Recent content by davidr

I'll check tonight for mites, what do they look like? little bugs? Wouldn't they loose feathers all over their body? I havn't seen any pecking. I feed them a standard layer feed from the Farm and Fleet. They must be eating the feathers since there are none on the floor of the coop or run...

I have 11 "girls" 6 different breeds 14 months old they have been laying since last August like clockwork, no Rooster. On 8 of them there is a bare spot starting at the tail and gloing up almost halfway up their backs. They completely bald in this area. I have watched them for several weeks...

I did hang a heat lamp and turned it on when it got below 20 F I told the Warden (wife) that it was to keep their drinking water from freezing, but it was more for my peace of mind than the girl’s comfort. They seam oblivious to the cold. David

Nice work . The title of your post "The Run Is Done!" is wrong. Having chickens is always a work in progress. You will never be "Done" I know I never will be. David

Cheap temporary/emergency housing ideas? - 1/2" osb is about $6.oo sheet, an A frane structure uses the least anount of materials. - bales of hay 2 high stacked like bricks a couple of sheets of ply for a flat roof cover with a tarp. - large tent with an attached floor - if you have a...

What do you consider cold? How cold does it get? David

I've seen people use a small cat/dog carrier with a towel on the floor so the birds don't slide around. Good luck, David

Call your local electric company. Ask them if they could recommend a company to set an electric/telephone pole. In my areas if your house is too far from the street you have to have your own intermediate pole put in. I wouldn't try this yourself, 600 lbs 18' in the air is nothing to fool...

What do you consider "inexpensive" What $ range? $100 - $200, or $400 to $800 etc. Do you want a completed coop "no asssembly required" or can you swing a hammer? David PS I forgot to ask, how many chickens?

If a "tunnel" entrance works for an igloo, I bet it would work on a coop. A picture is worth a thous..... David

I had the exact same problem. The golf ball thing worked for all but a few. The girls were kicking all the shavings out also. I raised the fron of the nest by 2-1/2" this kept the shavings in and seems to satisfy what ever they needed to lay in the box. Good luck, David

David

My coop faces North also. I put a 2' high x 3' long piece of plywood approc 18" from the pop door, its braced with some 1x2 to the wall of the coop. So instead of coming straight out the pop door, the girls have to go right or left around the plywood. It blocks the wind from running...

Get a large plastic funnel and silicone it to the top, or if it has a chain run the chain through the funnel Good luck, David

I collect the rainwater off of my shingled coop and will continue to do so, untill I see some data from a test or study by a reliable source. EPA? I do not put a lot o weight on statements that start with I heard, I think or I know someone who knows someone... on and on . Do I drink the...