Raising Chickens: Baby Chicks to ½ Grown

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AI Thread Summary
The discussion revolves around the care and experiences of raising chickens, particularly focusing on a chick named Roger. Participants share updates on their chickens' growth, health, and behaviors, with Roger being noted for her dominance among the flock. The conversation touches on the biological aspect of egg-laying, with some confusion about why hens lay unfertilized eggs. Concerns about predators, particularly raccoons, arise after one participant reports the loss of a chicken named Guinevere to a raccoon attack. This leads to discussions about securing chicken coops and dealing with wildlife threats. The thread also humorously addresses the culinary aspects of chicken, including preferences for dumplings and the challenges of cooking home-raised chickens. Overall, the thread combines practical advice on chicken care with personal anecdotes and light-hearted banter among participants.
  • #51


rhody said:
Time to break out the night vision googles, rifle, traps and do some late night varmit trapping and/or hunting Don, don't go down without the good fight. May Guievere RIP.

Rhody...

Steel traps will be out tonight. The last two chickens will get revenge.
 
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  • #52


Let's see. With two chickens, next summer we should get ~2 dozen eggs/week. Or ~32 dozen eggs/summer. So far it's cost $100 for the pen (not to count a broken nose from the construction) and $60 in feed cost. Next summers feed @ $60 gives $[STRIKE]320[/STRIKE] 220/32 dozen=$[STRIKE]10[/STRIKE] 6.88/dozen. They better be good.

Maybe eating raccoon would be more cost efficient.

Edit: Can you tell I was upset and chugged 3 beers? See line out above.
 
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  • #53


dlgoff said:
OMG. Evo's going to sh*t. Guinevere was killed last night or this morning. RIP

Something dug under the pen (made a 1" high X 3" wide hole) and managed to grab her and pull her to the pen; close enough to bite. I just buried her. Must have been a raccoon.

I am so pissed off.
Noooo. :cry: :cry:

Guinevere. How horrible, what a terrible thing. Poor baby. At least she knew she was loved and treated with respect.

I think I'm going to throw up.
 
  • #54


Evo said:
I think I'm going to throw up.
Me too.
vomitsm.jpg
 
  • #55


dlgoff said:
Me too.
vomitsm.jpg
Don,

Look closely, it is coming out of his neck, not his MOUTH !

Rhody... :eek:
 
  • #56


Don, right after I posted, I found this article in my email. http://www.grit.com/livestock/chickens/predators-of-chickens.aspx It has some good ideas. One I found interesting, was putting sand around the cage at night to find out what comes by to visit. Sounds like weasels and opossums are also likely to dig, so if you have any in the area, consider them on the roasting list too.

I think I will print the article for when I build my first coop.
 
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  • #57


Ms Music said:
Don, right after I posted, I found this article in my email. http://www.grit.com/livestock/chickens/predators-of-chickens.aspx It has some good ideas. One I found interesting, was putting sand around the cage at night to find out what comes by to visit. Sounds like weasels and opossums are also likely to dig, so if you have any in the area, consider them on the roasting list too.

I think I will print the article for when I build my first coop.
I have plenty of these around here. I've never seen anything like it. This is the first time I've ever heard them hollering in the middle of the day and flying around in broad daylight.

great-horned-owl-bubo-virginianus-2-by-ray.jpg
 
  • #58


dlgoff said:
I have plenty of these around here. I've never seen anything like it. This is the first time I've ever heard them hollering in the middle of the day and flying around in broad daylight.

great-horned-owl-bubo-virginianus-2-by-ray.jpg

Beautiful bird!
 
  • #59


rhody said:
Don,

Look closely, it is coming out of his neck, not his MOUTH !

Rhody... :eek:

http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/wysiwyg/image/raccoon%289%29.jpg
 
  • #60


Dembadon said:
Beautiful bird!
Yes they are. My mother and I raised one that had fallen out of it's nest. It only had pinfeathers and was as large as an adult. We bottle fed it until it was old enough to let loose. It stayed around the area for years scaring people as it swooped down to sit on their shoulder.
 
