First Egg!

Supposed to be 6 days of rain here in Dallas so I was out putting a tarp over the top of the run secured with zip ties to keep everything dry.  While I was out there I found a single egg in the coop in the nesting box.

Checked again tonight but didn't see anymore but a hen was in the nesting box so hard to be sure.

New Pullets

Over the weekend I had a friend reach out online that they were going to revamp their coop and wanted someone to take their 3 pullets.  So Sunday I picked up a buff orphington, austalorp, and ameracuna.

It has been an interesting experience introducing 3 new pullets.  The barred rock which I seemed like the most submissive of the group has taken to trying to dominate the new pullets and has challenged the alpha Wyandotte a few times.  The ameracuna seems to be the alpha from the other group.

Three days in the two groups stay separate.  Occasionally my original 3 will run off the others from an area.  The only exception is in the run.  The new group has been sleeping on the roof of the coop and the other three in the run.  I'm thinking I may have to create a raised and separate coop for the new ones but I'll give it a little more time to if they get acclimated.

 

Day 17 - 19

Nothing new to report on the hens.  On Wednesday I took them off the Duramycin and didn't put AYC in the water.  If it looks like they need it then I'll put it back on.  They've been very active.

Running and flapping their wings at each other and in general our in the lawn.

Day 12 - 16

So I'm breaking my normal pattern of a daily post here because I was out of town for a few days.

I have a security camera in my yard that allowed me to remotely see if the hens are up and moving.  I was also supposed to have a friend come by one day but that didn't happen.

I came home to find all 3 remaining hens alive though their water was empty.  I refilled it and added in some more ACV and Duramycin.

They roamed for a a few hours in the yard scratching and decided to put themselves in a little earlier than normal.

I now get freaked out when they leave their mouth open and one of the wyandottes appears to be hoarse.  Of course its the same debacle as the Ameracuna ... normal or a sign of an issue?

Aside from that issue it was scratching, eating, and drinking.  So hopefully the treatment will help.

Still no eggs.  I'll probably add another hen or two soon as well to replace the one that was lost and to help ensure constant production come winter time.

Day 11

I added a tablespoon of Bragg apple cider vinegar to a gallon of water for the hens.  This is really a preventative measure following the passing of the Ameracuna yesterday.

My reading says that this type of apple cider vinegar (unfiltered with the mother [gel like bacteria] included) has many health benefits.  The highlights were aiding in digestive health, a worm preventative, aids calcium absorption, kill germs that cause respiratory illness, repel insects, etc.

It seems like the alpha Wyandotte has picking on the Barred Rock more today but otherwise they all seemed fine.  Still not eggs yet but I would expect any day now they will start laying.  

Day 10

And then there were 3.  The Ameracuna died this evening.  I opened the coop and shortly after the Ameracuna was passed out on the lawn.  I went to the feed store to get some antibiotics and in the hour I was gone it expired.

It had been so flighty and lively there were no indications of a problem.  From what I could see when I inspected it (it was so weak I could handle it) it had what looked like canker sores.

The seller claims that chickens sometimes get sick due to new environments however the other 3 birds were just fine.  So I wonder if the Ameracuna breeds are just not hardy as other breeds.

I'm going to put the chickens on some Duramycin (antibiotic) tomorrow as a precaution in addition to apple cider vinegar (immunity booster).

Day 9

Interesting development the other day.  A friend called me and told me one of her chickens was killed by a bobcat.  She had two new chickens in a metal carrier she was introducing to the flock. They had been there about a week.

She spent several hours chasing it off after the initial kill but apparently it wasn't deterred enough to stay hone long.

The carrier probably had 2" wire and while it was enough to keep the bobcat out it allow it to reach in and grab one of the chickens at start eating it through the cage.

We began to build a makeshift enclosure for her ducks when the bobcat came back looking for the chicken.

A coop/enclosure can really be as simple or elaborate as you want.  For makeshift one below we used part of the fence as the back wall.  We used leftover wood, mesh, and hardware to start building the enclosure shown below.  The open side was later secured with hardware cloth.  We made a removable plywood roof for the top.  This "emergency coop" took about an hour or two to build.

Per my coop/chickens below is the normal sight I was talking about.  The chickens lineup by the door when they see me and ready to get out.  They also as I've mentioned wander back into the run at sunset and tuck themselves into the coop for the night.

The Ameracuna has been acting a little funny.  They're allegedly a quiet breed but it has been squawking a lot.  It then opens its mouth like it wants to squawk and sometimes nothing comes out.  Of course you read online that it might be gapeworms but its rare.  Other Ameracuna owners have reported it is normal.  Who knows. I've checked the coop for any signs of abnormal poop/worms and nothing.  So I'll have to wait and see.

