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Raising Chickens


crimsonlonghorn

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  • 2 weeks later...

That’s awesome. 
 

Wife and I are here on St John for a few days (first vacay without the kids in a couple of years) and I love watching all the feral chickens. It’s not quite that bad here but it’s close. They are everywhere.
 

This morning I woke up early and sat outside to watch the sunrise with my coffee and the air was filled with continuous nonstop rooster crows for about an hour. I loved it but if I lived here permanently, probably not so much. 

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Killed another snake this morning stealing eggs.

IMG_9564.thumb.jpeg.24b39538805d394bb29e704824094faf.jpeg

Not sure if it's the drought causing it or what, but it's only June and I've already killed 4 rat snakes in the coops this year when most years I might just get one.

I guess they are really hungry right now and not finding what they need in the pasture. 

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  • 1 month later...
4 hours ago, Mother mopar said:

Put golf balls in the nesting boxes, it will encourage them to lay there.

I've got one in each of the four boxes - I don't currently have a ladder/ramp from the ground to the nesting boxes as their not too far off the ground (18 inches approx) but might add one or possibly a landing/perch this weekend.  Second egg was laid yesterday afternoon/evening  underneath the nesting boxes so that's an improvement! 

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I've got one in each of the four boxes - I don't currently have a ladder/ramp from the ground to the nesting boxes as their not too far off the ground (18 inches approx) but might add one or possibly a landing/perch this weekend.  Second egg was laid yesterday afternoon/evening  underneath the nesting boxes so that's an improvement! 
Baby steps...headed in the right direction. The ladder will help too. Once one starts laying in the box it's a matter id time and then they all do, at least in my experience.
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On 8/3/2022 at 11:11 AM, Mother mopar said:

Baby steps...headed in the right direction. The ladder will help too. Once one starts laying in the box it's a matter id time and then they all do, at least in my experience.

This. 

You can get plastic training eggs at tractor supply or off of Amazon. Put a couple in each nesting box and they'll all be laying them there in no time. 

Golf balls - mentioned above - sometimes work, but the training eggs are more effective, imo. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Update time. Golf balls worked, didn't take long. Getting 10-11/day for the last week from 13 hens. Rat snake found its way into the coop before they started laying but was too fat to squeeze out/got stuck in the fence when I attempted to coax it out. No hens were harmed but at that point they were weeks away from laying and I know the snake would have come back. Cottonmouth was found about 50 yards from the coop but on the carport this past weekend. I have a just beginning to zoom around yet still a wobbly toddler so there was no coaxing that time. 9f15cfbf51d35a33f76e0c01ef246ec3.jpg731696ca72537ac8c34f3eb0aa4f1dd5.jpg87b64049c5aff255abd7a70e62624ccf.jpg5ee9e54201ac2c618c6801d53e63d7a1.jpg

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

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  • 1 year later...
On 3/10/2024 at 1:23 PM, KYHorn said:

Just got 6 chicks. Any recs for a good beginner coop? We don't really have time to build one right now. We've been considering this one: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/producers-pride-villa-chicken-coop-12-chicken-capacity

Screenshot_20240310-142234_Chrome.thumb.jpg.fe46767ac126fd82bee7c910e308b01c.jpg

Any thoughts/suggestions? 

I've gone through about 4 chicken coops so far. These are by far the best and easiest to clean.

 

https://www.omlet.us/shop/chicken_keeping/modern_chicken_coop_eglu_go/

 

I wish I had bought this first. 

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On 3/10/2024 at 1:23 PM, KYHorn said:

Just got 6 chicks. Any recs for a good beginner coop? We don't really have time to build one right now. We've been considering this one: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/producers-pride-villa-chicken-coop-12-chicken-capacity

Screenshot_20240310-142234_Chrome.thumb.jpg.fe46767ac126fd82bee7c910e308b01c.jpg

Any thoughts/suggestions? 

The main problem I had with coups similiar to that is getting in there to clean of change food is a pain in the ass if you are over 4 feet tall.... especially if you need to get under where the "house" is

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