...to get chickens? I have been wanting them for so long and keep waiting to get a coop built. I am thinking of getting an egglu and just starting with a few birds. Then if I get the coop built, I can move the eglu up to the corner of the vegie garden in the front of the property and start a new, larger, flock in the back area where I would put the eglu at first.
I'm in the PNW. It is usually in the 40s here most of the winter but nights do get down to freezing. Of course I would keep the chicks inside where it's warm until they were old enough.
What do you all think?
Gwen
Is this a bad time...
Sounds like our weather and I'm goin for it!
Welcome to the Poultry thread.. I'm a newbie and I haven't given the weather a second thought.. as long as there is still room in the dining room.. who cares! LOL
Others may have a different opinion.. but my chicken babiez have made me giddy like a teenager! I too wanted them for many years.. I'm so glad I got them.. I love them sooooo much!
It's been hard cause I didn't think we had predators to worry about.. and was terribly surprised. I lost several chicks and 3 beautiful roosters I loved.
That's the one thing I can confidently advise you on.. be sure their enclosure is bomb proof.
I'd say try it most of the heavy breeds are very cold hardy.
I'm in Georgia and i have bantams and they do just fine and we have some hard freezes in the dead of winter.
Theres alot of people here who live in some very cold places and they can give you more ideas.
ZZ, what did you lose them to? We do have an owl on the property but we are completely fenced from nonflying critters. Unless you count our dogs who will need to be watched closely.
Gwen
I'm guessing the full grown roos were killed by either dog or Coyote..
The post man says there are Coyotes in a trucking yard that is like 1/4 mile away. I had no idea a Coyote (or dog for that matter) would come here and do that.. My bedroom window is what 50 feet away?
I figure, if it was a dog that was someone's pet.. there is no way it could eat that much... and they kill for sport not hunger....
One was eaten here.. and the rest in the field behind our place.. there were no remains other than a few feathers.
I would worry about the owl at dusk, especially with young birds. Make sure they have good cover and a nice tight coop to roost in.
And try to make sure they know to run for cover at dusk. We have lost chicks WE hatched to that because their Momma (me) didn't teach 'em better... But I'd go for it if you're in western Wash...
ZZ, dogs do kill and then eat. If my dogs killed a chicken, believe me, the would eat the entire thing. I have a lab and a golden, not exactly killer dogs. The only thing my dogs won't eat so far is rabbit. They have killed rabbits and just played with them. I have purchased rabbit meat for them (we feed them a raw diet) and they won't eat it. Picky picky picky.
Our cat is a hunter and gets shrews, mice, bunnies, and last week a rat. He eats the whole thing, leaving only one small organ (not sure what it is) that apparently is not up to his standards!
I've been told that once the chickens are full grown, the cat will leave them alone. And I hope to introduce the dogs to them early on so they know the chickens are 'pets' and not their dinners. They were able to learn with small kittens so I'm hopeful on the chickens. But you can bet they will never be left alone with the chickens either.
My hubby says he's seen the owl during the day, sitting on a fence post, waiting for the cat. When we got the cat, we tried to keep him in at night, but that boy is a hunter thru and thru and comes and goes as he pleases. He won't even go to the bathroom in his litter box. He prefers to go outside. I didn't think he'd last long - he's an orange tabby with large white places and shows up nicely in the dark - but he is really saavy and knows how to keep himself safe. The owl is probably p.o.'d that the cat gets all his treats!
I may put up screening overhead of the chickens' yard to protect them from flying predators. But someone did point out to me that the place where their yard will be is harder for birds to swoop down into than other areas of our yard, so as long as they are in their own little yard, they should be pretty safe.
Gwen
I've noticed that little organ the cat won't eat too--I wonder what it is? Maybe a gall bladder?
From what someone more knowledgable said on another thread--Cooper's Hawks (the original chicken hawk) will dive under cover to catch chickens--but most raptors won't. My chicks always dive for cover when anything flies over--but my yard has a lot of trees and tangled vines so they aren't very exposed.
Good to know about cooper's hawks. I'll have to find out if we have those. Your yard sounds like mine! I am also considering putting in a pretty tree in the corner of the yard that will be main chicken area. I'd like to make it look nice because it will show from the house and part of the yard. I wonder what shrubby plants I could put in there that the chickens would leave alone. Is it too much to hope the would leave hydrangeas alone?
Gwen
Well.. since my post, I got word from the neighbor on the corner.. (1/4 mile) who has chickens.. He went out the other night with his shotgun but missed his chance.. He swore it was the other neighbor's white dog. I'm in agreement cause the hair I found on the fence what whitish... Even though I thought it was a little coarse and kinked to be a dog.. Who knows..
Thank you for posting that.. I guess it really doesn't matter what got mine, as long as nothing ever gets the chance again!!!!
it is never a bad time to get chhickens just make sure there warm and they will be happy as larry
We should all be happy as Larry...Who's Larry?
I don't know, but apparently Bob's my uncle.....
happy as larry is an australia saying and i dont know if u guys use bob your uncle to but we do also LOL
I hadn't head of Larry before, but I learned "Bob's your uncle" when Iived in England.
u say somthing like i gave my kid a can and he was as happy as larry
edited to say a can is wat we call a fizzy drink just saying this so u dont think australian kids get beers
This message was edited Oct 19, 2008 12:27 AM
I love Josh : )
Moi "aussi".
Cats, you've got poo on your punny bone! Erghh!!
I hate puns! But I love Australia.
I am confused--be nice to me.....:0)
LOL
Gladly Cats, dear, but your punny poo rubbed off on me! eeewwww!!