Backyard Chickens?

[Ravenbird]

They'll be 7 weeks on Friday! Im surprised shes still tending to them. When they are outside they are much more independent, venturing off on their own (thus why one died to the neighbors cat) but still come running when she tidbits.

And oh no, they certainly dont read the book, huh? Shes been very good with us handling them when they were younger. We try not to handle them too much for now, I have a bunch of cockerels again (5/9!!) and I don't want to get attached. Some will sadly have to become food for our raw fed cats. I much rather them live a good life here, have a humane cull, and provide for our pets than to be sent off to who knows what. Its too bad we can't control the sexes, and of course the cat got one of the 4 pullets.

The other broody we had last year hatched 2 (out of 7 eggs) and she didn't let them go until 12 weeks! So I guess they are all different. We do process the males - some for raw pet food, some for us. The chicken math caught up with me and now I have 4 too many. I thought for sure the hatchery order would have a couple of males, but nope, all females as ordered. Then I plan for loss due to hawks or fox or whatever and only got the one death by eating a nail. So I'm up to 16 hens and a rooster when I really only need/want 12 & 1.

I always thought that when you had chickens you don't want the rooster. Plus I heard that they were usually more combative to people. Sometimes chasing them away. You know, biting the hand that feeds them?

OMG yes. The first rooster I had was AWFUL. He'd come at you feet first, leave his hens to attack if I just bent over to pull weeds. I thought I'd fix his attitude - but spent 6 months trying and nothing worked. He got my friend in the face & arm drawing blood, so that ended his chances. I have his son now and he's the best rooster ever. Takes care of the flock like @Rits described, not so much as a stink eye toward people.

 

[MyBuddy]

Wish I'd known about waist high poop boards before I built this.

Please explain.

 

[Ravenbird]

Please explain.

LOL, I guess that does sound funny to a newbie. @Rits coop has "trays" of sand just under where the birds roost at night. Chickens poop all.night.long. Sand is a life-saver for easy cleaning, I just use a kitty litter scoop. But Rits has waist-high boards and doesn't have to bend over to pick up the poop. Plus you can utilize the space on the floor because it doesn't get pooped on. I not only have to bend over to clean every morning, I also staggered the roosts so I have to reach over and around the other boards to get the poop in the back corner. Also, I thought the staggering would keep chickens apart so less fighting, but they all fight over being on the top board with the rooster, who is ALWAYS on the very center of the top board. Did you know that the hens on either side of the rooster keep night watch for the rooster so he can finally rest after a hard days work? I'll see if I can find that article, it was fascinating.

 

[MyBuddy]

Ah! So when they are in there at night, and they Roost, meaning perched on a perch LOL, they stay in that one position all night? I can see what you're saying now. Makes a lot of sense to have it waist-high to clean and also utilizing the floor space!

but they all fight over being on the top board with the rooster, who is ALWAYS on the very center of the top board. Did you know that the hens on either side of the rooster keep night watch for the rooster so he can finally rest after a hard days work?

Oh that's so funny that they fight to be with the rooster! Just like a bunch of hens fighting to be with the dude in a crowd! LOL

@Rits does your rooster always sit on the top board too?

 

[Rits]

Also, I thought the staggering would keep chickens apart so less fighting, but they all fight over being on the top board with the rooster,

Lol!! I noticed that in your pic. Mine occasionally fight over being squished on the same roost too, even though theres PLENTY of space and I have only one level of roosts. Oye!

@MyBuddy we don't have a top board. Theres only one level roost When we did have 3 roosts, they would all try to cram on the top roost together... Then pant because they were warm

Ah! So when they are in there at night, and they Roost, meaning perched on a perch LOL, they stay in that one position all night?

Yep, they typically dont move once it gets dark. Chickens have horrible night vision, worse than ours. They literally cant see at night. Thats how they train themselves to go into their coop all by themselves at dusk. Its pretty handy as an owner! Or you can have special chickens that wait too late then roost in the nearest tree...

 

[Rits]

Miss Waffle has really bonded with us lately. I was sitting in the mule and she jumped up to my shoulder from the ground ! Shes one of the few chickens that will actually turn around and come to us without using the special recall, just cause she wants to be picked up. All my Australorps have better ideas than being held lol.

And yes, be very careful with a birds face near yours! I always turned away whenever she looked at me. Human eyes are shiny and attractive.

 

[Ravenbird]

She looks just like my Muffuletta, an Easter Egger who lays cream color eggs. If I'd raised her by hand she would be just like this, she's sooo sweet. But a hen raised her so she'll eat out of my hand, but not let me touch. Sweet images! Edited to add a photo of Muffuletta, then got an error notice so I don't think the photo will show up.

 

[MyBuddy]

Miss Waffle has really bonded with us lately. I was sitting in the mule and she jumped up to my shoulder from the ground ! Shes one of the few chickens that will actually turn around and come to us without using the special recall, just cause she wants to be picked up. All my Australorps have better ideas than being held lol.

