North Carolina

[ramirezframing]

Gastonia, NC

new flocker

 

[Coop Scoop Boogie]

Welcome to all the new folks.....glad to meet you

 

[Katieboosmama]

Good Morning everybody! I think DH and I have reached a coop compromise. He is going to build me a stationary coop large enough for 8 hens, but we are starting out with 6. Then in the spring I plan on getting a smaller tractor suitable for 4, and adding 2 hens will alternate 4 in the tractor, every other day returning them to the coop every night. It seemed the best way to have them have regular forage while keeping them safe and easier for me to move them around the yard. (free ranging is just not possible in our situation) So today I am going to start buying assorted necessities so I won't have to buy everything out of one check. What do you suggest that I buy first? I am thinking of galvanized cans for food storage, bedding, DE (he is putting in PVC waterers and feeders so don't need those) also going to get basic stuff for first aid etc. I figure wait on feed as I have read that there is not a long shelf life on it so will get that when I get my chicks. Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions! We get paid monthly so I have July, and August with the September check going to chicks and feed.

 

[crystalgoltz]

This is my 12 week old Cochin and I thought it was a pullet but now I'm thinking a roo? Any guesses

 

[sbrooks88]

Alright I have a bigger problem now. We live in an older model single wide trailer and the landlord had said there was a bug problem with his other tenants before we moved in back in February but I just assumed it was the centipedes we have been battling. Nope! I have found bed bugs in the cracks where the old paneling is cracked and peeling away from the wall. Now I'm freaking out and refuse to sleep in my bedroom. I set off a fogger this morning right in front of the cracks and seperated my mattress and box spring and shut the bedroom door! What else can I do? I know that the land lord won't do anything about it because of the terms on our lease. I can't live like this and I can't afford to move right now.

 

[Naliez]

Alright I have a bigger problem now. We live in an older model single wide trailer and the landlord had said there was a bug problem with his other tenants before we moved in back in February but I just assumed it was the centipedes we have been battling. Nope! I have found bed bugs in the cracks where the old paneling is cracked and peeling away from the wall. Now I'm freaking out and refuse to sleep in my bedroom. I set off a fogger this morning right in front of the cracks and seperated my mattress and box spring and shut the bedroom door! What else can I do? I know that the land lord won't do anything about it because of the terms on our lease. I can't live like this and I can't afford to move right now.

Sent you a PM

 

[kayaker69]

I agree with Ramiresframin, Get a live trap and use some cat food. It's great for raccoons also. Then just take the trap a long way away from where you live and release it in the woods. Keep the live trap and use it when ever you feel some thing is out there. Even if a pet cat gets caught, the trap won't hurt it.

 

[cwhittington]

Opossums eat ticks? I had no idea.

One of my broodies had chicks hatch this morning. Didn't want to forcibly move her so I'm not sure how many. I already had 23 babies so far this year. Three broodies to go....I'm going to be swimming in chickens!

 

[Hollowoakfarm]

Welcome to the new folks!!

Moving the broodies to the Grow-out pen worked like a charm in breaking them. They had no place to nest, and were on grower feed instead of layer. The first batch started laying again so got moved back to the layer pen. And this morning I moved four new broodies back to Grow-out. Removed yet another quail-eating rat snake from my brooder yesterday, and hopefully found how that one got it and blocked it. Might have it all locked up now! This batch of quail went from 21 to 9 in a couple days.

Supposed to get some rain and a cool-down this weekend. Sure hope so! I lost a couple of the weaker teenagers and one rabbit in this heat. We bought this place in 2003, and I raised French Angora rabbits for eight years and this is the first rabbit heat loss ever. First chicken heat loss, too. Makes for a depressing summer.

Finished rearranging cages in the rabbit barn last weekend. Will do feed/hay this weekend, and hubby is going to build a couple work tables in there over those.

Also started a new mealworm colony this morning. I have been unable to find gamebird food with high enough protein, so I'll just start boosting the protein for the quail and pheasants with mealworms. It'll be easier in the long run.

Hope everyone is staying cool and keeping their critters the same, as much as is possible.

 

[emmaie892000]

It's awful losing any to heat!
I've been planning on growing mealworms for forever now, but never get around to it.