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Post by SpringRain🕊️ on Feb 10, 2015 23:55:49 GMT -5
I've been wondering about the construction of your hen houses. Are they insulated, as a home would be, and if not, what helps to keep the hen house and its occupants warm in this frigid weather? I know Rexx and Gardendmpls are in pretty cold areas, not as bad as Massachusetts, but still cold. I know animals have their own innate methods of keeping warm without having to wear parkas as we do, but it still seems like the houses would be inherently cold.
I do recall reading something about fans.
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Post by binnylou on Feb 11, 2015 3:50:25 GMT -5
My neighbor was pretty nasty the other day about crowing. He also doesn't like dogs, people talking outside and probably loud breathing. I'm tempted to complain about the noise from his tools in his garage, but it doesn't really bother me and I am not into the retaliation stuff. I just agreed with him that the rooster has to go, and will be giving him to a student's mother soon. If you were to share some eggs with him, would that possibly sweeten up your neighbor's attitude?
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Post by gardendmpls on Feb 11, 2015 7:31:22 GMT -5
No, sharing eggs won't help. It is just his personality. He calls the police when a neighbor's son is working on his car to report an illegal auto repair business. Also calls if someone is having a barbeque and the music isn't to his taste, even though it's early. He just thinks the world should bow to him. There are people like that to remind us of how we shouldn't be.
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Post by gardendmpls on Feb 11, 2015 7:41:01 GMT -5
About the hens and cold- most coops I know are not insulated. First, insulation would keep in moisture, and humidity is not good in a coop. Second, keeping a coop warm, as with a heater, is not a good idea. The chickens will lose their weather resistance and if the electric goes out, they will have a hard time dealing with it. Hens are well insulated by their down feathers, the same stuff we use in our quilts and coats. When they perch for the night, they hunker down to cover their feet with their feathers. They may tuck their heads under a wing. The only vulnerable part is the comb, but mine have never had a problem with this either.
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Post by SpringRain🕊️ on Feb 11, 2015 14:23:05 GMT -5
No, sharing eggs won't help. It is just his personality. He calls the police when a neighbor's son is working on his car to report an illegal auto repair business. Also calls if someone is having a barbeque and the music isn't to his taste, even though it's early. He just thinks the world should bow to him. There are people like that to remind us of how we shouldn't be. I think he must be a clone of some of my neighbors. He also overreports neighbors. I don't think he realizes that sometimes you have to rely on neighbors, and they won't help if they've been harassed by code enforcement. In addition, not everyone has life as easy as some others do. There are folks who are struggling, and keeping grass mowed every week, snow cleared off within a few hours of its fall, and other immediate actions just aren't feasible for some people, especially those who are still working.
As to the chickens, I appreciate your explanation. I was thinking about the issue of animals keeping warm and perhaps I was wondering about the chickens because I didn't realize how thick their feathers could be. Actually, ducks and swans can overwinter in frigid temperatures; we certainly have a number of them here. It still amazes me when I see swans swimming in the local fresh source lakes.
I keep thinking that the animals that are the warmest are the ones with all the fur, such as wolves and polar bears, but I know that animals do have their own protection and methods of keeping warm.
So here's hoping that all the chickens keep warm during this frigid winter, and hopefully there aren't too many in Massachusetts battling the 7' of snow now!
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Post by brownrexx on Feb 11, 2015 15:02:48 GMT -5
Yes, it's true, chicken houses do not need to be insulated or heated but they DO need good ventilation to keep condensation from forming and dripping on the chickens (same thing with beehives).
If you notice the roost bars that we all use, they are wood, not metal and they are usually square, not round, so that the hens can spread their feet over the bar and then cover them with their feathers by sitting down. They also crowd together on the roosts standing side by side and keeping their warmth together.
Chickens molt or lose their feathers in the fall and grow a brand new crop of new feathers which replaces any damaged or tattered ones. If you have seen birds preening they are taking their beaks and getting oil from the base of their feathers and spreading it all along the feather. This is especially important to waterfowl because it keep them waterproof.
Some breeds of chickens are better suited to cold temperatures than others. Usually in cold areas, chickens with smaller combs and wattles will do better. Large combs can get frostbite. This happened to my rooster last winter and the tips all turned black and fell off. Luckily the rest of the comb stayed healthy but is just smaller now. Some people smear Vaseline on the combs to protect them but that's too labor intensive for me.
Last but not least. Chicken owners can help them withstand the extreme cold by feeding them cracked or whole corn. This takes longer to digest and warms them from inside as their metabolism works. We feed our hens a scoop of grain in the evening on especially cold nights.
So the bottom line is - chickens are birds not mammals and they do not feel the cold in the same way that we do. The songbirds at your feeder don't have warm houses, right?
GD - that's a really nice looking flock you have.
