was tempting, knowing PayPal would reimburse the money


----------



## robin416

It's probably gone because FB took it down for being a scam. It will pop up again somewhere else. 

Watch Craigslist and your local FB business page or whatever they call it. I'm not on FB so I don't know what they call the merchant pages. So often they have stuff on there that is workable. 

I've seen dog pens advertised for 100$. A 10X10 chain link pen. It would be easy to put welded wire on to keep smaller predator from getting in through the chain link and to put small welded wire on the top to seal that off.

That's what my own birds are in. 

Then it would be easy choosing what to do about a coop. They're secure in the dog pen with some space to get in out of the worst of the weather.


----------



## RitaS

What do you think about this one ? Ships free A net cover wouldn't work would it ?
What would I put inside for shelter ?


----------



## robin416

A bit pricey for being used but it's bigger than mine and it's black coated wire. 

I would use wire on the top to keep racoons from ripping into the top. 

Heck, take the run off the one you have and put the hutch part in there. That would work for three birds easily.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> A bit pricey for being used but it's bigger than mine and it's black coated wire.
> 
> I would use wire on the top to keep racoons from ripping into the top.
> 
> Heck, take the run off the one you have and put the hutch part in there. That would work for three birds easily.


My coop doesn't have a roost & idk if it's tall enough for one. How far off the floor does it need to be ?


----------



## robin416

Higher is better but they adapt if it's lower. Any kind of roost keeps them pretty happy. 

Have I seen a pic of the coop part yet?


----------



## RitaS

I guess there are 2 roosts but they're really low.
Here's the coop pics


----------



## Poultry Judge

That is lots of good advice from Robin! I have several hundred feet of that wire fence around my runs. Mine is all six foot galvanized and not coated wire. The coated wire would be nice but galvanized fencing lasts almost forever. I have vinyl fence panels at the front of the house, so people don't see the birds from the road, it used to be a problem when I had the Emu flock. Again, I won't have to replace the galvanized or vinyl fencing in my lifetime. I used to buy used dog runs off of Craigslist and that's where I got all of the panels and doors from. Places like Home Depot, Lowes and Menard's sell the connectors and hardware. The nice thing about this type of fencing panel is that it is modular and can be reconfigured if your needs change in the future. My covering is poultry netting on pvc 3/4 pipe. It's not heavy duty like wire would be, but I have to enclose several thousand square feet. The height of my pvc uprights is seven foot so I can work on it with a standard six foot ladder. That construction is very simple, it's all zip ties I buy in bulk.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Your coop looks tidy inside. As your birds get older, they will want to roost higher.


----------



## robin416

I've got things like bobcats here so the heavier wire is almost a given. Since I'm short enough mine has 2X4's across the top to support the wire. I don't have to stoop to walk in.


----------



## robin416

With the right tools it would be so easy to make taller roosts in that coop. It could run side to side and screwed in at the sides.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> Your coop looks tidy inside. As your birds get older, they will want to roost higher.


Do you think I could put in a roost up higher or is this coop too flimsy? I know you can see very well in pics


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> With the right tools it would be so easy to make taller roosts in that coop. It could run side to side and screwed in at the sides.


Side to side as in the way the current ones run or opposite direction? What screws would work best & what wood to use ? I read not to use round but rather flat boards


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> I've got things like bobcats here so the heavier wire is almost a given. Since I'm short enough mine has 2X4's across the top to support the wire. I don't have to stoop to walk in.


How does the 2x4's connect to the top ?


----------



## RitaS

I found a gap on top the door to the nesting box. I used this foam but 2nd guessing if it will hurt the chickens?


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> A bit pricey for being used but it's bigger than mine and it's black coated wire.
> 
> I would use wire on the top to keep racoons from ripping into the top.
> 
> Heck, take the run off the one you have and put the hutch part in there. That would work for three birds easily.


Could I just put the fence around the whole thing then take off or open the doors ? How does this fence anchor down ?


----------



## robin416

RitaS said:


> How does the 2x4's connect to the top ?


It's wired to the top of the cross bar of the pen.



RitaS said:


> View attachment 34902
> I found a gap on top the door to the nesting box. I used this foam but 2nd guessing if it will hurt the chickens?


The birds will eat that foam. They have a thing for foam of any kind. They'll even eat styrofoam coolers.



RitaS said:


> Could I just put the fence around the whole thing then take off or open the doors ? How does this fence anchor down ?


The dog pens are so heavy they don't need to be anchored. Nothing short of a tornado is going to move them.

You've mentioned coop strength a couple of times. If you add support in all of the corners, around the top and bottom it will toughen it up a ton.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> It's wired to the top of the cross bar of the pen.
> 
> The birds will eat that foam. They have a thing for foam of any kind. They'll even eat styrofoam coolers.
> 
> The dog pens are so heavy they don't need to be anchored. Nothing short of a tornado is going to move them.
> 
> You've mentioned coop strength a couple of times. If you add support in all of the corners, around the top and bottom it will toughen it up a ton.


Ok what guage of wire ? yay! It just sits on the ground... no added work there lol. 
Guess I best remove the foam. Any suggestions on what to use ? Sorry, I need all the help I can get... I know nothing. Also, supports of what kind? I saw a couple places the wood is starting to split so I better start thinking about that.


----------



## robin416

Get us some good pics of the outside of the coop. It's hard giving ideas when it can't be seen. 

For something like you're describing if I'm understanding it right is I'd just screw in a 1X3 on the door or the coop to block the gap. Or build a new door.

This is where things get dicey because you don't have any power tools. Many of the things mentioned would require a screw gun at the minimum. 

Welded wire is pretty much standard gauge. If you put 1X2 on the top it's strong and nothing can squeeze in through it.


----------



## RitaS

If you need more or different pics I can take some


----------



## robin416

So, the gap is in the door with the window in it? That doesn't look big enough to worry about. During the winter they do need ventilation with the humidity their bodies put out.

You said a piece of wood is splitting? You can fill that in with a little bit of silicone caulk. 

It's going to be tough to reinforce the inside of the coop and if you do it on the outside then you'd have to make sure water can't stand on the trim boards and cause rot.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Pieces of Rebar and wire are inexpensive and sturdy for anchors for fence panels. As far as insulation, chickens will peck at and disassemble just about anything if it interests them. When I use foam insulation, I usually cover it with duct tape and they ignore it. They love to tear apart styrofoam insulation and make a mess, so I don't use that unless they can't get to it. I also wouldn't use exposed fiberglass insulation, although my chickens used to make nests of it in the barn,where I used to always find hidden nests. The barn was much more free range. My current setup is a lot more chicken safe. It takes time. It took me a dozen years of trying to think like my birds and see the environment from their perspective. Then while I was peacefully contemplating it, the Emus would sneak up behind me and get me.


----------



## Poultry Judge

But you could attach a run to it. Or, if you had enough panels, you could put your coop inside it.


----------



## RitaS

I was thinking about set the whole thing inside the fence. 
I didn’t get a pic of the gap , I left for work but I will tomorrow


----------



## robin416

Yep, putting the whole thing in there would save you a bunch of work.


----------



## RitaS

That’s what I’ll do & just wire the door open & leave coop door open.


----------



## robin416

Just take the run door off, then you don't have it in the way of anything.

During the Winter the coop door needs to be closed, especially at night.


----------



## RitaS

Although it said free shipping, the seller does not ship. Continuing the search
Being to believe I'm not supposed to keep these chickens
Here's the pics of the gap in the nesting box door
They move the pine shavings & sleep on the space with very little shavings.


----------



## robin416

The best way to close that gap up is to install wood strips on the inside that overlaps when the door is closed. It's hard to explain what I mean here. And it doesn't help that I don't know how the rest of it was constructed.


----------



## RitaS

I think I know what you mean. It still would allow the door to open but cover the gap


----------



## robin416

Yep.

You know how we told you chickens will eat insulation or any foam products. Years ago an owner went out and found their chickens had gone at a styrofoam cooler. The only thing left was the handle. 

Another had to find a way to block off the AC lines going into the house because their birds were going after the insulation on the piping.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> Yep.
> 
> You know how we told you chickens will eat insulation or any foam products. Years ago an owner went out and found their chickens had gone at a styrofoam cooler. The only thing left was the handle.
> 
> Another had to find a way to block off the AC lines going into the house because their birds were going after the insulation on the piping.


Oh my who would have guessed. I removed the foam.
Here is a pen but it costs more. What is your opinion? Has 5 star rating. I'm just concerned about putting it together with my lack of knowledge. I want to get it done though so I can get up electric fence.
I haven't heard from that person that wanted them since last week so I do have some others that have said they want chickens, idk if they want roos tho. I'm now wanting to keep them all so I can see what the roos look like grown. Lol you knew that would happen, didn't you haha ?


----------



## Poultry Judge

In situations where I don't wish to use nails or screws, I use construction adhesive or subfloor adhesive in a standard caulking tube to attach wood and make repairs on my coop and around the farm.


----------



## RitaS

I want to get a roost put up soon but I’m concerned about that vent in the coop. If I cover the coop all the way around & leave an inch gap at the top it will cover that opening. Will there still be enough air circulation?
If that isn’t a problem then what’s the best wood & screws to use ?


----------



## RitaS

There’s a pen for sale closer to me but the fencing has a couple large holes in it. Could I fix that or should I not think about buying it ? I’ve always bought new but this is expensive stuff to me


----------



## Poultry Judge

If folks want chickens, I would work on re-homing some Roos first. They could then work on building a small flock around a Roo. In Europe, a Game bird Roo is very common with a backyard flock because (generally), they are a stabilizing influence and they are so protective.


----------



## RitaS

I don’t work today so it would be a good time to get things for a roost 
I’m going over to the market too to see if the kid that mowed for me will help out with getting a pen set up. Hope it’s a productive day lol


----------



## Poultry Judge

It's the time of the year when the farm stores and the big box hardware stores will start putting sheds and kennels on clearance. I have bought more than a half dozen of those kennels to make all my panels and I only ever bought one new. I have also recycled cattle panels and placed fencing over them. Craigslist and farm auctions.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Definitely recruit some help. I do so many projects by myself and almost all would be easier with two people.


----------



## RitaS

Can you tell me best wood & screws for roost ? The walls are thin & I don't want to split them.
One last pic of pen
Would like opinions on which one out of ones I've posted would you buy, if any lol


----------



## Poultry Judge

Use construction adhesive or subfloor adhesive, that's what I did around my doors. The Home Depot one looks fairly practical, again not very big but it would be a start for this year, and you could add on to it in the future.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> Use construction adhesive or subfloor adhesive, that's what I did around my doors. The Home Depot one looks fairly practical, again not very big but it would be a start for this year, and you could add on to it in the future.


I'm only keeping momma & 2 hens. If I use it on the roost will it be strong enough to hold them just by gluing the ends Of 2 x4 to coop walls ?


----------



## robin416

RitaS said:


> View attachment 34930
> Can you tell me best wood & screws for roost ? The walls are thin & I don't want to split them.
> One last pic of pen
> Would like opinions on which one out of ones I've posted would you buy, if any lol


That would work but you'd still have to wire the top if it's not. It wouldn't take much for a predator to get through that tarp.


----------



## RitaS

How difficult is the top to put on ? Need detailed explanation because we all know I don’t know anything about this stuff


----------



## robin416

Same thing, 2x4's as support across the top and wire places over it and wired down.


----------



## RitaS

How far apart ? Welded wire ?


----------



## RitaS

How would the 2x4’s work on the angled “roof”


----------



## RitaS

Well I bought a 10x10x6 kennel today so we will see how it goes. I also measured & had wood cut for a roost. 
Should be interesting lol


----------



## robin416

You're going to need some basic hand tools to put it together.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> You're going to need some basic hand tools to put it together.


Basic I think I have, just hope the directions are clear. If I run into problems will try to get help


----------



## robin416

It would be much better to have a second person because it's too heavy for one person to hold two panels up and connect them.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> It would be much better to have a second person because it's too heavy for one person to hold two panels up and connect them.


I will check on help then. Ty
Any tips ? I don't have the 2x4's yet but I'm not quite sure how they & the wire go on the top.


----------



## robin416

You'll probably need ten foot 2x4s. Maybe 12 ft trimmed shorter. I have two in my pen. They lay across the top of the pen rails and are wired into place.


----------



## RitaS

Two 10’ 2x4’s is all I need ?
Does the wire go on first then the 2x4’s closer to the ends ?
The wire is welded wire, right ?