I ended up adding mulch to the run to cover up the mesh on the floor and saved me from trying to rake up waste.  The rake was getting caught on the mesh.  This way I can churn the mulch and with enough depth it will turn to compost.  This was advice from a friend who keeps chickens as well.

I also added some additional pine shavings to the coop.  It didn't look like the chickens littered in the coop too badly.  A little surprising because I read that chickens do most of their business at night in their coop.

Lastly I screwed a 2x3 into place sideways and then screwed some branches to it.  The coop has a perch in it but I wanted to add something outside that simulated being in a tree.  We'll see if they use it.  The first few days they were sleeping on top of the coop and on the ground but quickly took to the coop.

They're still shy.  They will come right up to me and sort of follow me around the yard but will quickly flee if they feel like I'm getting close enough to touch them.

Day 7/8

Not much to report for Day 7 or 8.  Pretty typical.

I did put down 3 bags of mulch into the coop based on a fellow chicken keeper's advice.

Day 6

Chickens were still in the coop when I checked on them at 6:30a this morning.

Came home for lunch and was happy to see the Ameracuna had her voice back and the Wyandotte that had some mucus issues looked better; no mucus.

This evening let them out again and gave them some strawberry pieces.  So far I haven't found anything they go nuts over but they're interested and instantly go peck at whatever I throw out to them.

Except for the Ameracuna the Wyandottes and Barred Rock seem to have little issue with me standing or sitting within a foot of them.  They get a little flighty if I reach my hand out or crouch down.  The Barred Rock and the Wyandotte I can catch are calm once I get them picked up and cradled.

It is only a week in and I'm seeing progress so its just a matter of time.  They do line-up near the door when they see me knowing its time to go out and mostly wander back to the coop/run on their own at sunset.  And they seem to be using the coop more instead of laying in the dirt.  No eggs yet but I'm expecting in the next few weeks it will happen.

Day 5

Got home late about 20 min till sunset and the hens were in or near the coop and reluctant to leave until I threw out some strawberry pieces.

The Ameracuna came out for a bit and went back into the coop's nesting box.  The breed is very broody and I wonder if she will start laying soon.

The other three came out and I was able to handle two of them once I got them trapped in a corner of the coop.  I wanted to inspect the Wyandotte that had the mucus and the Barred Rock who has progressively gotten more docile.

The Wyandotte from what I could tell just has a little saliva or mucus.  It seemed to be ok otherwise.  Eyes still clear, no runny nose, and I checked her over for mites and didn't see any.  Also been checking the poop in the coop for worms or anything that looked off and no issue.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll get home at a more reasonable time and let them out of the coop a little longer.   I also normally work from home once a week which is a good opportunity to sit on the patio to keep half an eye on them while working.

The feed seems to go slowly but the 1 gallon waterer was down to about half.  I think a lot of it is evaporation in the 90+ degree heat.

Day 4

As expected the chickens were standing at the gate this evening ready to be let out.  I noticed the Ameracuna seemed to have a hoarse or raspy voice.  One of the Wyandottes had some clear mucus in its mouth and breathing with its mouth open slightly.

Reading online it was hard to get a clear answer what the issue was or if there was one at all.  I looked at the droppings in the cage and everything looked normal.  Both the chickens were eating, active, and eyes/noses looked clear.  I'm going to give it another day or two and see what happens.

I tried raisins today and the chickens seemed to peck at it a little more but that's no their thing either.  I'm going to try some green vegetables next.

The Barred Rock and Ameracuna wandered back to the run close to sunset but the Wyandottes took a little coaxing.  When I checked a little later in the evening all four were in the coop which was new.  Mostly only the Ameracuna has been going in there with any frequency.

Also speaking of the Ameracuna it didn't try to jump up in the tree today or look like it planned to escape.

Day 3

Let the chickens out after work.  Once I backed away from the run they started to come out slowly.  I also threw some stale bread out for them.  They were initially excited about it and then indifferent.

The idea from what I read was to give them small scraps and lead them closer to me as a way to get them comfortable.  Moving slowly helped as well but none of them wanted to be handled.  They did come very close to me without much hesitation tho.

In addition to bread I tried some piece of cheese which again was met with some initial excitement but that faded quickly.

The Ameracuna is quickly becoming my least favorite.  It flew the coop when I bought it and they had to clip its wings on one side.  Today it hopped into a lower branch of a tree a few times and kept looking up like it wanted to jump the fence.  Once I got close it hopped down.  I hear they calm down as they get older.  I really only got it to provide some different colored eggs which I thought my kid might find amusing.

One of the Wyandottes is bossy and pecks at the other chickens when it gets near where she is pecking. Her comb is bigger than the other Wyandotte and her feet don't have spots like the other one so I can tell her apart from the more docile one.  The Barred Rock has taken to the other Wyandotte and they normally stay close.

