Occasionally I see a poop with worms (one poop maybe every few weeks). I daily sift the sand on the poop boards under their roosts, so I'm well acquainted with my ladies' outputs!
I have 10 2.5-year old hens and 4 7-month old hens. Four of the older girls are going through heavy molts, and egg...
Hi, Pam! I've been on this site for almost a year and got my first ladies in the mail in May this year. Despite all the horror stories, all of them made it to the coop and free-ranging age! (I lost 2 of the 16 to hawks early on; now they don't get out until late in the day.) Dolley Madison...
My 50x60' veg garden is surrounded by a 4' tall welded wire fence. It's held up by steel posts. The ladies stay out ... unless I leave the gate open!
Oh, and I bought netting to add to the top of the fence, but will use it to cover my blueberry bushes!
And poop boards covered with sand under the roosts! This makes morning clean up a breeze -- just use a kitty litter scoop to sift out the nightly deposits!
I got my first ever chicks in May. I found this site in February and poured over it, taking notes and altering my shed-coop (shoop) plan. I had poop boards (actually sand filled trays) built -- easily sifted in minutes every morning. I love the vinyl flooring that I covered the floors and...
Mamie Eisenhower has been laying an egg almost every day for a little over three weeks and they’re still small. Cute, but small! She’s one of two Whiting True Greens, but I caught Lucy Hayes, the other WTG, laying a tan egg, so I know they’re all hers.
So how long before they come out regular...
I started off free ranging starting in the mornings, but had to severely reduce their ranging time when I lost two (and almost a third) to a hawk!
My coop is big enough for my flock of 14, but my run is a little undersized. I do free range late in the day most days. I hope to add to their...
Poop boards topped with sand! I use a kitty litter scoop for a quick morning clean up and a kitchen sifter for a more thorough cleaning — easy-peasy!
I also used vinyl flooring on the floor and up the walls. And installed a hinged window at floor level for easy clean out of bedding. I just added...
I ordered 16 sexed pullets from McMurray this spring and received 16 pullets. The 17th was a freebie, and was, of course, a cockerel!
I don't think I'd buy from the farm supply stores.
So Mamie Eisenhower, the only one of my First Ladies to lay so far, has given me a dozen little green eggs in 13 days! But they are little! How long until they start coming out regular size?!
My conjoined shed and coop are floored with deck boards. The coop boards are covered with vinyl flooring — remnants, one on the floor, a second for the walls. Haven’t cleaned it out yet, but should be a breeze, especially with the window at floor level!
Well, that's not a hawk it's perched on!
Maybe little leather jackets studded with needle sharp spikes,.... Hmmmm.....
Oh, for the chickens to wear when free-ranging!