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I've realized one thing, Roo is very quiet. He "talks" a lot whenever I'm outside and when he's around his hoes, but he doesn't crow much. I hear him crow for like 5-10 minutes early in the morning when I let them out, but it's not a constant crowing. Then he doesn't crow almost at all during the day. He's the perfect city roo  I hear the neighborhood roosters and peacocks make much more fuss trhoughout the day than my my flock.
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Aug 14, 2012 08:34
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Chicken funny http://youtu.be/7mOxQghay9w I thought my fellow chicken lovers would enjoy this!
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Aug 16, 2012 03:09
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When building a chicken run do I need 1/4 inch hardware cloth?
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Aug 18, 2012 01:48
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I think that's the one most people suggest since it's sturdy and the openings are small enough no predators can get through  .
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Aug 18, 2012 02:39
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You'll want to strike a balance between use and cost. To keep predators out, half inch should be adequate. Even half inch was cost prohibitive for the height and length I wanted, so I went with 2x4 in welded wire for support, and ordinary hex chicken wire alongside it to keep the hens from sticking their heads out and raccoons from reaching in.
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Aug 18, 2012 02:49
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piscesbobbie posted:When building a chicken run do I need 1/4 inch hardware cloth? Yes--I'd say no larger than 1/2 inch. Wire with larger openings not only allows predators like raccoons to stick their nasty little hands in to grab chickens and drag them over to them, it admits disease-carrying vermin like rats & mice. Not to mention wild birds that can also be a disease vector. Chicken wire still has openings that small critters can get in, and gets brittle pretty damned quick. You really are better off in the long run spending a little extra and doing it once and doing it right. pisciesbobbie, that video is fantastic. 
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Aug 18, 2012 03:20
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Found this on the front page of reddit. Evidently chickens like beer.
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Aug 18, 2012 04:42
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Is there anything a chicken won't try to eat?  I got only one broody atm, Turkey. She's the smallest and tamest of the street henhoes, and omg she's adorable. We let her stay in the coop in the morning because the other hoes are laying, but as soon as everybody is dne, we kick her out. When I go ou later in the afternoon, Turkey comes running to me, all angry and fluffy and bawking, then runs back to the coop. She pretty much demands that I open it for her, and if I'm just standing there near the coop or the run and don't open the door for her, she walks to me, clucks, fluffs up, and starts pecking at my legs very indignantly because I'm ignoring her. Turkey is the one on the right. She's like a mini version of our Godzilla heartshaped hackles and all.
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Aug 18, 2012 05:07
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Chido posted:Is there anything a chicken won't try to eat? 
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Aug 18, 2012 11:09
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Chido posted:Turkey is the one on the right. She's like a mini version of our Godzilla Chido, can you please shoot some video of Turkey's broody behavior? It sounds so adorable. I wonder if Turkey and Godzilla might be related? Weren't they both neighborhood strays?
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Aug 18, 2012 11:27
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One of my chicks found a piece of old styrofoam out in the yard the other day. I took away what I found after they pecked it to bits, but apparently there was a piece left behind and one of them ate it.  It was small enough I think it should go through okay..
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Aug 18, 2012 12:05
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My sister has a neighbor that is moving. They have 8 hens they need to get rid of. My niece is thinking of doing a rescue. The poor things, 8 of 'em in a closed up little coop. They are never let out. My niece wants to split them with me, hence the question about the hardware cloth. I'm with you VS, do it right the first time. So I'm trying to figure out if there is a space that is safe for them here. I need to till up the ground and find out what plants are toxic and stuff before I attempt this. I don't want to help them if I'm going to make them sick. First I need to get to a Lowes or Home Depot to check out the hardware cloth so I can get an idea of what I'm working with. This is very PRELIMINARY, I shall keep you updated if there are any new chickens here! I'm not sure what breed they are but just checking all this stuff out. Thanks for your help everyone!
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Aug 18, 2012 19:04
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Not to pick on you, but this is 2x4 inch welded wire on your run -- far from the quarter inch you recommended. This is what I have, and it works well enough to keep critters out and chickens in if you "reinforce" the bottom third with ordinary chicken wire. I don't know about you or other folks here, but I couldn't afford the several hundreds of dollars to fully enclose my run with quarter inch welded wire.
