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Hi all- Our local feedstore only sells mealworms in what I affectionately refer to as "foofy packaging"....waaaaay overpriced. I'm seeing Chinese raised 'bulk' mealworms 5lbs for $30 on Amazon. Wondering where people are buying mealworms and what they are paying for them? Or, I suppose, I...

How do you prevent cats (in particular MY wonderful and chicken-friendly cat) from getting caught in a live-trap? I'm guessing that he wouldn't really "go for" marshmallows, but he's a pretty curious creature and I wouldn't be surprised to find him in there! I suppose that would probably only...

Hi all -- Wondering if Bend/ Central Oregon area chicken-keepers use heated water dispensers....I'm of the mindset that a well built coop doesn't need supplemental heat, with the exception of enough heat to keep their water from freezing. I'd sure like to avoid running an extension cord out...

Hi All, I've got 2 Barred rocks and 1 RIR, all about 1.5 years old, and I haven't found an egg in probably 2 weeks! I know they're supposed to slow down in the winter....but total cessation!? We've had "the talk" (they didn't seem to listen), and I'm 99% sure they aren't stashing them...

Ok....dusted her with "poultry dust" (essentially Sevin, i.e. Carbyl) and hoping for the best! Also going to do a thorough cleaning of the coop tomorrow.... Do you think I need to re-apply the carbyl after a while? Thank you all for your advice! Ryan Mcminnville, OR

1) What type of bird , age and weight: Rhode Island Red hen, approximately 1.5 years old, unknown weight (appears "normal") 2) What is the behavior, exactly: THe feathers around her vent are caked with large clumps of feces, some feathers are missing. She also vocalizes much more than...

I get food donations all the time at my school--most recently a giant bag of stale pretzels. I'd really like to give this to my 4 hens, but I'm worried about all the salt. Can I give them a handful a day? Maybe I should leach them in water first to flush out the salt? Thanks. Ryan...

Hi all, I had to leave my 4' x 8' tractor in one place for 2 weeks while on vacation. My 4 hens managed to completely denude the area of any vegetation! I'd like to help the grass come back. Even in areas that aren't so heavily hit, I'm not sure that the grass is really appreciating the...

Seriously....why the need to do this? That green chick is not cute in my eyes. This reminds me of the dyed anemones sold in the aquarium industry. Not only is it unnecessary (they are beautiful already!), but it might be harmful even if done correctly. Who knows? Why risk it?

We frequently move our 4' x8' tractor with our 4 hens inside it. They are a bit confused, but manage to stay away from the walls well enough that they don't get run over! That said, it's a bit easier and less worrisome to move it while the girls are out free ranging. If you move it far...

OK--I've got all three sides of the coop wrapped in a layer of plastic, and I put a big huge recyling cart in front of the non-covered side. I sat inside for a minute and it felt fairly draft free. Combine that with the 10" x 10" hole in the coop, and the girls should be ok. I think I'm not...

Yeah...the bigger girls don't really like the young ones, but they aren't hurting them. They've been raised in close proximity (i.e. on the other side of the chicken wire). They do get awful close to each other when they're sleeping--I figured that was a good thing. But I don't think they'll...

Hi everyone. With an arctic blast coming our way this weekend, I'm nervous about my young hens in their coop. My tractor has an elevated nesting box that is about 4 feet wide x 2' x 2'. Because the tractor itself has a door that I lock, I don't have to lock the chickens into their nesting box...

Hi all, I've got two Barred Rock hens that are about 9-10 weeks old. I've got them outside now, and we're expecting temperatures into the teens this weekend. I think they are "fully feathered", but I'm not real sure what that exactly means. They dont have any more downy featherse on their...

Just a thought: Perhaps chickens in the wild roosted on really big branches, where the branch diameter is large enough that it begins to "feel like" a flat surface. Sorta like the Earth is round, but it sure looks flat at our scale. More importantly, I'd say that chickens in the wild...

Ok--I just bought a 40# bag of DE, but it says its mixed with bentonite clay. It looks like the stuff people have been describing, very fine dust basically. I have searched the forums but havent seen anything about it being mixed with clay. I can't remember the name of the brand, i want to...

Only the finest faux-Italian verona marble was used--these are some very special birds. Thank you thank you They sure were noisy tonight....right about "find a roost-thirty" they were just crazy, flying all around and b-gawking it up. I don't think they like their roosting quarters...they...

That lettuce planter is absolutely awesome.....wonder if I can add one of those to mine.... Good job! Looks like your ladies are well cared for. I'm waiting for mine to start laying, too....remember to check out places where they aren't 'supposed' to lay.

This (obviously pre-paint) shows the egg door, which is cut into the "clean out" door. The whole back opens up for easy scooping of dirty shavings. I really like this idea. And here is a shot of their "ensuite". The vinyl tile already looks like its covered in poo, so I figured that when...

Looks like this is how its done....here's a "down the barrel" shot: