Chickens, now she's done it! (cute chick content)
Discussion
Just building a small coop and run for Ducks at the moment. Any tips? Not yet got them, we were thinking of getting a few indian runners.
To start off it'll have guinea fowl (currently we have 17 keets in our back bedroom under a heat lamp!) in it so they learn to call our plot home, then they'll live wild and roost in the trees by night, eating ticks by day. Once they have had their short stint in the house, it'll become the permanent home to some runner ducks.
Ignore the burn pile. We had to tidy up the random wood around the place due to the local bush fires.
Only a small run as they'll be free range during the day. The run more for when they get up before us and during their locked in period while setting their home instinct.
How much ventilation do you have in your coop? I hear that ducks let off a lot more moisture than chickens, so (not having had chickens before) I'm trying to design some in but not have drafts blowing through.
As mentioned, christ they grow fast don't they! Not having had poultry before. We got these at a day old sitting under a broody hen, and they'll be ready to fend by themselves in no time.
To start off it'll have guinea fowl (currently we have 17 keets in our back bedroom under a heat lamp!) in it so they learn to call our plot home, then they'll live wild and roost in the trees by night, eating ticks by day. Once they have had their short stint in the house, it'll become the permanent home to some runner ducks.
Ignore the burn pile. We had to tidy up the random wood around the place due to the local bush fires.
Only a small run as they'll be free range during the day. The run more for when they get up before us and during their locked in period while setting their home instinct.
How much ventilation do you have in your coop? I hear that ducks let off a lot more moisture than chickens, so (not having had chickens before) I'm trying to design some in but not have drafts blowing through.
As mentioned, christ they grow fast don't they! Not having had poultry before. We got these at a day old sitting under a broody hen, and they'll be ready to fend by themselves in no time.
Edited by Gingerbread Man on Sunday 17th November 11:30
Gingerbread Man said:
Just building a small coop and run for Ducks at the moment. Any tips? Not yet got them, we were thinking of getting a few indian runners.
To start off it'll have guinea fowl (currently we have 17 keets in our back bedroom under a heat lamp!) in it so they learn to call our plot home, then they'll live wild and roost in the trees by night, eating ticks by day. Once they have had their short stint in the house, it'll become the permanent home to some runner ducks.
Ignore the burn pile. We had to tidy up the random wood around the place due to the local bush fires.
Only a small run as they'll be free range during the day. The run more for when they get up before us and during their locked in period while setting their home instinct.
How much ventilation do you have in your coop? I hear that ducks let off a lot more moisture than chickens, so (not having had chickens before) I'm trying to design some in but not have drafts blowing through.
Firstly, Ducks are absolute sods to round up and put to bed at night. To get them in to the habit you probably need to do it as a pair of you, with some large plywood (or cardboard) sheets, to steer them sheep dog style to bed.To start off it'll have guinea fowl (currently we have 17 keets in our back bedroom under a heat lamp!) in it so they learn to call our plot home, then they'll live wild and roost in the trees by night, eating ticks by day. Once they have had their short stint in the house, it'll become the permanent home to some runner ducks.
Ignore the burn pile. We had to tidy up the random wood around the place due to the local bush fires.
Only a small run as they'll be free range during the day. The run more for when they get up before us and during their locked in period while setting their home instinct.
How much ventilation do you have in your coop? I hear that ducks let off a lot more moisture than chickens, so (not having had chickens before) I'm trying to design some in but not have drafts blowing through.
Maybe get on of these, so their daylight hours are maximised, you can always shut it manually at bedtime. The solar element is key, as those with timers will need changing manually, as sunrise changes.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Automatic-Chicken-Door-...
Ducks will lay their eggs anywhere, not just the coop. Get used to hide and seek.
Not knowing your area, you want to concentrate on making the coop predator proof. I'd consider a slab base covered in wood chip, no rat or fox can dig through that. Also don't use chicken mesh, a fox will have no problem ripping that apart. You need 2mm minimum welded wire mesh. Take up their food at night, as that is what attracts the rats.
Regarding the drafts, this is one we're still figuring out, as the (mess) of a coop we adopted needs some doing up.