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Post by ncgarden on Feb 11, 2015 19:35:43 GMT -5
I have been amazed that the ladies do not seem fazed by the cold in the least. Granted, we don't stay cold for as long, but we spend weeks in the lower 20's and teens. They fluff up a good bit, and they will huddle together on the roost at night. But other than that, they are good. The hens have a great big hen house with room for everyone but we have a flock of 8 who prefer to roost outside in the run on a big branch we have suspended. I tried making them coming inside but they were adamant they are outdoor hens!
I keep a heated waterer for them, which they like, but I get a big laugh out of finding little hen cracks when they break through their frozen water pan too!
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Post by gardendmpls on Feb 11, 2015 21:54:34 GMT -5
The hardest part about winter is getting out to the chickens. The backyard has become a sheet of ice. Early this morning I was navigating back to the house with eight eggs and thinking that if I start sliding, the eggs are going down before I am. Luckily I made it in with flashlight, eggs and myself all in one piece.
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Post by Latitude33 on Feb 12, 2015 2:05:27 GMT -5
What kind of info are you looking for? Missed your reply...Basically I don't know what I don't know. I have a thousand questions... My situation is small scale, suburban lot, temperate locale. Found a couple of sites, one called Urban Chickens and the other Raising Backyard Chickens. Both had interesting and helpful info but somewhat confusing to a novice. Don't get me wrong, I used to fetch eggs out of the coop and helped Grandpa in the brooder house during the summers but that was a long while ago. I checked and my local municipality allows for chicken hens and certain other fowl without a special permit but definitely no roosters. (Houses here are almost on top of each other) I am in a temperate climate so I guess I need to know if there are certain breeds that tolerate heat better. Predator protection. Being a lacto/ovo pescatarian, I would also need to figure out what to do with the ladies that have, shall we say, gone through the change? Lastly, time involvement and costs. In California, the price of farm raised eggs recently went up about an average of 40% due to new ag laws that went into effect last month. Realistically, what would I need? I am a single guy but share any food produced with my elderly parents and a sister who are local with any surplus going to friends and co-workers. As always friends, your input is most appreciated. Lat
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Post by Veggie Gal on Feb 12, 2015 11:57:25 GMT -5
Lat you're so lucky. Where I live we cannot have chickens. A dog or cat is about it. I would love to have fresh eggs from my chickens.
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Post by breezygardener on Feb 12, 2015 12:25:53 GMT -5
What kind of info are you looking for? Missed your reply...Basically I don't know what I don't know. I have a thousand questions... My situation is small scale, suburban lot, temperate locale. Found a couple of sites, one called Urban Chickens and the other Raising Backyard Chickens. Both had interesting and helpful info but somewhat confusing to a novice. Don't get me wrong, I used to fetch eggs out of the coop and helped Grandpa in the brooder house during the summers but that was a long while ago. I checked and my local municipality allows for chicken hens and certain other fowl without a special permit but definitely no roosters. (Houses here are almost on top of each other) I am in a temperate climate so I guess I need to know if there are certain breeds that tolerate heat better. Predator protection. Being a lacto/ovo pescatarian, I would also need to figure out what to do with the ladies that have, shall we say, gone through the change? Lastly, time involvement and costs. In California, the price of farm raised eggs recently went up about an average of 40% due to new ag laws that went into effect last month. Realistically, what would I need? I am a single guy but share any food produced with my elderly parents and a sister who are local with any surplus going to friends and co-workers. As always friends, your input is most appreciated. Lat Okay - when you say "heat", what's the high you're talking about? While the Mediterranean breeds tend to deal with heat the best, there's also a tradeoff in that they can also sometimes be the flightiest of the breeds. And the majority of them lay white eggs, so if you're interested in egg-color variety, that may be a bummer. But again, it depends on what kind of heat you're talking about. Temperate climate heat shouldn't be a deal-breaker on any chicken breed really. They're very adaptable birds - especially when kept with good ventilation, shade, & clean water.
Predator protection will depend on what types of predators you have around. But it's safe to say that EVERYTHING likes chicken. Best bet is to prepare for the worst to cover yourself. Forget about flimsy "chicken wire" & go for 1/2" hardware cloth (aka "rabbit wire" in some places). Sink it down a foot or so to prevent rodents, which can sometimes be worse than larger predators in the long run. Especially in a suburban/urban setting, if rats start showing up in your immediate area, your neighbors are going to point the finger at you & your chickens.
Can't help you as far as dealing with the pensioners, as we always allowed ours to live out their days even after they stopped laying (although we occasionally got an egg or two from birds in the 8-10 year range!). Will admit that we had two that lived into their early teens, so don't let anyone tell you that chickens naturally live short lives. With good care, they can live longer than most folks would have you believe. And you'll find that they have very individual personalities that can make it difficult to have you have someone turn them into soup (which is really all they're good for at that age).
Keep researching & good luck. Keeping chickens is a lot of fun.
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Post by brownrexx on Feb 12, 2015 13:13:01 GMT -5
I agree with everything BG just said.
