Lets talk chickens.

[EdWort]

We picked up 4 chicks at the feed store today.

Here's a Buff Brahma, a Light Brahma Hen, and a Barred Rock Hen. They are 3 weeks old.

The fourth chicken is a Brown Leghorn at 6 weeks.

We'll see how long it takes before they start laying eggs.

 

[Ryan_PA]

This must have been covered in the brew house thread, but how much land do you have Ed?

 

[EdWort]

Just over 4 acres.

 

[RayInUT]

I think the hawks, eagles, and mountain lions would eat them at my house! I had chickens when we lived at our old house. I hate to say it but they are such filthy animals I have trouble even eating them these days. Chickens are pretty nasty creatures.

 

[mmb]

I think the hawks, eagles, and mountain lions would eat them at my house! I had chickens when we lived at our old house. I hate to say it but they are such filthy animals I have trouble even eating them these days. Chickens are pretty nasty creatures.

I assume they are as clean as you keep their habitat. Scraping guano isn't fun but keeps the coop tidy. I wore a mask when doing it for my grandpa as a kid.

 

[Orfy]

I have to let mine range.
How many do you have?

From my 3 I'm getting 2 - 3 eggs a day. Just enough for us.

 

[Clayton]

i have about 20 chikens 10 turkeys and some ducks and guiney foul that just run wild on my land eating ticks and grass , i have a hen house where thay can go to lay there eggs but thay mostly sleep in the trees, unless a hen box gets more that 6 eggs in it, then one will try to set them, the best way to get them to lay where you want is to place plastic eggs in the boxes you make. that are only nasty if you coop them up in a pen,, and i dought if i did the same to you , you would be much better, you have to $hit mate and thay are givein all the food they can eat

 

[Clayton]

by the way these are the best chickens to have. thay stay close to there pen and were thay are feed, lay tons of great eggs and are very calm and friendly
McMurray Hatchery - Black Australorps

its good to have one or two of these as well the cocks and hens are strikeing and she will set a nest of your choosing for your next genaration with out fail and thay dont break eggs

 

[BlindLemonLars]

We'll see how long it takes before they start laying eggs.

If they don't start producing eggs on schedule, just roll one of your Big Green Eggs over by the coop. They'll get the message.

 

[Clayton]

yeah and oyster shells really help production

 

[Orfy]

Mine took MUCH longer than expected. I was hoping for a start at around 20 weeks. It probably turned out to be more like 40!

They started with really thick shell but are starting to get thinner. I do feed oyster shell but I'll have to make it available all the time for them. There's no problem but I don't want it getting to that stage.

I lock mine up at night and open up when I get up. Foxes are a big problem around here but being in an urban environment I think they may not know mine are here. They are full fenced in the small garden.

 

[Damonic]

I totally forgot about this thread! The wife got chicks about 8 weeks ago. We have 3 light brahmas, three buff orphingtons, a royal palm turkey, and a bronze turkey. I just converted 1/3 of the goat shed into a coop and they're all doing well. Not old enough to lay yet but we can't wait!

 

[Orfy]

How's it going?

I'v just built a run.

By orfy, shot with K800i at 2009-05-26

 

[EdWort]

Our chickens are growing.

Here's their first venture out of the hen house. They had to be cooped up for 3 days when we brought them home so they now now that is the safe haven.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuZrq5F1fn8]YouTube - Chickens New Home[/ame]

 

[riderkb]

We keep 8 to 10 hens and two roosters in a bottomless house on wheels. I don't want to spend any time cleaning out the henhouse, so I just move it around to distribute the manure.

We use a electromesh fence and solar powered charger to keep out the predators, but we always loose some to hawks. The charger broke this spring and I had two 'posum attacks. I had to take care of the first one without a .22, which wasn't fun. (Picture an out of shape white man wearing an LED headlamp. He is wearing nothing but undershorts and rubber boots while beating a 'posum to death with a shovel.)

 

[springer]

We never had chickens but we did have a few white ducks... Now we have wild turkeys in the yard every evening. Sooo tempted to get the bird gun out around Thanksgiving. Sit in my recliner with a beer and bag a few.

 

[Loweface]

Hey Ed, I'm looking at the video and thinking you're cat looks hungry for chicken...

 

[EdWort]

Hey Ed, I'm looking at the video and thinking you're cat looks hungry for chicken...

Yeah, I thought that was pretty funny. The barn cat hangs around the chicken coop now.

We have them pretty secure from predators as their run is fully enclosed on all sides and at ground level we have hardware cloth to prevent the paws of racoons, possums, & foxes from grabbing one. We also have a corner with boards on the outside creating a safe zone.

 

[EdWort]

Whoo Hoo, got the first egg today.

One of the four chickens was 3 weeks older, the Brown Leghorn, and it is the only one that lays white eggs. The younger chickens lay brown eggs.

 

[jgln]

Cool, we are still waiting. Got ours in the spring as chicks and they are huge now.

 

[Orfy]

Well done.

Did you eat it?