Chicken/egg question

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Sooo....Sunday eve after 4 pm...which normally all my hens have laid eggs by then...I'm back at chicken coop n notice the newest americana (tranny), flying up to one of the nests....and one of my jersey giants is on look out for her...keeps flying up n running americana off the nest...I stayed and watched for a while...every time americana tried to get on nest, jersey giant flew up n ran her out...I finally intervened and ran jersey off and stayed back there...finally! Got an egg from americana! First in few weeks....the other americana, I still am not getting eggs from...

Racist hens? Lol? Americanas are clearly being shut down! Seriously...what's the deal with this?
 
Last week my son got me a young rooster, today I got a bit older one..$5.00..
 

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Well, old big boy (Ricky Bobby-Rooster), has had his hands full this morning. I put him and the little rooster in with the hens at the edge of dark last night..most of the hens had already gone to roost but a few stragglers were still out. Right out of the shoot one of the hens went at him...he put her down quick (didn't hurt her). This morning when I went back to check on them, they were all minding their own business, then the oldest hen (Olga-black orphington) went at him around the feeder, he ran her off fast and she didn't mess with him again. Another white one challenged him, he put her down quick then a bit later a black moran went at him and they went several rounds at each other..he pinned her neck down and she kept going back at him as soon as he let her up...finally, after 4 rounds, she gave it up afer he put her head down again, and walked away. I was concerned that encounter was gonna draw blood the way they were going at each other. Thankfully,. none hurt (as of yet)!

Sorry to bore y'all with my rooster/hens story, but I honestly never had a rooster in with my hens before. Trying to trust nature and let the chips fall where they may, but it's still a bit nerve racking!
 
The last egg opened today at about 5 am and we now have 7 little chicks. We have lived with three hens and a rooster now for 2 years and are happy to double that to see how well it goes. Got another 200 lbs of dent corn from the leftovers in the harvested fields behind the house...all for free, just 5 hours of walking, picking up, bagging and dragging to the car. The total is about 450 lbs and all needs to be shucked now...
 
Caught a RIR in the act eating eggs in nest this morning! She was turned backward in nest...had already eaten one and was pecking into the other when I caught her...aaaarggh! She jumped off nest when I intervened and I couldn't pick her out from rest of the RIRs to be exactly sure which one was guilty..i'll get her in morning! 😡
 
Robinjopo1 said:
Put down a new porch on the coop. Actually, I put down pallets to make a porch. They work great.
Click to expand...
That will be a great addition for you. Are you going to put a roof over it? I recently built a deck on the south side of our coop, it's 4'×16'. If the weather holds out I'll build a roof over it. That will save a lot of snow shoveling this winter and cut back on ice buildup in the spring.
I just unrolled a 100' roll of wire for the new run. I'll stretch after break. Only have one more roll of wire to put up in the new run. Then we can put the chickens and ducks in their new run.
 
Arcticdude said:
That will be a great addition for you. Are you going to put a roof over it? I recently built a deck on the south side of our coop, it's 4'×16'. If the weather holds out I'll build a roof over it. That will save a lot of snow shoveling this winter and cut back on ice buildup in the spring.
I just unrolled a 100' roll of wire for the new run. I'll stretch after break. Only have one more roll of wire to put up in the new run. Then we can put the chickens and ducks in their new run.
Click to expand...
I have a roof over it, but 1/2 of the metal roof blew off. I need to replace it, but need someone to hand it up to me.
 
You all have MANSIONS for your chickens and ducks. Mine have to live in about 10 sq. ft. inside and about 100 sq. ft. outside. They get to run free in the garden of half an acre, but when locked in for the night, it gets tighter.
All are happy and healthy, as we get good quality eggs and have no foxes, coyotes or such here, but your coops are better quality than some of the houses of the local gypsy families around the eastern side of Europe.
 
Robinjopo1 said:
Put down a new porch on the coop. Actually, I put down pallets to make a porch. They work great.
Click to expand...

We just had the porch of my chicken house ripped off and redone. The first builders didn’t use pressured treated wood for parts of it. Also had the porch of my greenhouse redone too. It really turned out well! Going to have to let the wood dry before I can stain it.
 
GaRp58 said:
You all have MANSIONS for your chickens and ducks. Mine have to live in about 10 sq. ft. inside and about 100 sq. ft. outside. They get to run free in the garden of half an acre, but when locked in for the night, it gets tighter.
All are happy and healthy, as we get good quality eggs and have no foxes, coyotes or such here, but your coops are better quality than some of the houses of the local gypsy families around the eastern side of Europe.
Click to expand...
My coop of only 8'x8'x6'. It seems that at night, they love roosting close to each other. I guess it makes them feel safe.
 
I've got several hens and the new rooster who have been insisting on roosting outside the coop. If I don't go up and force them inside they roost on top of the coop outside. The rest go inside on their own. I have hardware cloth over top and sides of the pen, so they are protected from critters, but their fave spot is near some nest boxes I have up high and their is a ledge in front...they roost there and poop in the nest boxes, and one spot I have a hanging feeder and their droppings were falling in that. Had to empty and clean all the above, and moved the feeder. Last 2 nights I've been going up and shooing them inside, but it takes some doing. I've got 3 seperate coops with plenty of room and these outlaws don't want any part of any of them. After 9 years of having chickens, never had this issue. I guess I still don't know much about chickens. Maybe I should let them be and move those nest boxes, but they are a favorite laying area.
 
Damn rats n mice are back at chicken coops! Aargg! Putting out more baking soda/flour/sugar balls tomorrow. Although last time (which was 2nd time I did it) they didn't touch any I set out...gonna order more 1 bite too! I went up edge of dark...one ran off right in front of me, scared the woo out of me...I looked up in rafters too, sure enough big arse rats up there geez! Never ending battle! Have not historically had big issue with this before this year. I thought I cleaned the bastards out of their nest cple months ago! 😬
 
Yes, 1st time I did flour Bs balls, I mixed PB in and that might be why that worked better...will do that again!

The hens ain't doing squat about the rats/mice unless they come hobbling in already dying on their last leg...they (rats/mice) appear to be coming out near dark while all are roosting for the night.
 
Cindyd said:
Damn rats n mice are back at chicken coops! Aargg! Putting out more baking soda/flour/sugar balls tomorrow. Although last time (which was 2nd time I did it) they didn't touch any I set out...gonna order more 1 bite too! I went up edge of dark...one ran off right in front of me, scared the woo out of me...I looked up in rafters too, sure enough big arse rats up there geez! Never ending battle! Have not historically had big issue with this before this year. I thought I cleaned the bastards out of their nest cple months ago! 😬
Click to expand...

See if you like rat meat. You have a source of meat! Lol

I'll go run and hide....
 
We butchered the three old hens finally, they were so fat from the corn, wheat, rapeseed, oats and millet that their bodies were so fatty that we believe they could not lay any more eggs THRU THE FAT.....
I put up more chicken wire over the chainlink fence, strung another electrical wire and installed a light switch and infrared lamp into the chicken coop for the winter and for the new chicks, they are 6 weeks old now.
 
Gonna have to put Olga (my beautiful black orphington) down tomorrow..😒...that hen is 9 years old! She starting to get picked on and the new rooster I got she is scared to death of him and is hiding and the other hens are running her off from the food and picking at her....she looked/acted pitiful today. Sounds cheesy but I'm grieving over putting her down...but it's best decision..its time! 😔
 
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