Crit, the problem with chicken wire is that it just isn't strong enough to do anything but keep the chickens inside. Even 'possums tear thru it, and raccoons hardly seem to notice it as they rip it apart.
Chicken wire laid down will tend to stop digging, but when it's used as walls, it's not very effective.
I'm not sure what barb wire will stop, but maybe you have different issues. Hot wire may deter climbers, but I've never used it.
If you have no local predators, you may be fine. I didn't think there was anywhere raccoons hadn't found, but maybe you are in such a fortunate area...
Good luck, I hope they start laying soon:)
Deadly Preditor
I was just wondering if chicken wire rots and rusts underground.
I'm sure it would here!
After about five years it does seem to. I think it depends on the chicken wire and the soil. We just replaced a section of our ground chicken wire. I should say that out coop itself consists of 2 x 4 inch galvanized mesh fencing. Then about 12" of chicken wire around the bottom vertically and another 12 - 24" laid on the ground around the bottom and hammered in with landscaping stakes. We've had the neighbors' Great Danes and Sharpeis (sp?) over trying to break in with no luck so far. Also various critters. Only the snakes have made it in.
Yes, at least in FL and SC. Actually more like 2 years before it begins to weaken.
Two of my 3 hens have started laying regularly. One day I found 3 eggs and thought the 3rd one was getting started. That was the only day, so either one laid 2 eggs or the 3rd hen is getting warmed up. lol It's been several days and so far no more 3 eggs. She'd better get to laying or she is gone. Not gonna feed her if she isn't going to lay eggs. She's a Cinnamon Queen and should be about 8 or 9 months old, if the guy I got her from was right about her age.
I have a question regarding the eggs and maybe and idea how to fix it. The eggs have lovely high standing dark yellow yolks, but the whites are pretty runny. Is there anything I can do to thicken up the whites or is it just what it is?
Now that the hen house is done, I may start adding some layers 2 or 3 at a time so I can watch for pecking and also determine that they are indeed laying. Don't really want to wait until spring to start adding more hens.
The whites might be less runny if you let them age a few days before you use them. Store-bought eggs are probably about a month old.
Thanks for the info!
What is a Cinnamon Queen? Sounds pretty!
They are a sex-linked cross breed: Silver wyandotte X New hampshire Red. The pullets are red/yellow with white edges, early maturing, brown egg layers.
early maturing???? hmmmmm.....and she is the one not laying yet. I saw her up in a nest next to a nest a layer was in, but, alas, no egg!!!!
Crit, are you supplementing light? This time of year many hens need extra light to trigger laying. I don't do it, I figure they need some down time. Then again, I don't have issues with feeding them when they aren't "producing", mine are somewhat pets as well as egg layers. If you need to make them pay, then you should probably cull those who don't ay regularly in whatever conditions you offer.
Unless you add light, you may find that newly added layers won't lay. The stress of moving often stops them, and without the long "daylight" they're less likely to restart. If you run into that, you may just find yourself buying and then culling when they don't produce.
At least around here, laying hens aren't cheap.
I looked them up on the internet. Very pretty!
I remodeled my barn and the hens either quit laying or hid their eggs for weeks! However I do think that a production breed like the Cinnamon Queen ought to have been producing weeks ago.
My hens stop laying for a day or two every time I clean out their coop. But not weeks! I know that my Brahmas start laying late compaired to other varieties, maybe Cinnamon Queens too?
Usually when they call a breed "early maturing" they mean it lays at a younger than average age...
Ah, well! I was trying to find and excuse for her.....
Yes catmad. I am supplementing light for them. I have added about 2 1/2 hours in the morning and about 3 hours at night. That gives them light from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Now I have another question. At what air temperature should I start adding heat? The pen is still just chicken wire as the days are warm. Going to be 86 Friday, but have had light bulbs on them the last 3 nights as we were at the freezing mark. I know they need to be kept warm to keep producing also. I plan on getting some heat lamps for winter time.
Crit, what they say is, that the chickens need protection from wind. They can usually handle low temps, but not wind. They need some type of shelter.