Recent content by Don P

Got an Otter in my pond in Renton, Wa. Here is a pic of one eating a chicken, you can google it and see the whole video

Yes they will lay without nesting material especially if you have already trained them to those hutches. Otherwise if they free pasture they might find a fluffier spot. Roll outs work sometimes but I have hens that will sit on no eggs and no straw. They just brood for nothing. I also had an old...

I have tried soaking them with no success. I put them in a coop with only a roost and no where to sit. I put them on the roost so they know to go there. 3 days they always break. If I don't have an empty roost coop available to do that, I pull them out of the nest when I feed in the morning if...

so talking to your chickens is not a sign of senility?

It may just be my opinion but I like the egg door to be on the back side of the egg box and not the top. This way it can flop down out of your way so you are not holding it or having to hook it up and also the water rain etc stays out better. The hinge on the top opening ones tend to leak. If...

Granular zeolites are not easy to digest, but pulverized zeolite is another matter altogether... Statement of FACT: When you swallow zeolites, you are swallowing lead and aluminum. As I've stated in previous articles, I don't believe this is a concern when zeolites are granular and largely...

Good idea. As for the hole no need to make them round. I used a saber saw and cut slots as you can see in a few pics above on my slant models. They can eat out of both sides this way too if its not against a wall. Even an open rain gutter works.

They just need a quick rinse. But I soak then for a few minutes while I feed the hens then drain them. The key is getting them drained real well so they don't sit in water and ferment.

The fermented feed is the same amount, it just soaked with water. So feed the same amount. But only feed what they will eat in 1 hour of the wet feed because it is molding and will be bad for them. Put out dry feed for the rest of the day. they can only eat so much at one time and fill their...

You can choose to disagree on how you manage your animal husbandry, but some like to free range their animals or chickens and know the risks. Some people just keep a small flock and don't want or can't afford to keep an outdoor flock protecting dog. As coyotes make their rounds or other...

Stop giving them bread If they eat too much other food they don't get enough grain protein. Try to find them a fresh cracked real grain feed instead of pellets or crumbles which is grain by products bran and floor sweepings and screenings. Or give them more organic scratch and grit to be...

Lay them on the ground flat like a trough or slant them so the feed can slide down with a little shake and cut slots in them all the way down so many can eat out of each side. Then they can see all that is in there and don't kick it out playing slot machine to see what drops next that may be...

Make sure you add hard Granite grit free choice by their oyster shells. And yes the lousy pellets and crumbles are usually vacuumed up grain mill dust. Not much nutrition and can compact easily. Avoid GMO use only organic feed. Use whole grains sprouted or cracked grains for feed instead of...

I am sure in a previous post I have listed ingredient sin my insect repellant and killer essential oil formula. It will drive off the lice quickly as well as mites and fleas and others insects even termites. And keep them away as well and is totally safe. You can't smother them all with coconut...