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Aug 18, 2012 19:16
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hey santa baby posted:Not to pick on you, but this is 2x4 inch welded wire on your run -- far from the quarter inch you recommended. This is what I have, and it works well enough to keep critters out and chickens in if you "reinforce" the bottom third with ordinary chicken wire. I don't know about you or other folks here, but I couldn't afford the several hundreds of dollars to fully enclose my run with quarter inch welded wire. Well I live in a house surrounded by a wooden gate in the middle of town, so I don't worry much about land predators. The only thing I look out for is hawks, but even then the run has large trees in it, so they help protect them .The backyard. We had some issues with opossums, but animal control picked them up and we fixed the par of the fence they'd come through.  You can see the run we have for the chickens, which we use it only when we don't want them free roaming in the whole yard when nobody is home.  We do lock the chickens up in their coop at night, and that one has the 1/2 inch wire to protect them at night from opossums and other night critters. If the area were you are gonna keep your chickens is already protected by a fence like with us, then you can do with a bigger wire. However, if you intend to keep them locked up in a run, and your yard is open land easily accessible to predators, then the smaller and sturdy the wire, the better. Now, I believe the rule of thumb for a chicken run is 10 square feet per chicken if you plan to always keep them in the run. The amount of space depends on the size of the chicken, how many you have, whether you have a rooster, if your flock is calm or if you have annoying head hens/roosters that like to bully others, then you might need more space and add "obstacles" so the chickens can run away and hide from each other. Here you can see good examples of chicken coops and runs, and they can be pretty affordable if you have a small flock. http://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/2/Coops I personally like this coop idea, and it'd be easy to attach a run. http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/prairiepearlss-chicken-coop Here's a simple run. They used pvc pipes for the frame, I would've used wood but that's just me. Still, you can see how simple making a run is for 4 chickens .
Chido fucked around with this message at 22:57 on Aug 18, 2012 |
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Aug 18, 2012 22:26
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Inveigle posted:Chido, can you please shoot some video of Turkey's broody behavior? It sounds so adorable. There you go 
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Aug 19, 2012 03:15
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Greycious posted:One of my chicks found a piece of old styrofoam out in the yard the other day. I took away what I found after they pecked it to bits, but apparently there was a piece left behind and one of them ate it. My chickens think that styrofoam is a freakin' delicacy and pounce on any little piece that blows into the yard.  santa baby, not to be mean, and in the gentlest possible way--but if you can't afford to properly protect your chickens perhaps you should rethink having chickens for now. They are on the menu for many, many predators (not to mention little critters that are attracted to chicken food, get in and carry disease) and their first and most overwhelming need is a good, strong coop and run. Just out of curiosity, how big is your run? Making the run a bit smaller at first and then expanding it a few months later might work. Perhaps hunting around (like on Craigslist or a recycled building materials store) for wire someone wants removed (trading your hard work for the wire) and reusing it would help bring the cost down...? When we moved, we dismantled and moved the entire chicken run, including all that damned 1/2 inch hardware cloth (welded wire). It IS expensive, and the pain in the butt of taking apart the run and building it again was weighed against the cost of buying the wire all over again--the pain in the butt hard work won easily. But then again we'd built it once, and doing it the second time was MUCH easier and faster. So our welded wire run has been in use for 10+ years and took the abuse of being taken apart, moved and rebuilt--and still looks brand new, no holes, rust or weak spots. I've heard so many heartbreaking stories of whole-flock massacres and fatal maimings from people who didn't use welded wire hardware cloth that I'll never use anything else and have total confidence in the stuff. It's because of the horrific stories I've heard from people who kick themselves afterwards that I am so adamant about not using anything else, forgive the soapbox.
Velvet Sparrow fucked around with this message at 22:14 on Aug 19, 2012 |
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Aug 19, 2012 11:27
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Hey Santa Baby, I think the fencing you see in Chido's picture is what she uses to separate Roostroyer from the hens at different times. He is an adolescent horn dog and the girls need a break from his antics! I don't think she has lost one chicken to a predator since I've known her.
piscesbobbie fucked around with this message at 15:54 on Aug 19, 2012 |
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Aug 19, 2012 14:30
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We paid £100 for the big chicken house we're using at the moment, and around £300 to get a fence put across the garden so they stopped destroying everything. We also have four dogs, though, so foxes are deterred, and the garden is fenced in on all sides by 6-foot fences. We were ok with the original £100 house on it's own so long as we remembered to lock them in early, except for the fact we didn't know the nestbox floor was a liability. I guess being in the UK we have a few less predators to worry about though.
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Aug 19, 2012 14:31
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Chido posted:There you go Awww, poor Turkey  I can't help but be proud of her for biting you for your teasing. Big meanie!
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Aug 19, 2012 16:50
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Greycious posted:Awww, poor Turkey I may be a big meanie, but it's just so fun to mess with broodies 
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Aug 20, 2012 05:03
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Chido, you crack me up. That video IS funny. Have your hens gone through the BIG MOLT yet? From what I have read, hens go through a massive molt yearly.
