Raising chickens. Advice, comments, do's and don'ts wanted.

[Darb1964 1,042]

My grandparents used to mix up some kind of stuff that jelled up. They would put the mixture and eggs in a crock and seal the top with wax. I think they would last up to a year. I had forgotten about it until I read this thread. I was very young so the memory is of a child. I did ask my mother about it a long time ago. She said as they aged they were not as good fried but they used them for baking. She did not care for eggs, probably because she ate them a lot growing up.

[Pullstart 62,905]

On 5/23/2022 at 9:54 PM, EB-80/8inPA said:

For realz.  I got a about a dozen dirty eggs on my counter right now dontcha know.  I eat them and I’m not dead (yet).

I wash them before I crack them though.  That just seems like good sense.

 

[Pullstart 62,905]

On 5/23/2022 at 9:54 PM, EB-80/8inPA said:

For realz.  I got a about a dozen dirty eggs on my counter right now dontcha know.  I eat them and I’m not dead (yet).

I wash them before I crack them though.  That just seems like good sense.

 

[Pullstart 62,905]

We suffered a big hit this weekend.  We went on a family vacation to the Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, TN.  Left with 15 big birds and 10 chicks.  Came home to a lot of carcasses.  3 of our big birds and all 10 chicks are gone/torn up/missing.  My normal 3 marshmallows=1 predator in the live trap failed too.  Just missing marshmallows, but still have 12 birds after one night.  Ugh.  

Edited June 15, 2022 by Pullstart
Bad math. 25-13 is not equal to 13

[ebinmaine 67,546]

15 minutes ago, Pullstart said:

predator

Time to set up of a night and do some hunting..... 

[Pullstart 62,905]

2 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

Time to set up of a night and do some hunting..... 

 

pew pew.  I will do more prep for the bait in the trap and see what I can get that way.  In the mean time, our A/C is busted… perfect time for that when the heat index is over 100!

[ebinmaine 67,546]

11 minutes ago, Pullstart said:

heat index

[Pullstart 62,905]

6 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

I’m not looking to complain about the heat on our first real hot week, but I’d love to have a cool place to chill out for a bit before heading back to work.  Hey, my shop has A/C   Sorry ladies, we’re camping in the garage this week!

[Pullstart 62,905]

I found a Jersey Giant baby chick survivor!  There’s one Barred Rock who has become “momma” keeping safe harbor for the little one.

 

 

[Snoopy11 5,714]

7 hours ago, Pullstart said:

heat index is over 100!

Yah bro... been 115 here the last few days... no break until Saturday... then next week... back up in the 100's again...

 

Don

[Snoopy11 5,714]

Nesting boxes...

 

 

 

Don

[ebinmaine 67,546]

Looks good. 

We have 3 boxes for 9 birds. 

At first they had a preference towards using only a couple. Occasionally even 2 birds sitting in the same space. 

 

 

[adsm08 2,064]

Don't forget to buy plenty of buffalo sauce.

[Snoopy11 5,714]

18 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

We have 3 boxes for 9 birds

Ha ha... yeah, I was going to do the same thing... then I found out that I bought too much wood... so... eh... well... I ended up making double what I really need...

 

Hey... at least I won't have to be making any more anytime soon...

 

Don

[Pullstart 62,905]

Still fighting the battle with critters.  We think one more hen is gone but it must’ve been daytime.  Coyote / hawk?  We’ve been closing the door of the hen house every night and opening it daily… with the live trap active.  I took a big fat female coon out this morning.  It’s amazing what kind of lickin’ they take before they stop their tickin’!  

[ebinmaine 67,546]

Ours are still bee bopping along in their happy little enclosure... 

 

 

[Wheel Horse 3D 3,795]

Gotta love those Orphingtons! Had one as a pet..would perch on my shoulder and did the funny run/bounce side to side whenever I had a sandwich to share!

Had one of the ones that lay the chocolate colored eggs show up at work and insisted on roosting on my office chair and leaving me eggs.What can I say..the chicks dig me! (But then again my office was very coop like...only a chicken enjoys being cooped up!)

[Snoopy11 5,714]

 

 

Don

[Snoopy11 5,714]

I was out working in the shop today. In waltzs the whole flock of chickens. When all of the rest of them went back out of the shop, Ruby stayed behind, laying under the workbench where I was working...

 

She left me a gift... our first chicken egg...

 

 

Don

[ebinmaine 67,546]

13 minutes ago, Snoopy11 said:

She left me a gift... our first chicken egg...

 

Very cool !

 

Ours have stopped laying altogether for a few weeks now. They're molting and the day length is too short.  

 

Likely we won't see another egg til January or February.  

[Snoopy11 5,714]

3 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

Ours have stopped laying altogether for a few weeks now. They're molting and the day length is too short.  

 

Likely we won't see another egg til January or February.  

Do you use supplemental lighting in their coop?

 

I started yesterday, actually with a homemade heat light setup.

 

I will grab some photos of my setup here in a bit.

 

Don

[ebinmaine 67,546]

15 minutes ago, Snoopy11 said:

supplemental lighting

No sir. 

 

Natural lighting is healthier for the birds.  

 

No lamps. 

 

No heat.  

 

No issues.  

[Snoopy11 5,714]

Here's what I gots... don't mind the poopoo in the shots... they just went to bed... so you bet... they left their mark...

 

Basically, a metal bucket with bricks inside that hold up the heat light... cage over the top. All of that sitting on bricks on the table inside the coop. Piece of steel wire tied around bucket handle, and 2x4, just for good measure.

 

Mr. Turkey is on the other side of the building. He has been behaving himself lately, but he isn't exactly trustworthy...

 

 

By morning, all the birds will be directly over the heat light itself getting warmth...

 

 

 

 

Our little egg layer...

 

 

 

 

Bucket from tractor supply that eliminates water freezing...

 

 

Don

[Snoopy11 5,714]

Well boys, it is a sad day on the funny farm...

 

Dolly is gone. Hawk struck again. Turkeys were not up yet, 2-3 chickens outside the coop, the rest of the flock inside the coop. Hawk sees opportunity.

 

 

 

Don

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

Quote

Raising chickens. Advice, comments, do's and don'ts wanted.

 

Don't plant the eggs too deeply.  Same goes if you're starting with chicks.