Edited by Fermit and Sexy Sarah on Sunday 17th November 11:36
Fermit and Sexy Sarah said:
Gingerbread Man said:
Just building a small coop and run for Ducks at the moment. Any tips? Not yet got them, we were thinking of getting a few indian runners.
To start off it'll have guinea fowl (currently we have 17 keets in our back bedroom under a heat lamp!) in it so they learn to call our plot home, then they'll live wild and roost in the trees by night, eating ticks by day. Once they have had their short stint in the house, it'll become the permanent home to some runner ducks.
Ignore the burn pile. We had to tidy up the random wood around the place due to the local bush fires.
Only a small run as they'll be free range during the day. The run more for when they get up before us and during their locked in period while setting their home instinct.
How much ventilation do you have in your coop? I hear that ducks let off a lot more moisture than chickens, so (not having had chickens before) I'm trying to design some in but not have drafts blowing through.
Firstly, Ducks are absolute sods to round up and put to bed at night. To get them in to the habit you probably need to do it as a pair of you, with some large plywood (or cardboard) sheets, to steer them sheep dog style to bed.To start off it'll have guinea fowl (currently we have 17 keets in our back bedroom under a heat lamp!) in it so they learn to call our plot home, then they'll live wild and roost in the trees by night, eating ticks by day. Once they have had their short stint in the house, it'll become the permanent home to some runner ducks.
Ignore the burn pile. We had to tidy up the random wood around the place due to the local bush fires.
Only a small run as they'll be free range during the day. The run more for when they get up before us and during their locked in period while setting their home instinct.
How much ventilation do you have in your coop? I hear that ducks let off a lot more moisture than chickens, so (not having had chickens before) I'm trying to design some in but not have drafts blowing through.
Maybe get on of these, so their daylight hours are maximised, you can always shut it manually at bedtime. The solar element is key, as those with timers will need changing manually, as sunrise changes.
Ducks will lay their eggs anywhere, not just the coop. Get used to hide and seek.
Not knowing your area, you want to concentrate on making the coop predator proof. I'd consider a slab base covered in wood chip, no rat or fox can dig through that. Also don't use chicken mesh, a fox will have no problem ripping that apart. You need 2mm minimum welded wire mesh. Take up their food at night, as that is what attracts the rats.
Regarding the drafts, this is one we're still figuring out, as the (mess) of a coop we adopted needs some doing up.
We don't, well haven't seen any foxes n our property, so we hope that they'll be ok from them. Snakes will be a bigger issues for us. They're next door to a field of Alpacas, so hopefully they might scare off any foxes. Wishful thinking, but we hope all is well. Our planned coop mesh is more mouse/ snake proof than fox claw proof. Might have to upgrade this if a problem arises. We have seen a monitor lizard heading down to the dam for a drink before. Now that might cause alarm! I'm sure the guinea fowl will go off their tits and let everything in the vicinity know what they alarm.
As said, new to this, our best plans in place, but hopefully they aren't all dashed. Maybe we buy some heavier gauge mesh and incorporate the two to guard against most things.
The run is currently just on the floor, but as said it's more of a second area to them being free range during the day. I could mesh the floor though, best see what digs.
The hutch is on stilts as we pushed it off the bank to allow room for a vegetable garden with a cement sheet floor.
Gretchen said:
If you can get hold of an incubator and some fertile eggs hatch the ducks yourself. The first thing they see is impressed on them as Mother. Even if you have them at a day old it will be too late. Hatching them they will follow you and will make life a lot easier.
Ok. So getting ones a few months old or so ready to live in the outside world isn't as wise a choice?Keep the thread updated GBM, it will be interesting to see your progress. We have 16 ducks, and unlike a certain Gretchins ours are most definitely feral runaways!
Buried Amber this afternoon, in a box, her on some straw and wrapped in a towel. Left some Amber flint stones and a photo of all her housemates in with her, S feels like they can watch over her. Oh, and got called an attention w
e in the depression thread, after posting there last night that it had quite upset me. Bloody keyboard warriors.
