Recent content by authHeirlooms

  1. authHeirlooms

    Helping Chicks Hatch? Information why or why not

    We use a rigid plastic straw to solve this problem - it fits through the ventilation holes on our incubators at least and you can place it accurately over the reservoirs. Dip the straw into a jar of water, put your finger over the top. Put the straw into position over the reservoir and remove...
  2. authHeirlooms

    Ill have too many roosters right?

    Yes - there's a good chance of too many roosters, we've always gone by a 12+/1 ratio. You can certainly use the rest for meat - the truth is that there are usually "too many roosters" in any hatch for the commercial market and letting them naturally grow to maturity seems a better life to them...
  3. authHeirlooms

    Eggs not hatching?!

    So sorry it didn't work out for your chicks - one of the big things to avoid in incubation is any spike in temperature which home ovens are notorious for - glad you've got some more to hatch again.
  4. authHeirlooms

    Someone please help! My chicken stopped laying on her eggs!

    Congratulations!!! Hopefully you'll get another so it won't be lonely! :D:D:D
  5. authHeirlooms

    New mixed flock feathering differences

    can you post a picture of the chicks? that alone doesn't necessarily mean it's a roo, but it can be a sign.
  6. authHeirlooms

    Chick with weak leg!

    You can use a standard incandescent bulb to provide heat also - just make sure that the chick can get near it and have a cooler space if it needs to cool down. For young chicks the proper temperature is very important. You may also want to try chicken electrolytes/nutrients - if you don't have...
  7. authHeirlooms

    Sick Roo

    So sorry you lost your sweet boy - hope that the rest of your flock stays healthy & that it was an isolated incident. Good on you for getting to the bottom of it.
  8. authHeirlooms

    No Luck with Lavender

    We start from seeds outdoors, but the germination rate is poor for many varieties. Are you making sure that the seeds are stratified properly? Lavender wants to experience the cold of winter - I've seen recommendations to start them in the fridge (in soil). And it can take forever... We got 4...
  9. authHeirlooms

    Tomato Cages That Don't Fall Over?

    We've done a couple of things that have worked. We had a lot of success making cages out of rabbit fence, then staking on 4 sides with 12" loop stakes. We put the narrow end down to keep pests out. :-) Last year we did that and also put some of our tomatoes along a heavy-duty fence made of...
  10. authHeirlooms

    Coop for 4 hens

    P.S. - Congrats on the chicks! so exciting!
  11. authHeirlooms

    Coop for 4 hens

    Hi! We're also in Colorado and looked at the same coop (among others) when we had to move suddenly with our adult hens after the 2013 flood. Basically, I would avoid it. We got to see it firsthand before buying and it was really flimsy wood and not even close to suitable for 6 hens. Better to...
  12. authHeirlooms

    Male or female barred rock chicks?

    The first two have some pretty large combs for chicks that young, but it's hard to tell without seeing the chicks firsthand, and without knowing how large the parents' combs were. Even young cockerels tend to chest-bump and scold. Are you sure they weren't in the straight run bin?
  13. authHeirlooms

    Broody chicken care?

    We put our broody hens in separate quarters in an adjoining fenced area since we don't want the other hens to keep adding eggs to the nest. The broody hens can still see the others through the fence and maintain themselves as part of the flock. We keep food and water so that the broody hen can...
  14. authHeirlooms

    Comercial Fertilizer

    Quite possibly, depending on the type of fertilizer you use. I know a woman who lost her whole flock that way.
  15. authHeirlooms

    Raccoon Hopelessness???

    We enclosed our coop in heavy-duty hardware cloth (rather than poultry wire) and have double locks on all our doors (since they are very adept at opening latches) - we also have dug several layers of hardware cloth underground (attached to the coop base) outside the coop for several feet so...
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