----------



## robin416

No the lumber goes on before the wire, evenly spaced across the top. It's too early for me to do math but spaced evenly from the parallel panel.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Welded wire would be great. People use all sorts of fencing and wire. I use recycled vinyl coated garden type fence when I can find it for free. The majority of my areas are covered with netting over PVC 3/4 inch poles because that's what I can afford and I have thousands of square feet to cover. For me, it's mostly to keep Peafowl and Eastern Wild Turkeys in, the flyers. Lots of backyard chicken flocks around here are five or six foot fence with no cover, which I wouldn't recommend. It all depends on your predator situation. My birds are so close to the house that my predator situation is dramatically different than it used to be. The (Wild) Eastern Wild Turkeys now come up through the horse pastures, crossing numerous fences and several thousand feet, to visit with my birds through the Aviary fence.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> Welded wire would be great. People use all sorts of fencing and wire. I use recycled vinyl coated garden type fence when I can find it for free. The majority of my areas are covered with netting over PVC 3/4 inch poles because that's what I can afford and I have thousands of square feet to cover. For me, it's mostly to keep Peafowl and Eastern Wild Turkeys in, the flyers. Lots of backyard chicken flocks around here are five or six foot fence with no cover, which I wouldn't recommend. It all depends on your predator situation. My birds are so close to the house that my predator situation is dramatically different than it used to be. The (Wild) Eastern Wild Turkeys now come up through the horse pastures, crossing numerous fences and several thousand feet, to visit with my birds through the Aviary fence.


So far no predators but rather anxiety over the possibility lol. 
What kind of wire for connecting pieces of fencing over top & around kennel ? Still not too sure on putting the 2x4's & the wire over top
Can I use garden cloth that I had around my coop and garden netting?


----------



## RitaS

They found a roost I didn't know existed lol
They are all in the coop today. Not sure why but does look like more rain.


----------



## RitaS

Can I use the wire I have on the ground now ? Forgot kind of wire to use for wiring on the top & not sure how to go about that
If I evenly space the two 2x4’s then lay wire overtop them then do I just wire all the edges & to the bars/2x4’s too?
They found their own roost that I didn’t know about lol


----------



## robin416

That would be very expensive. Get welded wire in 1X2 inch squares. It's small enough that a predator scaling the sides can't get in.


----------



## RitaS

Wow 6’ tall wire is expensive... if I use 48” How many feet will it take 10x10x6’ 
Would it be 40’ to go around once ? 
Another 20’ for roof ? 
I just not good at math anymore at my age


----------



## Poultry Judge

You can use galvanized wire from Trac Supp or the hardware. If it was my application, I would be definitely be recycling the hardware cloth and using zip ties. I have used thousands of zip ties to put up my netting. If I wired it all, it would take forever! I would drill some 1/4 inch holes in the 2x4s and definitely wire those for strength. As long as you have a six foot step ladder you can work on it at your own pace. Also maybe price some garden fencing with the smaller holes at the bottom. I'm trying to think of things that might work for you and still be cost effective.


----------



## Poultry Judge

It will work for now. If you get some heavier fencing later for free or low cost you can always add it.


----------



## RitaS

I just realized this kennel has 1” gap at bottom to ground. How can I fix that ?
Also, need to start plans to rehome some roos. Stupid question but do I give them away ?


----------



## RitaS

I found galvanized hardware cloth at Walmart for $4.50 5’ roll so I bought 10 rolls...all they had


----------



## Poultry Judge

Maybe take a picture of the gap. My panels pretty much sit flush on the ground.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> Maybe take a picture of the gap. My panels pretty much sit flush on the ground.


I will if I ever get it put up


----------



## RitaS

After the roof is wired....Do I need to put something to cover the roof for a “slope” to keep rain/snow out of the kennel ?


----------



## Poultry Judge

That's up to you. Most folks provide some basic protection for the coop area.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> That's up to you. Most folks provide some basic protection for the coop area.


What could I use ?


----------



## Poultry Judge

A scrap sheet of plywood would work for this year. Drill some holes in the corners and wire it on.


----------



## RitaS

How does 2x4’s cut to 10’ work when kennel is 10’ ?
If all my boys are re-homed to same place with other chickens will that work or do they need to go to separate homes?
What Type & gauge wire do I use to wire on hardware cloth ?
Does the kennel need wrapped in plastic sheeting or just the coop ? What mil is best ?


----------



## robin416

1. You don't cut the lumber to exactly ten feet. You just don't want a bunch of overhang.
2. Pick up a little roll of wire, it doesn't have to be over 18 gauge. Aluminium wire is easier to work with than steel.
3. Do not wrap the coop in plastic, it will trap moisture and make the birds sick. Use tarps on the outside of the pen to block wind.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Regarding rehoming the Roos, it depends upon how much fighting there is and how much space they will have. I have almost no fighting because my birds have a lot of room.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> Regarding rehoming the Roos, it depends upon how much fighting there is and how much space they will have. I have almost no fighting because my birds have a lot of room.


How many roos do you have ?


----------



## Poultry Judge

I have eleven Roos counting Peafowl, Chickens, Eastern Wild Turkeys, and Ducks which is about a one to four ratio with hens. It's not ideal but I have several thousand square feet of runs under netting. I do have one fifty by ten foot run I can use if I need to isolate a bird temporarily.


----------



## RitaS

I have never heard of this but there’s a lot I don’t know. I just got a text telling me chickens are asexual & can have chicks without roosters.....
Then how come the world has hens & roosters ?
Can y’all clear this up for me ! Please & thank you!


----------



## robin416

Really? Do you really think that text has any validity?


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> Really? Do you really think that text has any validity?


No but I thought I might just be stupid lol. This woman also thinks pepper never leaves the body ! I am dumbfounded because she has a Bachelors degree in nursing. Former boss of mine. Scared to say the least !


----------



## Poultry Judge

The world is full of nonsensical advice, common sense goes a long way with raising healthy chickens, humans have been doing it for thousands of years.


----------



## RitaS

What would a fair price be to ask for my roosters ?


----------



## Poultry Judge

You can try selling them first but you may end up giving them away and hoping they go to good caring homes. This is the end of the season, it would be easier to sell them in the Spring. I often sell mine for twelve dollars a piece. Show birds with documented flock histories or EU papers go up in price from there.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> You can try selling them first but you may end up giving them away and hoping they go to good caring homes. This is the end of the season, it would be easier to sell them in the Spring. I often sell mine for twelve dollars a piece. Show birds with documented flock histories or EU papers go up in price from there.


Will all these roosters together stay alive until spring? That's my concern. I know there's no way to know for sure but is it highly risky to try to keep them all ?


----------



## Poultry Judge

Now is the time to re-home some.


----------



## RitaS

Idk how many roosters lol. I think these are roo. 1st 2 pics. It's hard getting pics, they scatter lol


----------



## Poultry Judge

The ones with the taller redder combs are roos. The short paler combs perched above the beaks are pullets. They will have some strange looking feathering until next year and they get closer to being adults. For some there are hints as to what they might look like. That Spangle is an interesting chick.


----------



## RitaS

What makes the spangle interesting? looks to me like 6 roosters


----------



## Poultry Judge

The Spangle is evidence that Mama Hen hatched those chicks, but they weren't all her eggs.


----------



## RitaS

How is that proof ? There are 2 of those. Is it that her breed could not produce a spangle ?


----------



## Poultry Judge

It would be genetically anomalous.


----------



## RitaS

Haven’t had time to get pen together but hopefully today.
I have some free range feed from when my hen came to live here & wondered if I could use that up & mix it with the feed I use now. Safe for chicks too ?
Do I keep them on 18% chick starter grower ?


----------



## RitaS

I think I may have trouble with this pen.
Is there a way to fix the gap around the door ?
And you can see the 1" legs. What can I do for those ?


----------



## robin416

It's a drawing, they're not exact. You'll have to put it together before you'll know what needs to be addressed.


----------



## RitaS

Frame is up. Not level but to get to coop it has to be like that.


----------



## robin416

Is there chain link between those panels because I don't see any. 

It doesn't have to be level as long as the door opens and closes. 

I would drop the door down and use hardware cloth to close in the top. I'll try to get a pic of how I did mine.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Well, that is a lot of progress, I'm sure you will want to tweak and add a bunch of things. I have several door like that and have used hardware cloth and wire. Usually around here, I use whatever is available to get it functional and then fix it with something nicer later. If it was my setup I would get that coop off the ground on stilts or blocks before I do anything with the top.


----------



## robin416

Poultry Judge said:


> Well, that is a lot of progress, I'm sure you will want to tweak and add a bunch of things. I have several door like that and have used hardware cloth and wire. Usually around here, I use whatever is available to get it functional and then fix it with something nicer later. If it was my setup I would get that coop off the ground on stilts or blocks before I do anything with the top.


Why? Mine is flat on the ground which makes it harder for diggers to get in.


----------



## RitaS

Fencing isn’t up yet.... waiting on help that may or may not show up. Please get a pic because I have no clue how to lower that door or how to hook on hardware cloth that’ll let the door open.
? Blocks as in concrete? How high off the ground does it need be. Will I need a floor or can bottom still be open ?
So far I’ve braved it alone today lol. Lost 2 screws but I’ll get some replacements lol


----------



## Poultry Judge

Just a personal preference mostly, in Ohio, I like being able to insulate the whole coop including under the floor in the winter. My new coop is only raised twelve inches. The old coop was built in 1882 and renovated around 1930. It was also about a foot off the ground on timbers bigger than railroad ties. As I get older, I like to be able to clean the coop without bending all the down or crawling inside it. With the new one, I can just stand in the doorway and sweep everything out and scoop it into a wheelbarrow.


----------



## RitaS

I dug out a little under those 1” legs but still too much gap. What could I put around there to cover that ?


----------



## robin416

Poultry Judge said:


> Just a personal preference mostly, in Ohio, I like being able to insulate the whole coop including under the floor in the winter. My new coop is only raised twelve inches. The old coop was built in 1882 and renovated around 1930. It was also about a foot off the ground on timbers bigger than railroad ties. As I get older, I like to be able to clean the coop without bending all the down or crawling inside it. With the new one, I can just stand in the doorway and sweep everything out and scoop it into a wheelbarrow.


I thought you were talking about the dog pen. Her coop is already elevated so that was part of my confusion.


----------



## Poultry Judge

I empathize with Rita. The last one I bought from TSC had two twenty foot rolls of fence and I hated it. I used other fence I had because I didn't want to mess with the stuff that came with it. The old style six by ten foot panels are so much easier to deal with because the fence is already installed and they are so much easier to assemble.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> I empathize with Rita. The last one I bought from TSC had two twenty foot rolls of fence and I hated it. I used other fence I had because I didn't want to mess with the stuff that came with it. The old style six by ten foot panels are so much easier to deal with because the fence is already installed and they are so much easier to assemble.


Thanks I need all the empathy I can get lol because I have no clue what I'm doing


----------



## RitaS

Well I bought a kennel lol. It’s how they come now. The fence is in a large roll & has to be put on


----------



## Poultry Judge

RitaS said:


> Fencing isn't up yet.... waiting on help that may or may not show up. Please get a pic because I have no clue how to lower that door or how to hook on hardware cloth that'll let the door open.
> ? Blocks as in concrete? How high off the ground does it need be. Will I need a floor or can bottom still be open ?
> So far I've braved it alone today lol. Lost 2 screws but I'll get some replacements lol


Do you still have your hardware cloth? Are you still putting an electric fence around the whole thing?


----------



## Poultry Judge

robin416 said:


> I thought you were talking about the dog pen. Her coop is already elevated so that was part of my confusion.


It would just be a little easier to clean and manage if the coop itself was raised a little.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> Do you still have your hardware cloth? Are you still putting an electric fence around the whole thing?


Yes to both. Right now I can't fight this fencing to get it up.
The coop is raised, it sits atop the run 
Finally roost is in !


----------



## Poultry Judge

I put up lots of fence by myself, it is soooo much easier with help.


----------



## RitaS

Unfortunately for me I can’t hold it & clamp it to the post


----------



## Poultry Judge

When I'm working by myself, which is often, and I need someone to hold something in place, I use a zip tie or a piece of duct tape, I was just putting up six foot chain link fence two days ago and that's what I did. Same thing with tensioning it, I initially used zip ties. For the record, I hate that type of fence, but I have several hundred feet of it around my birds.


----------



## RitaS

What’s best way to tension it ?


----------



## Poultry Judge

I used zip ties. Did yours come with the short aluminum wires?


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> I used zip ties. Did yours come with the short aluminum wires?


Yes


----------



## Poultry Judge

Start with zip ties and then use the aluminum wire.


----------



## RitaS

I'm about over it already. The fencing is so tangled I'm ready to scream.
Idk how to wire the fence onto the poles.
Yep I'm done. It can stay like it is !!


----------



## robin416

What the heck, those are steel? They're going to be a lot harder than aluminium. 

Do you even have any tools? If you don't have the right tools you're never going to get it up.


