CHIMBY - Chickens in My Back Yard

[mstevens]

As predicted, our weirdos just started laying during the first blizzard of the year when the days are at their shortest.

Don't these birds read the manual?

[Vindingo]

Left the chickens for 4 days, with sufficient food and water, but noone to collect the eggs.  It looks like 1 egg was eaten, and 4 others were cracked from being pecked..  One looks like it cracked from being frozen, but I hope they don't start pecking at the eggs. 

[mitt]

Left the chickens for 4 days, with sufficient food and water, but noone to collect the eggs.  It looks like 1 egg was eaten, and 4 others were cracked from being pecked..  One looks like it cracked from being frozen, but I hope they don't start pecking at the eggs. 

I have no FHE with chickens, but I would like to some day and follow this thread pretty close. 

Regarding your absence, can you rig up a system that when they lay an egg, it goes down a chute to a collector they can't access?

mitt

[Buckethead]

I have no FHE with chickens, but I would like to some day and follow this thread pretty close. 

Regarding your absence, can you rig up a system that when they lay an egg, it goes down a chute to a collector they can't access?

mitt

I'm envisioning the beginning of a serious Rube Goldberg.

[ducpainter]

I have no FHE with chickens, but I would like to some day and follow this thread pretty close. 

Regarding your absence, can you rig up a system that when they lay an egg, it goes down a chute to a collector they can't access?

mitt

I'm envisioning the beginning of a serious Rube Goldberg.

Probably could...

but in these temps they'd have to go somewhere above freezing.

[mitt]

Probably could...

but in these temps they'd have to go somewhere above freezing.

If you are gone for 4 days, you wouldn't have to worry about some lost eggs though - more of a keeping them away from the birds.

A light bulb could help for short term storage. 

mitt

[Vindingo]

I think the blizzard had a lot to do with it.   Because of the snow, the birds spent a lot more time inside and the roosters don't usually go into the nests. 

[mstevens]

the roosters don't usually go into the nests. 

Why bother with roosters anyway?

[ducpainter]

Why bother with roosters anyway?

He probably bought straight run chicks...

and hasn't gotten tired enough of the crowing and general PITA to put them out of his misery...

and into the pot.

[Vindingo]

^^^ pretty much spot on.


The only other reason I haven't eaten those noisy bastards yet is because I feel like they keep my hens warm.  At night the two roosters huddle around the hens. I don't know if it really helps, but it seems like it would.   

[ducpainter]

^^^ pretty much spot on.


The only other reason I haven't eaten those noisy bastards yet is because I feel like they keep my hens warm.  At night the two roosters huddle around the hens. I don't know if it really helps, but it seems like it would.   

I think they do that out of instinct...

they're keeping themselves warm and protecting their harem.

How many hens do you have? A half dozen would be fine without the roosters I bet. I had a couple of ducks and they were fine in the barn all winter. If you can block the wind I know they'd be fine.

[triangleforge]

The other reason I've heard for keeping roosters (well, aside from, y'know, reproduction) is that they can be OK at dissuading small predators like hawks & skunks. Partly by aggression, but probably mostly by being loud & obvious while the hens are cowering, and thereby getting eaten first.

Our four hens (I'm still astounded we haven't killed one yet...) learned a new trick two nights ago. After spending all last winter sleeping on top of the coop no matter what the weather, they decided that a foot of snow meant it was worth trying to sleep warm and dry on the INSIDE. Geniuses.

[Polpetta]

You wouldn't believe that this weekend all 3 of our dogs and 11 hens where roaming and hang'n out in our backyard together  The dogs made no aggressive actions toward the hens! 

[The Architect]

You wouldn't believe that this weekend all 3 of our dogs and 11 hens where roaming and hang'n out in our backyard together  The dogs made no aggressive actions toward the hens! 

Ya my dog has 4 new friends also.  I was so sure he was going to eat them.  He hasn't discovered the eggs yet.  But he does love their food. 


Our chickens are freaked out by the snow.  They won't go out in it.  So they're stuck in their coupe until April? 

[Vindingo]

Our chickens are freaked out by the snow.  They won't go out in it.  So they're stuck in their coupe until April? 

Mine won't step on it either.  Once in a while they will peck at it, but they won't walk on it.