Till the other side baby girl
Buried Amber this afternoon, in a box, her on some straw and wrapped in a towel. Left some Amber flint stones and a photo of all her housemates in with her, S feels like they can watch over her. Oh, and got called an attention w
e in the depression thread, after posting there last night that it had quite upset me. Bloody keyboard warriors.Till the other side baby girl
Edited by Fermit and Sexy Sarah on Sunday 17th November 19:32
A few small updates. The 3 cockerels on the lower run were found new homes at an animal sanctuary in Derbyshire, where they have 5 acres to roam. They were taken on Saturday, and now the car temporarily stinks of Chicken st!
This has facilitated Enzo and Billy being moved to the lower run, and Morph staying in the greenhouse run. This gives cock to hen ratios of 12/1 in the greenhouse run, and 13/2 on the lower run, much healthier. We decided this way round for two reasons. Firstly 3 of the weakest girls, dolly and the wonkies are in the GH run. Secondly, on the 14th Dec we are collecting 8 battery rescues, to go on the bottom run, taking the ratio to 21/2.
Photos to follow, it will be interesting to see what state they are in, and how they improve.
Edit, to add. What is lovely is that the 13 girls on the lower run are now, a few months on, looking much plumper (they were gaunt on adoption) and much thicker on the feather front. He was a bd to them, couldn't give a flying one about them.
Should these be separated for a bit, so they're not easy pickings for Enzo and Billy?
t!This has facilitated Enzo and Billy being moved to the lower run, and Morph staying in the greenhouse run. This gives cock to hen ratios of 12/1 in the greenhouse run, and 13/2 on the lower run, much healthier. We decided this way round for two reasons. Firstly 3 of the weakest girls, dolly and the wonkies are in the GH run. Secondly, on the 14th Dec we are collecting 8 battery rescues, to go on the bottom run, taking the ratio to 21/2.
Photos to follow, it will be interesting to see what state they are in, and how they improve.
Edit, to add. What is lovely is that the 13 girls on the lower run are now, a few months on, looking much plumper (they were gaunt on adoption) and much thicker on the feather front. He was a b
d to them, couldn't give a flying one about them. Should these be separated for a bit, so they're not easy pickings for Enzo and Billy?
Edited by Fermit and Sexy Sarah on Sunday 24th November 20:30
Dont like rolls said:
Fermit and Sexy Sarah said:
Could batteries have red mite infection? Hadn't considered that....
Who knows, a friend got some and swore they had "bald" areas of scales on their legs.No harm in the added separation of food/bedding etc until they are settled anyway.
A bit of a testing day today. I was woken by wifey at 7, who had just got back from letting the chickens out. Billy and Enzo, as per yesterdays post moved to the lower run, had been scrapping. Lots of blood drawn, probably at it for 15 minutes. I went over and decided to put Billy back in our run till we figured out what to do. This afternoon I put him back in, and Enzo made a bee line for him, I chucked a bucket of water over him to break them up.
Enzo afterwards was stting it. Hiding, staying right out the way. At bedtime they'd all seen themselves in, so I scooped Billy up and put him up on the perch. To begin with he was nervous, not a murmur out of him when I stroked him (not like him) and he was also shaking, head down low. I was unsure if it was best, but locked them in. When I went back after locking the others in, maybe half an hour later, he was turned around, and vocal when I stroked him.
I've said to S to be ready with the water in the morning, in case it kicks off. Not having had Cocks before, what now? Is hierarchy established, and that's it? Will Billy remain nervous? Can they move on to live in piece?
It seems Billy Big Balls balls are not so big......
Enzo afterwards was s
tting it. Hiding, staying right out the way. At bedtime they'd all seen themselves in, so I scooped Billy up and put him up on the perch. To begin with he was nervous, not a murmur out of him when I stroked him (not like him) and he was also shaking, head down low. I was unsure if it was best, but locked them in. When I went back after locking the others in, maybe half an hour later, he was turned around, and vocal when I stroked him. I've said to S to be ready with the water in the morning, in case it kicks off. Not having had Cocks before, what now? Is hierarchy established, and that's it? Will Billy remain nervous? Can they move on to live in piece?
It seems Billy Big Balls balls are not so big......
