Comments on: Backyard Chickens: All Cooped Up

By: magilmer

magilmer — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 15:38:14 +0000

In reply to Carlene. I just started my chick adventure, coop 100% made of recycled material except the chicken wire (total cost of mine $25.00 plus 1 hinge). My friend suggested that I make curtains for the nesting boxes because they like to be secluded. I've made some curtains for my brooder, now to the coop!

By: Doni

Doni — Fri, 25 Oct 2013 20:16:07 +0000

Hi Melissa! I just found your page– Enjoy all the pics and story. and we do have chickens now! I bought a great book, ” Barnyard in your back yard”—before we bought teen age hens at the nursery here in town. Each spring you can buy either chicks or hens. I didn’t have a place, or the patience for chicks. But the hens are great. In cold weather, just put a light in the coop—not too close to the roost, or it will be too hot for them. If you don’t want to go to the expense of electricity in the coop, a battery powered bulb will do. We put ceramic eggs in the nests, so they knew where to put the eggs when they started laying. It worked! –Suggest you go to the library and get a couple of books–Great evening reading!

By: Melissa

Melissa — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 20:07:13 +0000

In reply to Carlene.

SUCH good advice! We moved this year to my husband’s hometown and we have the hens on an acre lot with our garden. I’m so scared to let them free-range much because I don’t think I’d EVER find the eggs on such a big and over grown lot 🙂 Silly birds… Thanks for the great comment.

By: Carlene

Carlene — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 18:13:48 +0000

Hi Melissa; New to your blog. So far, I’ve read only about your chicken adventures as well as your precious kids. You make it sound so fun!! As for as you having trouble getting them to lay in the great hen house that you built. Great job, btw!! ☺ Maybe, take a tip from your first layer- regarding where you found your first egg “under” the sticks in the yard. It’s been my experience, they require more of an enclosure where it’s dark, secluded and shaded. You may consider enclosing the entrance to the nesting boxes (more privacy;-) with lots and lots hay. I’m no expert, I’m just passing on info I’ve observed growing up in the south. Visiting the country where everybody and his brother has chickens. Also, lately I’ve found YouTube has great vids and tons of info. I’m too have been bitten by the “wanting” my own chickens bug. 😉

By: Melissa

Melissa — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 04:07:30 +0000

In reply to Rob and Marseille. I know they eat quite a few bug, and I have watched them enjoys lots. Black widows like it dark and secluded and I often find them in the wood pile, so I bet the chickens didn't eat them because they don't hunt *that* hard for food since I feed them all of our delicious scraps :) I bet they would if one was out and caught their eye though.

By: Rob and Marseille

Rob and Marseille — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 00:09:59 +0000

i heard chickens eat spiders…is that true? did they eat your black widows? i hope so!

By: Heather

Heather — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 15:00:25 +0000

Thanks for the update on the ladies. I am sure they are just nervous to lay in such a fine establishment such as your fancy coop. Come winter, they might change their mind.

By: Lizzy Do

Lizzy Do — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 23:14:00 +0000

I love that you have chickens!! Fresh eggs at your disposal…how marvelous! Funny about your chicken’s behavior…at least you know their two favorite laying spots 🙂

By: Cami @ You Seriously Made That

Cami @ You Seriously Made That — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 19:35:50 +0000

In my life, I will probably never own chickens… Heck, we may never even own a dog. That being said, I LOVE your chicken posts. It’s fun to read about something new to you 🙂 I may never need to know how to bake egg shells, but it’s kind of fun having the knowledge 🙂

By: BeccaMarie

BeccaMarie — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 19:26:24 +0000

I love your chicken posts! I would love more! We’ve been wanting chickens for a long time and reading these just gets me more and more excited 🙂