Recent content by bsruther

I recently flipped the coop, expanded the run and rechickened. The paint was weathering and the yellow was getting old.

Their laying is fine. They all started production back up about 3 weeks ago and have been pretty regular. They're 4 years old and this is the first time they've gone all winter without laying. Right now, it's siesta time and their crops are fully expanded from a plate of lard from frying chicken...

Seems like every time we lose a Chicken, the rest of them get a little bigger.

Been using a nipple on the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket for about 3 years now, same bucket same nipple and I wouldn't even consider another method now. I hang the bucket from the ceiling and in winter, keep a cheap aquarium heater in it, turned all the way down, still using the same heater too. I...

Our coop is about 40ft from the house and downwind, so we hardly know it's there. In the winter, I run an extension cord from a gfci outlet on the side of the house to the coop. I use a 5 gallon bucket with a nipple on the bottom for their water. I keep an aquarium heater in the bucket through...

Before the possum got in the run, we were entertained and amused by it. At times, he would actually come within 100ft of us. I have a live and let live policy with all of the wild animals around here. But as soon as they threaten or destroy any property of mine, it's over. That includes the...

We have been seeing a Possum wandering around the back yard for a few weeks now while we sit out on the patio in the evening, right around dusk. Never thought much of it, since the coop was always closed up by then. Tonight, we were sitting out there a little earlier and saw the top of...

The hens don't even seem to miss him. They used to bite my fingers, when I'd stick them through the fence, now they don't. It was good to go through the experience of having a Rooster and observing his behavior with the hens, but he was beginning to have a negative effect on the flock. If he...

For about three months, we've been trying to get our Rooster to understand that he's not in charge, but he just didn't get it. He would assert himself and I'd either grab him by the feet and hold him upside down for a few minutes or whack his butt with a stick. He would be ok for a few weeks...

Our Rooster was an absolute pig at that age. He suddenly changed though, when he started mating with the hens and they started laying eggs. He now makes sure all of the hens have something to eat, before he eats. When he finds a bug, he gives out a clucky sound and the hens come running, because...

Our coop is shaded most of the day and during that time, the chickens seem to be pretty comfortable. For the past couple weeks though, there is a period during the late afternoon of about two hours when there's not much shade for them at all and they get pretty hot during that time. It seems...

I made all of the angles on my coop 22-1/2 degrees. Once you get your first pieces, you can use them for templates.

When our hens started laying, we would always find their first few eggs on the poop board, under the roost. They were usually thin shelled and not usable anyway. After that, they would lay in the nesting box. I would check the poop board daily to see if another hen was going to start laying. All...

I don't know if it will help, but here's how I did mine. The door on the back opens downward. Rain doesn't get in at all.

Just finishing up the run extension and I figured I'd take some pics. They went crazy when I put the dirt in there. Like a bunch of kids in a new sandbox. I had to put extra dirt in for what they kicked out. The run was big enough for them before, but they just seemed cramped.