Recent content by Bananabread

whole build looks incredible

I would get an n-95 mask and blow it out with a blower (battery powered---gas are outlawed in these neck of the woods). and then I would dust the whole thing with Saturday lime in the cracks and corners followed by some dg and then hemp it up and call it a day. This is probably what Airbnb...

well, certainly stress can cause chickens to act differently and to shut down their production. I would figure out the fence and dog situation and then see what happens

Welcome---You'll find many agree with that sentiment and concern regarding the pre-fab coops. While it may seem reasonable and frankly economical, it is often limited in size and protection. Nobody wants to jump to conclusions about what you may have purchased but if you're new to chickens I...

looks like they may have a hernia which is similar to what happened with some of my hens. At first I thought it was eggbound but the hen was completely normal, continued to lay eggs and was otherwise fine. And then another hen had it. They would lose all of their feathers in the same...

I'd just give tap. If they aren't strong or healthy enough to manage something already cleaner than what's in the wild...i'd return to sender (not really--but a chicken should be more than capable of handling tap water...beats the puddle theyd get from rain runoff in a jungle

Yes--we used alchemist and have been thrilled with the hens. #2 looks like an alchemist or an isbar. If there's a little faux-hawk on top, then my bet is an alchemist blue. Any updated photos? They looked like they were just about to start showing their gender. at about 8-10 weeks it should be...

Does the door open into an enclosed run? or is it free range? If it's an enclosed and safe space, I would consider turning the automatic settings of the door off and moving the chickens after dark and then manually closing it. or get a temporary plank to serve as a door so they get the...

Seems like agonal breathing that is not sustainable. Not sure if this is recoverable but defer to the experts on this site.

Do you have wooden eggs? I would leave 2-3 in each nest box for as long as needed and make sure you collect any fresh eggs as soon as possible.

Establishing the pecking order...it's inevitable. After doing the see no touch similar to you for a week or two, I then let them hang out together with a bowl of scratch in one hand and a broom in the other. I sprinkle the scratch around to distract them and gentle separate them with the broom...

how big is the space? is this an enclosed run? if you're willing to dig down deep enough: 8-10in you can lay hardware cloth, then back fill with drainage rock followed by weed cloth then 6in dirt/sand . i did that in a 6x10ft run and it worked without issue. I put perforated pvc over the...

had two ayam cemani roo's in my batch of 4 from cackle...very early on they showed some "impressive" tendencies... needless to say...i wasn't looking for roosters...so they were the first to go :(

What type of birds are these? hybrid marans?

$20-30 seems reasonable given you've fed them and kept them warm for 4-5 months. I'm sure you can find someone who has done the calculation re cost of raising them down to the month and week but it does lead me to wonder what your goals are here. I'm not sure there's a financial benefit. I...