----------



## RitaS

It’s sitting out there. I have pliers, needle nose, & wire cutters. I can bend those but I can’t untangle the fence. It can rot where it sits for all I care now. I should have known I couldn’t do it & all the help I was going to have wouldn’t show. That’s how my luck goes. Oh well money lost I guess.


----------



## Poultry Judge

I don't know if this would work for you but I unroll the fence flat on the ground and untangle it all first, then I start with a corner. You can't stand it all up at once, it just folds up on itself and gets re-kinked and tangled. You could assemble the whole thing with zip ties first before using the small steel wires which as Robin implied, are not going to be as easy as aluminum. I use needle nose pliers with the aluminum ones and you can pull them fairly snug. I don't know why they would include steel wire with this kennel kit, it's probably cheaper or something. All of my old panels have aluminum wire holding the steel fencing.


----------



## RitaS

T


Poultry Judge said:


> I don't know if this would work for you but I unroll the fence flat on the ground and untangle it all first, then I start with a corner. You can't stand it all up at once, it just folds up on itself and gets re-kinked and tangled. You could assemble the whole thing with zip ties first before using the small steel wires which as Robin implied, are not going to be as easy as aluminum. I use needle nose pliers with the aluminum ones and you can pull them fairly snug. I don't know why they would include steel wire with this kennel kit, it's probably cheaper or something. All of my old panels have aluminum wire holding the steel fencing.


Thanks for your suggestion. I might try another day. Today I best let it go so I don't ruin it. I don't even know where to put the wire except top & bottom. Does it go thru the loops of the fence or where ?


----------



## Poultry Judge

Is it one piece of fence or two? Yes the wires secure the top and bottom fence loops around the metal tubing frame. The instructions should say how many and how far apart. Again, you could get it positioned where you want it with zip ties and then secure it with the wire at your own pace. I would even get a roll of softer wire from the hardware that would be easier to use.


----------



## RitaS

It


Poultry Judge said:


> Is it one piece of fence or two? Yes the wires secure the top and bottom fence loops around the metal tubing frame. The instructions should say how many and how far apart. Again, you could get it positioned where you want it with zip ties and then secure it with the wire at your own pace. I would even get a roll of softer wire from the hardware that would be easier to use.


It's s one roll of fence. The directions are difficult to read/understand, at least for me. It doesn't say where to put the wire except for top & bottom. I'm just so frustrated with it , if it would burn I would torch it right now


----------



## Poultry Judge

You just have to untangle it one tangle at a time and if you have room, I would unroll the whole thing out flat first.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> You just have to untangle it one tangle at a time and if you have room, I would unroll the whole thing out flat first.


Won't it just re tangle ?


----------



## robin416

OK, let me step in here a minute. Don't try to lift that corner into place and then zip tie, it's more than most women can handle. Tie a rope to the corner you want to put in place, toss it over the top rail and pull it into place. You can temp tie it off while you attach whatever you're going to use to hold it in place.

As to those steel wires, go out and buy a roll of aluminium wire for hot wire. That would be tons easier than trying to twist the steel and get it snug. 

You need to stand back and assess what you're working with and approach it with your weaknesses in mind. Number one being a woman and not having the upper body strength a man would have. Do you need more height to work on it? Position a step stool or small ladder where you need it. 

Post a name or link of what you bought so PJ and I can see it. Right now neither of us can give you really good guidance because we're not seeing what you are.


----------



## RitaS

This is the top & bottom going on the right side of door to start the fence. If you look closely you see the tangles & I can't get them out. If you go to petsentinel.com there's a video showing how it goes together. It's called chain link pet kennel. Can be 10x10x6 or 5x15x6
Bought at Lowe's but I picked it up. It isn't on website


----------



## RitaS

If you zoom the pick I think you can see why I think I have 7 roosters
Nobody has replied to take any of them either. I might have a big problem.


----------



## robin416

RitaS said:


> View attachment 35084
> View attachment 35086
> This is the top & bottom going on the right side of door to start the fence. If you look closely you see the tangles & I can't get them out. If you go to petsentinel.com there's a video showing how it goes together. It's called chain link pet kennel. Can be 10x10x6 or 5x15x6
> Bought at Lowe's but I picked it up. It isn't on website


It almost looks like it's bent up there. Anchor that one end onto something so it can't move. Then study where the issue is, then slowly begin to work it free. You can't go at it all Tarzan or it will just make things worse.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Yes, what Robin said, chain link fence is more mind over matter. Every time I have really tugged on it, it has made it worse. You can only work out the tangle if it has some slack. I put up some the other day and I will try to take some pics tomorrow. I have never successfully unrolled the stuff directly off the roll and had it work.


----------



## Poultry Judge

I'm posting a couple pics of the last six foot chain link fencing I did a couple days ago on the back of one of the chicken runs. As you can see it's only put up with zip ties until I finish it. It's also recycled, old and wrinkly from being used around the old horse arena. But it's functional and it's on the back of the run. I save the new shiny fencing for areas where you can see it well and I hate this stuff in general.


----------



## Poultry Judge

The other steel welded fencing in the photo is recycled cattle panels which I've been using up and add a lot of structure to the chicken fence.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> View attachment 35106
> View attachment 35108
> I'm posting a couple pics of the last six foot chain link fencing I did a couple days ago on the back of one of the chicken runs. As you can see it's only put up with zip ties until I finish it. It's also recycled, old and wrinkly from being used around the old horse arena. But it's functional and it's on the back of the run. I save the new shiny fencing for areas where you can see it well and I hate this stuff in general.


My fencing is not nice & even across the top like you fencin


----------



## RitaS

Just got home, went out to check my chickens & guess what ... my fence is up ! needs some ties & some links need adjusted but omg it’s up. Never thought I’d see that fence done. Praise the Lord !!!
Now I need ideas for fixing that door with all those gaps. 
I can’t wait to let these babies out on the grass lol


----------



## RitaS

Doesn't look pretty but the fencing seems pretty bent up.
Is that going to be ok where it's wired so far ?


----------



## robin416

Alright, I know the chickens didn't put it up. Did you have a little gnome come by and do it for you?

That fence is a mess. I can't believe they sold it to you like that. And no wonder you were struggling with it.


----------



## RitaS

Yes ma’am. The guy across the street came over & did it while I was at work. 
Is it going to be ok like it’s wired ? It’s not the right way but as big a mess as it is can’t do much else.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Just use wire and make sure there are no big holes. My birds tend to not pay very much attention to the fence and I have a lot of it. The Emus, on the other hand, used to work the fence.


----------



## Poultry Judge

When I was at the Amish hardware this morning, I saw some welded wire 24 inch poultry/varmint fence with about 1/2 inch squares. If I have any problems this Fall or Winter, I will get some of that and slit trench it in around problem areas, if anything should try to dig it's way in.


----------



## robin416

LOL Did the neighbor hear you screaming at the fence? 

This is where overlaying the chain link with smaller welded wire is going to be important. I still can't believe they sold you that mess as new.


----------



## RitaS

So so far it’s ok ?


----------



## Poultry Judge

Yes, I believe so. I've enclosed a pic of the new six foot chain link fence from my last TSC kennel purchase, (clearance last Fall). As you can see it must have been rolled by a machine to be that tight and tidy. However, I have never successfully unrolled one of these without a tangle!


----------



## Poultry Judge

The Amish hardware also had pelletized Dolomite in 40 pound bags which is super good at knocking down the hotness of new chicken manure in grass.


----------



## robin416

I would be so intimidated by that I would never even consider buying it. At least my kennel came in constructed panels. Made it a heck of a lot easier to install.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> Yes, I believe so. I've enclosed a pic of the new six foot chain link fence from my last TSC kennel purchase, (clearance last Fall). As you can see it must have been rolled by a machine to be that tight and tidy. However, I have never successfully unrolled one of these without a tangle!


Exactly how mine came rolled


robin416 said:


> I would be so intimidated by that I would never even consider buying it. At least my kennel came in constructed panels. Made it a heck of a lot easier to install.


i couldn't see it but wouldn't have known any difference. Good thing it's one time thing lol


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> LOL Did the neighbor hear you screaming at the fence?
> 
> This is where overlaying the chain link with smaller welded wire is going to be important. I still can't believe they sold you that mess as new.


I need to get the 2 x 4's & have y'all tell me how that's done


----------



## robin416

Just lay them on the top rails equidistant apart and wire them to the top rail.


----------



## RitaS

How far over the edge does the 2x4‘s need to be


----------



## RitaS

Can my birds eat cobs of field corn ?


----------



## robin416

About four inches. 

Is field corn the hard kernels? They can't eat that. I buy frozen ears to thaw for mine.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> When I was at the Amish hardware this morning, I saw some welded wire 24 inch poultry/varmint fence with about 1/2 inch squares. If I have any problems this Fall or Winter, I will get some of that and slit trench it in around problem areas, if anything should try to dig it's way in.


what is slit trench ?


----------



## Poultry Judge

A slit trench is where you bury a piece of fence to prevent critters from digging under your main fence, also called rabbit proof fence.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> A slit trench is where you bury a piece of fence to prevent critters from digging under your main fence, also called rabbit proof fence.


Ok lol.
Trying to figure out how to get 2x4's here so I can attempt to get a top on this thing. Nothing close by so that makes it difficult. I still have no idea how to fix this gate. Any ideas ?
What do you put on bottom of coop for winter ?


----------



## robin416

This is a strip of 1X2 wire that goes across the top of the gate. One end stretches past the hinge side about six inches.

I noticed that your door can't be dropped, you can do the same thing on the bottom.

Ignore the cobwebs, I'll get to them when I clean the pen out.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> View attachment 35138


What am I seeing here ?


----------



## RitaS

Could I screw some kind of metal around the gate or would the poles not stand up to that ?


----------



## robin416




----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> View attachment 35140


How do you open the gate ?


----------



## robin416

It's not attached to anything but the gate. See the dog clip in the one pic? I clip that to the top of the 1X2 wire when I close up for the night. Nothing can get past that.

That wire you see in the second pic is not attached to the wire across the top of the gate, that's holding the wire in place that goes over the top of the pen.


----------



## robin416

RitaS said:


> What am I seeing here ?


I'll see if I can get a decent pic of the whole thing. The tarp on the roof and the shade cloth makes it hard to catch everything.


----------



## robin416

robin416 said:


> I'll see if I can get a decent pic of the whole thing. The tarp on the roof and the shade cloth makes it hard to catch everything.












The only thing it's attached to is the top of the gate.

The clothes pins hold shade cloth up when it's really toasty down here in the south.

I got stung on the ear by a wasp getting this pic.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> View attachment 35142
> 
> 
> The only thing it's attached to is the top of the gate.
> 
> The clothes pins hold shade cloth up when it's really toasty down here in the south.
> 
> I got stung on the ear by a wasp getting this pic.


Oh no sorry you got stung. 
The chicks can get thru the gaps during the day tho 
This fencing is terrible. I'm trying to patch it up. Long process.


----------



## Poultry Judge

robin416 said:


> View attachment 35138
> 
> 
> This is a strip of 1X2 wire that goes across the top of the gate. One end stretches past the hinge side about six inches.
> 
> I noticed that your door can't be dropped, you can do the same thing on the bottom.
> 
> Ignore the cobwebs, I'll get to them when I clean the pen out.


Hey that looks like my construction! (Use what you got, waste not want not). My cobweb strategy is it helps keep the birds in!


----------



## Poultry Judge

To keep the little ones from going under the door, If you still have some hardware cloth cut a piece to fit and wire it or zip tie it to the bottom for now. Those birds want grass under their feet. Take a look around for material ideas. Ask your neighbors if they have any materials they don't want. Every farm around me has a junk pile in the woods of extra stuff but you don't want it cluttering up farm space or being an eyesore. Every time we update horse fencing, I don't throw it away, it almost always ends up being used on chicken runs.


----------



## RitaS

There isn’t a top cover right now so I can’t let them out yet


----------



## Poultry Judge

You can if you keep an eye on them. I have sections of runs that aren't finished netted and I have birds that occasionally fly out, Phoenix and Pioneer Ginger Bantam are the usual offenders. They don't immediately head for the hills or go native, they walk the fence and chirp at their peers. Usually by the time I go to get them, they have gotten back in by themselves. On a daily basis, the only time I can do an accurate head count is at dusk when I know where everyone is going to be for the night.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> You can if you keep an eye on them. I have sections of runs that aren't finished netted and I have birds that occasionally fly out, Phoenix and Pioneer Ginger Bantam are the usual offenders. They don't immediately head for the hills or go native, they walk the fence and chirp at their peers. Usually by the time I go to get them, they have gotten back in by themselves. On a daily basis, the only time I can do an accurate head count is at dusk when I know where everyone is going to be for the night.


