Recent content by BekkiH

We currently have a coop with a covered run for our 12 chickens. I was hoping to free-range them part time, under supervision. But on day 2 of supervised free ranging, a brave fox still managed to nab one of my girls. The hens were foraging near the coop, which is near the woods in our back...

Thanks, everyone! I will check in to these. I realize that it won't be 100% predator proof, but I want to section off a fairly large area. Too large to cover. I just need something a little bit safer than free-ranging, while still letting the girls get some space and some grass.

I'm looking for some kind of chicken fencing to close off a large around around my coop. The run that is attached to the coop is too small for the number of chickens that I plan on having. I also want them to have access to fresh grass and bugs, without the hazards of free-ranging. I've seen...

Thanks! I will see about fencing and traps. What so you do with then once they're trapped? If they're not afraid of humans, should I be worried about my kids playing outside alone? They're 5 and 3.5, and play outside by themselves a lot. But I've seen this fox around a lot lately. Usually...

I just watched one of my girls get mauled by a fox. The hens have been hanging out right on our front porch - this fox is not afraid of coming that close. I've seen it hanging out around the coop after I lock them up. I'm sure this won't be the last time he comes back. So besides never...

So, my broody sat on a bunch of eggs, and three of them hatched on Tuesday and into Wednesday. They're all doing great - last I checked, she was teaching them how to take a dirt bath :) I checked the egg boxes before going inside, and noticed that one of the unhatched eggs is peeping, and has...

Thanks! I ended up putting a small chick waterer right in the box with them. The sides are high, and I just don't see how the chicks would be able to get out on their own. Luckily, the box is also kind of big. I was able to fit the waterer in the corner, where mama can drink, too. I threw...

One of my hens went broody, so I got some fertile eggs from a friend and stuck them under her. I tried to move her into the grow-out coop, so she could have some privacy, but she was not having that one bit. She's spent the entire 3 weeks in the big coop. None of the other chickens have...

That could be it! There is plenty of grass around, but they seem to stay in the woods by the coop. Silly chickens...

My hens free-range, and spend virtually all day eating bugs (they LOVE to forage in the woods), and whatever other things they find around the property. They are also provided with layer feed, but they don't eat much of it. Any time I ever bought truly free range eggs (or got some from FIL)...

Thanks! It hasn't been very warm out. Got up to 80 one day, but all these eggs were laid in the woods, anyway. I put them all in a pot of water, and they all sank to the bottom. So I'm guessing they're all good! :)

I figured out about a week ago or so that one of my RIR's was hiding eggs. Well, I guessed that she ands two others were because they had gone SEVERAL days without laying anything in the nesting boxes, and that just seemed strange. I kept them all locked up for about 3 days, and sure enough...

I have nine hens, and until this afternoon, I had one rooster - Mr. Bossypants. He wasn't very chivalrous - he would bowl the girls out of the way for food and treats. We had to decide to have him culled, because he attacked me not once, but three times. Once, he drew blood. It got to the...

Hi Celeste!!! :) He's doing OK, I think. He definitely ate some, and can make his way to the water dish on his own. He doesn't hop around very much, just stays in one place and cries. I had to leave for a while, and came home to find that he had managed to get himself stuck in the side of...

"Lucky" hatched the morning of April 27, along with four other chicks. Once they were all dry and fluffy, I moved them into the brooder in the basement. All the chicks are doing fine, but Lucky now has a spraddle leg. I took him out, and tried the Bandaid trick, which worked pretty well...