Chickenology

So, I just found out what a muffed chicken is, having noticed it said my Salmon Faverolles are muffed. It like a beard.



These are the breed the owner of the hatchery suggested, I think I'm going to like these birds. Think I'm going to call to see if they can still add in a Salmon Faverolles cockerel to my order in case I want to raise some purebreds. I had ordered a Welsummer cockerel but if they're as wild and crazy like Reynolds says this would be more to my liking. Good looking birds too!

 

I got mine from Strombergs, they don't have some of the options that yours do but have quite a few more breeds to choose from.

I made a 4' x 4' melamine box and going to get a thermometer tomorrow to find out if I'll need a heat source but will probably go with a highly recommended "brood plate heater" like this should I decide I might need one:

I hear they are much less of a fire danger and the lamps are notorious at falling into the box and starting fires and my chicks are going to be in my woodworking shop although it sounds like a pretty good way to a broom handle through the hole to prevent that.

Amazon delivered the "No-drown waterer" bottoms today that will fit my jars. Looks like yours only screws onto a quart size jar thread.

 

Your rooster sounds like a savage. That is a lot of chickens, what do you do with all the eggs?

 

So, I was thinking about what if I forgot to turn off the evaporative coolers in the shop at night, or sudden whether change with a monsoon storm, the reality of keeping an ideal temp and not being prepared should a problem arise and decided to pull the level at Amazon on a RentACoop Heating Plate Kit:


Delivered in 1 day ...worth the $85 for peace of mind. Although if the wife finds out all I've spent on my chickens and sheep in past several weeks I may be sleeping next to them...

 

Checking into nesting boxes I came across these which definitely started the wheels turning.


Roll Out Nest Boxes-Chicken Nesting Boxes

Pros:
1. Clean eggs, - I'm all about low maintenance these days. Washing eggs sounds like a bummer and this method sounds really good!
2. Easy to clean nest boxes.
3. Was figuring building a 12' run of nesting boxes, the width of my coop, with openings to the outside of coop with 2 or 3 lids and a rough estimate of $150 for materials, maybe more and probably a day's work to get it all figured out, custom looking and finished.
4. 1 x 48" BestNestBox would do the job and cost $200 + $45 shipping. Quick install. I'd be willing to spend an extra $95 over materials costs to save myself a long day's work.

Cons:
Only one I can think of: Hens would not be inclined to brood and if I wanted to raise a batch of chick I'd have to provide another type of nesting box setup also.

Then, decided to look on Youtube and see if people were building "roll away nesting boxes" and was inspired to build my own. Not bragging but just saying those on Youtube aren't in my league being I have a 2,000sf custom working shop and quickly came up with a design plan that I could mill out an all wood nesting box similar to the commercial type out of 3/4 plywood in probably about an hour.

Ever heard of these?

 

My chicks came in today. They seemed a bit weak, especially a few of my Buff Rocks but they've livened up and running all over. A fly flew in there and and they looked boiling water, turn it into free chicken feed in seconds.

 

No casualties after 2 days. Sometimes I check on them and see them flattened out in weird positions on the ground and think, oh no some have died, but then they wake up.

This is easier than I imagined and the chicks seem very happy, they remind me of children just released on an Easter egg hunt. They love their heat plate like it's their mother. I think I made some good choices, they are pretty cute, but I'm thinking some ugly stages are ahead.

The Buff Rocks which were half dead when they came now seem to be rowdiest in the bunch. Their transformation from calm fluff balls into savage predators running, jumping and diving for the kill when a fly goes into their box cracks me up!

 

Well, something is taking my eggs! I was getting 7 to 11 eggs a day and sometimes a few less with the heat recently but in the last 7 days I've gotten only 3 eggs and those were in my roll-away nest box.

At first I thought it was the heat but odd that they all stopped laying at the same time. Then I thought maybe the chickens were eating them, but no residue.

To check if the eggs were actually being taken rather than not being laid I put one out in their favorite place to lay under the coop and the next day it was gone.

I saw a big owl on the fence but I don't really think it could work its way around and carry them all off.

We have snakes but it would have to be one hungry and smart snake, especially to keep coming back.

I've seen a few different species of rats around, but that seems like a lot of work for a rat.

My pen is bordered with either 2 x 2 chain link or 2 x 4 squared wire and has concrete under it and I see no digging under it anywhere. So whatever is coming in has to be small and apparently is coming through the wire.

I'll post a couple of old pictures of the coop and area before it was completed.

 

I ordered a game camera. Not bad, only $65 for highly rated camera and download attachments. This should be interesting. First step, find out what I'm dealing with...

Could also be a raven, lots of video of egg stealing ravens or perhaps a skunk.