Recent content by Wubba

Great name!!!

I dreamt that I was approaching the coop and the chickens seemed more agitated than usual. I opened the drop- for on the nest box to look for eggs...I realized I was there super early and probably wouldn't find eggs yet... as I tried to look into the egg box, it became very dark and I couldn't...

Welcome! You're in good hands here... and you're going to have a blast! Chickens are awesome! I'm not far from you...NW Indiana, Porter County, within 10 miles of Lake Michigan. I just started this year with Buff Orpington, Australorp, and Ameraucana, and a Wyandotte rooster. There are lots...

Sweetpea, my buff orpington and originally the runt. Go figure, she hit a growth spurt and is now my largest pullet. She's been nesting and preparing for weeks... perfect little egg, almost a dusty pink color, so pretty! 😍

No-crow collars are supposed to be "snug" but not "tight". (You can still slide a finger underneath it.) If you put it on a young rooster, they have to be checked for fit frequently...as he grows, it can become too tight and strangle them. (All animals grow in "spurts", so this could happen...

I'm in Northwest Indiana (Chicago area) and I can say this...no, that is not cold enough for frostbite. Frostbite happens when the skin essentially freezes, or frozen crystals form in the skin cells. This could be a sign of some kind of infection, or respiratory or circulatory distress. You...

They have been free-ranging during the day.

I was able to move the chickens to their new coop last night (Tuesday) at dusk. They were not as excited as we were. FYI, they are currently 19 weeks old. Since the run on the old TSC coop was TINY (see pic), I let them free-range during the day. The new coop has a much larger attached run. I've...

Well, my project is wrapping up; I'm just adding the finishing touches now. My plans worked out beautifully. I was able to move the chickens in last night. Next, I will be doing a few things to prepare for winter. A few notes: The elevated hen house is 6x6. The whole thing is 10x12. My nest box...

Buffs and Australorps, I have 2 of each. I did not get any RIR (not known to be particularly friendly). They are now only 10 weeks old. So far, our friendliest girl is one of the Australorps and the other is close behind. She lets us pet her and pick her up and she doesn't try to escape. Our...

I went back and forth for a while as well. My location, the ground is slightly sloped... back of the coop is downhill. If I were to allow the water to run off the front, it would likely move downhill, into the run. (I already have the garden there, that's enough moisture to contend with.)...

OMG... you are in nearly the IDENTICAL situation as me right now AND your coop plans are nearly identical to what I have in mind. I currently have 7 birds. I had planned on getting 6, but chicken math happened before I even checked out on my first order... they offered a "free unsexed mystery...

I started the foundation last fall, prior to getting the chicks. I was designing based on a plan that I liked. I laid it out and leveled it (4x6 house, 6x12 total with attached run). I did back and looked at my handy work. Man, that's small!? I got my chicks in the spring, have them in the...

I don't think it's fowl pox... no other signs or symptoms at all. I dosed her eye again this morning and will repeat before they go down for the night. The redness and swelling have gone down substantially... treatment appears to be working. I will continue to monitor progress. Thank you! 😊

Marek's and coccidiosis. I examined her...beak, ears... she looks fine otherwise. Tiny piece on the edge of her eyelid, like piece of her eyelid skin? Appears that injury is possible? I also just saw her scratching at it... itching? It could be a bite of some kind and scratching injured? I'll...