Recent content by C_Dzchicks

I'm down to two hens. These two hens, in the past year, have killed a couple other hens. Its been just the two for a while. I got two more full grown hens to go with them, put them in the hen house last night, let them out this morning, ate breakfast, came back out and one of the new ones had...

Thanks everybody for the encouragement! I hope she does alright. I turned the fan (indirectly) on her yesterday and she was staying nice and cool.

So, long story short, I have a breeder flock and a wonderful, beautiful, typee Dominique rooster. He just died Coincidentally, at the same time and hen went broody and started sitting on some of his last eggs. Then I messed up. I left her in the hutch but I left the hutch in the sun and it got...

Right. So, I didn't know that I needed to give vaccinations and I know its too late now. My question is: Will my birds be safe? And for the future: What vaccinations? I have read quite a bit and oddly never came across a vaccination schedule which is why this is such a surprise to me. If my...

I'm about to go to my first show and I have entered a cockerel and pullet but neither have been vaccinated. Should I not bring them? It would be devastating if they got Merick's disease. I will quarantine them afterwards, of course but I don't want to lose them. If you know anything about going...

Thanks for the reply! Thats what I was thinking...Mother Nature has been at this a lot longer than I have so I'll just let it do whatever its going to do and hope for the best. Really my only concern is if one falls out of the nest box she's in right now, its a goner for sure. Thanks for the...

So, Long, confusing story short, I accidentally locked my girls in their coop, and over the course of the next couple of days I noticed that every time I went out there, two hens were always clamped down on a nest. So, it took a day or two to realize that I had two broodies and by this time I...

I'm no expert, but the two things that come to mind are 1. lighting. Days are getting shorter which can throw off their laying pattern. This can be offset by extending the short day with artificial light (lightbulb) 2. Did they recently have a water shortage? If chickens have prolonged times...

Home depot, Lowes, Ace, TSC. They have various sizes. I would recommend one with a ceramic screw in, not plastic, in case it were to get really hot. If your making a brooder, don't get a 250 watt like a lot of sources say, they will burn your chicks up. 100 Watt will suffice.

So, I closed the door to the hen house one night this week which I don't always do and FORGOT TO OPEN IT the next morning... came out the morning after that and realized they were still in there (poor girls!) . Well, they all pile out, then I gather the eggs and feel that they are warm so a...

ha! We just got eggs too! We are on Egg #3 and this is about week 19. Guess I'm going to have to go get some layer ration this afternoon!

I think what you are looking for is Dumor (owned by Purina, sold at TSC). They have a "finisher" which drops them to 15% protein (I think) before going to the layer ration that has 16%+calcium etc. Purina has a "starter/grower" that you can give all the way up to 18 weeks when they are...

12 Guage shotgun with buckshot for close range. This is a must have. This is what you run out the door with and shoot something that is in your yard. This may be hard to get something like a coyote with though because the chances of you being in short range contact with it is unlikely (though...

Quote: Perhaps, but I was out there not long after daylight. It would have to have happened in a very short time period, though still possible. And the ladies are pushing 4 lbs or so now (don't tell them I told you, they're sensitive about their weight, silly girls) so I dunno. I'm think it...

Mojo Chick'n : I do have a Q, though, if you don't have a rooster, how are you planning to breed? meri Lol, an egg-selent question. Good catch. My sister, who lives in GA, also has a breeder flock. Whereas I live in the city and its best that I not keep a rooster, she is allowed to have...