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Aug 20, 2012 14:13
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Nettle Soup posted:We paid £100 for the big chicken house we're using at the moment, and around £300 to get a fence put across the garden so they stopped destroying everything. We also have four dogs, though, so foxes are deterred, and the garden is fenced in on all sides by 6-foot fences. We were ok with the original £100 house on it's own so long as we remembered to lock them in early, except for the fact we didn't know the nestbox floor was a liability.  We've just bought this run so our hens have a large secure area to move around in when we're not about to let them free range over the rest of the garden. Going to be better for us as well with not having to crawl on our hands & knees to refill the food bowls (and trying to navigate the poop minefield that goes with that). Does mean this will be a static run, rather than the current smaller one that gets moved around the garden every so often.
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Aug 20, 2012 14:39
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piscesbobbie posted:Chido, you crack me up. That video IS funny. Have your hens gone through the BIG MOLT yet? From what I have read, hens go through a massive molt yearly. Roo and Megatron are molting atm. Godzilla is almost done and everybody else haven't started yet.
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Aug 20, 2012 18:04
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Turkey is hilarious, the way she gets more and more pissed as Chido fumbles with the coop door. 'buckbuckbuckfuckinhumansbuckbuckbuck'
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Aug 20, 2012 19:25
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Roo broke his leftover spur. It is still attacked to the skin of his leg, but it's loose and it bleeds from the bottom. I don't know what to do I put some Kwikstop around the base of the spur, but Roo keeps bumping it around, making it bleed a bit. It's not a heavy bleed, rather it's a few drops whenever he bumps it, bu I'm concerned that I don't know how to treat this. I can't bandage his leg because the spur is no longer attached to his leg, just the skin, so it will keep moving. I don't know if I should try to remove it on my own or just let Roo be his dumb self and let him break it off like he did with the other one .Edit: nevermind, Roo broke his spur enough that my brother-in-law managed to pull it off with no problems. I applied kiwkstop and neosporin to the hole left, and bandaged it. I don't think he'll grow his spur back, there was nothing left on his leg but a hole, which I guess is good since I won't have to work about him stabbing his hoes Broken, bloody spur... 
Chido fucked around with this message at 02:50 on Aug 21, 2012 |
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Aug 21, 2012 02:13
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Chido posted:Roo broke his spur enough that my brother-in-law managed to pull it off with no problems. I applied kiwkstop and neosporin to the hole left, and bandaged it. I don't think he'll grow his spur back, there was nothing left on his leg but a hole. Jeez Chido. Roostroyer is a chicken disaster zone. He gets hurt by simply walking/running around. Also, broody Turkey is totally adorable but I think you were the meanie, teasing that poor broody hen. You deserved to get pecked! Poor Turkey! Her growling, angry sounds are so cute! When you get your new chicks, perhaps you should just give a few of them to each of the broody hens so the hens can all experience being mamas!
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Aug 21, 2012 04:30
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Chido, would it be just as easy to cut it all the way off and treat it with the stop bleeding stuff?
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Aug 21, 2012 04:33
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I bandaged Roo's leg, but he was still bleeding a bit. I'm gonna go check him later tonight to make sure he's not bleeding anymore. I saw pictures and videos of people removing roosters' spurs and there is always a bump or tiny spur left on the leg. Roo has a hole where his spur was, and it was the same when he broke his other spur. I get the feeling he's gonna be spurless now... not that I complain much about it, though >.> Edit: ^^^ we pulled it off, After we cleaned his leg, Roo was struggling so I put him on the floor so he could take a break before I wrapped him up in a towel and held him above the sink. Ro decided that was the perfect time to go run around and sit on his hoes, leaving bloody stains on them . He managed to loosen the spur even more, so it was no longer attacked to the skin, but some tissue was still holding it. My brother-in-law twisted it and pulled it off fast, then we washed his leg, I put some kiwkstop gel on the hole, then put some neosporin on a nonstick gauze, and bandaged it.