And yes, be very careful with a birds face near yours! I always turned away whenever she looked at me. Human eyes are shiny and attractive.
View attachment 101450 View attachment 101451

Oh my gosh, that's adorable! And what a nice heads up on human eyes! LOL

 

[GennyB]

WOW! I gotta say I'm so impressed with my Lucy. She is a leghorn that will be 10 this month. I no longer light my coop in the winter months because my girls are getting older. I figure at this point it's best to give them a rest. With the days getting longer now the girls are starting to lay more. Lucy is starting off with 3 eggs a week! She has been a GREAT hen that has laid fabulously all her life.
When we first started keeping hens for eggs, leghorns were my first choice because they are known for being prolific layers. It's true! We weren't really interested in meat birds here because we already keep them at the farm. We experimented with a few layer breeds and I have to say I'm a lover of the leghorns. I love my Lucy, she's so sweet. She follows me around making me feel like a duck with a duckling in tow. I just hate to see her getting older.

 

[Ravenbird]

She is a leghorn that will be 10 this month. I no longer light my coop in the winter months because my girls are getting older. I figure at this point it's best to give them a rest. With the days getting longer now the girls are starting to lay more. Lucy is starting off with 3 eggs a week! She has been a GREAT hen that has laid fabulously all her life.

That's really impressive!!!
We're up to 6 - 8 eggs a day for the 16 hens, I don't use lights, just let them take their winter break. This year it was only about 45 days of no eggs.

 

[MyBuddy]

WOW! I gotta say I'm so impressed with my Lucy. She is a leghorn that will be 10 this month.

Wow, 10? I didn't even know they lived that long!

 

[GennyB]

Wow, 10? I didn't even know they lived that long!

Usually 10-15 years. I have them pretty well protected from any predators and did tons of research on their diet. I've been extremely lucky because they have been very healthy girls. They say happy hens lay more eggs, I guess they live long too.
I do worry about our meat birds at the farm with the coyote population being so out of control but we do have their area pretty well reinforced as well as a maze of electric fencing. So far so good.

 

[JanS]

This is Della's sweet mom and her new friend "Tuna". Don't ask me where they got the name but the daughter wanted chickens so now she has some and is working hard for them.

 

[Ravenbird]

"Tuna" - Chicken of the Sea???

 

[Lizbeli]

Thats a chicken? Looks like a giant cotton ball. Haha! Theres no way Jasper would just lay there like that. Nice!

 

[Rits]

Aww what a cute cloud.

Thats a chicken? Looks like a giant cotton ball. Haha!

Lol silkies are silly looking, kinda dumb (hard to be smart when you cant see well lol), and more susceptible to head injuries. But I hear they are really friendly. They are also SUPER broody so if they ever wanna hatch some eggs...silkies are your girls.

 

[MyBuddy]

My neighbor has a few silkies and they were the first I've ever seen. I thought they were gorgeous! What a cool looking chicken!

 

[Rits]

Haven't seen a chicken post in awhile so here we go. How are the chickens? @GennyB @Ravenbird @MyBuddy

The 3 chicks that we purchased in October to keep a singleton chick company have grown up and are laying. They are as big as my adults now.

We have AC the splash blue laced red wyandotte in the middle, DC up front the blue laced red wyandotte, and Slayer the buff orpington taking a dust bath.



Painted the roosts and trim to the poop boards with a white marine paint for easy cleaning. It's so much better than the bare wood. Now I'm able to spray it with odoban, and wipe up any poopy feet marks off the roost from overnight. Bare wood would soak it right up and stain. I plan to stain the legs eventually (and the anti chick pecking boards lol) the same color as the trim you see around the nest boxes. Of course let air dry for a week before installing so all the vapors are gone.





And two pics of the Ameraucana brothers. Pancake and Gravy. Pancake sleeps like this every night. Total relaxation after a long day of watching ladies.

 

[Rits]

Oh a few more I can't resist.






Biggie, going on 3 years. Our good boy protector for the flock.


We switched from chopped straw to the childs play mats and Astro turf for nesting boxes. The chickens were playing in the straw way too much! Kicking all the material out which ended up with cracked eggs on bare wood. This fixed our issue! Very easy to clean.


The Ameraucana roosters are really good at teaching the ladies where to lay and "prepping" the nest for laying. It's so funny. This is all they do while Biggie is out with the flock watching for predators and feeding the ladies. Well Pancake was doing such a good job he was in the way for Slayer. She kept going under him and between his legs and he kept purring to her lmao.

 

[MyBuddy]

I love your chicken coop! Well thought-out, clean and works so well for the chickens AND you! Love the AstroTurf! Your chickens are so colorful! The chickens in the second picture in the first post and first one in your next post are just amazing. Such definition of color! Very pretty!