Recent content by Cass

It looks like her lady parts are malfunctioning and allowed several day's egg membranes to merge together and all exit at the same time. I wouldn't be worried unless it happens again. I am sure the chicken is happy her body forgot to put a shell on that. OUCH would be heard a long way away if...

To many treats are like too much candy for humans....inhibits their consumption of the food that they need for egg producation. And I didn't beleive it would make a difference either. I mean, they are my babies, and I wanted them to be happy, so I wanted to give them all the goodies in the...

My Guineas didn't play in the road. HOWEVER I had a chicken hatch them and raise them. THAT might be the difference. The chickens don't go by the road AT ALL. The ducks? They are dumb enough to try and play chicken with the cars on the road. Some folks swerve around them, but I have...

They are picking up small stones from the road. If you provide them with plenty of grit, they don't go to the road as much. I didn't have one single one hit by a car, darn it. (they got one of my ducks instead, blasted speeder)

Search for "Dry Canning" or "oven canning" for your flour storage. It's as simple as putting the flour in jars with lids and putting them in the oven at a certain temp for a certain time. Seems pretty easy, but more expensive than using a vacumn sealer in plastic "bags", because the jars...

Maybe those are from the owl that attacked? Or a falcon? But probably they are the underfeathers of one of your birds, which is why you don't see any missing on your birds.

I *think* SoNew said she was going to host this summer. Actually early spring when we are all hatching. I haven't seen her on this thread lately and my memory of that day is fuzzy as I wasn't feeling 100% (or even 50% actually, but I wouldn't miss it just for having a bad day) Tab? Who...

Quote: "Also, who all in here keeps chickens with ducks and other fowl successfully? I'm having a debate right now about whether it can be done. I'm staring out at my backyard right now where ducks, chickens, a goose, and guineas are living and free ranging in harmony, as they have been for the...

*waving hands wildly* They're mine. I'm sure of it. What I am not sure of is how they got across the river to your house. LOL Have you found where they are laying their eggs? Do you have your own coop or are you collecting your flock one chicken at a time? (Have you put a "found"...

Yes, I have this plant. It IS poisionous. I would cut it down (and do, actually) before the berries form and tempt the chickens. Now it is considered poisionous to humans...all parts of the plant are NOT ediable. Cut it down and burn it before the berries drop to the ground and you have...

Yes. (the short answer) The longer answer is "it depends on the breed." Keep checking for eggs daily....the day after a sunny day you might still get an egg from one of them. Many breeds start laying again in January as the days start go get longer. Some other breeds start again in...

It is late in the season for chickens to "start" laying....they will start in March. You are doing nothing wrong except not being patient enough. The larger the bird the longer it takes for them to reach sexual maturity and start laying. Are their combs bright red? Are they squatting...

That's New England for ya. Not overly friendly AT ALL. (It's genetic, I think) Some of us are close to you, even though we are across the border into NY. Smile.

Now that's a problem I would like to have....I wonder if one of your neighbors has a pet duck that comes over to socialize with your flock and lays her egg there? Stranger things have happened.

My first thought is you are holding the egg upside down and the air sack might rupture before hatching. Turn the egg over so the air sac (big end) is up when candleing or handling the eggs you are trying to hatch. My second thought is that any egg a chicken/duck has taken out of the nest for...