T Melville learns how (not?) to raise chickens on a budget.

Got the next wave of my flock of (to be) landrace chickens. They were meant to be two pullets each of Silver Laced Wyandottes, Barred Plymouth Rocks and Americaunas. They won't have the Wyandottes until next month, for some reason, so they let me have three pullets each of Barred Plymouth Rocks and Americaunas for the same price. Only saved me a few bucks, but the Wyandottes were the cheapest breed on the site, so I'm happy.

New Chicks

Got 'em home and realized I forgot to get chick starter. Didn't know if I could get back to town today, so I got a cup of layer crumbles and wet them down. Added yeast and mixed that in. Boiled an egg and mashed it fine, sprinkled it on top. Last I looked, they'd eaten most of the egg, not too much feed. I did get back to town, so the very next feeding will be chick starter. I read that the higher calcium in layer feed isn't good for them, but I'm hoping one meal won't hurt 'em. Also the chick feed is higher protein, and better for their growth.

First Meal

New Chicks 2

As seems to be my usual, I have chickens in my brooder that are ready to move out. I've been waiting for frost danger to be past, and it pretty much is, so hopefully they'll go outside soon. In the mean time, they've developed a habit of needing to be "fed" about 4 times a day. Why the quotes? Because they usually still have food, but they can't find it due to the wood chips they've covered it with. So I took an old cutting board that got partially melted on the stove and melted it more, into a trough that can sit on the floor or be hung, which I've done now. Just installed last night, but so far it's stayed pretty clean. I was surprised at how long it took them to find out they'd BEEN fed and quit trying to jump out and find food. Two had found it and were trying to eat out of it, but the others kept landing on them. The dominant bird jumped over it at least twice while nobody was eating from it, and still took almost a minute to find the food while I held her right next to it.

My brooder chicks at the trough

If anyone asks, my son made it in second grade art

Hanging trough

You had plans for a chicken tractor. Did you complete the build? If not, you may've been robbed. Be careful out there & please consider the plan once more. If it's any inspiration I made a terrible chicken tractor back in the day. It was horrible. Anyone can do better than that. Just a bunch of free 2x4s and welded fencing wire slapped together in no time. Kept the birds safe and sound. God must've granted me a miracle to make that possible. I hope you'll do better.

The next question is, do you feed your chicks active yeast? Having eaten active yeast myself I'd have to know the birds don't get the same reaction (i.e. internal & active co2 production).

Jonathan Ezell wrote:You had plans for a chicken tractor. Did you complete the build?

Not yet. I did finally figure out some of what was holding me back and bought the hardware cloth I'll need. Now I'm waiting for a day without too much rain when I have some time. It's already two arched cattle panels in a 2 x 4 frame. I figure I'll take the hardware cloth and line the inside. Run it horizontally, staple to the wood, zip tie to the panels. I think connecting it across the ends, if I make it tight with the panels plumb, will stop 'em floppin' around. I'll have to figure out a door and a couple of jambs, shouldn't be too tough.

Jonathan Ezell wrote:...do you feed your chicks active yeast?

I put in about a teaspoon of bread machine yeast once. I'm sure it's offspring are still in the bowl and trough and working their way into each batch, if the local wild microbes haven't outcompeted them. I don't add it anymore. Saves money and yeast, and keeps me from giving them more than the natural amount that grows on it's own. It was just to inoculate with something that could be fermentation adjacent.

So I continued to procrastinate more than I worked on that tractor. Even when I had to start collecting eggs from the brooder. A kid from church was looking for odd jobs, so he finished skinning it. I spent a day going over it, "sowing" the seams together with electric fence wire. When I got done, I don't think a bluejay could've gotten in. I moved 'em in.

The next day, my son gets my attention after work and says the chickens all appear to be dead. We both overlooked a vulnerability: the bottom of the gate could be bent up enough for a small predator to enter. One hen was alive but wouldn't stand. We figured she wouldn't last, but wanted to let her try, so we moved the old too small chicken tractor against the door to block it.

Later in the day I heard barking, so I quietly went to the door and watched. (The neighbor dogs come over, but they don't trust us, so they stay away from us and eventually go home if they know we're around.) As I watched, a small one of unknown (to me) breed, built kinda like a dachshund but fluffier, came and circled the tractor for five to ten minutes, and seemed to me to pay extra attention to the area where we blocked access to the door. I think I've found my culprit.

The hen we were still trying to protect died around dark. Final count: 9 dead, 2 missing. The 2 were probably drug off, but it's possible they got away and hid in a tree or in the bamboo. No known survivors.

My plan isn't completely formed, but I think it will involve stiffening the door. Motion lights mounted on the tractor? I think it will involve a goose and one chicken, probably a hen to keep it company. Small investment until I have more confidence in my tractor.

I have a few questions I'd like opinions on. Do I want to keep something in the tractor the dogs will want, so they help me with testing? Or does that just reinforce a habit that needs to be broken? Should I get my goose and chicken right away, or wait until spring? (First frost here is Halloween, give or take a week or two.)

Sorry for your loss. Hopefully the two missing are just hiding somewhere. It is sad to lose almost the entire flock you cared for. Was there a roo in the pack? Usually roosters will make very loud noises even though can't fight off the predators. If you happen to be home you may be able to hear the alarm and take quick action.