I can't watch them close enough & they won't go back in until dark... I won't be home. Work until Saturday so maybe while I work on hardware cloth they'll get some grass time. I'm excited to see them out in the grass & bigger area.


----------



## RitaS

Could I cover the gate in hardware cloth & just use dog clips around it ? When I want in just take off the clips ?


----------



## robin416

RitaS said:


> Could I cover the gate in hardware cloth & just use dog clips around it ? When I want in just take off the clips ?


Not sure that can work because the hardware cloth holes are so small. All that's holding mine on is zip ties. The dog clip is for at night to secure that upper corner so nothing can bend it back to get in.

Poultry netting will also work around the perimeter to keep them from squeezing through. Again, zip ties will hold it in place.

Buy the cheap plastic garden bird netting and stretch that across the top until you can do the wire. And zip tie it in place.


----------



## robin416

Poultry Judge said:


> Hey that looks like my construction! (Use what you got, waste not want not). My cobweb strategy is it helps keep the birds in!


Yep. Although I do have a lot invested in the different type of wires. But whatever is left over is stashed somewhere because it will get used.

After the sting this morning I won't be going after the cobwebs any time soon. I even poked at the tarp with a long pole to aggravate them to com out so I could see where to spray, I think they knew because they never did come out.


----------



## RitaS

It's 


robin416 said:


> Not sure that can work because the hardware cloth holes are so small. All that's holding mine on is zip ties. The dog clip is for at night to secure that upper corner so nothing can bend it back to get in.
> 
> Poultry netting will also work around the perimeter to keep them from squeezing through. Again, zip ties will hold it in place.
> 
> Buy the cheap plastic garden bird netting and stretch that across the top until you can do the wire. And zip tie it in place.


It isn't buying the stuff, it's getting time to put it on lol. 
I don't even have the kennel wired down yet lol. Close to 1/2 done


----------



## Poultry Judge

robin416 said:


> Yep. Although I do have a lot invested in the different type of wires. But whatever is left over is stashed somewhere because it will get used.
> 
> After the sting this morning I won't be going after the cobwebs any time soon. I even poked at the tarp with a long pole to aggravate them to com out so I could see where to spray, I think they knew because they never did come out.


Well, I hope you are feeling better, I hate wasps, they are the only thing that really makes me swell up. I have both paper wasps and mud wasps in the barn. I think the cobwebs in my coop help hold it all together!


----------



## RitaS

$51 to have 2x4’s delivered. Need to see if I can find somebody to get them for me.
Who knew a stray chicken would cost so much lol.
Did get my fence charger, clamp, & handles yesterday
Zip tying top & bottom of chain link, that’s a tedious job. Frequently taking breaks lol


----------



## robin416

Ouch, that's a bit pricey. Does you neighbor have a truck? Buy him a six pack or something if he is able to get it for you. 

Now you know why I have a pickup. Living in the country far too often I need something that requires that extra space in the back.


----------



## RitaS

That’s what I thought so I didn’t buy them.
I plan to ask the neighbor lol
i need an old beater truck I think but has to wait... probably until I don’t need it lol
sad part is if the back of my suv didn’t swing out like a door I could have let them stick out & tied them down. My back window doesn’t open either ugh.
Shouldn’t I get treated 2x4’s ?


----------



## Poultry Judge

I actually enjoy doing zip ties, I do a section, maybe a hundred, then I go back and snip off all the ends. That last fencing photo I shared was about eighty feet of fence and three hundred zip ties in one day.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Putting up netting is tedious, I tend to drag my feet on that.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> I actually enjoy doing zip ties, I do a section, maybe a hundred, then I go back and snip off all the ends. That last fencing photo I shared was about eighty feet of fence and three hundred zip ties in one day.


My neck would be broken with that many per day.
someone has offered to clip wings, yes or no ?


----------



## robin416

RitaS said:


> My neck would be broken with that many per day.
> someone has offered to clip wings, yes or no ?


50/50 Flying allows them to escape predators. Clipping means they stay where they belong and makes it harder for predators to get to them.

Until your pen is complete I'd say no but when the pen is complete you won't need to have them clipped anyway.


----------



## RitaS

I’m so thankful that I get experienced advise. I couldn’t have done any of this without y’all’s help. Thank you!!


----------



## RitaS

What’s the best way to handle the situation with all these roos ?
Nobody has even ask about them so I am stuck between a rock & a hard place.


----------



## RitaS

I have some 1"x 7" 11' boards in garage.
Would those work for top ?
Not a good pic but hopefully they'll work


----------



## RitaS

It's a beginning lol


----------



## Poultry Judge

Just chip away at it a bit each day. You have between now and Winter to get your coop all set up. It's just one step at a time!


----------



## Poultry Judge

RitaS said:


> I have some 1"x 7" 11' boards in garage.
> Would those work for top ?
> Not a good pic but hopefully they'll work


Those will work! Use your environment, Use what you have available.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Why does someone want to trim wing feathers?


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> Those will work! Use your environment, Use what you have available.


Yay ! Should I stack 2 of them or is 1 ok ?
He was just offering to clip wings. I told him no ty


----------



## Poultry Judge

If you could get someone with a table saw to cut each in half lengthwise, you would have four pieces. If you placed them on edge, you would have plenty of strength.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Or you could just use four or five of them. I doubt you will have to stack them.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> Or you could just use four or five of them. I doubt you will have to stack them.


I'll use 4 lol. Not too much luck getting them cut
Can I staple wire on top to boards ?


----------



## robin416

I need to make you up a basic tool kit. It would make your life so much easier.

I can not believe how much space there is around that door. That's just crazy. Even if it was used as a dog pen is looks like a small dog could stick its head through.


----------



## Poultry Judge

RitaS said:


> I'll use 4 lol. Not too much luck getting them cut
> Can I staple wire on top to boards ?


Yes.


----------



## RitaS

Off to work so done for today. Off tomorrow tho so we will see what I get done.
Rearranged wire on door. Not done but almost. I don't like that latch but I'll do my best to cover the hole around it that I'll be left with lol


----------



## RitaS

I’m not feeling good about the gate. I’m afraid something will bend the wire back & get in since the hardware cloth is just loose around all the edges. Could I use bungee cords along the sides of the gate to keep that from happening?
I’m starting to cover the kennel today. What’s the best way....top first ? Run hardware cloth up/down or across on the sides ?


----------



## robin416

Find a clip that will fit the holes?


----------



## Poultry Judge

Are you talking about the latch? I secure them with a carabiner that will clip through the hole.


----------



## Poultry Judge

As far as the hardware cloth, sides, door, top etcetera, I would use zip ties for now because as you start using it, you will want to make changes and improvements.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Oftentimes, I visualize it ahead of time and then when I do it, I tend to run into additional obstacles and I have to make a bunch of changes.


----------



## robin416

Yeah, right now I've had drawings in my head on how I can use PVC pipe to build a temp shelter for my generator. I haven't even gotten that far yet and I keep changing it.


----------



## Poultry Judge

The PVC is useful stuff because until you glue it, you can keep re-configuring stuff.


----------



## robin416

Not planning on gluing it, I'm going to use set screws so I can take it apart when it's not needed and store it out of the way.


----------



## Poultry Judge

That is why you are smarter than me!


----------



## robin416

Yeah, well it needs to come together for it to work. So far, no hurricanes so there's no need.


----------



## RitaS

I must be stupid because I can’t get the gaps in the gate covered all the way around. Thought I had it but the hardware cloth just bends out & there’s the gap when opening the door( along the whole length of the door). 
Frustrated


----------



## robin416

I'm going to suggest framing the perimeter of the door with a 1X3. Basically constructing a door frame. The gate will only open one way but would make it tons easier to close up those huge gaps.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> I'm going to suggest framing the perimeter of the door with a 1X3. Basically constructing a door frame. The gate will only open one way but would make it tons easier to close up those huge gaps.


How is wood attached ? Wired to gate ?


----------



## robin416

You really do need a screw gun. Do a rectangle that will fit the opening and overlap onto the door an inch or so, connect those four long pieces of wood with short pieces overlapping the two longer pieces to join them together. You can then drill holes in the wood and wire the wood frame to the outer frame of the fixed pen framing. 

There are other ways to connect the frame pieces together but I'm trying to keep it simple since you don't have all sorts of tools to that kind of work.


----------



## RitaS

This is all I could find today, went to 3 places


----------



## robin416

That will keep your peeps in. But you'll have to remember to close them in at night since it is not predator proof. 

And good luck putting it up, talk about the chainlink being a pain the behind that can be ever worse.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> That will keep your peeps in. But you'll have to remember to close them in at night since it is not predator proof.
> 
> And good luck putting it up, talk about the chainlink being a pain the behind that can be ever worse.


Just what I need, another difficult task. I don't think I'm cut out for chickens


----------



## robin416

Yeah, you're cut out for them. It's the getting everything just right for them to be safe and healthy that's a royal pain in the behind. 

I've used that netting often. Take your time, make sure it's open all the way in one direction, attach it to one end then work you way down the line. Just make sure you don't go catty whompers as you go.


----------



## RitaS

They won't get caught up in it will they ?
Maybe I should get a tarp for now
Taken me hours to do this. Too many zip ties ?
Gap on ground too


----------



## robin416

A little late to tell you this now but you could have taken the wire to the ground and then zipped tied it to the pen. 

No, if it's secured to the top they won't get caught in it. It's only if it's all kinds of loose and floppy or laying on the ground that they can get caught in the bird netting.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> A little late to tell you this now but you could have taken the wire to the ground and then zipped tied it to the pen.
> 
> No, if it's secured to the top they won't get caught in it. It's only if it's all kinds of loose and floppy or laying on the ground that they can get caught in the bird netting.


On the 2 rolls I put on the side I did touch the ground with the hardware cloth. You can't see it because of all the grass


----------



## robin416

That's good then.


----------



## RitaS

They love it.


----------



## robin416

And I got to see them first. 

Have you stopped watching them yet?


----------



## RitaS

Yes


robin416 said:


> And I got to see them first.
> 
> Have you stopped watching them yet?


 You did get to see them first lol
No, I've watched them every minute. They fly all over & roos are doing the stare down/ ruffled feathers. Momma snipped at a couple of them too. She must be getting tired of chicks lol


----------



## robin416

She's making sure they understand she's top bird and not to get too big for their britches. Pretty normal behavior. 

Have you even advertised the boys yet?


----------



## RitaS

Yes I have advertised them, last week. 
I wonder if the spangle tried to take her top bird spot lol. She went after him twice


----------



## robin416

Or his hormones are flowing and she's telling him to back off.


----------



## RitaS

This probably sounds dumb but how do you transport chickens? 
I think I have someone to take the roos but I have to deliver them. Isn’t sending them to same place still risking fatal fights ?


----------



## robin416

A pet carrier is easiest. 

If they are kept separate it's not a big deal. That said, what do you know about this person? Why do they want all of the boys and not just one or two?


----------



## RitaS

She has other chickens. She said the more the merrier.
I just know her as a person, not personally.
How could I keep them separate? My neighbors would kill me with all the cockadoodledos lol


----------



## robin416

The only way to keep them separate is to either have them free ranging all day or to have them penned separately.

Good, I was wondering if the person had some other reason for wanting all of the boys.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Yes, what Robin said, you will have to get a sense about how the lady has her birds set up. Yours should do very well free range when they go there. Are you keeping one roo?


----------



## Poultry Judge

I don't intend to scare you in any fashion but you just want to make sure they are going to a good home. Being in the sanctuary business, over the years, we have seen every kind of terrible reason people take animals. Trumbull County is economically poor. There is never enough money to run the TNR programs and cats become the number one rescue problem. So there are always the large reptile crowd looking for kittens and birds.


----------



## RitaS

Oh no that’s terrible. I’m positive she wouldn’t do anything like that.
All I know is she lets her chickens out everyday lol.
No I’m not keeping a roo


----------



## Poultry Judge

They should do well free range.


----------



## RitaS

Hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow. Going to try to get the hardware cloth on the sides & top. The wire goes overtop the boards ? The boards are for stability & not to hold the wire down, right ?
Might not get the top done though but I love seeing them out in the pen. One flew upon the coop roof so once he’s up there he would fly out of the pen lol.
Only problem is after tomorrow I work the next 6 days ugh


----------



## Poultry Judge

Correct, regarding the wire. Remember you can zip tie the top for now, so as to give them some freedom during the day. Just keep checking it until you get it secured the way you want it.


----------



## RitaS

I find myself overdoing it to make it secure. Did you see all the zip ties on those 2 strips of hardware cloth lol


----------



## Poultry Judge

Just think of the zip ties as disposable. You may wish to re-configure parts of your coop and runs in the future. fyi, most of the cheap zip ties last about three years before they become brittle due to the UV from the sun. Although I have ones older than that and just replace them as needed.