  • #61


dlgoff said:
OMG. Evo's going to sh*t. Guinevere was killed last night or this morning. RIP

Something dug under the pen (made a 1" high X 3" wide hole) and managed to grab her and pull her to the pen; close enough to bite. I just buried her. Must have been a raccoon.

I am so pissed off.

Can't remember if I posted this earlier, but my mother handed me our family rifle only once* when I was about 11 years old.

I sat silently, and shot the dreaded possum through the heart.

We loved our chickens.

My sincerest sympathies Don.

*The previous time I had a gun in my hand was when I was about 8, and nearly put my younger brother's eye out with a twig, shot through a BB-gun. "Here! I'll just shoot you in the foot, and, click, pop, Oh my god, there's a lot of blood gushing out of your face. I think I'll run away and hide until they've forgotten that I've just murdered you.
 
  • #62


OmCheeto said:
Can't remember if I posted this earlier, but my mother handed me our family rifle only once* when I was about 11 years old.

I sat silently, and shot the dreaded possum through the heart.

We loved our chickens.

My sincerest sympathies Don.

Thanks man. It's sad after taking care of them and watching them grow from chicks.

*The previous time I had a gun in my hand was when I was about 8, and nearly put my younger brother's eye out with a twig, shot through a BB-gun. "Here! I'll just shoot you in the foot, and, click, pop, Oh my god, there's a lot of blood gushing out of your face. I think I'll run away and hide until they've forgotten that I've just murdered you.


I'm probably lucky to be alive after some of the stunts we pulled. And I was older than 8. :redface:
 
  • #63


dlgoff said:
OMG. Evo's going to sh*t. Guinevere was killed last night or this morning. RIP

Something dug under the pen (made a 1" high X 3" wide hole) and managed to grab her and pull her to the pen; close enough to bite. I just buried her. Must have been a raccoon.
Yep, probably a raccoon. There is a local farmer who raised chickens. The raccoons were worse than the foxes since they were able to climb into the pens and then they grabbed chickens, but they couldn't get out, so they just ended up killing a bunch of chickens.

I like foxes, so don't hurt the foxes. I'd love to have a pet fox. We had a kit in our backyard once. We found an wildlife rehabilitator who took it. Kits need other kits to be properly socialized as adults.

I don't care much for raccoons though.

I used to have a pet chicken. IIRC, I name her Penny (like Henny Penny) and she had copper coloured feathers. That was about 50 years ago though.
 
  • #64


Astronuc said:
I like foxes, so don't hurt the foxes. I'd love to have a pet fox. We had a kit in our backyard once. We found an wildlife rehabilitator who took it. Kits need other kits to be properly socialized as adults.

Don't worry. They can probably out fox me. :biggrin:
 
  • #65


dlgoff said:
Don't worry. They can probably out fox me. :biggrin:
So can the 'coons, believe me! My friend lost a lot of chickens to 'coons before he figured out what was going on. His coop was well-built and was probably pretty secure against weasels, fishers, foxes, etc, but the 'coons could climb to the top of the enclosure and lift the chicken-wire in a place that was a bit loose, get in and kill a few chickens and lug them back out of the coop.

His son is the guy I buy my sand, gravel, manure, etc from and next time I see him I'm going to remind him of that predation. He was a kid at the time, and he was pretty upset to see dead chickens that the 'coons hadn't managed to lug off, lying on the ground in the outside enclosure.
 
  • #66


turbo said:
So can the 'coons, believe me! My friend lost a lot of chickens to 'coons before he figured out what was going on. His coop was well-built and was probably pretty secure against weasels, fishers, foxes, etc, but the 'coons could climb to the top of the enclosure and lift the chicken-wire in a place that was a bit loose, get in and kill a few chickens and lug them back out of the coop.

His son is the guy I buy my sand, gravel, manure, etc from and next time I see him I'm going to remind him of that predation. He was a kid at the time, and he was pretty upset to see dead chickens that the 'coons hadn't managed to lug off, lying on the ground in the outside enclosure.
I set out some steel traps around the pen and last night one managed to get caught but also managed to dig up the steel stake holding the trap and ran off with it. Poor thing. However it's cost me plenty, so good riddance.

