jeffinsgf
Veteran Member
Closer to two months. 18 to 20 weeks is the early side of normal.
Chickens ?????
- Thread starter BobsMassey
- Start date
Closer to two months. 18 to 20 weeks is the early side of normal.
OP
BobsMassey
Bronze Member
well here it is the coop and pen, the coop made from old pallets from work, and well the chickens seem to like it !Clint S
Veteran Member
Coop looks good. We just got a call from a lady up the road that has too many chicks and she is going to drop off 20 chicks tomorrow she said they are a few weeks old. She does not have the space we were down to 3. Best thing is FREE. Hens will lay and the roosters will go in the freezer
OP
BobsMassey
Bronze Member
. THANKS !!!! The rolled roof and door hardware is all it cost me to make, some screws and nails !!
If any of our 6 turn out to be roosters they will be in the freezer too !!
Clint S
Veteran Member
We are going to break down and have the Amish build us a coop on skids that we will tow around the pasture and then up to next to the house in the winter. All of our chickens are free range so no fences. Most we have ever had was 5 or 6 so it will be an adventure if most of these live.
OP
BobsMassey
Bronze Member
This is our 1st time, we want the grand kids to get a feel for it ! They live with us along with there older sister and mom, she just got out of her marriage (dad is a drunk!) not fair to the kids at all !!
Clint S
Veteran Member
Cool, nothing like waking up to a rooster crowing. We had them as kids and have had a few for the last couple of years. They really keep the bugs down when they are roaming. My brother raises them organically so he helps us out when we have issues, but he lives 3 hours away or he would be my source for chicks. He says he can get up to $30 per chicken (butchered) and all the eggs he can sell at $3.50 a dozen, if he NY city folks come up for the market. He free ranges his also so he has next to nothing for a feed bill in the summer.
OP
BobsMassey
Bronze Member
that's awesome ! The grand kids are 11and 7 they have fun! It's up to the 11 yo to really take care of them !
dave1949
Super Star Member
For the grandkids, it would be great to get some broody hens that will set and hatch eggs. Some of the modern crosses don't do that very well apparently.
Let your chickens free range if you can, they will use up every blade of grass in the pen quickly. If you keep them in the coop/pen for awhile, they learn that's where home is and will come back at dusk on their own, then you close them up for the night.
When the hens are old enough to lay, you may have to confine them for a while to train them to use the nest boxes. IIRC my chickens did most of their egg laying at night anyways. They were free range, so I don't know if they waited until they were back to the nest box or what exactly was going on in their chicken heads. I seldom found eggs in the yard, if ever.
Some roosters get feisty when you get near their hens. No real danger, but you may have to teach the kids how to deal with it.
Let your chickens free range if you can, they will use up every blade of grass in the pen quickly. If you keep them in the coop/pen for awhile, they learn that's where home is and will come back at dusk on their own, then you close them up for the night.
When the hens are old enough to lay, you may have to confine them for a while to train them to use the nest boxes. IIRC my chickens did most of their egg laying at night anyways. They were free range, so I don't know if they waited until they were back to the nest box or what exactly was going on in their chicken heads. I seldom found eggs in the yard, if ever.
Some roosters get feisty when you get near their hens. No real danger, but you may have to teach the kids how to deal with it.
