The Larger litter scoops work great for me with the PDZ. 2 of them. one for putting under the poop and the other for scraping it in. Then just shake and put the remaining poop wherever you plan.
Fresh eggs are very hard to peel. There's nothing wrong with your girls! Here's how I do it. put the eggs in cold water making sure the water is about 2 inches over them. Pour either lots of salt - and I mean LOTS - or baking soda to the water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and boil GENTLY...
I get mine at Tractor supply. Make sure you get the one with the picture of the horse on it. I bought another variety when they were out and it was the worst, dustiest mess!
Relocating is a no no! They become someone else's problem then. My understanding is that the gestation period is only 12 - 14 DAYS and they can have as many as 20 - although they don't all make it to the pouch. They have disease and even their feces has disease that can transfer to humans. there...
My understanding and my experience with foxes is that they kill a bunch at one time and come back and retrieve the carcasses to take to their cache - especially when they have young. My birds were dead with very little in the way of a struggle - just a few feathers here and there.
It looks clean. I would leave it alone and let it dry. Just watch it. I'm a big fan of Blukote - comes in a spray but it's VERY messy - and also a bottle with a dabber on the lid which I prefer. Either one will get on you and it has to wear off. It's good for drying up a wound and also changing...
Chickens are motivated by food 24/7 ! If they even see me thinking of coming out of the house they come running! I have lay pellets available to mine all the time and then they get extras like scratch and table scraps. Mine free range all day but there are not as many bugs and insects available...
I don't like to kill anything but it comes to a decision about whether I am the protector of my girls or am I not. They can't protect themselves! We had been out and I just went to check on the girls before bed and saw eyes in the coop. It was an opposum and we dispatched of it quickly before...
They sure are quirky ! I hang cabbage for mine and one time the store was out of green cabbage so I bought red. They were so afraid of it that I had to take it down - they refused to go into their coop !!
I have all heavy breeds and my roosts and nesting boxes are over 2 feet off the ground and they have no trouble getting up there, I only clip one side. Good luck !
My husband just recently made me the bucket with pvc feeders ( we put three openings). It works wonderfully well and there is so little waste on the ground. I have not seen any other critters eating out of there.
I can't believe that you live in Texas and don't own a gun!! Please don't feel secure that he won't get in through all that hardware cloth and wire. If persistent and hungry enough...one chewed through the welded wire to get in to my coop. Fortunately I was going to check on the girls before bed...