My neighbor was out feeding his cows and told him about it and he said he lost all 15 of his chickens recently. So I'm glad we still have two.
 
  • #67


Did it leave tracks? Make sure of what you are dealing with. If the neighbor lost all of his, this thing won't stop at one. And if it was a raccoon, you probably are dealing with more than one. Find out HOW it got into the neighbors.
 
  • #68


Ms Music said:
Did it leave tracks? Make sure of what you are dealing with. If the neighbor lost all of his, this thing won't stop at one. And if it was a raccoon, you probably are dealing with more than one. Find out HOW it got into the neighbors.
When talking to the neighbor, he had just moved them into a covered pin also and the way he explained, foxes had gotten them about a month ago like ours (Evos and I). He later lost the last, again like ours, by something reaching in and pulling them against the cage and biting their heads off. When I set the traps around the pin, I placed them where it (maybe two) raccoons (?) tried to dig under in the hard dry soil. The soil is very hard like concrete and was surprised it could scratch as much as it did; that and it took some effort driving in the electric fence post I used to secure the traps. Never would have guessed it could have dug that much. But I am fairly sure it's a raccoon as I had seen one around eating leftover cat food a couple of times.
 
  • #69


dlgoff said:
When talking to the neighbor, he had just moved them into a covered pin also and the way he explained, foxes had gotten them about a month ago like ours (Evos and I). He later lost the last, again like ours, by something reaching in and pulling them against the cage and biting their heads off. When I set the traps around the pin, I placed them where it (maybe two) raccoons (?) tried to dig under in the hard dry soil. The soil is very hard like concrete and was surprised it could scratch as much as it did; that and it took some effort driving in the electric fence post I used to secure the traps. Never would have guessed it could have dug that much. But I am fairly sure it's a raccoon as I had seen one around eating leftover cat food a couple of times.
The raccoon must have been really hungry Don, little consolation though... Why would the chickens get close enough to the fence to be grabbed in the first place, did the raccoon bring food to bait them ?! hehe...

Rhody...
 
  • #70
dlgoff said:
When talking to the neighbor, he had just moved them into a covered pin also and the way he explained, foxes had gotten them about a month ago like ours (Evos and I). He later lost the last, again like ours, by something reaching in and pulling them against the cage and biting their heads off. When I set the traps around the pin, I placed them where it (maybe two) raccoons (?) tried to dig under in the hard dry soil. The soil is very hard like concrete and was surprised it could scratch as much as it did; that and it took some effort driving in the electric fence post I used to secure the traps. Never would have guessed it could have dug that much. But I am fairly sure it's a raccoon as I had seen one around eating leftover cat food a couple of times.

bolding mine...

My friend got chickens last year. Now she has none. She caught one of the chickens pecking at one of the other chickens one day.

Watch the http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,234538,00.html"...

and keep a shotgun ready.
 
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  • #71
OmCheeto said:
bolding mine...

My friend got chickens last year. Now she has none. She caught one of the chickens pecking at one of the other chickens one day.

Watch the http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,234538,00.html"...

and keep a shotgun ready.

I won't have to worry about any zombie chickens or about ...
...farmers suffocate them in sealed boxes filled with carbon dioxide, a practice that has drawn the ire of animal rights groups.
If they survive long enough to stop laying eggs (which doesn't stop all at once; may be less productive for the big guys though) all I have to do is let them out. They would be food for some animal around here. I'd just be feeding the poor little bas...ds. Can I say that here?
 
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  • #72


I've learned that Roger learns fast. Yesterday she laid her first egg, albeit it was really small. The thing is, she laid it on the coop floor instead of the nesting boxes that are about three feet off the floor. The boxes have fresh straw and I couldn't understand what the problem was. Turns out she hadn't learned to jump up there. So yesterday evening I turned on a small 15watt light and aimed it at the nesting boxes then picked her up and set her up there. She instantly looked them all over and settled in on one. Well this morning, she's in "her" box trying to lay another egg. Now I'll have to teach the other one how to get up there.

