Recent content by mspenny

Well. I found them, one by one, by smell. It looks like the dogs just grabbed them and they went off and died. I finally located the dog's owners. Contacted them, one came by and offered to pay for the chickens. She was just a kid and felt so bad that her dog had packed up with the other dog...

came home yesterday afternoon, found 2 large dogs standing in the barn. All 5 chickens cannot be found, no feathers and dogs seemed friendly. Did not bother my goats that I can tell. Hen must have been frightened, but where are they. Will they come back?

My feed store sells only Purina starter/grower combined. Do I feed this until 20 weeks? I hatch my own Barred Rocks, then to a brooder, then to a 100 gal. Rubbermaid water tub on an enclosed porch. Only 20 chicks at a time, with a heat lamp reducing temp. gradually. Then at 3 wks. or sufficient...

I also use food grade DE, but can you hang your feeders?

Working 4 a vet I've seen vultures pecking the eyes of newborn calves and destroying the vulva of the down momma cow. They are varacious.

Awesome pics

I used some of your ideas for my 6 x 12 u type PVC.. thank you for putting such good pictures up for us to use as guides.

what a nice selection. I'm hatching New Hampshires and RIR hens w/ Barred Rock rooster. hope I get Sexlinks. I'm told they are easy to sex as the roosters have a white dot on their heads. So glad your chicks arrived safely.

that's a good idea putting a teddy in the box. I'm also glad you reminded me of the electrolytes.

Greetings from Southern Skies Ranch in Live Oak, Fl Mine are hatching 3 days early. 1 on day 19, 3 on day 20. I have to go to the feed store and pick up chick starter and grower. I didn't want to jinx it by getting feed early. I guess I have a day or two before they will need food. is that...

ok two more days to lockdown. got my brooder ready to turn on, next hatch I'll buy a hygrometer and a candlelight. Haven't hatched eggs for many years, but had good success with mortality. The more I read, the more nervous I get. I'm not leaving the house until all the eggs have hatched, I...

I have to vote a combination, though haven't lost any of my girls as I have had Maremma LGDs for years. Patrol all night and sleep mostly in the day time near the barn. They do suffer with the heat in N. Fl. and did holes to keep cool.

try Snake Away. I had a problem too, caught him at all hours of the day and night in the barn. Finally had to dispatch, unfortunately. Snakes have a purpose, but God did not tell them to specify, they do a good job on mice, but eggs are easier. Good luck.

you know you can't chase predators away, they are persistent when there's a free meal. You have to trap, relocate or dispatch. Wish you success. Keep on Keepin' On.

I had a problem with a rat snake eating my eggs. It was maybe 4 ft. long. It was curled around a clutch of eggs and when I confronted it, he/she spit out an egg whole and tried to escape. I caught it and drove it miles away. My 4 barn cats let me know there was a snake in the barn, they were...