Recent content by Dokdream

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    Will this broken beak grow back?

    Priscilla, one of my two Brama hens, was attacked by a raccoon. She fought back and survived. She has lacerations along one side that required (many) stitches and a dressing. She was put under anesthesia for the surgery. Her beak was terribly damaged in the attack. She is unable to eat on...
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    Review by 'Dokdream' in article 'Chicken Behavior The Ignorant Gal's Guide To Things No Sane Person Would Tell You About Chickens'

    Enjoyable guide to Living with Backyard Chickens. They really do have individual personalities! The daily need for care is not a chore, especially when you have the opportunity to interact with the girls -- and a roo or two. My blood pressure has dropped to normal since I began my flock. You...
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    Kicking myself down the road

    Sunday night I didn't count heads before closing up the hutch on my main coop. I thought I did, but miscounted. Long about 1AM, we were awakened by major commotion. Peering out the window, there was a chicken moving around the yard, outside the hutch. We rushed out to see Precilla, a Brama...
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    Help my girl broke her beak!!

    I feel reassured by the posts on this thread. Last night, Pricilla was attacked by a raccoon. I always count heads before closing up the coop at night. Somehow I missed Pricilla, who was just outside the coop. I'm kicking myself. Around 1AM, we were awakened by a disturbance. A raccoon had...
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    Comment by 'Dokdream' in article '15 Little Chicken-Keeping Mistakes You Don’t Realize You’re Making'

    Good article. This evening I didn't get home until it was dark. We have 9-adult girls, two that hatched on 24 Nov. and a roo of the same age. I've been socalizing the young birds with the older ones, but slowly. The babies know me and are truly pets, who come and perch on me and love to be...
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    Review by 'Dokdream' in article 'To Insulate or Not to Insulate...'

    The only part of this article that I find helpful is to make your decisions based upon your flock's circumstances. Here in So. Cal., our winters can be chilly, but no snow. The birds become acclimated to warmer weather so when we have rain and low temeratures, it is an uncomfortable novelty to...
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    Do I need a heat lamp for my 3 week old chicks?

    Do you have any trouble catching the chicks again when "recess" is over and time to go back into the brooder or "nursery" coop?
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    Comment by 'Dokdream' in article 'Top 10 Chicken Predators'

    Rats are indeed a problem. I read about using a trash can with a swinging lid. The lid is baited. When the rodent hops on it to grab the bait, is weight causes the lid to tilt, making the rat slip into the trash can. Anyone try this method? If so, what were the results?
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    Review by 'Dokdream' in article 'Rat - Chicken Pests - How To Protect Your Chickens From Rats'

    Terrific article! I have tree-rats. They live underground, coming up at night to eat the citrus fruit in our trees. Several eggs being incubated disappeared on successive nights. The weather was warm so I left the coop hatch open. When I closed the hatch, no more eggs disappeared. Of...
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    Comment by 'Dokdream' in article 'Chicken Behavior The Ignorant Gal's Guide To Things No Sane Person Would Tell You About Chickens'

    Maybe I can get some advice about Matilda. She tended to brood and I was hesitant to remove eggs from her lest I hamper her psyche. (Yes, I DO know what I am writing.). A few days ago I bought a dozen fertile eggs at Trader Joe's. I put six in a small, auxillary hutch and the other six in the...
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    Comment by 'Dokdream' in article 'Owl - Chicken Predators - How To Protect Your Chickens From Owls'

    Valuable information. I wanted more information on owls, and this article provided it. Our coop is secure, but we do have predators in the vicinity. We have a family of skunks, generations of racoons, opossums, and perigrine falcons in the front tree. We also have fruit (roof?) rats. Yes...
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    Review by 'Dokdream' in article 'Factors that Influence & Affect Egg Laying'

    Yes, good article. Our girls have the run of the yard during the day; placed in the hutch at night. NO ARTIFICIAL LIGHT!! Still have access to the run below. I recycle the egg shells for calcium. I've discussed protocol elsewhere. I hang ears of corn for them to play "tether corn," which...
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    Anyone have any homemade chicken feed recipes?

    I agree with you. I buy grains and things from Azure Standard. It comes to a local delivery point and I go after it. Even in bulk, it is more expensive than what I get at either "Big Al's" pet supply, or Tractor Supply and, like you pointed out, it is not as nutritionally balanced as...
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    Homemade feed for my hens?? Better than commercial feed? More affordable? I need the truth!

    I use Dumore and Kelly's feed mostly. I treat them daily with dried meal worms or scratch grain -- a small part of their diet. I regularly string up ears of corn from Walmart. I run a skewer through the cob so it dangles and my girls play a rousing game of "teather corn." They also get sweet...
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    Comment by 'Dokdream' in article 'Do Chickens Have Teeth? A Close Look at the Anatomy and Physiology of Chickens'

    Ah-hah! Now I know why dinosaur drumsticks taste like chicken!
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