We free ranged ours for a good six months before we lost half our flock to a large pack of coyotoes. It was devastating so we got an electric fence. However; getting chickens to go into the fenced area was worse than trying to herd cats. So now I am building a tunnel from the side of the coop...
I am glad to see someone else uses an aquarium heater. I put a small aquarium heater in a half full 5 gallon bucket. I only turn it on when the Temps drop low enough to freeze the water. The water in the bucket is a little warm, but the chickens don't seem to mind.
Had my first day of snow...
Next question since I am pretty sure this is a rooster, and it explains a lot of very pushy behavior. How do you go about getting rid of a 10 week old rooster???
It may be travel stress. Go to Tractor Supply or your local feed store and buy the smallest bottle of Bovidr Labs Poultry Nutri Drench. Give the chick one drop only by mouth. Repeat as needed every 8-10 hours until perky. Put it in their water until the water looks like very weak tea. For the...
Lost one of the tiny Buffs. Not sure the other one will make it. Got two with failure to thrive I guess. Murry McMurray only warranties for 48 hours, but I am still going to inform them they have a problem with the Buffs.
Got sixteen chicks. They are all growing like weeds. All except for the two Buff Ophingtons. They eat and drink. They don't chirp unhappily. Though I did notice their crops don't seem to be swelled up like the rest of them. They are about 2 weeks old. Any thoughts on this??????
The only one named of my sixteen is a RIR. It just rolled out of my mouth. Rooster Roo. At just a week he is already guarding his hens. He's a real trip.
Came home for lunch. They seem fine now. They spread their little baby wings when I dried them off with the hair dryer. What a relief they are all ok!!!!!
Got my chicks yesterday morning. All healthy, eating drinking, making chickie messes. This morning went down to clean them up and about half of the 16 are wet and sort of listless. Not sure what's up? Any ideas. Have MHP set up. Put the food closer to it so they could maybe eat, dry off and...