Recent content by sfmac

We have a bear family locally, a sow and 2 yearling cubs. Back in early spring they took out one of my beehives. Over the last couple of months they got 8 of my meat birds tearing into a hoophouse that I had built for them and leaving a calling card on the lawn that made clear it was a bear. In...

One of my nearly year old RIRs is very lethargic. Not scratching, clucking, or generally active like all the others. She is also very slow moving and stands in one place for several minutes or more. Thoughts???????

Here in southern NH the ice storm did us a bad turn! Our power went out 12/12 @ 4am and did not return until Friday @ 12:15pm. Late Friday afternoon the first big storm landed, and it snowed without interuption until Saturday evening. The following storm hit Sunday mid-afternoon and it was still...

It's been a month or so since shutting off the nest boxes and all 15 are now consistently using the roosts on the opposite wall. Since the barred rocks are just over 18 weeks, I opened two of the nest boxes. They still roost on the opposite wall but this morning I found poo in the one of the...

It's been a month or so since shutting off the nest boxes and all 15 are now consistently using the roosts on the opposite wall. Since the barred rocks are just over 18 weeks, I opened two of the nest boxes. They still roost on the opposite wall but this morning I found poo in the one of the...

I live in New Hampshire. By late December it is full dark before 6pm. By late June, however, it is still quite light until just after 9pm.

OK. So if it would normally be another month or two anyway and light levels are dropping (I don't plan to provide artificial light), it may be even into mid winter when light levels start increasing again.

My barred rocks were hatched early June and the Rhode Island Reds in early July. So I should start to be watching for egg laying from the barred rocks around the beginning of October and from the reds the beginning of November, no? Are there signs/behaviors that can tip me off?

I recall reading one of the tips on the McMurray site saying an average hen lays 2 eggs every 3 days. 7/3= 2.333 3-day units in a 7 day week 2.333 X 2 = 4.666 eggs per week per average hen 4.666 X 4 = 18.664 eggs per week per 4 average hens So expecting 15-20 eggs a week from 4 hens is...

Before seeing the caution against removing the roost on the nesting box, I took it off. It took a couple of nights but they now all settle down for the evening on the regular roosts. Hopefully it will all come out in the wash once they start laying. sfmac

Re: teased about Old MacDonald's Farm Perhaps since we have established our business name as MacDonald Farm and Apiary (two beehives and growing again next spring to six or more). Re: "brilliant man of action with smolderingly sensual movie-star good looks too?" Since you are asking me, of...

We have 7 barred rocks (lost one to a predator) and 8 rhode island reds so 15 + 14,628 = 14,633 sfmac Antrim, NH

Well the roosts are now quite a bit higher than the nests, the roosting bar is moved out further from the nest boxes and the nests themselves are closed off so they can't get in. Most of the barred rocks are still roosting on the bar on the nest boxes. The rhode island reds and one of the barred...

Likely the roosting bar is too close. I will adjust that, but it seems I need to clarify. Some of the BRs are roosting on the bar overnigh but some are actually settlng down in the nests and leaving their poo. I wonder if I put the nesting box in too soon? Would it be sensible to remove the...

Hello, I put a homemade box with 3 nests with a roosting bar across the front so they can step from that into the nest. The barred rocks have taken such a fancy to it that they use it to sit and roost overnight. In the morning the nests are full of poo. They are nearing 3 months old and the...