Officially a Chicken Herder

[DWyatt]

With all the talk lately around the forum of chickens, I just thought I would share that we are officially chicken herders. My girlfriend hatched the eggs in her  classroom with her preschool students and the noisy, stinky things have been in the shop since (yes, MY woodworking shop :D) We finally had a day without rain this weekend and I got the fenced in coop area put up OUTSIDE! Let me tell you folks digging the trench around the perimeter, to bury the fence some, through ground that was full blown woods before I built the house 2 yrs ago was no small task, 3 hours with an ax and sharpened spade



 

We've just got 14 chickens so far, hopefully I'll be building a new coop this summer/fall to get rid of that one from Amazon (Read cheap, junk, rickety, etc...) one you see. 

[Raider Bill]

With 14 are you chicken Herder or chicken Rancher? I know there's cutoff I thought it was 12 but could be 18.
Asking for a friend.. :D :D

[doc henderson]

we built a coup that had a front door for our kids to use to get eggs, and a rope to a flip up door to let chickens out for the day in the fenced area.  at night the door was lowered so predators could not get in.  Sadly if they began in your shop, they will try to get in there any chance they get.  when we added to our chicken heard, we would start them in my shop so the kids could see them.  if a door was left open and I did not notice, next day, 5 chickens would be roosting in the shop even though they had been with the other chickens for months.  we are now a chicken free facility.   :D

[DWyatt]

we built a coup that had a front door for our kids to use to get eggs, and a rope to a flip up door to let chickens out for the day in the fenced area.  at night the door was lowered so predators could not get in.  Sadly if they began in your shop, they will try to get in there any chance they get.  when we added to our chicken heard, we would start them in my shop so the kids could see them.  if a door was left open and I did not notice, next day, 5 chickens would be roosting in the shop even though they had been with the other chickens for months.  we are now a chicken free facility.   :D

Luckily while in the shop they were in big totes connected with a 5 gallon bucket and both totes had a lid. So other than a few times with the girls got the chickens out to play, they have very little experience venturing around inside. I keep the doors shut most the time to control the temp and humidity so hopefully I won't have to prematurely turn some into dinner :D

[DWyatt]

With 14 are you chicken Herder or chicken Rancher? I know there's cutoff I thought it was 12 but could be 18.
Asking for a friend.. :D :D

I am very much new to this so terminology may be lacking :D I'll wait for @YellowHammer to determine my status :D

[doc henderson]

We started with a dozen and peaked at around 60 birds including geese and ducks.  If I read that right, "girls played with them"  makes it a little harder to make the chicken and noodles transition. :D

[LeeB]

If you add in guineas, geese, peacocks and other assorted winged critters, we have well over 60. Probably pushing 80.  

[Raider Bill]

I had up to 18 city chickens. Sort of got away from us for awhile. With the help of a coon or 2 they got whittled down to a half dozen. Fresh eggs were nice but we finally gave them up.
Wild Bill still raises them and also a couple neighbors so we still get eggs without the trouble.
As a aside, chicken feed here in the big city is almost $30 a 50lb bag as opposed to $7.95 in Tenn at the coop.

[btulloh]

LeeB, I think you've gone beyond ranch status and heading towards ark status.

[doc henderson]

good lessons for kids, responsibility and knowledge of where food comes from.  We had to train our dogs to leave them alone.  If a dog kills a chicken, we would duct tape the chicken to the back of the dog for a day, they would need a verbal reminder occ. but was fun to see them go from stalking to turning and running away from the chickens.  

[DWyatt]

Yes the girls are 6 and 8, they love the chickens but surprisingly enough, they are more than okay with eating the extra roosters we got from the hatching. Their mom is a different story but we decided we would wait till she was not there for dinner when we enjoy them. I'm working on making the transition from big city (read 6000 people) to my BFE living, they're loving every minute of it.

Feed here is only ~$12 for a 50 lb bag otherwise we wouldn't be having the chickens. We are within 10 miles of Kalmbachs, a big livestock feed producer.

