Hiya lovely
I am new to keeping chickens and have discovered that everyone has their different ideas on the best way to keep them. I am not an expert and have regularly admitted I am a wuss and very soppy with my chickens and cats etc. However, I understand that you are doing what you think...
@PaulaMc: "Could you block some of it off sweetie with wood or a windbreaker? I also use cardboard boxes - flattened-would this be useful?
Mind you, if I had my way-and a bigger house- they would ALL be in here with me and my four cats LOL.
Not really helping am I but I hope I'm making...
Frostbite occurs with high humidity and temps around 32F.
LOL. 32F. (or 0 Celsius) is hot as far as my chickens are concerned. Humidity is low in the winter with 2 chickens and in general where we live except for rainy days in the summer or fall.
I guess if I had 30+ chickens piled into...
@PaulaMc Thanks for your suggestions. I took your advice and hung some vegetables from the tap. One of them is pecking at it. So, you are in England. I'm on the Cdn prairie. It is -22 degrees Celsius. So, when you say it is -5 degrees over there I guess you mean Celsius, too? I mean, it...
I join with the other here to say how sorry I am over the death of your duck. This has happened to many of us - me, too (death of chickekns) and all I could do was cry, like you. It is not easy to lose a pet, but you know you did your very best for him and he died in peace. You are to be...
Hi, kids. Not sure where to put this. We are having really cold weather here on the prairies and since I have only two hens left in their 10 X 12 (insulated, well lit, somewhat heated) house, they are getting uncomfortably cold. Here is what I did, just this morning:
So, I brought these two...
You mean you shot the mink, or what. Here's my little story:
I forgot to close up the chicken house a few days ago. Next morning, as I headed for their lodgings and little enclosure (the gate was open, too), I saw white feathers all over the place. Uh oh. The 4 Delaware hens were all OK...
I've had a backyard flock for 13 years, which included about 8 or 9 varieties. Most died of old age (4 or 5 years old), some got taken by predators. Not once have I ever had a chicken molt.
This is a most interesting topic. Some great replies here. Me - I order a dozen chicks (heirloom varieties) every couple of years and I have to take what's in the box - they are not sexed. That is why I have roosters. One year, it was 7 roosters & 3 hens but usually the ratio is better.
If...
Yes, I agree. Wyandottes are hopelessly beautiful. When I had them (both silver & gold) I would just sit and stare at them and marvel at Nature's and God's handiwork.
I am just shocked that you have had problems with RIRs, chickiebooboo. I've had about 8 different breeds and I found RIRs to be the sweetest, bestest chickens ever. Not attacked even once by the roosters. Hens productive and kindly, being broody more than any other breed. So, this is all...
The more I hear about sudden death in chickens, the better I feel about finding a dead chicken. Not that I will ever feel "good" about it, of course! The point is, it didn't have a lingering disease. Something just snapped.
Thanks, RedRooster & St. Croix, for your helpful information. Would I be correct in assuming that since we are dealing with adult chickens here, it's a 2-person job? I know that when you lay the chicken on its back it gets more docile.
I don't know if such a free service is available where I live or not. I ought to look into it for future reference. Sounds like California is a good place to live for backyard chickeners. In any event, I put Ms. Delaware's body in the snow, under a bush, and I wouldn't be surprised if some...
I did a search here but haven't been able to find the exact info I need, namely:
How would you get those coloured spiral plastic bands onto a mature hen? Are the spirals loose enough to easily unroll and insert onto the leg? I want to find out before I order some.
In general, it seems that...