A fun weekend, dealing with problematic rats. The greenhouse run has been knawed in to by the little barstewards in 4 places, and left droppings evidence. Bizarrely only one of the entry points was at ground level. The other three were top right and left of the hay loft - the former via the gutter, the latter via an adjacent tree. Lastly they'd scaled the veranda mesh, and knawed in by the front of the hay loft. I've spent all weekend beefing up the coop with welded mesh. the lino has been lifted, and mesh laid, the inner perimeter has about a foot tall of it along the walls, the doors been done, mesh nailed along the inner of the drain (a handy bonus is this will prevent leafs collecting) and where the roof meets the walls of the straw loft (where they entered) too. Basically anywhere and everywhere where they could get in is now reinforced. Also around the outside perimeter base has about 4 inches, and the corners about 10. They wouldn't get in, but they could make the coop a mess trying!
An old boy on the allotment, a dear man called Alan (he's always lovely to Sarah) has picked up on our (well, they live next door) rat infestation. He collared us today, and one of his friends has bait traps which he'll capture them in, and shoot them at close range. We'll be giving him a padlock key, and we hope this will get the numbers down. We've also put some poison blocks (smeared in rats favourite treat, Peanut Butter) around in bait boxes, but 4 days in and no joy yet.
The lower run coop is knackered, falling apart. It's been patched up, but frankly it's akin to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. We've bought a couple of metal sheds, 1 8x4', the other 5x3. The former will become the birds (rat proof) coop, the latter food storage, and their current coop will become storage for straw, waterers at night (rats like water sources) and the like - it's one redeeming feature is it's water-tight.
Billy is still being chased by Enzo, and is hiding in corners behind nettles. Any advice on this will be gladly received, I feel for him. The only options are leave as is, put him back in the greenhouse run with Morph and the girls, or make him and Morph a new run, which we can accommodate.
Finally a few ideas from things we've seen. The girls find it entertaining to peck the metal sheeting on the boundary of the run, so we had an idea. I've bought them a few ebay second hand xylophones. Think we're mad...... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0vDSxF0SD0
The last thing, S saw a chicken vid on Youtube, a quick easy trick to insulate the coop. Line the inner walls with cardboard, staple-gunned to the vertical batons, and pack behind them with straw. Two inches of insulation, and no more wind chill. Will be nice for them, it was -2 here last night. Come spring rip it all off, and put back up in maybe Oct 2020. My mate Theroux at the local cornershop will be texting me when he gets any spare big boxes.
An old boy on the allotment, a dear man called Alan (he's always lovely to Sarah) has picked up on our (well, they live next door) rat infestation. He collared us today, and one of his friends has bait traps which he'll capture them in, and shoot them at close range. We'll be giving him a padlock key, and we hope this will get the numbers down. We've also put some poison blocks (smeared in rats favourite treat, Peanut Butter) around in bait boxes, but 4 days in and no joy yet.
The lower run coop is knackered, falling apart. It's been patched up, but frankly it's akin to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. We've bought a couple of metal sheds, 1 8x4', the other 5x3. The former will become the birds (rat proof) coop, the latter food storage, and their current coop will become storage for straw, waterers at night (rats like water sources) and the like - it's one redeeming feature is it's water-tight.
Billy is still being chased by Enzo, and is hiding in corners behind nettles. Any advice on this will be gladly received, I feel for him. The only options are leave as is, put him back in the greenhouse run with Morph and the girls, or make him and Morph a new run, which we can accommodate.
Finally a few ideas from things we've seen. The girls find it entertaining to peck the metal sheeting on the boundary of the run, so we had an idea. I've bought them a few ebay second hand xylophones. Think we're mad...... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0vDSxF0SD0
The last thing, S saw a chicken vid on Youtube, a quick easy trick to insulate the coop. Line the inner walls with cardboard, staple-gunned to the vertical batons, and pack behind them with straw. Two inches of insulation, and no more wind chill. Will be nice for them, it was -2 here last night. Come spring rip it all off, and put back up in maybe Oct 2020. My mate Theroux at the local cornershop will be texting me when he gets any spare big boxes.
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