Okay I'm on my way to pickup a sack of egg-mix feed, now that she is laying. This should increase the egg size and quantity.

Good girl Roger.
 
  • #73


dlgoff said:
I've learned that Roger learns fast. Yesterday she laid her first egg, albeit it was really small. The thing is, she laid it on the coop floor instead of the nesting boxes that are about three feet off the floor. The boxes have fresh straw and I couldn't understand what the problem was. Turns out she hadn't learned to jump up there. So yesterday evening I turned on a small 15watt light and aimed it at the nesting boxes then picked her up and set her up there. She instantly looked them all over and settled in on one. Well this morning, she's in "her" box trying to lay another egg. Now I'll have to teach the other one how to get up there.

Okay I'm on my way to pickup a sack of egg-mix feed, now that she is laying. This should increase the egg size and quantity.

Good girl Roger.
Roger Rawks! Already laying! An overacheiver. <sniff>
 
  • #74


Was reading about the situation in Libya, when at the end of an article I ran across:
June, who was described on a sign in their cage as "the bravest of chicken that ever lived."

The article implied that this remarkable chicken was at the Iowa State Fair.

I thought about Roger, and how it might be nice to have a ninja-chicken body guard around, but alas, I can find no more information about June.

:frown:
 
  • #76


Those are some mighty hungry kittens.
 
  • #79


Astronuc said:
The subject of poultry/fowl/chicken evolution/domestication came up.

FYI - http://urbanext.illinois.edu/eggs/res10-breedhistory.html

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chlinks.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Junglefowl
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_Junglefowl

Good info. Thanks.

I'm fairly sure that Roger is a Rhode Island Red. Her eggs are nice large brown ones.

I need to get a camera instead of depending on my daughter. A couple of day ago, Roger laid an egg that was so large it had to have hurt laying it. I just measured the circumference around its oval axis.

416px-Oval1.svg.png


It's 6 1/8 in. X 7 1/8 inch.
 
  • #80


I thought eggs are layed soft and the shell hardens after being layed.
 
  • #81


98774jackson said:
lol , i feel so hungry now, cook me some chicken please

This summer I took care of my neighbors five chickens while they went back east for two weeks.

On the second day Mabel, yea the hen is named Mabel, had a prolapsed oviduct. It looked even worse than the one in the picture below.

http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/2_chicken-prolapse-before.jpg

OK now that you are no longer hungry I will finish the story.

The other hens had been picking at mabel's prolapse before I noticed it and it had become an infected bloody mess. Mabel was sitting on her perch panting and with he behind to the wall and wouldn't move.

I cleaned it up only gagging about twelve times during the process. I isolated Mable from the other hens, as per Internet instructions and cut back on her food. I discovered during the cleaning of Mabel,s behind that chickens don't really want to hold still and cooperate during this procedure.

She still wasn't looking good after a couple of days so I
went down to a local feed store. They first recommended putting Mabel out of her misery.

Not wanting to be the executioner or to allow Mabel to die on my watch I opted for a generic farm animal antibiotic that they had available at the feed store. They instructed me to sprinkle the powdered antibiotic into the water dish until the water turned deep yellow.

Mabel drank the yellow water and then proceeded to have diarrhea for the next 24 hours. At that point I read the fine print on the antibiotic package and noticed it stated: The contents of this package is enough to treat 10,000 pounds of swine.

I couldn't really determine how to convert the dosage from 10,000 pounds of swine to one chicken. :confused: Needless to say I did cut way back on the , sprinkle until the water turns yellow instructions.

To wrap this up I can proudly say that Mabel did survive and is a healthy egg layer again.
 
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  • #82


This should be a movie! My emotions were all over the place.

Hurray for Edward! Hero to chickens everwhere!
 

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  • #83


Way to go Edward,

Persistence, innovation, and a promise not to lose poor Mabel on your watch are admirable. I wish I had you for a neighbor.