I would say that you need about 2-4 hens to suit your needs. Chickens do best in groups so never get just one. Generally hens will lay an egg every 26 hours after reaching the age of 4-6 months. They will lay regularly until they reach 3-4 years of age. After that many people euthanize (is that a good word for killing a chicken?) them and eat them. I can not do that but we have occasionally had too many so we took them to the live animal auction at the local Farmers Market. I have also given away chickens on Craig's List.
If you have a hot climate, then shade for the girls is of the utmost importance. They will lay in the sun, stretch out their wings and take a sun bath but then they need somewhere to cool down when they are ready. I often find mine under the arbor vitae in the heat of the day.
A constant supply of fresh water is also important but not difficult to provide.
A website like McMurray's Hatchery has lots of information about different breeds and you can look there and even order chicks from them but the minimum order may be 12 chicks. You might also find chicks on Craig's List. That is where I got some of mine from chicken owners with Roosters and chicks to sell or give away.
Lots to think about but it's really not hard once you get into it and it's very rewarding too.
You can get a really small coop or even a dog house and add perches. That Backyard Chickens site can probably give you lots of information if you do a search on coops.
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Post by breezygardener on Feb 12, 2015 13:29:50 GMT -5
Quite a few mail-order hatcheries are now allowing well below the minimum number of chicks during the warmer months of the year. In some cases, as few as 3-4 chicks depending on where you're located. In addition, a few mail-order hatcheries are offering already started birds - as in 4-8 weeks old - which is a big help if you can't have a rooster, since chick-sexing isn't an exact science. Obviously, prices are higher for these specialty orders, but perhaps worth looking into. Here are a few hatcheries that I've heard good things about:
www.mypetchicken.com/
www.mypetchicken.com/
www.meyerhatchery.com/?A5WSessionId=3a52d917c6204440bae000c3feb30d47
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Post by gakaren on Feb 12, 2015 14:19:52 GMT -5
Here is another place to get lots of good info....
backyardchickens.yuku.com/
I agree with BR about McMurray's Hatchery. I have gotten from them several times in the past. I haven't looked at their web site or a catalog in quite awhile, but the last catalog had groups of 3 available at a higher price and sexed ones at a higher price.
I like the idea that GD used on her coop floor, vinyl....easy cleaning and/or easy scooping when necessary. My friend in Fl. did that and she just hoses hers down when needed. She also has a "poop catch" sorta like BR and she puts hers into her compost too. As for cost, check the prices in your area for feed, some place like TSC (Tractor Supply Co.) and check the prices of building materials. You would need protection from hawks and things like roaming dogs or coyotes. Also check on prices of something to line your nest with and to put down for litter...like straw or see what else might be available in your area.
You might even find someone on that Backyardchicken board that will have chicks for sale in your area.
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Post by ncgarden on Feb 12, 2015 14:28:32 GMT -5
How in the world did I miss Lat's post? (and yes, for those of you keeping score, it IS the middle of my work day and I am clearly NOT working).
I love the Backyard Chickens Forum - I read here for weeks and weeks before and after getting my chickens, and I still run back every time something new crops up. Like gardening, I figured out for myself what works and doesn't work (for me).
For a backyard, I would go with 4 hens. Build or procure a coop with room for at least 8 and a Ft. Knox security for locking them up at night. Make sure they have a large completely covered area to run around in, because hawks WILL come and kill any chicken dinner they can find. As was mentioned, skip the chicken wire (unless you are using it to put a roof on your run, and use hardware cloth. In a suburban area, cats, racoons and possums will come right through chicken wire and eat your chickens at night.
I like to raise my chicks from a few days old inside the house where I handle them every hour or so, because I like pets, not livestock. But by the time they are 5 weeks, you'll want them gone so have a place for them.
With respect to breeds - it is such a matter of personal preference. My biggest consideration is (of course) personality and friendliness. I think Orpingtons are the best for that - they are big and a comfy lapful or armful, they are good layers, but not the best. They are beautiful and have nice voices and wonderful personalities. If you are into looks - Wyandottes are gorgeous, but terrible layers. Brown leghorns are also lovely, and wonderful layers. They are a bit skittish, and not as friendly - but that skittishness gives them a fighting chance against predators. Barred rocks are okay - reliable layers, not great personalities - but in my mind all hens should be speckled and they look the part! If your goal is eggs, I would go with "Production Reds" which you can get at Tractor Supply during chick days. They are very friendly, and they are like laying machines! Rhode Island reds - eh, I can live without them although they are lovely birds. I hate white chickens, but there's a whole world of them out there.
Sometimes I buy chicks at Tractor Supply. When I want specialty chicks, I order them from McMurray's hatchery. My local feed store does a big order and will let me just pick or choose a couple of specialty chicks rather than having to buy 25. But sometimes I go in with friends and we'll do enough for a big order. I can also buy locally, but the breeds I like aren't sex linked, so I take my chances buying chicks and always end up with roosters I have to get rid of.
I don't even need hens this year, and now you have me scanning the McMurray site. I've had my eye on some dark chocolate brown egg layers....
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