She said/He said Who's right? Who's wrong? No one!

[RubyNala97]

I'm thinking of changing my name to Kaytlin

I demand photos of when that happens!!

just under 6ft black. I know they kill bad snakes, I normally won't kill them. This one was in the pen and heading for the coop. 20 chicks in there. I'll post a pic if anyone cares to see. Longer than the hoe

Yes, post a pic of the killer!

Its so nice to have the advertisements turned off...pages load so much faster now.

How do I put that line across the bottom of my posts with some information below it that others have? Is that the "signature"?

My Styrofoam bator goes into lockdown today. I actually bumped the humidity up to 65% yesterday as I was worried I had run it a little too dry (weight lose as above ideal). The bator has this wire mesh floor that keeps the chicks from tripping on the water wells, but its a pain to clean after hatch as stuff has been baked onto it. I am going to put paper towels over it and then lay the eggs on top. Anyone see any reason this is a bad idea?

Someone already said it, but I do a layer of paper towel then a layer of shelf liner.

I had no thermometer and didn't adjust the settings at lockdown but those 3 days were a lot warmer than the previous 2 weeks, so I'm pretty sure the deaths were from overheat.

No thermometer!!! :icture of eyes popping out of my face::

 

[sjturner79]

So in actual chicken news I about to order some Dorking, Aracuna, frizzle Sussex, and Orpington eggs, my silkies are laying good fertile eggs and the chooks out at the farm are showing reasonable production and fertitlity, so I will be setting a hatch in a week or so once I either borrow the incubator again or build one.

 

[sjturner79]

So in actual chicken news I about to order some Dorking, Aracuna, frizzle Sussex, and Orpington eggs, my silkies are laying good fertile eggs and the chooks out at the farm are showing reasonable production and fertitlity, so I will be setting a hatch in a week or so once I either borrow the incubator again or build one.

And this time I have a thermometer and digital hydrometer/ thermometer ready to go.

 

[scflock]

 

[scflock]

So in actual chicken news I about to order some Dorking, Aracuna, frizzle Sussex, and Orpington eggs, my silkies are laying good fertile eggs and the chooks out at the farm are showing reasonable production and fertitlity, so I will be setting a hatch in a week or so once I either borrow the incubator again or build one.

I absolutely love Orpington and Sussex. Staples of my layer pen, and great dispositions

 

[scflock]

If anyone disagrees with my killing of the snake, feel free to post. It's a great topic for this thread. There are very good reasons not to kill a black snake. They kill rodents, and they kill poisonous snakes. I killed this snake because it has attacked here before and will keep coming back. FWIW, I now know that a 6 ft black snake can squeeze through bird netting

 

[RubyNala97]

Not much age difference from you - color TV didn't really come to most of Australia till about 1980

I was born in 81.

If anyone disagrees with my killing of the snake, feel free to post. It's a great topic for this thread. There are very good reasons not to kill a black snake. They kill rodents, and they kill poisonous snakes. I killed this snake because it has attacked here before and will keep coming back. FWIW, I now know that a 6 ft black snake can squeeze through bird netting

There are a lot of snake lovers in my house. We actually have a snake "pet" in my sons room. I personally, have no problem with you killing it. The other alternative would have been, what? To relocate?

 

[scflock]

I was born in 81.
There are a lot of snake lovers in my house. We actually have a snake "pet" in my sons room. I personally, have no problem with you killing it. The other alternative would have been, what? To relocate?

Relocate, or let it be. Personally, black snakes are fine with me. They are great rodent control. I will be working on snake proofing my pens and coops, but they can climb and crawl through tiny holes. After losing the pullet last weekend, this was self defense. I just hope he wasn't the only thing keeping the copperheads away...

 

[RubyNala97]

Quick question: any reasons to NOT keep wild bird feeders/bird baths near chicken cool & run?

 

[sjturner79]

Relocate, or let it be. Personally, black snakes are fine with me. They are great rodent control. I will be working on snake proofing my pens and coops, but they can climb and crawl through tiny holes. After losing the pullet last weekend, this was self defense. I just hope he wasn't the only thing keeping the copperheads away...

That's one of the main reasons I used insect netting instead of chook netting on my coop.