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

[lindz8504]

Go girls! I hope mine figure it out quickly when we finally get them moved.

 

[Bens-Hens]

Fingers crossed for you and your girls Lindz.

A few flock snaps from this afternoon.

Baby, nearly all grown up.

Our BV Curly. Producing our darkest eggs and a great 64-66 grams.

The temporary connecting run.

Miss Olive. Yet to lay but keen to see what she produces. Now getting small pinkish wattles and still has a black pea comb thing going on.

Rosie and her 'baby' Rocks

Rocks are getting nice and big

Our Wellie 'Summer' happy with her size and colouring. A shame her legs always look dirty and not so yellow. Also can't wait to see how dark she lays.

FW Maran, Marrie. I have a hunch she will be first to lay of the newer girls.

Sav and his girl Sal. Smallest amount if black in his beard, but nothing like Nova's fella's.

Finally, I caught this little guy today. I didn't know what it was, worm, lizard or snake. After some Facebook detective work, turns out it was a baby blind snake!

 

[scottcaddy]

Finally, I caught this little guy today. I didn't know what it was, worm, lizard or snake. After some Facebook detective work, turns out it was a baby blind snake!


That little guy is lucky you found him before he found the chicken run!

Scott

 

[Bens-Hens]

Lol, at least he would not have seen it coming Scott! (boom tish!)

 

[Fancychooklady]

 

[Fancychooklady]

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

Yeah I had a look at that but it wouldn't work in my case. I have chicks at different stages in various little hutches near the house. This hawk appears to be a juvenile male. Hoping the dogs will scare him off and once he refines his hunting skills he'll get a taste for rabbit.
Glad to hear that Rosie has perked up.

 

[Fancychooklady]

This is the little bugger.

 

[Bens-Hens]

He is stunning.

Hopefully he changes his mind about the taste of chicks soon.

 

[EmSteele]

Getting an egg a day and Husband busted the layer! Sweet little Barred Plymouth Rock is giving us the perfect one a day eggs! Saw eight playing in the nesting boxes this morning as well!!

Anyone try out pallet coops? Found a man with a major excess and thought about giving it a try.

 

[lindz8504]

Getting an egg a day and Husband busted the layer! Sweet little Barred Plymouth Rock is giving us the perfect one a day eggs! Saw eight playing in the nesting boxes this morning as well!!

Anyone try out pallet coops? Found a man with a major excess and thought about giving it a try.

My coops are built out of pallets... We took them apart mostly and reused the boards.... then the big coop is out of scrap pallet lumber from a local lumber place that makes pallets. Just look at them and make sure that they are heat treated rather than chemical treated.... They should have a HT somewhere on them if they are heat treated or an MB if chemical...