----------



## RitaS

I did buy heavy duty ones. Do they last any longer ?
Saw a possum by the house tonight. The gap under the pen needs fixed ASAP
What's keeping a predator from digging under the pen ?
I wish the hardware cloth wasn't so hard to unroll. It might go faster getting it on the pen.
Been outside to check on them a few times tonight. I noticed that they have separated into 2 groups. 1 group sleeping on the roost , 2nd group is sleeping on " the roost they found". I saw that their roost opens to the outside of the coop. They stuck their heads down to see what was going on when I was checking on them. It's open where the 1st roo's breast is overtop of. I probably need to close that off & put another roost up there, right ??


----------



## Poultry Judge

The heavy duty ones do last much longer. You will have to arrange your roosts where they make the most sense for the birds.


----------



## RitaS

Do I need to close that off or it it ventilation?
I didn’t realize how long this takes. Only 2 rolls added today. Any suggestions on making it go faster lol
My break time now. They’re out again. Look at this pretty baby !


----------



## robin416

Not being able to see it it's hard to know if it's for ventilation. If it is and isn't covered some hardware cloth should go over it to keep anything from getting in.


----------



## RitaS

One side done.
This wood isn't very thick , still work ?
Is this the garden cloth you said to get for the top ? I'm leaving that net on too


----------



## RitaS

If you remember I put hardware cloth down around the coop. Can I leave that attached to the coop & pull it up & tie it to the pen ?


----------



## robin416

I wish you had tools or a truck or something.

Yes, the netting is the same one I was talking about. Have fun, it can be aggravating to work with.

That's plywood, I'm not sure how long it's even going to last out in the weather. But it might last long enough until you can solve the problem of getting pt 2x4's.


----------



## robin416

Won't that leave the bottom open?


----------



## Poultry Judge

I would look at it as a work in progress this year getting it ready for Winter. If you have an Opossum or something that could potentially dig it's way in, I would still take a shovel or spade and at least make a vertical slit trench you could put some wire into and then wire or zip tie it to your fence. When you get your electric fence up, that will help a lot because it will be such a good deterrent. The varmints do not like getting shocked.


----------



## robin416

Heck, that's one of the simpler things she could do right now. Once the netting is up overhead that is.


----------



## RitaS

I don’t even have the 2nd side done & I been at it , not slacking lol. I don’t have anymore hardware cloth after 1 more roll. Calling it a day
There isn’t much I can do until I’m off work next Monday except search for h cloth. I have a cheapo drill/screwdriver, a jig saw, & sawzall


----------



## robin416

Yay, you're getting some tools in your life. Trust me, if you live in the country you're going to find a use for them. 

We know you're not slacking. We've been there and done what you're doing so we know. And we've got tons more experience but it's still hard and slow.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> Yay, you're getting some tools in your life. Trust me, if you live in the country you're going to find a use for them.
> 
> We know you're not slacking. We've been there and done what you're doing so we know. And we've got tons more experience but it's still hard and slow.


I forgot, do I need pressure treated 2x4's ?


----------



## robin416

RitaS said:


> I forgot, do I need pressure treated 2x4's ?


Yes. Otherwise they'll rot out pretty quickly unless you use cedar but they're pricey. And carpenter bees love untreated wood.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> Won't that leave the bottom open?


The cloth extends way out past the pen but is still attached to the bottom of the run. I thot I could pull that piece up & wire it to the bottom of the pen. Should I just leave it where it is ?


----------



## robin416

Maybe disconnect it so you can have it resting on the ground when you install it up the side.


----------



## RitaS

Is 1/2” x 2’ copper pipe what I want for my fence ?


----------



## robin416

Not copper. Steel or fiberglass. Look back on this post I posted a pic of one of the steel posts.


----------



## Poultry Judge

In a pinch you could use the copper pipe for a ground rod. Or see if one of your neighbors has a short scrap piece of rebar, or better yet a solid copper ground rod.


----------



## Poultry Judge

The simplest path for the fence posts themselves are the fiberglass one with the plastic insulators that were pictured prior.


----------



## RitaS

I meant for the ground rod , sorry about that. I have fiberglass rods in my car waiting on me to finish the fencing. I did get the yellow insulators too. I think all I need is the wire, 17 gauge steel right ?
I sure hope that’s easier than the rest has been lol.
I just saw that possum walking by the house. 
I need time to get this pen all done. How far off the ground does the first wire go ? I want to make sure nothing gets under the fence.


----------



## robin416

If you get a small spool of aluminium wire it's easier to work with. 

You don't want grass making contact with the wire so it has to be high enough that it clears the grass. I don't have any grass around my pen so mine is about four inches off the ground.


----------



## RitaS

robin416 said:


> If you get a small spool of aluminium wire it's easier to work with.
> 
> You don't want grass making contact with the wire so it has to be high enough that it clears the grass. I don't have any grass around my pen so mine is about four inches off the ground.


What gauge aluminum wire again ?
I can't believe how hard it is to find aluminum wire around here. I found a hugh roll at TSC but didn't think I'd need all that but maybe I'll use it eventually.
Can I transport all the roos together? It's an hour away.


----------



## robin416

Pretty much whatever they have. I think mine is 17g. 

It might be more expensive but check an Ace hardware or some smaller type hardware. That's where I got my smaller roll.

Yeah, they should be good. Fingers crossed.


----------



## RitaS

I


robin416 said:


> Pretty much whatever they have. I think mine is 17g.
> 
> It might be more expensive but check an Ace hardware or some smaller type hardware. That's where I got my smaller roll.
> 
> Yeah, they should be good. Fingers crossed.


I'm going to stop at Lowe's this weekend when I'm on break from work so I'll see what they have. What's the smallest gauge that will work just in case I find some ?
Is this the copper ground rod I need ?


----------



## Poultry Judge

RitaS said:


> What gauge aluminum wire again ?
> I can't believe how hard it is to find aluminum wire around here. I found a hugh roll at TSC but didn't think I'd need all that but maybe I'll use it eventually.
> Can I transport all the roos together? It's an hour away.


Separate carriers or boxes would be best.


----------



## Poultry Judge

TSC sells some smaller rolls of ribbon, I use both wire and ribbon.


----------



## Poultry Judge

RitaS said:


> I
> 
> I'm going to stop at Lowe's this weekend when I'm on break from work so I'll see what they have. What's the smallest gauge that will work just in case I find some ?
> Is this the copper ground rod I need ?


The five gauge could potentially work, ask them if they have any copper rods. TSC or Family Farm generally have them.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> The five gauge could potentially work, ask them if they have any copper rods. TSC or Family Farm generally have them.


We only have TSC & Ace 
I can't do 7 carriers, I don't even have 1 lol
I think I'll go with rebar. Is ribbon easier to work with ?


----------



## Poultry Judge

Yes, go with rebar. Ribbon is easier to work with. You may have to get cardboard boxes to transport.An old show trick is to give them a slice of apple to keep them occupied during transport.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> Yes, go with rebar. Ribbon is easier to work with. You may have to get cardboard boxes to transport.An old show trick is to give them a slice of apple to keep them occupied during transport.


Is this what I want ?


----------



## Poultry Judge

No, look at TSC, the ribbon is yellow and black.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> No, look at TSC, the ribbon is yellow and black.


Is this it ? I'm not sure how to use this. 
I'm amazed at how little I can find around here. 
I wonder if I'm ever going to get this done


----------



## Poultry Judge

Yes and ask for the smallest roll. You don't need any tools to put it up, just the yellow plastic insulators for the fiberglass fence rods.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> Yes and ask for the smallest roll. You don't need any tools to put it up, just the yellow plastic insulators for the fiberglass fence rods.


Bought the fiberglass rods & insulators. How does this stuff attach to insulators ?


----------



## Poultry Judge

You tighten the insulators on the post and pass the ribbon (or wire) through the guides. There should be a diagram on the bag or ask someone at TSC to show you. Tell them it's for chickens so they don't oversell you on other electric fencing stuff you don't need.


----------



## RitaS

W


Poultry Judge said:


> You tighten the insulators on the post and pass the ribbon (or wire) through the guides. There should be a diagram on the bag or ask someone at TSC to show you. Tell them it's for chickens so they don't oversell you on other electric fencing stuff you don't need.


Whats the advantage over wire ?


----------



## Poultry Judge

No real advantage, I just like it better and feel it is a little easier to use. I put up lots of fence by myself and I can keep the ribbon looking fairly neat and tidy.


----------



## robin416

Horses can see it better than wire was the main purpose for the ribbon.


----------



## Poultry Judge

If your horses are smarter than rocks. These guys actually do pretty well not pushing it down. The solar chargers don't put out a lot of voltage like the old weed burners, but it's a deterrent.


----------



## RitaS

Is this the same thing ?


----------



## RitaS

Maybe I’ll buy 7 more coops, kennels, and a wire mess company because idk what to do with these roos lol


----------



## Poultry Judge

Pretty much, it's poly with wire strands in it, and that might be what works best for you.


----------



## Poultry Judge

RitaS said:


> Maybe I'll buy 7 more coops, kennels, and a wire mess company because idk what to do with these roos lol


You have someone who is taking them still?


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> Pretty much, it's poly with wire strands in it, and that might be what works best for you.


Lol idk what works best for me. I've never seen this stuff before & definitely never used it.


----------



## Poultry Judge

It would be good for what you are doing.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> You have someone who is taking them still?


She hasn't answered me yet but doesn't look too good that she's taking them.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> It would be good for what you are doing.


The one with the pic of 3 rolls?


----------



## RitaS

I have a mouse. Saw it last night & today running close to the coop. Amazing cause if I had a hoe I would have killed it, before would have let it go.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Either the ribbon, the wire, or the galvanized wire, all would work.


----------



## RitaS

Could I use weed control fabric around the kennel to make sure no grass comes in contact with the fence, if I ever get to the point of putting it up ? If I can use it, how does it need to be put around the fiberglass rods ? Can the rods just be pushed through the fabric ?


----------



## Poultry Judge

Yes, that would work the way way you described it.


----------



## RitaS

The boys will be leaving as soon as I figure out how I’m transporting them & what day works for the new owner & myself
I hate to see them go but think they will be better off free ranging. 
The hens won’t be upset that the boys are gone will they ? I’m not sure how I’m even going to catch 7 boys lol


----------



## Poultry Judge

Your hens will adjust fine.


----------



## RitaS

Woohoo I have a lead on 2x4’s. Neighbor & I were talking & he asked if I wanted him to pick up a couple when he was out next time. I said if you don’t mind that’d be great. Fingers crossed


----------



## robin416

See, things do work out. He knows you're trying to do right by the birds.


----------



## RitaS

He found an injured blue bird & took care of it until it could fly then let it go.
He also sees a single old woman doing the best she can lol.
He said an owl got some of his grandsons chickens. Now I’m worried.
Should I take up the hardware cloth I put around the coop ? Will it hurt their feet to leave it ?


----------



## Poultry Judge

You should be adequately protected from owls. I have Barred Owls come up to the barn but they don't bother the birds. They are tremendously good at eating snakes and mice in the pastures.


----------



## Poultry Judge

I would take up that hardware cloth, you will probably need it somewhere else in the future.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Your whole setup is small enough that you might be able to move it to fresh grass a couple times a year. If I had a ten by ten fenced setup, I would figure out a way, not now, maybe next year to make it work like a chicken tractor. I know that is not your plan for a number of reasons but the birds and the soil benefit greatly from from a change time to time.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> Your whole setup is small enough that you might be able to move it to fresh grass a couple times a year. If I had a ten by ten fenced setup, I would figure out a way, not now, maybe next year to make it work like a chicken tractor. I know that is not your plan for a number of reasons but the birds and the soil benefit greatly from from a change time to time.


Well I will be asking for ways to move it lol. I wish I had planned better this time because truck can't get past the pen to dump firewood for my outdoor burner. That brings up another question.... will the smoke bother the chickens ? Would I need a tarp on that side of the pen to keep it from going directly at them ?


----------



## Poultry Judge

If you haven't done your perimeter yet, you might want to move it now. It will take a few people to lift one side. I've done it myself but it will be easier with a few people. You know the directions your wood burner smoke goes and where it settles if the air isn't moving. So use that to help you plan the most logical place for your chickens this winter and also have room to get your wood where it needs to go.


----------



## RitaS

It's h


Poultry Judge said:


> If you haven't done your perimeter yet, you might want to move it now. It will take a few people to lift one side. I've done it myself but it will be easier with a few people. You know the directions your wood burner smoke goes and where it settles if the air isn't moving. So use that to help you plan the most logical place for your chickens this winter and also have room to get your wood where it needs to go.


