Recent content by AnKa

I'm going to put the pullets in the garage for the times we go away for a weekend. It's probably be better to be in the semi-dark for 2 days than dead.

thanks for the advice. Thing is I had pullets out in a much simpler tractor with not even the bottom covered for 3 years now, and actually never lost one out of that thing! Just when I thought I'd rebuilt it and made it so much safer... Sigh. I'll think about getting electric netting or something.

Hi! I'm mostly a reader of this forum, recently mostly about how to keep my pullets safe after losing one to a raccoon (I think). Here's what happened after I installed my new electric fence. I'm still reeling from how crazy this all was! In short, two possums attacked the tractor, one...

I painted mine with homemade milk paint. It leaves a very waterproof layer, but it was a complete pain to do. I think you can buy milk paint also, which might be good!

Today was a big day. The teenage girls moved out! http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=172113&id=1575386991&l=c7c1f0767d Preliminary feedback on my coop - while it isn't that large and the door isn't full human sized, it is very comfortable to reach into the coop. Today I hung the feeder and...

Either way, I have had decent luck with mine, but you have to look at them all individually. I wouldn't take one home that has the eyes closed and is tired looking. That's what I did and it died. I didn't know any better, being a first timer, so while this may be obvious, I posted it.

Not that I'd not like one, but I can't have one. Divorces are too expensive LOL. I already bought 8 chicks to be sure I will have 6 come wintertime. But I spy on them every waking minute to figure out any boy-ism. Like 'uh oh, does this one have too much of a comb?' - 'uh oh, that one has...

My babies are a month or so old, and I have been letting them go outside for a couple of minutes each day, in a little run I built. There are pictures here http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=171665&id=1575386991&l=e51875c937 Question - if they pick at grass and worms outside, do they need...

I made them a little movable run today, and they went outside. Loved it!!! http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=171665&id=1575386991&l=e51875c937

Look at the 1'x4' mesh - it's much cheaper than hardware cloth. I bought a 100' roll, 4' wide, for $67 at Home Depot. I might wrap chicken wire around the lower part over the mesh, to keep smaller critters out. I have raccoons and coyotes and hawks around me....

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=171665&id=1575386991&l=e51875c937 Lots of pictures of my babies as well as the coop which is now finished on the inside. Today I built a 4'x8' covered run so I could let my 'teenagers' have some air. They loved it! They're growing up so fast, sniff sniff.

I am building up my garden also! I have a farm share in a local farm where I get lots of tomatos and leafy greens, so this year I will just put in my own canning tomatoes, and some perennials such as strawberries, rhubarb, asparagus. Last year we planted 2 blueberries, 2 raspberries and 2...

I am finding myself trying to change my life for the better, in the green sense. By that I don't mean buying $300 bamboo bed sheets (and throwing out my old, prefectly good ones) but truly trying to reduce my life more to the basics: Family, food, the home, making things I need rather than...

I am a newbie but I am building a coop your size, for 6 hens. I was told 6 is the minimum to keep warm in winter. I am building it out of 2x4s with insulation (R13) between. All around - top and bottom, too. I am even insulating the door. I put an outlet in there for now, that we made out of an...

What would a raccoon do? And will a raccoon climb a 6' fence? Sorry, if these are dumb questions.