Recent content by bj taylor

I've had two girls do something similar. the first became terrified of the two roosters as they got old enough to exert their dominance. she used to be the top girl & suddenly became the last one on the totem pole. she would hug the fence & pace wanting to escape those two roosters. then...

I know next to nothing about coping w/bears. it sounds like you're in a tough spot. I was thinking that since they are animals very dependent on their sense of smell, to set up a hot pepper bomb close to, or attached to the coop. rig it up in such a way that they trigger the pepper bomb all...

i don't know metric so not much help there right off the bat. in my case, i have quite a few more chickens than typical space is called for. my chickens free range so the coop is strictly for sleeping & laying eggs. the more room you can provide the better. there will always be bullies &...

the last week the door has been off line. opens when it wants, closes when it wants. chickens locked in, chickens locked out. what a mess! i could NOT get it to re-program. finally called the manufacturer & he talked me through my problems. i hadn't lubricated the pin at the bottom. duh...

a terrible thing to have happen! in my opinion, if you have the heart to start over, I think you have to mentally prepare yourself to only have what you can guard. that's the way of life I think. if it were me, I would cultivate the reputation of being a dog killer of any dogs that came on...

I have the luxury of a couple of acres fenced so goats can't get out. the openings are too small for chickens to pass through. I had the chickens in the back yard for a long time, but as the flock grew, so did the mess. I was so thrilled to be able to move them out into the woods. I never...

I would put him back in with the rest as soon as you see the wounds are closed over. isolation stresses them and depresses them - a recipe for problems. in the mean time try a hen that can stand up to him for keeping company - maybe she won't be too abused. maybe even cycle different hens...

a couple of mine are molting now too. one in particular looks so scruffy. this is my first molt too. I suspect it will take awhile to regrow those feathers. my egg count fluctuates quite a bit. the numbers are definitely down. winter's coming & they need to pack on some weight to stave off...

it's very terrible when dogs like this have to be put down - but i'm with you 100%. no other choice. next time it could have been one of your children. dogs that run like that are very dangerous & won't stop voluntarily. sure sorry about your dog and your meaties. awful

I wasn't keeping exact track of time, but my buff orp mama kept her kids with her for a couple of months at least. they were nearly as big as she before she began pushing them off. she was the best mom ever. however, she did have it easier than most - she just had two to keep up with.

you have had wonderful success. I too wanted to learn how to better provide for my family & myself. i'm 58 & have had chickens for only a year now. I need to process some birds. hubby has no interest in doing it here at home & wants to take them to a processor. I may just get out there & do...

I haven't had to cull any yet, but I will. I have my birds for eggs and meat. I think they have the best life a chicken could have. they have a supremely safe coop at night and are free to roam all day. that's the way I like it. one of the ones I will be culling is a girl I've had from the...

they look perfectly fine to me. I wouldn't worry about their health either. unless they show signs of problems they will probably be ok. I've had chickens only 1 1/2 yr now. they're free range. the only medication they've gotten has been their medicated chick starter. all animals will have...

what a great thread & posts. i'm going to have to do some birds soon. I've never done any before & I will be doing it by myself also. I will be doing one bird initially & having to get water up to the right temp & doing the eviscerating is daunting when just the kill will be hard enough...

after processing, what weight should my birds be approximately? they are free range. free choice flock raiser, once a day scratch thrown out. breeds include: silver laced w. , Delaware, black australorp, and buff orpington. I think they may be small. I see no sign of worms in their stool &...