Recent content by ole-crone

We have four interconnecting coops. The chickens choose their favorite to sleep in or lay their eggs. We open one door for them to have access to the outdoors. Coop A is the original, mostly used for sleeping by the older chickens. Coop B is dark and dreary in my opinion but they love to lay...

We brought home home bags of kitchen scraps from a local coffee shop one winter. The chickens hated the coffee grounds and the stuff just piled up higher and higher. They also avoided the scraps that had grounds stuck to them. This was good, fair trade coffee too - not just any ol' thing. We...

I'd stay away from RIRs in cold areas. I've noticed with that ours are NOT included in the group that lays through the winter. Thanks to a new security camera we keep on the nests our best winter layers are Black Star, EE, Barred Rock and a Welsummer just started laying as well as an old brown...

When my barred rocks grow new feathers I realize how dingy their old ones had become. Sometimes they even look a bit brownish.

It doesn't look like our andalusians at all but does look like our Minorca. Pray for Minorca -they lay better.

An organic feed can still include soy. A friend is certified organic and has had a hard time finding organic chicken feed that does not include soy. We're starting to get customers asking us to eliminate it. Others refuse to buy the eggs now. My last baby was born in a 7th Day Adventist...

Cold laughs at the heated dog bowl. The girls will be ok as long as you keep them dry and away from drafts.

The brown was more likely turning into the cocoon. They are beautiful moths. Some people suggest that you grow a few extra tomato plants just for the spinx moth to live on.

We have 10 cats that are allowed to roam outside whenever they please. We've even had wild barn cats - none have ever bothered our chickens - not even mothers with babies. I think chickens tell cats who's boss fairly quickly.

In freezing temps, my EEs seem to lay the most. Actually, maybe I should say hovering around zero F.

Had to kick on the air conditioner at 75? No thanks! I don't see how you guys can stand the humidity and heat. I've lived in So. CA and I much prefer having winter here in UT. I've lost more animals to heat than cold.

I can sex most chickens fairly early - as long as they have tail feathers. Silkies take a while. As soon as the tail feathers start to come in - I know what I have. Female's tail feathers look like hands together - like in prayer. Praying for females! This normally happens before the comb...

Tis the time of year - waiting for eggs here too.

Our Marans rooster had awful frostbite last winter. I wondered how he his comb was going to survive - normally roos get it on the tips but he had a huge circle just above his head, in the middle. The black was on both sides, suggesting that the damage went through and through. To my surprise...

we bring ours in at night