Recent content by MarkButcher

My goodness, putting on the Ritz there!

So... 8ve got a couple squirrels playing around in my fairly big chicken yard for the last couple days. I'm guilty of encouraging them, I must admit, with some peanut cashes I've left out there for them. So anyways, anybody have some pros or cons on that deal going on in my chicken yard?

And by the way, almost creating a sub topic here, as far as "backyards" go, and I'm definitely a backyard hobbyist, it seems to me that a rabbitry of whatever is the appropriate size for a person's backyard, would make an excellent addition in their backyards to people like me, who have some...

I'm not so interested in them flying poorly and crashing around, as much as I'm interested in them not flying at all :)

I've found that at least one wing clipping (both wings), ends up being nessesary when they're young, and maybe again later when those feathers have grown back, for my set up. When they're younger, they seem to enjoy their flight abilities and will use them, but once they're mature, and been...

I'm with you on the rabbits, to whatever extent some feel the need to go on those. Better meat for you then any other source including chicken, 1/2 the costs and grow time, and an animal that's super easy to work with. I'm just in the process of putting all the pieces together for a small...

I like the question you pose JohnDeerGirl. I think essentially you're asking "is there a non hybrid meat chicken available that can give me something close to the same fast gain as a hybrid?". Time and cost being the reality, I think you're going to have to make the choice of one or the...

Count your blessings that your rooster and flock will go after mice and rats scurrying around!

So, what happens? You might loose a few birds, in some rare instanses, it might ravage a flock here or there? Serious questions, and I don't mean to sound flip. Are my eggs still safe to eat? Does 95% of my flock soldier through the deal with a few sneezes, some runny eyes, maybe some more...

Looks like you've got the makings of a good chicken yard going there, once you've got your outside chickenwire/whatever all in place! Your chicks sound maybe a little young yet for placing there, but as someone else replied, with the total amount of chickens you have, it looks like you've got...

If your like thousands of us who're raising your backyard flock as a hobby, having a well planned and balanced flock is an essential ingredient to be desired and planned for.. You might very well not be into killing or butchering your extra roosters, like a lot of us, and trust me, getting rid...

2 small bits of advise for those who've recently started their backyard flocks. 1) day old chicks aren't as robust as 4 or 5 day old bigger chicks, if you have a choice, and you'll have better luck with even a few days extra start on them. 2) Don't just let the clerk sweep up the individual...

Your impending hen/rooster ratio seems completely reasonable, to me. Until your younger rooster reaches complete maturity tho, you'll have to endure a level of pandemonium he'll create within your flock, until he learns to control his hormones and act in a gentlemanly fashion. Both with your...

If you're want predominantly fertilized eggs, 1 rooster for 24 hens is a tall order, imo.