Our introduction to keeping chickens, the high's, the lows and pics of our journey.

[Toast n Jelly]

Thanks toast and Jelly! We set the lizard free just around the corner. My wife does gardening work so she is bound to see it again soon.

As I posted this morning, took the day to try get the flock into the new coop. I was short on materials so I had to make do with a temporary solution for the connecting run. Just used a couple of shorter length timbers and joined two pieces of chicken wire. Not exactly pretty but functional for now. Will get a pic tomorrow.





It was much harder to coax them into the new coop at dusk. I spent the afternoon removing and cleaning the old coop so the girls were a bit out of sorts when they could not find their beds! Managed to herd them all in and everyone found a roost and is settled in.

Fingers crossed the girls figure it out and we get eggs in the new nest boxes soon.

Ben just wondering if there's a reason that your roosts are set on edge like that? I've read that they should be set on the wide side as they like to sit on their feet, more comfortable and also keeps them warm in colder weather. I have tree limbs in mine and they are fine with that as well.

 

[Bens-Hens]

I'm still following your thread and enjoying all your adventures. I really love your nesting boxes. They look so pretty! I hope you get eggs today!

I finally have my coop almost finished. I put in exterior nesting boxes also, but they don't look near as nice as yours. I'm happy with them though. Can't wait to try them out in about 6 months, lol.







Here are my babies I picked up yesterday. I have 15 total. So far!!

I do have a question for you on painting the interior of your coop. Do you use interior or exterior paint? I've been trying to find some "oops" paint at the stores, but all they usually have is interior paint. I know your summers are hot like ours, so was wondering if it mattered which one I got?

Hi Henless. Thanks for the compliments. I like yours too, very similar except you have the added ease of removable liners. I like that design, very clever.

For paint I used a water based exterior paint. This was a big drum I had from work, pretty much why everything is white as I had about 20l (4gal) spare. I would still use exteriour paint I think. I removed the old coop today and washed it down and it was very easy to clean the painted surfaces, but the bare timber will need a sand to bring it back up.

I see you have a pretty big barn area, 15 will just get you started hahahaha. Good luck and fee free to drop in any time.

Ben just wondering if there's a reason that your roosts are set on edge like that? I've read that they should be set on the wide side as they like to sit on their feet, more comfortable and also keeps them warm in colder weather. I have tree limbs in mine and they are fine with that as well.

I have set my old ones on the side too with a rounded edge, but this one was that way as the timber I got was a fine piece, and it was already rounded. I based the round or thin edge off a few reasons. We have very hot summers, and mild winters, like, it's only snowed here a couple of times ever in history. Frost bite is not an issue here. I have read people in cold climates have a flatter roost so the toes are tucked inder the feathers and kept warm. We don't have that issue. I had also read a miriad of dimensions for perches but the most natural thing seemed to be tree limbs 1-2" wide so if it's in the ball park I figured it should be ok.

The main roost is 30mm wide but I can always stick a piece onto the back edge if it needs to be wider.

 

[henless]

Hi Henless. Thanks for the compliments. I like yours too, very similar except you have the added ease of removable liners. I like that design, very clever.

For paint I used a water based exterior paint. This was a big drum I had from work, pretty much why everything is white as I had about 20l (4gal) spare. I would still use exteriour paint I think. I removed the old coop today and washed it down and it was very easy to clean the painted surfaces, but the bare timber will need a sand to bring it back up.

I see you have a pretty big barn area, 15 will just get you started hahahaha. Good luck and fee free to drop in any time.

Someone here on BYC was using the liners and I thought it would make cleaning the nests a lot easier. They won't come out through the back door, but slide out easily through the front.

I'm just going to have to look harder to find some "oops" exterior paint. I just hope its not some wild color.

I kinda already have plans in the works for another coop/run area similar to the one we just finished. DH doesn't mine, as long as I let him go to his fishing tournaments! I do plan on saving one stall for another horse though. Just in case!

 

[Bens-Hens]

That should be 5 gallons lol, 4gals to a litre.

At the same time I bought the white, I got a drum if 'oops' green cheap. I wanted something a bit darker but the one they had ready to go cheap was a pretty wild line green. I still have a fair amount of that left as I can't bring myself to use a colour that bright around the house.

 

[EmSteele]

11 months later....on February 25th...our wedding anniversary...we FINALLY got 2 eggs!!! Our first!

 

[ozexpat]

11 months later....on February 25th...our wedding anniversary...we FINALLY got 2 eggs!!! Our first!

twins!!!!

congrats on both

 

[Fancychooklady]

How's Rosie? My little Wyandotte is on her last legs and I would say she has impacted crop. Not much I can do , she's too far gone. I thought she might be egg bound, but her crop is very squishy. Tried to vomit her, but I think she just wants to be left alone.

 

[Bens-Hens]

11 months later....on February 25th...our wedding anniversary...we FINALLY got 2 eggs!!! Our first!

11 Months! Wow, I thought I had to wait a long time! Congratulations.

How's Rosie? My little Wyandotte is on her last legs and I would say she has impacted crop. Not much I can do , she's too far gone. I thought she might be egg bound, but her crop is very squishy. Tried to vomit her, but I think she just wants to be left alone.

Rosie seems much better. Yesterday her crop felt firm again. I have seen her mobile, eating and drinking and her droppings are firm again so I hope she is on the mend. I just saw her crouching under a blue drum with one of the Rocks. I expect a bit of behaviour like that as the little world is very different today than it was this time yesterday.

I hope your Wyandotte sorts herself, you have suffered a few losses lately

 

[Fancychooklady]

Unfortunately she died

. I don't know what I'm going to do with this hawk, twice it's been in this morning. It sits just out of arms reach and stares me down.
Everybody has gone into hiding and it has been sitting on the dividing fence, I found a raptor poo on the fence. Gross cause I know it was my little Silkie from yesterday, or at least what is left of it. Even the coro hens are upstairs hiding. The broody has been scared off her eggs and in her haste to escape she crushed one with a fully formed chick inside. I salvaged what I can and popped them under a Silkie , nothing else I can do.

 

[Bens-Hens]

Sorry to hear that Lisa.

We have a little hawk in our neighborhood. Never been a problem for us though as we only put little chicks into our mobile tractor (except Rosie and her chicks but I figured she is a full size RIR and had plenty of cover.

Some suggestions to consider if a roof is not suitable I have seen wire/string spread out above head height. The birds know not to swoop due to the entanglement risk. One design was for a fenced run, it had a large coopers log stood in the middle and the wires stretch from the middle out like spokes on a bike wheel to the fence line. Could hadlry see it but it was enough to deter teh eagles.

Another one I saw recently were tall wooden stakes with the top tips painted white and fluro ribbons tied to them. The were driven into the ground and spaced all over the place for the chickens to wonder amongst.

None were as beautiful to look at as open ground though. Someone did suggest penning their birds up for a week or so so the hawks would go find an easy feed someplace else but given your rural setting it might not be that simple.

For a little good news, came home from work to find two eggs in the new nest boxes and none on the ground. I am guessing the girls are a little out of sorts but at least Curly and Sunny found the right place