Raising Chickens: Baby Chicks to ½ Grown

[dlgoff]

Roger is starting to act like a rooster. When I open the door to the coop, she throws up a wing and wants to attack my foot. Hope she/he can still lay eggs.

 

[Ms Music]

Any spurs visible yet?

Even if you got lucky and have 6 hens, there is always one dominant hen that decides to pretend to be a rooster.

 

[dlgoff]

Any spurs visible yet?

Even if you got lucky and have 6 hens, there is always one dominant hen that decides to pretend to be a rooster.

Well that explains it. Roger must be the dominant one. No spurs that I can see.

 

[dlgoff]

Well that explains it. Roger must be the dominant one. No spurs that I can see.

I've been building an 8' X 8' cage attached to the chicken coop where they can get outside when they want to sun. I've been letting them out while I'm working on the cage and it's clear that Roger is the dominating hen. Whatever she does or wherever she goes the others follow. Today she decided to peck around on my shoes and all the others wanted a piece of the action.

Perfect choice Evo. Everyone loves her.

 

[Evo]

I've been building an 8' X 8' cage attached to the chicken coop where they can get outside when they want to sun. I've been letting them out while I'm working on the cage and it's clear that Roger is the dominating hen. Whatever she does or wherever she goes the others follow. Today she decided to peck around on my shoes and all the others wanted a piece of the action.

Perfect choice Evo. Everyone loves her.

Don't give her a banning gun!

 

[dlgoff]

Don't give her a banning gun!

Only you can do that.

 

[Evo]

Does Roger have an air conditioned coop? I don't want my baby keeling over from the heat, what with all of those feathers she's wearing. Maybe let her sleep with you at night.

 

[dlgoff]

Does Roger have an air conditioned coop? I don't want my baby keeling over from the heat, what with all of those feathers she's wearing. Maybe let her sleep with you at night.

I'm really careful about that. There are two screened windows on the coup and if I ever think that they are getting too hot, I will put a fan in one to circulate the air. So far, on the hot parts of the day, I let them out. But the coop so far hasn't gotten hot enough to cause any problems.

My uncle use to raise chickens in Arkansas where it gets really hot and humid. He had 7 houses with ~50K chickens in each. He had large fans and misters that worked well.

Don't worry Evo. I look after them like they are my children.

Edit: There's a nice elm tree for shade next to the coop also.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I look after them like they are my children.

Edit: There's a nice elm tree for shade next to the coop also.

Why did the chicken cross the road?

dlgoff's place was on the other side!

 

[dlgoff]

Why did the chicken cross the road?

dlgoff's place was on the other side!

At last. An answer to the eternal question. I'm the chicken god I guess.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I'm the chicken god I guess.

I'm just a lowly fryer.

 

[dlgoff]

I'm just a lowly fryer.

You are here by now my road crossing flyer. Spread the word.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

You are here by now my road crossing flyer. Spread the word.

No, not flyer, fryer!

You know, like friar. Now you've completely ruined my witty pun.

 

[dlgoff]

Not such a good god after all. Fry on my man.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Not such a good god after all. Fry on my man.

Just call me Fryer Puck.

 

[dlgoff]

Just call me Fryer Puck.

 

[dlgoff]

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.

 

[Ms Music]

That is horrid news! That is one of my big fears.

I hope the raccoon doesn't come back. Were you able to get the hole repaired and reinforced?

 

[dlgoff]

That is horrid news! That is one of my big fears.

I hope the raccoon doesn't come back. Were you able to get the hole repaired and reinforced?

I've temporally placed concrete blocks there. I going to put rail-road ties around the entire bottom of the pen. I'll try to post pictures later. I can't believe how the chicken could have let him reach in through such a small opening, considering the pin is 8'x8'.

Damn raccoons.

 

[rhody]

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.

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...

 

[dlgoff]

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.

 

[dlgoff]

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.

 

[Evo]

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.

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.

 

[dlgoff]

I think I'm going to throw up.

Me too.

 

[rhody]

Me too.

Don,

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

Rhody...

 

[Ms Music]

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.

 

[dlgoff]

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.

 

[Dembadon]

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.

Beautiful bird!

 

[dlgoff]

Don,

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

Rhody...

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

 

[dlgoff]

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.