Chido fucked around with this message at 04:39 on Aug 21, 2012 |
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Aug 21, 2012 04:34
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My niece forgot to log off my computer so it was me PISCESBOBBIE who asked about just cutting it off. I hope all goes well. I think the girls will be relieved if there are no more spurs too! Do the spurs serve a purpose for anything other than hanging on to hens while 'sitting?' Are they used for protection or anything? You and your BIL are quite the rooster wranglers! piscesbobbie fucked around with this message at 04:40 on Aug 21, 2012 |
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Aug 21, 2012 04:36
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Spurs are the rooster's defense mechanisms, kinda like a cat's claws. They are not really used to help the rooster hold onto the hen when mating, but the spurs can actually hurt the hen if they are long and sharp. In cock fights, the cock owners actually attack metal spurs to their cocks since fighting cocks usually fight until one gives up or dies, and having sharp metal spurs can make the fight end fast. Now Roostroyer is a dork and I've never seen him try to fight off a hawk or anything really. I've even put him in front of a mirror to see what he'd do, and he just stares at himself. Him losing his spurs is not a big deal XD. Edit: oh my, doing lots of editing here. My BIL grew up in a small town in Mexico and he grew up with chickens and other farm animals. In fact, one of his brothers raises fighting cocks (I know... ), so he is used to handing chickens. I can deal with treating wounds but seeing a fresh wound oozing blood makes me sick, so I asked him if he could remove the spur, and he did it in 2 seconds. I was holding Roo while he rinsed his leg, then he held him while I was bandaging it. I didn't look at the inside of the wound directly because I didn't want to throw up, but I did get to bandage it well.Chido fucked around with this message at 04:48 on Aug 21, 2012 |
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Aug 21, 2012 04:44
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I'm glad it all seems to have worked out well. Good that you have a BIL who knows how to do some of this stuff, eh? Roostroyer is lucky to have you. You are a great chicken mum.
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Aug 21, 2012 05:07
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Inveigle posted:Jeez Chido. Roostroyer is a chicken disaster zone. He gets hurt by simply walking/running around. Inveigle, if you lived nearby I'd invite you over so you could play with my chickens and face the wrath of the broody henhoes
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Aug 21, 2012 06:18
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Chido posted:Inveigle, if you lived nearby I'd invite you over so you could play with my chickens and face the wrath of the broody henhoes If I ever make it out to California, I would definitely pay you and the chickens a visit! Same if I ever make it out to Velvet Sparrow's neck of the woods. BTW, how are Roostroyer's kids doing? Did your neighbors end up keeping one of the roos? or just some hens?
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Aug 21, 2012 06:50
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They ended up keeping only one hen . It seems that roosters are not allowed in the town where they leave and a neighbor made a comment about that, so they gave the rooster they kept away to a friend of theirs that also started keeping chickens. They gave one of Roo's pullets too so the rooster wouldn't feel lonely in a new place with a new flock.
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Aug 21, 2012 07:08
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I'm glad Roo is OK, great job! Young roosters are SUCH ding-dongs, geez... I noticed yesterday that Dinner, Roo's brother, is missing ANOTHER claw--the same outward pointing one on the opposite foot. It wasn't bleeding and God knows when he did it, we never saw any blood. But good GOD do these roo boys ever persist in hurting themselves! It's like some kind of retarded contest.
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Aug 21, 2012 07:31
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Chido posted:They ended up keeping only one hen Well, Roostroyer would always be happy to make some more babies for them. He just needs to find some more baby mommas running around who are able to jump over the fence to visit him. 
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Aug 21, 2012 07:31
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Velvet Sparrow posted:I'm glad Roo is OK, great job! Young roosters are SUCH ding-dongs, geez... I think Roo and Dinner got some gene that makes them try their hardest to contradict that "survival of the fittest" theory. They are so dumb and apparently chasing tail can be dangerous for them. Roo's spur was still well attached to the skin when I had to let him go after we rinsed his leg. As soon as I put him down he ran away and furiously chased and sat on Rusty and Tissue, leaving bloody stains on them and ripping his spur more. He's truly just a giant cock
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Aug 21, 2012 07:48
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Isn't that true of all chickens? 
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Aug 21, 2012 11:23
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Nettle Soup posted:Isn't that true of all chickens? Nettle Soup - how are your chickens? Any new pictures, pretty please? My niece told me their neighbors are going to take their chickens with them when they move - daughters are attached to the hens (of course - duh). That gives me time to think through my chicken dream. I'm thinking a couple of Faverolle, Barnevelder and Speckled Sussex. I remember seeing somewhere splash blue Marans. I have a few months to think this through before the hatcheries are inundated with orders. Seems you need to order well in advance. Love this video - I think she's upset someone is in the food dish? http://youtu.be/O57KvX4jFB4 AND I can start to purchase the hardware cloth, payday to payday as extra funds are available, so I can build a proper run and coop that will suit my particular needs. piscesbobbie fucked around with this message at 17:58 on Aug 21, 2012 |
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Aug 21, 2012 17:08
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piscesbobbie posted:Nettle Soup - how are your chickens? Any new pictures, pretty please? Hahaha! That is one chatty Faverolle hen. Such cute cheeks and whiskers! I think she's complaining to her owner that the food dish is *gasp* almost empty! Love how she comes back to the owner and pecks and keeps bitching. Her squawky voice is so funny. Yes, Nettle Soup, we require more new pics of your adorable chickens. You really take nice photos of them.
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Aug 21, 2012 22:44
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