We have a real problem with Coons and coyotes here, I'm working in the coon problem, the night vision scope helps at 3 am when we hear them trying to get into the bird feeder. Coyotes we never see but we hear a bunch of them at night.

[Chuck White]

Here we "for the most part" are always working on the coyote, coon and skunk population control!

For the past few weeks, it's been a stray cat that's just been spraying and using my little garden patch as a litter box! 

A 12ga with a green night vision lite clamped to the barrel will be his demise if he hangs around. 

I don't understand why cats are so attracted to this house, there has never been a cat in this house! 

[btulloh]

Because there's an opening for a cat there. Unclaimed territory.

[Chuck White]

He hasn't been in the garden patch the last few nights, I think he respects the electric fence now.

Had a good video on the game cam the night he first smelled/touched the wire!   

[YellowHammer]

I was a chicken "Server" for awhile, I had chickens everywhere.  Free range during the day, in the chicken coop at night, electric fences here and there, bird nets, guinea hens laying eggs on the roof, chickens laying eggs in the hay bales and every varmint in the region coming through the Yellowhammer self serve Snack Shack. 

EVERTHING likes chicken.  A hawk swooped down in the back porch and carried Fudgie off in front of us all, and I was with a customer and two chickens came running by and the fox that was chasing them exploded them right in front of us.  The customer asked "So, you have chickens?" and I said "Not anymore."   :D :D

[barbender]

YH, I admire your business so very much, your organization and professionalism blows me away- I feel that type of operation is out of my league. Reading this however, I realize I may be your equal in one area- chicken farmer/varmint feeder!😂 My kids got to see predators of all shapes and sizes come in to eat their chickens. We had a hen that froze her foot, then in the spring she quit laying and started crowing!😂 Had some ducks too, all but one got wiped out by coons. She was feeling pretty broody come springtime, but no drake around. Well, she must've happened upon an egg the chickens layed in the woods and decided to sit on it. One day she showed up in the yard with a chick in tow! (not duckling, but chick as in chicken) She'd get pretty frustrated when he wouldn't get in the water with her😂 We named it "Chuck" (CHicken dUCK)😁 One day a stray cat came through and got Chuck. The Joy's of chicken farming😁

[tule peak timber]

We are waiting for the CDC to get here this week or next to break the necks of the turkey/chickens in the aviary. Sadly we are in a Newcastle quarantine zone. My tom is at least 11 years old and hand raised in the kitchen. Bad luck....

 

[Southside]

Rob, What is going on there?

[tule peak timber]

I don't know how big the ever expanding zone is but it is death to all birds when the CDC comes around. We are on the edge of the quarantine zone and they will be here next week. Lots of upset folks ! Newcastle disease.This map shows all of SoCal in the zone.

 

[frazman]

We have chickens and guineas as well. Started off with 6 guineas and then the chickens came into the picture. We have a problem with predators in my area so my 2 chicken coops are all metal cladded, even the underside of the floor. Haven't had a problem with losing any in the coop. Rifle is always handy when I see the coyotes in my field.

The birds free range in the yard and the guineas take care of the ticks. We have lots of eggs at this time of the year so family members get eggs and they sure can tell ours from store bought. I guess it's a past time...

[crowhill]

My biggest problem was a bear. He ripped the hen house door latch out after trying to open the outside entry doors to the nesting boxes. I was surprised at how much wood he could take out in a single bite. First night he took 5 hens, less then a week later he came back for two more. I had screwed the door shut with five 2.5" screws, might as well left the door open for him! He pulled it open like he was using a latch. That time he took two hens. Then I put up an electric fence. I don't know if that is what worked or the fact Dept of Fish & Wildlife shot a bear two miles from my house that was raiding honey bee hives. He never got any more chickens anyway!

[rjwoelk]

My mom raised layers and roasters.  The roasters would fly into the pig pen and go after what ever they could find. Then the pigs would go after this birds. Feathers all over the place, 2 or 3 pigs on a bird , did not turn out to good for the birds.