Obscure Scribe » City chickens http://obscribe.com A lot of Everything and a little bit of Nothing Tue, 05 Jan 2010 07:21:48 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Cold weather chicken care http://obscribe.com/city-chickens/cold-weather-chicken-care http://obscribe.com/city-chickens/cold-weather-chicken-care#comments Wed, 17 Dec 2008 07:32:48 +0000 The Scribe http://obscribe.com/?p=89 I have done some reading on cold weather chicken care due to the recent Seattle “Arctic Blast 2008″

1.Putting a thick layer of loose hay or straw in their pen and scattering a light feeding of grain in the morning and a heavy feeding of grain in the afternoon. This hay helps to keep the coop [...]]]> I have done some reading on cold weather chicken care due to the recent Seattle “Arctic Blast 2008″

1.Putting a thick layer of loose hay or straw in their pen and scattering a light feeding of grain in the morning and a heavy feeding of grain in the afternoon. This hay helps to keep the coop less drafty, my coop is hardware cloth on the bottom to let the chicken dropping drop out and increase ventilation.

2. Cold snaps reduce egg production but the birds remain healthy and active. Egg production can be maintained if the hens can be convinced to eat enough to cover both their need for warmth and egg production. Feeding wet mash can help to maintain egg production. Although I havent noticed a drop in egg production yet, so im not too concerned.

3. Use 10 qt. galvanized buckets as waterers. Fill them with warm water and take them out to the hens. Frozen water has been the biggest issue for me in seattle cold snaps. The normal waterer in the run doesnt have very much volume and freezes very quickly even with warm water.

]]> http://obscribe.com/city-chickens/cold-weather-chicken-care/feed 0 The Chickens are in the Coop http://obscribe.com/yard/the-chickens-are-in-the-coop http://obscribe.com/yard/the-chickens-are-in-the-coop#comments Mon, 16 Jun 2008 03:59:08 +0000 The Scribe http://obscribe.com/?p=40 They have been evicted from my office and are now in the coop. Juicy, Patty and Muchacho have a new home.

Made from parts of my old fence, some chicken wire, tomato cage wire, 2×4′s, and cedar posts.

They seem to like it

Bookmark to ]]> They have been evicted from my office and are now in the coop. Juicy, Patty and Muchacho have a new home.

chickens 009smchickens 017sm2chickens 017sm

Made from parts of my old fence, some chicken wire, tomato cage wire, 2×4′s, and cedar posts.

They seem to like it

]]> http://obscribe.com/yard/the-chickens-are-in-the-coop/feed 1 Chickens R the Dum http://obscribe.com/city-chickens/chickens-r-the-dum http://obscribe.com/city-chickens/chickens-r-the-dum#comments Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:13:58 +0000 The Scribe http://obscribe.com/?p=36 I didn’t know what to expect when I bought the baby chickens. But man o man are they dumb.

I fill up the feeder and within 30 minutes it has been rapidly emptied. At first I thought boy they are hungry, then I noticed it all mixed into the shavings in the bin. They prefer to [...]]]> I didn’t know what to expect when I bought the baby chickens. But man o man are they dumb.

  • I fill up the feeder and within 30 minutes it has been rapidly emptied. At first I thought boy they are hungry, then I noticed it all mixed into the shavings in the bin. They prefer to eat it off the floor I guess.
  • I fill up the watering thing, they mix the wood shavings in with the water, I guess it tastes better that way.
  • Both of these sustenance devices need to be elevated on a platform above the bin floor or it even deteriorates into a worse mess than I describe above.

Its hard to understand how a bird like this could continue to exist. Is it our domestication of it? Are wild chickens more intelligent?

chickens 005chickens 001chickens 008sm

They have gotten bigger the third photo was just taken tonight.

]]> http://obscribe.com/city-chickens/chickens-r-the-dum/feed 0 City Chickens http://obscribe.com/city-chickens/city-chickens http://obscribe.com/city-chickens/city-chickens#comments Thu, 22 May 2008 03:29:42 +0000 The Scribe http://obscribe.com/?p=26 Lately I have been on a vermicomposting and yard work binge.

Last night the wife said “next thing you know you will be raising chickens back there”

So I looked up the Seattle city municipal code for raising chickens

Domestic Fowl. Up to three (3) domestic fowl may be kept on any lot in addition to the [...]]]> Lately I have been on a vermicomposting and yard work binge.

Last night the wife said “next thing you know you will be raising chickens back there”

chickens 005chickens 001chickens 008sm

So I looked up the Seattle city municipal code for raising chickens

Domestic Fowl. Up to three (3) domestic fowl may be kept on any lot in addition to the small animals permitted in subsection A. For each one thousand (1,000) square feet of lot area in excess of the minimum lot area required for the zone or, if there is no minimum lot area, for each one thousand (1,000) square feet of lot area in excess of five thousand (5,000) square feet, one (1) additional domestic fowl may be kept.

Today I went to the feed store and bought chicks, we now have chicks. Three varieties

For a few months they will live in the basement office in a bin under a heat lamp, then I will have built a coop, Then they will inhabit the back yard. Mmmm eggs

Lots of resources out there:

]]> http://obscribe.com/city-chickens/city-chickens/feed 3