Chicken/egg question

[user 7704]

Big enough?

 

[user 7704]

AD. What I have is a EcoGlow. It warms really well. I use that then they are very small. Its probably warm enough here without it now. They have big girl feathers too.

 

[Amish Heart]

We keep ours inside in big rubbermaid tubs with heatlamps attached. The bummer is they have to be cleaned twice a day. The good thing is I can regulate the temperature easily. The bad thing is they learn to jump on their waterer and get out. The good thing is I have screens that fit the top. Then they start feathering and husband complains that they are noisy and stinky, so they go in a cage in the henhouse. Then they get to come out after everyone has gotten to know each other.
Baby turkeys come in the week after next, and their heat needs to be very regulated, so here we go again. I have the incubator filled with chicken eggs due on the 18th, but my cousin might want all of them.

 

[Amish Heart]

Yes, big enough cage....looks like the same cages we use. I have a bunch.

 

[user 7704]

Yes, big enough cage....looks like the same cages we use. I have a bunch.

I meant were the chickens big enough to meet the flock. Sorry I was unclear.

 

[Amish Heart]

Ha Ha. No it was me.
Yes, they look plenty feathered.

 

[user 7704]

If young chicks are introduced at an early age, how do you keep their food separate from the layers?

 

[Amish Heart]

If they're feathered, they don't need starter anymore. I used to use pellets on my adult birds, but now I use crumble and keep the feeder in the hen house so it doesn't get rained on. We put the feeders in a large sealed bin at night when we shut the hen house door. To discourage mice.
So as far as chickens are concerned, young and old, they're still eating a crumble, even tho it's not starter crumble. Transitioning from a crumble starter to a pellet layer was a pain.

 

[user 7704]

If they're feathered, they don't need starter anymore. I used to use pellets on my adult birds, but now I use crumble and keep the feeder in the hen house so it doesn't get rained on. We put the feeders in a large sealed bin at night when we shut the hen house door. To discourage mice.
So as far as chickens are concerned, young and old, they're still eating a crumble, even tho it's not starter crumble. Transitioning from a crumble starter to a pellet layer was a pain.

I have always followed the charts and fed them the starter/then grower/ then grower layer. Dang I'm learning a lot. I feed them in the coop, but don't water there. I used to but it was too messy and caused a humidity problem.

I got the little coop reinforced and cleaned now feeders for the young ones. Was going to move today, but we are having rain.

 

[Amish Heart]

I just learn as I go, too

 

[Mountain trapper]

If young chicks are introduced at an early age, how do you keep their food separate from the layers?

Our chicks eat the same food as the layers. They've always done well. The wife pampers her girls. I treat them as livestock. It works for us.

 

[user 7704]

I used crumble, but they wasted too much. Now I use pellets.

 

[Mountain trapper]

I used crumble, but they wasted too much. Now I use pellets.

We found just the opposite. They wasted the pellets, now we feed crumbles.

 

[GaRp58]

We have to get rid of the 5 wild cats my wife has fed during the winter first before we can get our chickens...but it is fun to read and learn here with you all....Gary

 

[Amish Heart]

We've got wild cats, too, but they're not a problem. Well, they were wild. After feeding them and petting them they're not wild. They have flea collars and names now.

 

[user 7704]

Okay..... I moved the young ones out to the small coop. I reinforced any cracks with wire and added sand. The top props up for air and sun, but not today. The elders are stopping by one by one and peeking into the wire door so see the new neighbors.

I'm reinforcing the gate on the run too. The cats are able to squeeze under now and they like hanging with chickens.

 

[user 7704]

One of the chicks got out of the small coop. (I had the top propped open). Luckily, she stayed in the run and wasn't very had to catch.

I'm not going to prop open very much today.

 

[user 7704]

I put up a temporary nylon chicken net qnd let the chicks out into part of the run.

I locked up the cats just in case the chicks make a run for it.

 

[user 7704]

One of the chicks escaped my fence, but she was easy to catch. I have no idea how she escaped. The elders are walking by and checking them out. It's like they are in a zoo.

The part I always dread is them not knowing to go inside to roost. It's supposed to be raining at roost time and I don't feel like chasing chickens and getting the roos mad at me.

 

[user 7704]

The chicks are venturing further from the coop today. They have found the grassy spots. The kids grow up so soon.

 

[user 7704]

I let the babies into the big run today. The big birds pretty much ignored them. A few pecks here and there. They stayed close the the small coop, but one made it into the yard. I'll do it again tomorrow. All in all a good chicken day.

One of my old Buffs has spurs like a rooster. The other hens have nothing as big as these.

 

[Amish Heart]

That's great!

 

[Dani]

I got a good laugh

 

[Mountain trapper]

I let the babies into the big run today. The big birds pretty much ignored them. A few pecks here and there. They stayed close the the small coop, but one made it into the yard. I'll do it again tomorrow. All in all a good chicken day.

One of my old Buffs has spurs like a rooster. The other hens have nothing as big as these.

Chicks with spurs.....Hmm. I remember those days.

 

[user 7704]

Chicks with spurs.....Hmm. I remember those days.

Haha.

 

[user 7704]

I lifted the lid on the young chicks house and saw an egg. I knew they babies were too young so I guess an old lady got in and made herself at home.

 

[user 7704]

My young ladies have been in the own house too long. If I just close the door on the small house, will they go the the big coop or do I need to place them after dark when the old ones are on the roost and quiet?

 

[user 7704]

One of the young ladies moved to the big coop last night. Today I had a baby egg. She knew it was time to move up to the house with the roosters. They grow up so fast.

 

[user 7704]

One of my egg customers sent his uncle for pick up today. The uncle is Laotian and I couldn't understand much of our conversation. He gave me a bracelet like the one he was wearing and told something about it helping. I'm thinking arthritis because it seems to be magnetic.

I have no idea of the Laotian customs, but I may be engaged.

 

[Amish Heart]

Ha that's a good one. Our son works with an old Laotian guy. His farm was taken over when he was a younger man, and he was chased in the jungle where he lived for 10 yrs off of whatever. A group found him and sent him to Albuquerque, N.M. and he works at the plant nursery my son manages. He is in his 70's and still climbs to install greenhouses. They both might be traveling here this fall to install one for me. He says he has not seen Kansas, or rode the train, so he would like to come.