Recent content by MnMPoultry

Go ahead and put me on the waiting list right now! :)

That's a real nice pea comb there.

So, yea, gonna pass on those for about 10 years. lol

So, apparently I need to find an Ayam Cemani pair/trio/quad... Any local leads for me?

@RedRidge Thanks for the helpful input. I honestly expect losses out here, I just want to do everything in my power to prevent them outside of replacing everything here with fortresses. :)

@RedRidge Uncovered pens, but no aerial danger. We have turkey vultures/buzzards but I've never seen one show an interest in anything alive in the 30 years I've lived out here. Main concerns are coon, fox, random dogs, possibly cats, and the occasional 'yote that ventures out of the woods but...

Not ill-effects from using food coloring to dye a Silkie. Melanie does it frequently and it eventually just fades away. Our poor little white roo even got the extra Easter egg dye dumped on it. :D Besides, if you can food color a vent to track eggs, why would it hurt them externally?

Very very helpful and informative post! Now, with all that info, maybe I'm not specifically looking for an LGD. I want my poultry guarded, but the dogs will be outside of the chicken areas. There will be a large fenced buffer zone which I'be been referring to as a doggie moat... Basically a...

Anyone know of any LGD breeders around Indiana? I'm aiming to have one in the main coop and yard and one in a pen surrounding the new breeding pens.

If you ate talking about the nest boxes where the egg rolls into an out of reach compartment, I'm about to make a few for myself because some of my ISAs like to bust open eggs and it turns into a free for all on the broken ones. I can post pics and stuff when done and may be willing to make some...

They lay really well, as long as they aren't going broody. I've always got 3-4 trying sit on invisible eggs. They have pretty meaty chests too, so mmm mmm good.

I would say in general, especially if you want true to breed chickens, bred to the Standard, you want to make sure the person you are getting eggs, chicks, etc. from is doing their job at culling out defects and mating to breed forward good characteristics. Case in point, I know some people...

You might have a rough time finding eggs this time of year. Most breeders seem to stop penning them up before this time. If you do find a source, make sure to research before buying. You could end up with a lot of work ahead of you if you don't! You may be able to find some started birds this...

Never said forced the coon away... Said fought and got it away. I dunno about the coons in you parts, but around here, I have never seen one carry any prey away. Decapicate and eat the crop fillings and chest cavity on the spot is their MO here. Yes, though, I too have seen a coon whoop a dog...

All in all, chicken vs. Predator, the predator wins. I had a Silver Ameraucana roo that gave his life fending off a raccoon one night a couple years ago. The coon got a bunch of ducks, but failed to get any chicken except the roo. I could see the trail where the roo fought the coon from the coop...