Recent content by Chick Charm

Girls Girls Girls! As Quiet Riot would sing! BR is dark like she should be. Wish ya the best

Thus the conundrum, can chickens in gardens work? My simple take is NO. They love good food as do we. Find a way to keep them out while growing.

Can you use the tin in place of any of the OSB? Lighter and still provides a wind break.

Any update on this crowing hen? Curious.

Sounds like a rooster. Is it only the one time it didn't go into the coop at night or is it becoming a habit?

They will free range them in the warm months for now. $50 fee for the city application for 6 chickens! What's with the state of Michigan? No guarantees either.

I have an idea or guess. I am not a vet. Could it be chicken gout? I think it's a possibility. Eating layer feed with high calcium can give birds gout or gout like symptoms. Their body tries to fight it creating a "pus" or elevated levels of "whatever" causing swelling and fluid build up or...

So an update. I have not sealed or stained the pallet wood yet. The last 3 days of rain have swelled the wood exceptionally. As soon as we get 2-3 days of dry weather I will stain and seal. Pallet wood loves to grow with moisture. More so than anything I've worked with before. Wow! Inside...

Tristan only you can decide. The 4 sf rule of thumb is great but it is not a RULE. So many factors come into play that all of them can't be said. Where you live (climate) dictates to a large extent. Type of chickens comes into play. Free ranging over a big area or will you "run" them in...

Welcome to BYC. They will learn on their own even without an older chicken to show them the ropes. You can help them by putting them in their coop full time. They are ready. By leaving them in the coop for 3 days they will hone in on their home beacon and figure things out from there...

Yes. They could have handled it 4 weeks ago. Chicks don't need much more than there feathers and a windbreak to thrive. Wish ya the best.

I would stick em in the house as chickens can't see after dark.

I believe that is a great method to teaching them where home is. 3 days in a coop tends to hone the beacon for home, so to speak. There are different approaches but the one you mentioned has worked for us since, well, forever it seems. Wish ha the best.

I put in 3 permanent net boxes on one side with a removeable divider that lows for 4 nests at 12X12 approximately.

If no mama hen or heat lamp is available then....fully feathered. 4 weeks most times. If you can run a heat lamp out there then they can go out now. If you have a mama hen with them then from day one. I brood outdoors summers from day one with great success. Draft free and warmth equals...