Yay!!!!! :love:celebrate:clap I just left Rural king and had to fight back the urge to bring back some of the new heritage breeds...no rotation for me until next spring at the earliest.
Rabbit feeders work great for grit and oyster shell! We were originally using only tuna cans with hose clamps, but I had a young hen last fall laying soft/no shell when she began laying. I thought maybe she wasn't seeing the oyster shell. I had a couple of exta rabbit feeders and they work...
I was worried about that with mine as well. The tracking was all off, and we had an unexpected cold front move in so I was worried I would get my shipment with no survivors. Then I got a call between 5:30 and 6a.m.. from my local post office telling me they just had a box arrive that was...
I agree. My SLW came from Hoovers hatchery. She's pretty, but not show quality. I wouldn't trade her for anything though. On the right is my SL Polish we had to trim her crest a bit so she could see better.
Yes definitely have the brooder ready. I had to adjust mine a little to get the temp just right. Beware of chicken math lol before you know it you'll be raising more!
Maybe keep eye on Craigslist for free dog houses, depending on the size of it you may not be able you house 7, but maybe 4? It's at least a good way to start. I've seen free scrap wood on Craigslist as well.
I would definitely avoid areas where drainage would be an issue. We bought shade cloths from Harbor Freight to help in the summer months. They are thick almost like a trampoline net, but still allows air through.
I think it will work. Our first coop was an A frame chicken tractor, but we found it to be too heavy to move around with ease. Then we wanted a larger run, in the end we chose to free range most of the time. LOL you learn as you go honesty.
We went through a few designs before building our last...
My polish hen was a "creeper" for months before laying her first egg. She would follow the big girls in the house every time a hen went in to lay, and didn't come back out until they were done with their business. Now that shes laying she always comes out if the house squawking away as if...
We installed 5 of these on our coop. Our coop is 4'x8' with a 2'x4' storage area at the end (which has a removable wall if we add more chickens). We did install a 5th after comments on here that it might not be enough. We also have a window, and in the summer we have a wire panel on my big...
I personally think they would be fine if you were out there with them. I'm not sure how big your wooded area is, but it would be best to keep them out of there if possible to prevent attacks. We live in a community, and have a little over half an acre fully fenced that we allow them to roam when...