Ushering them back to the coop/run after about 2 hours was much quicker than the 1st and 2nd day.  They clearly wanted to stay out but its not safe at night unattended.  I suspect tomorrow they will be ready to get out and possibly waiting for me at the run gate.  Not sure how long until they'll be comfortable being handled (if ever) but proximity seems to be less of an issue.

I haven't had to refill the feeder (still half full) but I did replace the water because it was low.  Probably would have lasted a few more days but no biggie.

Day 2

Left the chickens in the coop most of the day and let them out in the evening.  They were initially hesitant to leave the coop but I walked away from it and they eventually wandered out.

They were still very shy and would run when you got close.  I had to pickup one of the Wyandottes and the Barred Rock to get them out of the coop.  The Wyandotte kept flapping its wings making it hard to handle but the Barred Rock handled it very well.

Herding them back to the coop took a while but eventually they all got in.  Just as the first time when I opened the coop they were reluctant to go back out with me by the door.

Chickens Day 1

Bought the chickens today from the local garden store.  The pullets were about $45/ea which is steep (pullets normally go for about $20) but I was there and ready to get my chickens.

I ended up with 2 Wyandottes, 1 Barred Rock, and 1 Ameracuna.  Originally I thought I wanted Buff Orphingtons but they were not available online or locally.

To be safe you should bring some boxes or pet carriers to load up the chickens.  A friend suggested they would have boxes there but they didn't so I had to improvise with a $20 pop-up leaf bag.  The chickens did ok for the short ride home (about 15 minutes) then I had to cover it with a moving blanket to carry the bag into the yard.

The chickens were very shy but I was able to coral them into the coop so they could get acclimated.

Supplies

Once the coop and run were assembled I wanted to make sure I had everything I needed to care for the chickens.  I decided to go with pullets that were close to laying rather than chicks.  Chicks require extra equipment and attention.

For about $50 I found what I needed at the farm store.

- Feeder

- Waterer

- Pine Shavings bag

- 40lb chicken feed

- 25lb chicken scratch

I later spent $10 on a trash can with a lid to store the food to deter rodents from entering my garage and getting into the feed.

Getting Started

My journey into backyard chickens started at childhood.  I had relatives with farms and barnyard animals.  I also attended a school that had barnyard animals as part of the environmental science program and was actively involved in helping to raise the chickens.  After elementary school decades passed and I didn't really give chickens another thought.

I started to look into chickens again about 4 years ago in conjunction with Square Foot Gardening, Aquaponics, and backyard gardens.  I started to grow concerned about the quality and safety of foods being mass produced.  Things from lettuce to eggs to peanut butter to ice cream have become recalls for E. coli, salmonella, listeria, etc.

The original plan was to use the chickens for eggs and compost their waste for fertilizing the garden. However, a quick online search and email to the city confirmed they didn't allow chickens.  That will be the first hurdle you (or anyone interested in chickens) will have to look at.  As silly as it sounds when I bought my next house part of the criteria was finding a "chicken friendly" area.

The next step was making sure I had a suitable coop setup.  The common rule is about 10sqft/chicken for the run plus 4sqft/chicken for the coop.  Originally, I planned to build the coop but I found one online for $166 after taxes and decided that was the better route in terms of time and money.  The cheapest coop with a run that looked like it would hold up was close to $400 and I thought I could build a suitable run for less than $150.

Ultimately as shown below I spent about $429 total (run was $263) excluding about $10 in paint for the coop which was just decorative.  I probably also would have saved myself a day or two of work building the run.

No tool assembly coop:$166

Run: $263

1/2" hardware cloth (75') - $138

2x3 Wood studs (about 18) - $36

Top soil (15 bags) - $24.00

Poultry Netting - $22.00

3/16 Washers - $20.00

Screws - $13.00

Door Hinges - $6

Barrel Lock - $4

Heavy Duty Staples (on hand)

Grand total: $429

If you decide to build a run here are some pointers...

The run below is 6'x8'x6'.

1. Almost everyone recommends using 1/2" hardware cloth.  Poultry netting holds chickens in but is apparently lousy at keeping predators out.

2. I used 3/16" washers and screws to secure the hardware cloth.  I also went back with heavy duty staples as well.

3. I used 3' poultry netting under the coop overlapping it about 6" each run and extended it 1' past the run on all sides.  This is to prevent predators from digging under to get into the coop.  I also added 15 bags of 40lb topsoil to cover the netting around and inside the coop.

Egg FAQ

You raise chickens!?  You must be crazy or a prepper? No (at least the voices say I'm not... kidding.) and no. I've been around farm animals my entire life because I have family members who farm.  I also helped raise chickens from chicks to pullets in elementary school and we sold the eggs to learn about business.  [I was on the "board" and we turned a profit.]