Rhody... o:)
 
  • #84


edward said:
OK now that you are no longer hungry I will finish the story.

It appears it was 98774jacksons first and only post before they deleted it. :smile:
 
  • #85


dlgoff said:
It appears it was 98774jacksons first and only post before they deleted it. :smile:
Too late Don, I saw it before they did. Edward has captured it for posterity's sake.

Rhody...
 
  • #86


rhody said:
Too late Don, I saw it before they did. Edward has captured it for posterity's sake.

Rhody...

EDIT

The funny thing is that when I read 98774jackson's post i was inspired to share the story to convince him that perhaps he was not hungry. I saw that it was gone after I posted and was too lazy to go back and edit.:smile: Long live Mabel.:smile:
 
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  • #87


Here's just the ticket to get fresh eggs, prepare the garden soil,
and free-range your hens with some great exercise, all at the same time..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlyV8fA6R_Q
(Hmmmm... there ought to be some way to simulpost this
to the 'How's Your Garden Grow?' thread :smile: )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlyV8fA6R_Q"
 
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  • #88


Ouabache said:
Here's just the ticket to get fresh eggs, prepare the garden soil,
and free-range your hens with some great exercise, all at the same time..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlyV8fA6R_Q
(Hmmmm... there ought to be some way to simulpost this
to the 'How's Your Garden Grow?' thread :smile: )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlyV8fA6R_Q"

Wow. That is a good idea. Make your chickens work for a living. Thanks for sharing.
 
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  • #89


I had an issue with my free DirectTV reciever so reluctantly called their tech team. From the call, they decided it would be best to send a tech and when scheduling, they asked if I had any pets; knowing they were concerned about dog bites. I told them, "Well I have an old cat and a chicken".

The tech did a great job; giving me a new receiver and relocating the dish to receive for a higher dB signal. But best of all, on my copy of the report, they actually put down that there was a chicken at my location as info for the tech. I guess Roger is now consider an dangerous chicken.
 
  • #90


dlgoff said:
I had an issue with my free DirectTV reciever so reluctantly called their tech team. From the call, they decided it would be best to send a tech and when scheduling, they asked if I had any pets; knowing they were concerned about dog bites. I told them, "Well I have an old cat and a chicken".

The tech did a great job; giving me a new receiver and relocating the dish to receive for a higher dB signal. But best of all, on my copy of the report, they actually put down that there was a chicken at my location as info for the tech. I guess Roger is now consider an dangerous chicken.
Ahahaha, FEAR Roger! Chicken Overlord!
 
  • #91


El pollo diablo.
 
  • #92


Borek said:
El pollo diablo.
:smile:
 
  • #95


Good Roger.

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  • #96


Oh, she's a beauty! ROGER!

Thanks for the pics DL.
 
  • #97


I've been so busy building/repairing fence, building a tomato trellis, and getting the garden ready for a early spring, I'm just now giving an update.

Roger has three red pullet friends. Last Sunday I bought six (even Evo and I together couldn't consume that many eggs) but the neighbor man was willing to buy three.

Roger was a little jealous for the first couple of days when I would go into the chicks chicken-wire, walk-in side of the coup. She would pace in front of the wire door until I came out. After I picked her up and showed affection, she was okay though.
 
  • #98


dlgoff said:
I've been so busy building/repairing fence, building a tomato trellis, and getting the garden ready for a early spring, I'm just now giving an update.

Roger has three red pullet friends. Last Sunday I bought six (even Evo and I together couldn't consume that many eggs) but the neighbor man was willing to buy three.

Roger was a little jealous for the first couple of days when I would go into the chicks chicken-wire, walk-in side of the coup. She would pace in front of the wire door until I came out. After I picked her up and showed affection, she was okay though.
Aww, pictures!
 
  • #99


Hi Dlgoff,
Nice chicken threat and great chicks pictures. Do share more pictures with their feed and safety tips to make this threat more useful for those who have started raising chicken.
 
  • #100


Evo said:
Aww, pictures!
Yeah, what Evo said... cheep cheep cheep...

Rhody...
 

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