Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Daniel W on October 30, 2009 at 11:21pm

Judith,

I was wondering about the feather pulling. Here is a link about feather loss, 4 causes. Maybe it applies to your chickens? Maybe they are moulting? Here is a photo of a moulting hen.

I think the Reds are more aggressive, at least in our house. Our 2 reds have decided that they are the bosses now, and the Black Australorps are much more shy. The leghorn cross is in between.

Permalink Reply by Ogden Lafaye on December 5, 2009 at 5:05am

I plan a chicken flock...just need more info. I thought 12 would do it.

As far as the house goes; I plan on 3/4" OSB particle board sides over a skimpy frame and then a layer of plastic sheeting leftovers and asphalt paper, leftover shingles, odd pieces of plywood. newspapers (paper on first of course) flattened tin cans...in other words just start layering on whatever is at hand, this will insulate well. Longer nails go right through to the OSB Then I am going to cover it all with wood scraps nailed on higglery piggley where they fit. The roof I will insulate with leftover insulation scraps inside and cover with plastic sheet & asphalt shingles outside. I haven't figured out what a proper floor is for a chicken house but figure it should be off the ground.

I will run power to heat the water with a short appliance type braided heater of 25 to 40 watts or so...and an incandescent light under a light proof cover for winter warmth in addition to the heated water. A simple on/off light switch would do. Simply turn on after the first frost, off in the spring. "Daylight" in the winter should be an option and another light, exposed...with timer would be proper. An on off/switch on this apparatus also.

I imagine an enclosed yard at first will acclimate them to entering the hen house in the evenings...I do not see myself ushering them in every evening...haven't figured out security yet, but it will probably be underneath the house and in the fence perimeter...although I can's see varmints NOT climbing ordinary chicken wire. I wish there was an automatic door available. If so, I could certainly varmint-proof the house?

You can tell I am a novice...laughter

Cooking chicken? THAT is what I am good at.

Permalink Reply by Daniel W on December 5, 2009 at 9:46am

Ogden,
Other threads in the gerden group can point you to some good books and websites about raising chickens. Our chicken house in Southwest Washington has been unheated for some winters, but after installing an incandescent bulb I can see that they definitely enjoy the warmth. Currently we have 5 hens and get 5 eggs a day, so coworkers get the overflow.

Permalink Reply by Daniel W on December 6, 2009 at 8:40pm

Oh, by the way. One of the places where I bought pullets had an old mobile home converted into a chicken house. All they did was pull up the carpet and put down a plywood floor. Not very pretty, but it worked.

Permalink Reply by Andi Reynolds on May 17, 2012 at 1:46pm

Hi all-

I'm new here, new to gardening and raising chickens.  We're moving into our house 5/27, and I'm picking up my peeps on 5/28!  

Our city allows three hens without a permit, and I think that will give us enough eggs.  I'm looking for chickens that are less skittish and pet like.  Any suggestions?  I'm leaning towards Orpingtons and Wyandottes.  Thinking about throwing in a Polish if I can find one, just for fun.  Thinking we'll tractor them until we can get some fencing up.

Permalink Reply by Daniel W on May 17, 2012 at 6:06pm

Hi Andi,

Welcome!

I've had Rhode Island Reds, a Blue Orpington, a Burma, an Aracauna that had a great personality but turned out to be a rooster, some Australorps, and several Leghorns.  The Leghorns are very tame and pretty much can be led into their house if they get out.  Leghorns have white eggs, but the flavor is the same.  The Blue Orpington ws very tame and calm, and laid nice brown eggs, but now and then decided it was time to hatch eggs, would stop laying and sit on all of the eggs for several weeks.  The Burma was pretty calm but didn't lay eggs as often.  The Reds were usually very aggressive, bullied other chickens and one was a serial killer.  They laid good eggs every day.  The Australorps were very timid and ran aay from everything.  at one point I had two australorps (black hens), 2 leghorns (white hens) and 2 reds.  They hung out together, avoiding the chickens that were not their own color.  My partner says chickens are racist.

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Good luck with your hens!  They are great for recycling kitchen scraps and weeds, and home eggs are much much better than store bought.

Permalink Reply by k.h. ky on July 4, 2015 at 11:34am

Daniel, the new chicken coop is almost complete now I have a couple of questions for you. Do you have any problems with the dogs bothering the chickens? And,since you've had yours for several years now, which type is the tamest and the which one lays eggs most reliable?

Is there anything you think l should know that you would have done differently from the start?

Permalink Reply by Daniel W on July 4, 2015 at 1:51pm

Kathy,

My dogs were fine with the little cat, but one of them killed a pullet.  I'm not sure he meant to, but he might have thought she was a squeeky toy.   He loves his squeeky toys.

We've had about 10 breeds.  Ning likes to try new things.  The most aggressive were the Rhode Island Reds.  The tamest and most productive were the Leghorns.  Every Leghorn has been an egg laying machine.  They also seem to be the shorted living.  I think it's like they are corporate minions who work themselves to death.  Orpingtons go broody a lot.  We've had black and grey Orpingtons, and both did that.

If only a few hens, I would get all one type.  My chickens have been kind of little racists.  When I've had two or three of one type, and the others individual types, they always stuck together by color.  This sounds strange but it has happened several times.

They really destroy a garden.  I would not let them into the garden.

I just got 3 new ones, Rhode Island Reds.  We have some  varmints here, and I think they can defend themselves.  I have a rooster and an old hen who isn't laying.  I think they are both Barred Rock.  The rooster is very aggressive - I have to take a rake into the hen yard to ward off the rooster.   He had drawn blood a few times on Ning.  But he is protecting those pullets like a watchdog.

Permalink Reply by k.h. ky on July 4, 2015 at 2:28pm

Thanks Daniel. Leghorns it will be. The reason I asked about dogs, aside from my boston terrier, there are a lot of beneficial snakes around here. Racoons too. I'm thinking of adopting a seven year old jack russell/beagle mix to (hopefully) keep the racoons and snakes a little farther away from the coop. I probably need to get the hens first so Jack will know they belong here.

Permalink Reply by k.h. ky on August 18, 2015 at 3:08pm

Chickens are safely enclosed in a very large pen. Covered by chicken wire. Even the top. For additional security there's an electric fence around the whole thing that's about six inches above the ground.
And they do love the weeds.