It's highly unlikely I'm going to get help moving it so maybe next year I can, I don't know. 
I guess I'll put a tarp on the side of the kennel facing the wood burner. 
i have 1 side & the short side with the gate left to do a second row on then that's finally finished. Then to figure out the gate , right now hardware cloth is sticking out over the gaps from each side plus the gate so it's doubled there. 
I'm a bit worried about putting on the top but guess we will see how that goes.


----------



## Poultry Judge

The top won't be too bad as long as you have a step ladder. It can all be a work in progress for this year. Your small flock will bring you a great deal of enjoyment.


----------



## RitaS

I don’t remember how to do the top. 2x4’s then hardware cloth but run in same direction ? Or across 2x4’s ?


----------



## Poultry Judge

2 x 4s and then hardware cloth. I would do it cross wise probably. Think of a varmint walking on top, which way would provide the most strength for your situation. And of course zip tie the edges together.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> 2 x 4s and then hardware cloth. I would do it cross wise probably. Think of a varmint walking on top, which way would provide the most strength for your situation. And of course zip tie the edges together.


Thank you


----------



## Poultry Judge

You are welcome! Pretty soon you are going to be a pro and not a beginner at all. And think of it like this, You built your setup from the ground up and can take pride in that.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> You are welcome! Pretty soon you are going to be a pro and not a beginner at all. And think of it like this, You built your setup from the ground up and can take pride in that.


Lol I never could have done it with y'all helping me that's for sure. I wish I could be a pro but I probably wouldn't build anything else lol
It's getting pretty cold at night & I'm not sure what I need to do for these birds. No plastic around the coop but what can I do to keep them from freezing to death ?


----------



## robin416

They won't freeze to death in OH unless an ice age happens. Watch them when it gets cold. They'll look a little different because they'll puff the feathers out a tad. What they're doing is trapping warm body air. 

They don't want wind whipping through their coop but they do need ventilation.


----------



## RitaS

It is Ohio lol. Can I hang tarps on outside of the pen to block wind & snow ? I know tarps dont last that long but that’s ok if they work


----------



## HSJ07

This newby learned something this week that you all may know to do but I thought I would share. My chicks were mailed on Monday. The USPS claimed there was no record but I did get my chicks on Thursday morning(mailed to the wrong town but I drove and got them). My little Welsummer Rooster appeared dead, lip as a dish rag. When I picked him up, I detected some breathing. I heated a cloth and wrapped him in it and held him about 15 minutes, changing cloths so it would be constantly warm. He could not open his eyes but moved a little. My wife soaked her hand in water(full of probiotics and electrolytes). He tasted of it. She put a little of the gro gel in his mouth. I kept him very warm and rubbed his belly for about an hour(praying fervently the whole time). He revived and went in the brooder and started drinking like crazy. I rubbed his belly for 30 more minutes and put him back. He began eating. He is doing great now. Thought I would just share.


----------



## RitaS

Do I need to watch my birds every minute they’re out in the pen ? I need to go to the store but don’t know if they will be ok for 1/2 hour or so


----------



## Poultry Judge

They will be okay. It was 36 degrees here this a.m. If you want to put a tarp on the wind side that would be okay. They are not going to like a bunch of wind this winter. But as Robin said, you will need some air circulation in the coop.


----------



## Poultry Judge

robin416 said:


> They won't freeze to death in OH unless an ice age happens. Watch them when it gets cold. They'll look a little different because they'll puff the feathers out a tad. What they're doing is trapping warm body air.
> 
> They don't want wind whipping through their coop but they do need ventilation.


It was 36 degrees this morning and I don't have feathers to fluff up!


----------



## robin416

RitaS said:


> It is Ohio lol. Can I hang tarps on outside of the pen to block wind & snow ? I know tarps dont last that long but that's ok if they work


Yes, hang tarps on the side your wind comes from. But don't zip tie so you can move them around as needed. Believe me it happens. You might want them on the sunny side during the heat of summer, etc.


----------



## robin416

HSJ07 said:


> This newby learned something this week that you all may know to do but I thought I would share. My chicks were mailed on Monday. The USPS claimed there was no record but I did get my chicks on Thursday morning(mailed to the wrong town but I drove and got them). My little Welsummer Rooster appeared dead, lip as a dish rag. When I picked him up, I detected some breathing. I heated a cloth and wrapped him in it and held him about 15 minutes, changing cloths so it would be constantly warm. He could not open his eyes but moved a little. My wife soaked her hand in water(full of probiotics and electrolytes). He tasted of it. She put a little of the gro gel in his mouth. I kept him very warm and rubbed his belly for about an hour(praying fervently the whole time). He revived and went in the brooder and started drinking like crazy. I rubbed his belly for 30 more minutes and put him back. He began eating. He is doing great now. Thought I would just share.


You did good. It is possible to pull them back if our reaction is quick enough. I had to do it a time or two over the years.


----------



## robin416

Poultry Judge said:


> It was 36 degrees this morning and I don't have feathers to fluff up!


Wow, 36? I've been down south too long to remember if it would be that cold in September up that way.


----------



## Poultry Judge

After all this heat, it feels cold!


----------



## RitaS

I’m freezing lol. Hate the cold weather. Finishing up hardware cloth then playing the waiting game for the 2x4’s. 
Thought about starting the fence but probably wait until top is on


----------



## Overmountain1

Dude it was super cold here this morning too- I’m not sure if it got down to the 39 they were calling for, but we have gone from 65+ degrees at night to this. Instantly! Ah!!!! I asked them if they’d share their feathers, and Moo pecked my shoe and ran away flapping... unsure how to interpret that, but I feel sure she was running to pluck them for me.


----------



## RitaS

The outside is done. Not the prettiest thing but they don’t care. Waiting for 2 x4’s , hope to see those soon but he might have forgotten. Don’t know him well enough to ask. 
Still trying to get a time setup to move roos. I’m going to miss the little fellows
Most are sunbathing right now lol


----------



## Poultry Judge

It was a nice afternoon.


----------



## RitaS

Is there a particular kind of wood for the 2x4’s ?


----------



## robin416

Just pressure treated so it doesn't rot out quickly.


----------



## RitaS

Thank you. Who knew there’s so many kinds. Still working on getting them here. Thinking I may just have to pay the $51 for delivery
I was going to leave the hardware cloth on the ground at the back of the pen. Will the rods be ok going thru that ?


----------



## RitaS

Will the roos be ok for almost 3 hours in boxes without food & water ?


----------



## Poultry Judge

Yes, you can put a slice of apple in each box to keep them occupied during the trip.


----------



## RitaS

Poultry Judge said:


> Yes, you can put a slice of apple in each box to keep them occupied during the trip.


Wow ok. I was worried they would not tolerate no food or water. The person who's taking them said they would be ok. How long can they go without?


----------



## Poultry Judge

3 hours will be okay.


----------



## CaliDavali

We've often used recycled delivery boxes (thank you Amazon) to transport chickens. We've also used plastic storage tubs with cardboard strips taped across the top to leave air holes. Throw some shavings in the bottom, or not. They've always done just fine even when the ride was fairly long. If you are using cardboard boxes, do not tape the top all the way shut, and/or cut good-sized air holes in the sides. 

The nice thing about using boxes is that you can toss them afterwards so no need to wash out the poop. And there will be poop because they will be a bit stressed and nervous. That nervousness also seems to keep them from fighting because they are too busy trying to figure out what's happening. Also, put in some watermelon or apple slices so they have something to eat that also has water in it to keep them hydrated. They usually won't eat it, but it's good to give them the option.


----------



## robin416

Chickens being transported in the dark usually just hunker down and relax.


----------



## CaliDavali

Ours usually did hunker down pretty quietly in the dark boxes, but judging by the amount and quality of poop, they weren't exactly relaxed about it.  I still like boxes the best because we can toss the poopy cardboard right into the compost pile and be done with it.


----------



## RitaS

Thanks. Wish I had the option of moving them at dark. They will be in the back of a truck in the boxes from about 11:30am until 2:30 pm or so.
The boxes have opening for carrying


----------



## CaliDavali

If you use cardboard boxes, those will be dark inside, where the chickens are. So even if it is daylight outside, the chickens will be in the dark, which does keep them quieter and less likely to fight along the way. Make sense?


----------



## RitaS

Oh ok yes makes sense


----------



## HSJ07

robin416 said:


> You did good. It is possible to pull them back if our reaction is quick enough. I had to do it a time or two over the years.[/


----------



## HSJ07

My chicken house is finished. We divided my barn. The house for them is 6x18. the run is 12x20. I plan to keep them in one more week which will make them 2 weeks old. I have a larger brooder but am wondering if I can go ahead and put them in their house(keep door to run closed). I would put a brooder heater. Please advise.


----------



## robin416

HSJ07 said:


> My chicken house is finished. We divided my barn. The house for them is 6x18. the run is 12x20. I plan to keep them in one more week which will make them 2 weeks old. I have a larger brooder but am wondering if I can go ahead and put them in their house(keep door to run closed). I would put a brooder heater. Please advise.


Going to need a bunch more info on how you plan to keep the peeps warm if you're in a place where it gets cold at night.

A pic of what you're going is helpful.


----------



## RitaS

Any tips on how to catch these roos tomorrow? I get close & they run lol


----------



## robin416

You're hopeless. Don't let them in the big run, they can't run away as far. Be patient, you'll eventually round all of them up.


----------



## RitaS

I’m hopeless ??


----------



## RitaS

Thanks, I feel so much better now that I know I’m hopeless. No I’m not experienced at chickens. Sorry to have bothered you will all the things I asked this whole time. I thought I was just being given good friend advice from people that wanted to help us less experienced people. 
Not to worry. I’ll say no more.


----------



## robin416

You know, that's the second time you've taken something said in jest and made it an attack on you. If I had known you were so sensitive I would have put a smiley face after the word. Or not said anything at all. 

I will no longer participate in this thread so you can talk all you like.


----------



## Overmountain1

Hey hey hey- no harsh words on the forum y'all!

I know neither one of you sweet ladies meant anything by anything. 
I also know I'm no mod, but I am gonna give it a stab anyway- don't peck me .....

I hate not being able to provide a way of pointing out sarcasm when I type it, and sarcasm is my life, so it causes issues for me too. Often. Typed language just doesn't always come across how we mean it.

Robin, I can see how it could have been taken not in jest in that particular post, and I'm sure she just hasn't picked up on your brand of humor yet.

Rita, I understand you're worried about your birds and just want to do the best you can for them. That's all anyone here wants for our birds, and I know Robin would never say anything like that to anybody in any seriousness. She's one of the friendliest members, as well as most helpful. Perhaps we can hit the reset button??. Please know that anyone here who did talk like that would not be here for long.

I'm sorry your feathers were ruffled, ladies. Moving forward. If our hens can peck one another and then move on so can we, am I right?


----------



## RitaS

I’m leaving the forum. Enjoy life !!


----------



## HSJ07

robin416 said:


> Going to need a bunch more info on how you plan to keep the peeps warm if you're in a place where it gets cold at night.
> 
> A pic of what you're going is helpful.


----------



## Overmountain1

I hate adulting. I guess I’m not the only one.


----------



## HSJ07

I need some advice. I have 7 3 week old chickens. They are various breeds. I have a little Welsummer female who isolates herself from the others. She has done this from day one. The Welsummer rooster has tried to befriend her. As of late a little Australorp has tried very hard to befriend her but she always moves to be alone. All the others will eat from my hand and tolerate being petted but not Frances. She will not eat from my hand nor will she eat and drink when the others do. I need advice. I don't know how to help this little girl!


----------



## robin416

Watch to see if she's being bullied by someone. 

It might work to put her somewhere separate with a buddy or two. Let them create a bond.


----------



## Poultry Judge

What Robin said, and some yummy treats!


----------



## HSJ07

robin416 said:


> Watch to see if she's being bullied by someone.
> 
> It might work to put her somewhere separate with a buddy or two. Let them create a bond.


I sit with them for hours. The exact opposite. Several have tried to befriend her but she wants nothing to do with them. I had somebody tell me today who has raised many different breeds of chickens that Welsummers only associate with their own breed. Do you find this to be true in your experience? If this is true then that could be the problem.


----------



## robin416

I noticed in my flocks that same or similar colors would hang together while out and about.


----------



## Overmountain1

robin416 said:


> I noticed in my flocks that same or similar colors would hang together while out and about.


We have observed our chickens grouping together by color, like Robin said, but the replies I've heard to this before usually say that most chickens can live together just fine. Now- key word is can, of course! Your girl may not have taken a liking to others around her, or maybe she is waiting on somebody who looks like her to hang around with.

But no, it *shouldn't* matter the breed. As we all know, reality can be different. Another thought I had was this- and it's a long shot; is there any chance she is separating and segregating herself bc she doesn't feel healthy for any reason? Or even if not healthy, is there any potential reason she might think she was a threat to the entire flock? I assume the answer here is likely no, but that's the only real reason I can think of why she might be acting like a snot.


