A Beginner's Guide to Raising Chickens
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As comprehensive as this basic chicken-keeping 101 is, it doesn't address the whole cockerel v. pullet question, and what to do when you end up with ALL THESE ROOSTERS!
Hi Kennedy, There is not much you can do to address the whole cockerel v. pullet question. The easiest option is obviously to buy chicks that have been sexed and not hatching eggs. Or, better yet, is to wait until their second molt so you can sex them with 100% certainty.
If you used hatching eggs and ended up with a cockerel then your options are really to rehome them. You should check Local Chicken Breeders, Online Communities and Classifieds, Animal Shelters and Sanctuaries, 4-H and FFA Groups.
Thank you so much for sharing. keep it up and update more information.
Just received 10 chicks from tractor supply and was wondering how old they must be to introduce them to the 3 hens we have that are laying?
I bought 10 chicks in late March. How long do i feed them the chick feed and start them on the laying feed?
They should be at least 8 weeks old before being introduced to older chickens, although 10-12 weeks old is best. They need to be able to resist a bit of bullying from the bigger birds.
I have one rooster. He was born here from one of our old hens! He follows me everywhere and my neighbors say they love hearing him crow! I just recently found scaly leg mites! I have been using Bag Balm on his legs and feet for a few days and Vaseline. I treated the perches and surrounding areas. Wild birds squeeze in for scratch so I'm sure that is the source. I searched Amazon for something and found a poultry spray for the problem. In reading the information, I see clove oil and cottonseed oil!! I followed their instructions and sprayed his feet and legs and perches and surrounding areas with you guessed it !! My Bug MD!!! I will keep up the bag Balm and Vaseline every few days for a few weeks with Bug MD in between. He is already getting better!!! Thank you so much for Bug MD ! It's a staple in our house. First thing ever to stop a cockroach in it's tracks! Thank you. Karen Raber
Vick's vapo-rub or store brand, works better and quicker then petroleum jelly or bag balm. Bugs HATE that smell!
I also pull up all the bedding, liberally dust the coop with diatemaceous earth, leave it all day, then shop-vacuum it up before roosting time; you will have eliminated the mites.
It's a practice I've used each time I change out their bedding, to prevent any infestations.
I'm a first time chicken owner. They were so cute at tractor supply that my husband and I decided to get some. Also the ducks were really cute so we got a few of them. Trust me. They're only cute for a few days. Like 1. Ducks and chicks have to have their own plastic bin. One was a big feed trough for the chicks and one was a big plastic box from Walmart. Put the shavings down and feed and water. Chicks were pretty good. Ducks have to have a source of water to mix their food and dip their bills. Mine was an old 9x13 baking pan. Didn't want them to drown. Ducks love to play in the water. They splash water, food, poop all over the plastic pen. I cleaned and dried at least 3 times a day. Luckily I had a spare room for all the poultry. And don't even talk to me about pasty butt. Yuck. My husband got an old redwood swing set like they had at Costco for nothing. He added some wood and roofing and chicken wire and the chickens and ducks had a pen and an enclosed coop. Everything was pretty much recycled except the chicken wire. Of course, when we put the chickens in, it was fine. Adding the ducks and their water trough/ pond made it a little tight. So then, my husband decided to add an enclosed run to the run we already had. Another 30 x 10 ft. Got some recycled pipe around 300.00. Plus all the fencing to go around and on top of the run. Plus then we added some fencing to our existing fence so they had an outdoor area. So basically, if you think you can get by with 700.00, good luck. You always want to add more or add gravel or another house for them. Food and wood shavings are an ongoing expense. Plus cleaning every couple days and taking them food and water every day. Really starting to be fun this winter in the cold. Just love going out in the snow, with water and food. But...... the eggs are delicious. We did end up with 2 roosters. I've had a few run ins with them. But I just read more and decided I was the alpha chicken. Now I get along with the roosters, if they get uppity, I just flap my arms and make aggressive moves toward them. They're just very protective of their hens which is good, since they free range around our yard during the day. So, would I do it again? Maybe. Just don't do it with the idea that you're going to save money on eggs. You won't.