My resurgent interest occurred summer of 2015 when I found out What-A-Burger, an on-the-go favorite, was changing its breakfast hours over an egg shortage.  You get spoiled living in a country of abundance in a major city where these types of things are out of sight and mind.  I decided to "un-desensitize" myself and learn more about the egg shortage and the farming practices in general.

I didn't like what I read and decided to take the challenge on myself of raising chickens for eggs in addition to doing some urban farming.  I will say if I had to live on what I've produced so far... I'm really happy for the egg production because growing crops is hard!

What was the egg shortage about?  In the December of 2014 thru Summer 2015 the avian flu hit the Midwest,  with places like Iowa being hit the hardest.  Yes, your "farm fresh" eggs at the grocery store can travel a long way from home.  Numbers vary but 40-50 million chickens had to be euthanized.  In commercial egg production you can't take risks and treatment is expensive so egg producers are forced to kill sick and healthy birds alike to prevent the disease from spreading.

What conditions are mass production farm hens raised?  Hard to speak for all mass production farms in general they're not great.  I've read many hens spend about 95% of the time confined to a space smaller than a sheet of paper.  The quarters are tight leading to a high risk of unsanitary conditions.  Many are debeaked early on (Google it but you won't enjoy it) to prevent hurting other birds because confined spaces even make chickens angry.  And free range per USDA means access to the outdoors but doesn't specify the size, ground cover, or time in that area.  However, that label only applies to hens produced for food; not eggs.

What's the difference between a mass produced vs a home egg?  The USDA allows 30 days for a farmer to collect eggs and another 30 days to get it into stores.  There is conflicting information but my reading suggests a store egg is about 45 days old.

I've noticed that fresh egg shells tend to be harder to crack and the size to weight is higher because an egg shell is actually porous and will lose moisture over time.

The quality of feed and lifestyle of the hens could also contribute to a better coloration and taste of the eggs; see below.

So mass produced eggs are bad?  Overall, I wouldn't say that.  It is a tough business and some of the decisions a bigger farm has to make to be profitable are not the same decisions I (or others) have to make at home.

Why are the yolks so yellow almost orange?  The yolk color is a product of diet.  Higher corn and natural pigments cause this.  It has no impact on nutrition value or taste.

Why do home eggs taste better?  Like the yolk color the taste is a matter of diet.  Your home variety chickens should have a better quality of life and feed than a traditional egg production farm and thus a better final product.  And in theory the home eggs are fresher than the store eggs which as mentioned above could be pretty old by the time they reach you.

Telling a good egg from a bad egg?  I've tried this trick for a while and so far so good.  Submerge the eggs in a container of water.  If the egg floats then it has lost a lot of moisture and is bad.  If it sits on the bottom its good.  If it sits one end up then its older and should be used sooner than later.

If eggs are left our should you clean them?  You have to be careful.  Scrubbing the eggs can take off the protective coating.  Its better to lightly rinse them and only give them a good cleaning before you're ready to use them.

Are the eggs safe to eat?  Of course.  There are some conditions when a bird is sick you would want to discard the eggs while being treated but outside of that they're perfectly safe.  Use them like you would your store variety.

Do eggs have to be refrigerated? No but once you refrigerate them they need to stay refrigerated because the condensation can cause bacteria to form when they're sitting out.  Also, chickens don't lay eggs into refrigerators and have a body temp of around 103-113 and they sit on the eggs so... you do the math.

Here in the US, the USDA requires eggs to be sprayed and washed with a hot chemical sanitizer to reduce the risk of salmonella.  Once washed the USDA says they have to be moved to a cool room and hence form condensation on the outside and must stay refrigerated.

Interestingly in the UK they don't refrigerate eggs or require this type of washing.  This washes off some of the protective coating which in the UK mindset would actually cause a greater risk of salmonella getting inside the egg.  In the UK, they promote having a cleaner point of collection (IE the environment where the chickens live).  So in the UK, expect to see eggs out on a shelf.

Also worth nothing the laying house method is prevalent here in the US and is a lot less sanitary vs the free-range method more prevalent in the UK.

So is salmonella running rampant in the UK?  No.  Its probably actually less prevalent than in the US but I can't find any definitive statistics on the UK.  The US has about 140,000 incidents per year.

How are your hens raised?  Compared to many farms, my hens are at a 5 star resort.  They have unlimited access to clean water which I periodically add Bragg's Apple Cider vinegar to which is a natural remedy for most common problems.  They eat a complete feed and scratch that comes from a reputable family-owned mill in Kingston, OK,  I buy it from a small business owner, Mike, who owns the Rocking Y feed store in Dallas.  So these chickens even support the local/regional economy!

They have a secure open air cage with ample space but they are allowed to run around in the yard and get the occasional treats and appropriate table scraps.  Their coop and run bedding is deep bedded weekly.

The biggest testimony is they run to me when I go outside, they'll let me handle them, and their wings are not clipped but they stay here.  All in all, I'd say that's a pretty good deal.