----------



## Poultry Judge

My experience has always been that in terms of hierarchy, birds will hang out with their own strain first, breeds second and type of bird third. Then it's a tossup as to how well the species interact. In my bunch, the Ducks tend to be dominant but will socialize, (at times), with everyone. The Chickens will socialize, (selectively), with everyone. The Peafowl and Turkeys are friends and will roost together, (curved beak species). When I had the Emu flock, they were separate. They will attempt to eat anything smaller than they are and the dominant females had to be in separate runs or they would harm each other. I never let any bird be totally alone. Currently, I have a Peachick in the brooder which hatched singly and I had to get a Silkie chick for a companion. They get along fabulously. While probably not the ideal match by any means, the Silkie chick was what I could find at the end of the season here in Ohio. From past experience, I am predicting that these two will have somewhat of a lifelong connection as they grow older, even though they are species which typically wouldn't pay much attention to each other..


----------



## HSJ07

Overmountain1 said:


> We have observed our chickens grouping together by color, like Robin said, but the replies I've heard to this before usually say that most chickens can live together just fine. Now- key word is can, of course! Your girl may not have taken a liking to others around her, or maybe she is waiting on somebody who looks like her to hang around with.
> 
> But no, it *shouldn't* matter the breed. As we all know, reality can be different. Another thought I had was this- and it's a long shot; is there any chance she is separating and segregating herself bc she doesn't feel healthy for any reason? Or even if not healthy, is there any potential reason she might think she was a threat to the entire flock? I assume the answer here is likely no, but that's the only real reason I can think of why she might be acting like a snot.


----------



## HSJ07

Frances seems to be one of my healthiesT birds. She is becoming more beautiful by the day. She now will eat from my hand and hangs some with the little Welsummer Roster but still wants nothing to do with the others. She has got where she will huddle with them but when she is up and about, she is a loner. As of two days ago, she appears very interested in me. She won't let me touch her yet but likes to check me out and come near me a lot. Maybe she is a little snob. LOL


----------



## Poultry Judge

HSJ07 said:


> Frances seems to be one of my healthiesT birds. She is becoming more beautiful by the day. She now will eat from my hand and hangs some with the little Welsummer Roster but still wants nothing to do with the others. She has got where she will huddle with them but when she is up and about, she is a loner. As of two days ago, she appears very interested in me. She won't let me touch her yet but likes to check me out and come near me a lot. Maybe she is a little snob. LOL


Sometimes their personalities can change dramatically over time. I have had hens who are the smallest, most bullied and at the end of the pecking chain. But then when they become broody, sometimes they become ferocious and move far up the pecking order.


----------



## HSJ07

Poultry Judge said:


> Sometimes their personalities can change dramatically over time. I have had hens who are the smallest, most bullied and at the end of the pecking chain. But then when they become broody, sometimes they become ferocious and move far up the pecking order.


----------



## HSJ07

The thing with her is nobody bullies her. I have a little Australop who tries repeatedly to befriend her and she ignores her. If she is on her little roost and another gets beside her, she chases them off. I think she is just a loner.


----------



## HSJ07

Poultry Judge said:


> Sometimes their personalities can change dramatically over time. I have had hens who are the smallest, most bullied and at the end of the pecking chain. But then when they become broody, sometimes they become ferocious and move far up the pecking order.


----------



## HSJ07

Today my chicks are 4 weeks old and as of today Frances the Welsummer has become friends with my speckled Sussex and Golden Laced Wyandotte. She still wants nothing to do with the others. My little Australorp wants to be her friend but Frances will not have it. At least she is socializing some now.


----------



## robin416

Just like humans they can form cliques. She's chosen hers for the time being.


----------



## Poultry Judge

HSJ07 said:


> Today my chicks are 4 weeks old and as of today Frances the Welsummer has become friends with my speckled Sussex and Golden Laced Wyandotte. She still wants nothing to do with the others. My little Australorp wants to be her friend but Frances will not have it. At least she is socializing some now.


That is good news!


----------



## Poultry Judge

robin416 said:


> Just like humans they can form cliques. She's chosen hers for the time being.


Some form cliques, some join gangs!


----------



## HSJ07

I have been advised about roosts by some chicken owners should be at least 2 inches wide and preferably 4 inches wide and they actually prefer to sleep primarily flat-footed. Can I get some advice on this forum. My chickens will all be pretty heavy breeds.


----------



## robin416

I'd go with the four inch wide perches. There is another advantage to that type of roost, they can cover their feet at night to help prevent frostbite. All of my birds had the wide perches. 

The wide perch provides more stability. You can see the difference when they get moving around. On the wide flat perches they don't have to work to keep their grip on the perch.


----------



## Overmountain1

I’m gonna add to the ? Here- will the 2” be wide enough for bantam feet?


----------



## robin416

For bantams, yes but maybe not big enough for larger bantams like Silkies. I used mostly three inch and four inch since that what I laying around most everywhere. My roosts for the chickens were never longer than about four feet since that fit the pen width well. The silkies had roosts on feet if they happened to want to roost which few did.

One thing that would be a big problem using 2 inch for larger breeds is curling their toes around a square edge. That can cause foot problems.


----------



## Overmountain1

Ok great- thank you! I had wondered if the toes around it like that would become an issue either long term or really cold weather. The big coop is getting built as soon as we get back (money in order now thank goodness...) and that’s a huge help for planning what to do for them in there. 

Thanks for the experienced info. It makes such a huge difference to have a place like this to chat w great ppl like you! It must’ve been so different when there was no net etc, and everyone was simply on their own...


----------



## robin416

I won't say they were on their own. Usually there were other bird owners willing to give advice, far too often incorrect but they had backup. And most, before the backyard chicken thing, just thought of them as chickens. Tossed them out in a coop, let them free range, tossed them some feed and let it go.

I think it was folks who saw the benefit of having healthy happy animals populating their lives realized the same could be achieved with chickens.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Hopefully, people are more aware of animal welfare these days!


----------



## HSJ07

Poultry Judge said:


> Hopefully, people are more aware of animal welfare these days!


 I have been told mine live in the chicken Taj Mahal. I have a house big enough for 20 but I have only 7. It has a heater, a ceiling fan, a window fan, and a box fan. It has a wooden floor with thick rubber mats covering the floor with a sliding door into a 16x20 run. I had the entire back yard fences so when they are grown they will be able to go graze. Mats and waterer are washed everyday. I spend about 4 hours with them a day. I treat them as well as I would my dog and my cats.


----------



## Poultry Judge

HSJ07 said:


> I have been told mine live in the chicken Taj Mahal. I have a house big enough for 20 but I have only 7. It has a heater, a ceiling fan, a window fan, and a box fan. It has a wooden floor with thick rubber mats covering the floor with a sliding door into a 16x20 run. I had the entire back yard fences so when they are grown they will be able to go graze. Mats and waterer are washed everyday. I spend about 4 hours with them a day. I treat them as well as I would my dog and my cats.


Wow, that's great! I always think that the time spent every day with our animals is good for the soul.


----------



## HSJ07

Poultry Judge said:


> Wow, that's great! I always think that the time spent every day with our animals is good for the soul.


I want to make their lives as happy as possible. They will be giving us eggs. I think a happy, secure, healthy, comfortable life is well deserved. Mine sit on my lap and perch on my shoulder and just like to sit around me. People tell me that they are spoiled. That's fine with me. I intend to spoil them.


----------



## HSJ07

HSJ07 said:


> I want to make their lives as happy as possible. They will be giving us eggs. I think a happy, secure, healthy, comfortable life is well deserved. Mine sit on my lap and perch on my shoulder and just like to sit around me. People tell me that they are spoiled. That's fine with me. I intend to spoil them.


----------



## robin416

HSJ07 said:


>


LOL That is such a cute pic.

See, it's people like us that realized they can provide us with so much more than just eggs or meat.


----------



## Overmountain1

Spoiled is good. Happy chickens are even better- so good on you! Ours typically get about an hour apiece out to roam, usually a bit more but that's our minimum for now. Still less than I'd like... anyway- spoiled is fun- you end up with this!


----------



## Poultry Judge

Overmountain1 said:


> Spoiled is good. Happy chickens are even better- so good on you! Ours typically get about an hour apiece out to roam, usually a bit more but that's our minimum for now. Still less than I'd like... anyway- spoiled is fun- you end up with this!


I think that's a Raptor on lookout for predators!


----------



## Overmountain1

That's certainly what he thinks!!

Lol nah, Chippy has turned into the sweetest tamest little dude in the world. We pick him up and take him all over and he loves the attention. And clearly, he catches rides as desired! He finally decided that attention was worth being caught.  He's like a mommas boy now, and the unapologetic type at that. I'm amazed he will 'work' for attention more than for food tho.


----------



## robin416

And a stunning little boy to boot. Chances are he'll get even better as he gets older.


----------



## HSJ07

As a beginner, I have various questions. My chicks will be 5 weeks old Monday. I have given them a snack daily of dry oatmeal and dry grits since 2 weeks old(my granddaddy did that with his). I have lost none and all are healthy. Some friends told me mine look older than 5 weeks and are almost fully feathered(and all are beautiful). My question is, am I doing the right thing. I have used this to get friendly with my chickens, for them to eat from my hand. All eat from my hand but my little Australorp. 5 of the 7 like to sit on my lap arms and shoulders, including my little rooster (even when I don't have a snack). I grew up being told that oatmeal would fortify them and make them grow strong. My granddaddy told me years ago that this would keep you from losing chicks. I just want to do what is best for my feather babies. Someone experienced, please advise me. Thank you


----------



## robin416

A lot of the old beliefs have been proven to be wrong. It's why many of us have birds that live to be ten years old and older. We understand much better what their needs are so that they can live their best lives. 

There really isn't much nutrient value to grits. Dry oatmeal could cause issues wadding in the crop so it can't pass it on. Even though grandpa may have some valuable information this isn't one of them.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Some fresh veggies make good treats.


----------



## HSJ07

Poultry Judge said:


> Some fresh veggies make good treats.


Tried. They will not touch them.


----------



## HSJ07

robin416 said:


> A lot of the old beliefs have been proven to be wrong. It's why many of us have birds that live to be ten years old and older. We understand much better what their needs are so that they can live their best lives.
> 
> There really isn't much nutrient value to grits. Dry oatmeal could cause issues wadding in the crop so it can't pass it on. Even though grandpa may have some valuable information this isn't one of them.


 Do you think this is why they are bigger?


----------



## HSJ07

I have had several people who have raised chickens for years that told me mine look like they are 8 weeks old instead of almost 5. Do you think this could be why? They also told me mine are closer to fully feathered than most chicks at 6 weeks.


----------



## HSJ07

Poultry Judge said:


> Some fresh veggies make good treats.


----------



## HSJ07

I have tried leafy veggies, rice, and blueberries. They refuse to touch any of these. I am going to try the tiny tiny tomatoes today.


----------



## robin416

It's because they don't know what they are. Use iceberg lettuce, the green color will attract them. Give them a taste of watermelon, the color of that will also attract them.


----------



## robin416

It could be because they're fat. Just like with humans being to fat is detrimental. Hens have a particularly rough time laying eggs when over weight.

Can you do some pics? 

Remember, you're talking to folks that have many, many years of successful fowl raising experience. We would never steer you in the wrong direction when it comes to their health and wellbeing.


----------



## HSJ07

robin416 said:


> It could be because they're fat. Just like with humans being to fat is detrimental. Hens have a particularly rough time laying eggs when over weight.
> 
> Can you do some pics?
> 
> Remember, you're talking to folks that have many, many years of successful fowl raising experience. We would never steer you in the wrong direction when it comes to their health and wellbeing.


----------



## HSJ07

robin416 said:


> It could be because they're fat. Just like with humans being to fat is detrimental. Hens have a particularly rough time laying eggs when over weight.
> 
> Can you do some pics?
> 
> Remember, you're talking to folks that have many, many years of successful fowl raising experience. We would never steer you in the wrong direction when it comes to their health and wellbeing.


----------



## HSJ07




----------



## HSJ07




----------



## HSJ07




----------



## HSJ07

These will be 5 weeks Monday


----------



## HSJ07

robin416 said:


> It's because they don't know what they are. Use iceberg lettuce, the green color will attract them. Give them a taste of watermelon, the color of that will also attract them.


----------



## HSJ07

tried iceburg lettuce and the teeny red tomatoes. They wouldn't touch either.


----------



## HSJ07

HSJ07 said:


> These will be 5 weeks Monday


----------



## HSJ07

Can chickens eat oatmeal? Yes. They certainly can! Oatmeal for chickens is one of my favorite treats to serve my flock in the winter. Any oatmeal for chickens is a nutritious, energizing snack for them. Chickens love oats, which are an excellent source of vitamins, protein, and antioxidants. Raw or cooked, oats provide essential vitamins and nutrients including calcium, choline, copper, iron, magnesium, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, and zinc.

According to a study done by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, feeding chickens oatmeal has been shown to improve the general health of chickens. And adding a three percent ration of oats to chickens' diets can reduce pecking and cannibalism, both of which can be problems during the cold months when your chickens might be "cooped up" more than normal. This was taken from a local chicken producers paper. Then I started hearing otherwise, that is why I wanted other opinions.


----------



## robin416

I didn't say don't feed them oatmeal, that you should not feed them dry oatmeal. Oats is totally different than oatmeal, that is the oats in seed form. Grits has little nutritional value. It's ground corn, chickens love corn. It's a junk food that they'll eat before they'll eat their balanced diet of poultry feed. And it's very fattening. 

They still don't know what it is that you're giving them. They'll view is suspiciously until they learn what it is. If you give it and then take it away when they don't dive in then they won't learn it's a good thing to try.


----------



## HSJ07

robin416 said:


> I didn't say don't feed them oatmeal, that you should not feed them dry oatmeal. Oats is totally different than oatmeal, that is the oats in seed form. Grits has little nutritional value. It's ground corn, chickens love corn. It's a junk food that they'll eat before they'll eat their balanced diet of poultry feed. And it's very fattening.
> 
> They still don't know what it is that you're giving them. They'll view is suspiciously until they learn what it is. If you give it and then take it away when they don't dive in then they won't learn it's a good thing to try.


----------



## HSJ07

I have given them turnip greens, grapes, rice, lettuce and tiny tomatoes(which I even cut in 4's) I leave them 24 hours and then clean them up. I was shocked that they did not want the blueberries. I just want to do what is best for my babies and get so many different answers for so many. One told me to give shredded cheese but I thought they don't need dairy products. too big for not quiet 5 weeks yet to you?


----------



## robin416

Can't tell from the pics. One question, how certain are you that they're just over a month old? Is it possible they were older when you got them?


----------



## HSJ07

I got them from Meyers hatchery. They were supposed to hatch and ship on Monday night. I got them on Thursday. They were so small. My little rooster was almost dead. I wrapped him in warm clothes. My wife got a little water and gro gel in him. I massaged his stomach for an hour(praying the whole time). I repeated the process that evening. He was well the next day. He was the smallest chicken I ever saw. One of the hens had neck spasms. I wrapped her in warm cloths and massaged her neck for 30 minutes. I repeated the process 3 times that night. She was well the next day. They were all so tiny, I thought they had sent bantams. I was told I could expect to lose one or two. That is why I began what I learned as a child as I was told oatmeal would guarantee that you will not lose one. I have babied these chicks. I have sat with them for hours at the time. I give them treats but they eat a lot of their organic chicken starter mixed with chick grit and a bit of diatamaceous earth. For 3 weeks their water had probiotics and electrolytes. They still drink purified water just like I drink. When I let them in their run, I stay with them 2 hours. When I go back in their house they follow me in. I sit with them in the house as well for about 30 minutes 3 times a day. They are under a heat lamp. They have a brooder heater and an electric heater controled by thermostat. They have roosts which they get on inside their house and in their run. They have wood floors in their house with rubber mats on top of them which I wash daily. I wash their waterer every other day with clorox and water. I give them fresh water and food daily. A couple of times each day I have had oatmeal and/or grits in my hand teaching them to eat from my hand and to come up to my lap to eat from my hand. I have most that I scratch their back and/or rub their neck. They are healthy and happy. My goal is to have the healthiest happiest chickens I can. I want to keep them laying and living a long time. When they quit laying they will just be pets. No slaughter for them. I just want to do right by them.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Maybe make some suet/peanut butter/seed treats. There are tons of recipes available. I usually work with what I have but all my birds love veggies.


----------



## HSJ07

I will try that. What kind of seeds? I tried the baby cake from Tractor supply. After 2 weeks I threw it way as they ignored it. I was disappointed about the blueberries and yesterday the tomatoes. I do not want to harm my chicks in any way. Can they have raisins? I was told that was a good treat. My chicks eat the chicken starter crumble for their regular food and love it. Maybe they only like crumbly things.


----------



## Poultry Judge

Folks on the Forum here will have a ton of advice on treats! I have about fifty birds, ducks, chickens, turkeys and peafowl. They prefer fresh food first, probably dried fruit treats second and seeds third. They have free access 24/7 to both mash and pellets in the coop. The ducks also like catfish pellets as a protein treat. Things that are usually sure-fire for chickens are a head of lettuce tied on a piece of twine and corn whether on the cob or fresh kernel corn. I stock up on canned corn when it's on sale for use as a treat in the winter months. When I make suet/peanut butter seed treats, I use scratch grains or bird feed when it's on sale. If it's too sticky I add some layer mash to get it to a consistency I can roll in little treat balls. My birds are all so conditioned that it is a mob scene when I go out there. Also, try the dried worms as a treat for hand training.


----------



## HSJ07

HSJ07 said:


>


This is the inside of my chicken coop!


----------



## HSJ07




----------



## HSJ07

I clean my coop every other day to look like this. The totes in the corner will be nesting boxes with an additional 2 . Will 4 boxes be enough for 6 hens or do I need 6 boxes?


----------



## HSJ07

Please note roosts on both side of house. The latter not completed yet.


----------



## robin416

I don't see roosts. 

Are you using shavings on the floor? You will want them to keep the birds' feet cleaner. It keeps things dryer too.

You've more than likely got plenty of nesting places. Chickens all seem to want to use the same nest box even if it's already in use by another hen.


----------



## HSJ07

Please enlarge the pictures and you will see two sets of roosts. One side has two 5 foot 5 inch wide equal height roots. The other side has a smaller roost for smaller chickens which is being upgraded this week. I was going to use shavings but was told by several they are a fire hazard and bad for their breathing as they could ingest some. Once I am not using a heat lamp, I may try some though as I see many people use them. Most people I know use straw. I thought since I use thick rubber mats I wouldn't need them but it does make sense.


----------



## Poultry Judge

HSJ07 said:


> Please enlarge the pictures and you will see two sets of roosts. One side has two 5 foot 5 inch wide equal height roots. The other side has a smaller roost for smaller chickens which is being upgraded this week. I was going to use shavings but was told by several they are a fire hazard and bad for their breathing as they could ingest some. Once I am not using a heat lamp, I may try some though as I see many people use them. Most people I know use straw. I thought since I use thick rubber mats I wouldn't need them but it does make sense.


They will not nest where you want then to anyway but a couple nesting boxes should be fine and you can see where they work best. Only pine shavings with a high resin content or highly aromatic are remotely harmful. Most shavings sold by feed stores or the farm supply stores are safe and adequate. Regarding the interior of your coop, think ergonomically and arrange it so you can easily sweep it out.


----------



## robin416

I did and I still don't see roosts. If it's that thing on the floor you'll need to change that to either something round or at least 4 inches wide. Birds wrapping their feet around a square edge can cause foot issues. 

From what I saw they don't need a heat lamp, they're fully feathered. Large enough that they can regulate their body temp.

At some point you're going to relax and truly enjoy the feathered ones. They will surprise you at how easy they are to keep and how irritating they can be when they do things opposite of what you want them to. 

What PJ said about the shavings. Don't use cedar, ever. Pine is the only way to go. Don't get your shavings from a sawmill. I know someone who had chicks dying on a steady basis, the only difference was where she got her shavings from. She went back to feed store shavings and the deaths stopped.


----------



## HSJ07

Poultry Judge said:


> They will not nest where you want then to anyway but a couple nesting boxes should be fine and you can see where they work best. Only pine shavings with a high resin content or highly aromatic are remotely harmful. Most shavings sold by feed stores or the farm supply stores are safe and adequate. Regarding the interior of your coop, think ergonomically and arrange it so you can easily sweep it out.


----------



## HSJ07

Very easy to sweep which I do daily. Take mats out and wash every other day. That is super easy as well.


----------



## HSJ07

The one near the heat lamp is hard to see. They are a set of equal height flat 4 inch boards. All of my chickens roost at 5 weeks. None sleep on the floor. They learned this from the ladder in their run which they love. The roosts on both sides of the coop will be adjusted as they grow. Thank you and everyone for your help. Sorry to be a bother but I just want the best for my chicks.


----------



## robin416

OK, you seem to be struggling using the forum. How can I help you with that?


----------



## robin416

You're not a bother. We want to help and we love success stories and the pure pleasure they bring to their humans. We also get the opportunity to see new ideas from other keepers. 

Yeah, I still haven't spotted them but the fact you've already got the wide flat roosts is excellent.


----------



## HSJ07

robin416 said:


> You're not a bother. We want to help and we love success stories and the pure pleasure they bring to their humans. We also get the opportunity to see new ideas from other keepers.
> 
> Yeah, I still haven't spotted them but the fact you've already got the wide flat roosts is excellent.


----------



## HSJ07

No, I am not struggling. I just have many questions. I got the flat roost idea from you and they roost well. I know people that have chickens for a year or more before they learn to roost so I am proud of mine. The only struggle I really have is knowing how to post a new post and include others. Not sure I am doing that properly.


----------



## robin416

If you're using the reply button, just click below the box that shows up. You're cursor will show up, then you can post below the reply you're replying to. 

Boy, is that clear as mud or what? I can do screen grabs to better illustrate what I'm talking about.


----------



## HSJ07

robin416 said:


> If you're using the reply button, just click below the box that shows up. You're cursor will show up, then you can post below the reply you're replying to.
> 
> Boy, is that clear as mud or what? I can do screen grabs to better illustrate what I'm talking about.


This is an illustration.


----------



## HSJ07

I understand the reply. I just don't know how to begin a new thread properly.


----------



## HSJ07

I understand the reply. I have a problem beginning a new thread properly. You had told me not to use "starting a new conversation" so I am unsure of how to do it properly.


----------



## HSJ07

HSJ07 said:


> The one near the heat lamp is hard to see. They are a set of equal height flat 4 inch boards. All of my chickens roost at 5 weeks. None sleep on the floor. They learned this from the ladder in their run which they love. The roosts on both sides of the coop will be adjusted as they grow. Thank you and everyone for your help. Sorry to be a bother but I just want the best for my chicks.


----------



## HSJ07




----------



## HSJ07

This is a better picture of my roost in front of the red barrier. I have thick rubber mats behind and in front to make it easier on their feet when they jump off and thick paper sacks under to catch the poop.


----------



## robin416

Now I see it. LOL

You can start a new conversation, just don't do it in the private message area. Which is confusing since they changed the name of the private message to conversation.

When you're on the main forum body choose a subject, click on that, then click in the upper right for starting a new topic or conversation or whatever they're calling it now. I'll go look just to reduce confusion. _How obvious, it says post new thread. _

Scroll up to #981, see what I typed under what you were trying to reply to? Yeah, I can edit stuff but you can also do the same thing I did. All I did was click below the box of text, cursor appears and then I typed that sentence.


----------



## Poultry Judge

HSJ07 said:


> No, I am not struggling. I just have many questions. I got the flat roost idea from you and they roost well. I know people that have chickens for a year or more before they learn to roost so I am proud of mine. The only struggle I really have is knowing how to post a new post and include others. Not sure I am doing that properly.


Maybe Robin will come train mine not to roost in the trees! Half of mine are not half as well trained as Robin's worst non-conformists, she uses special Guinea psychology. Alas, things are not as disciplined at Fossil Ledges.


----------



## HSJ07

Poultry Judge said:


> Maybe Robin will come train mine not to roost in the trees! Half of mine are not half as well trained as Robin's worst non-conformists, she uses special Guinea psychology. Alas, things are not as disciplined at Fossil Ledges.


----------



## HSJ07

All 7 of my five week old chicks sleep on a roost every night. They learned playing on a ladder in their run. They just go to their roost every night. The roost boards are flat and 4 to 5 inches wide. They like to sit on it even when it is not bedtime.


----------



## robin416

They do play when they're young. Just like our other young critters. As they get older they do more adult stuff but still manage to delight us when we least expect it.


----------



## HSJ07

robin416 said:


> They do play when they're young. Just like our other young critters. As they get older they do more adult stuff but still manage to delight us when we least expect it.


----------



## HSJ07

I am enjoying them. All 7 know their names and will come to me when I call their individual name. I called Lottie the other day and she did not respond so Maggie went over to her and pushed her. Lottie then came to me. Chickens, I find are smarter than people realize.


----------



## robin416

Those of us that keep them for our own pleasure know how smart they can be.


----------

