Recent content by drymanhattan

  1. drymanhattan

    Trying to get my chickens to sit on eggs

    I have three hens, including a Buff Orpington I am counting on to go broody. I thought I could just stop collecting eggs until there were enough to trigger her desire to sit on them, but I now doubt whether this is the right way. How long can the eggs remain viable without being sat on? I'm in...
  2. drymanhattan

    Could my chickens be taking turns laying eggs?

    Yes, I am sure I have three hens and one rooster. He has mated with each of them right under my nose!
  3. drymanhattan

    Could my chickens be taking turns laying eggs?

    They look the same to me. Same color and at least very close in size. They have appeared in each of the three nest boxes. All three hens have red crops and are being mounted by the rooster. I should add one other observation -- the Rhode Island White, which was the first (I assumed) to lay, was...
  4. drymanhattan

    Could my chickens be taking turns laying eggs?

    I have three hens who are now all laying, but there has never been more than one egg a day. What is the explanation for this other than that they are taking turns? They are a Rhode Island Red, Rhode Island White, and Buff Orpington, with a hapless Polish rooster.
  5. drymanhattan

    Should I lower my roost?

    I have two roosts in my small coop. Both are close enough to the roof that my three hens and one rooster have to crouch. They are also at the same height as the open vents on either side. So far they seem happy, and huddle next to one of the window vents. But I am concerned that 1) they should...
  6. drymanhattan

    We learned today one of our hens is a Rooster. Looking for Advice.

    So glad to see to see this post this morning because I too just learned my one Polish in a small flock of Rhode Island Reds (2) and Buff Orpington (1) is a rooster. I love the crowing, but am unsure of the new dynamics. Suddenly my feisty sociable and congenial hens are cowering and QUIET. I...
  7. drymanhattan

    Should hens want to spend ANY time during day in the coop?

    I am not feeding my four hens in their raised coop. I let them out at 8 am and they go in at sunset, which is around 8:30 now. Thatmeans they spend about 12 hours in the rn and 12 in the coop. So far it doesn't seem to be a problem, although I wonder why they never go into the coop until...
  8. drymanhattan

    How often do chickens need to use sand or ash bath?

    Thanks. But can you be more specific about what it means to clean out the run? Do I rake up all the leftover weeds every night? I'm not sure if they eat weeds that aren't fresh anyway..
  9. drymanhattan

    How often do chickens need to use sand or ash bath?

    Now that I know what to look for, I think they are rolling in the dirt area under the raised coop -- the most difficult for me to access, of course. It looks like bare dirt. Do I need to do anything else to do? The run part is now filled with piles of weeds I have dumped in there, and whatever...
  10. drymanhattan

    How often do chickens need to use sand or ash bath?

    Thanks, nothing beats a visual! It would seem that it's not a good idea for me to be hurling in too much wet stuff. I was going to basically make the run a compost pile. I see they need a fair amount of space to be dry and dusty. So many activities to squeeze into a small area!
  11. drymanhattan

    How often do chickens need to use sand or ash bath?

    Well then I need to ask at what age do they start dust bathing? I've had my 5-month old pullets a week now and haven't noticed any flapping, which is what I assumed it would be. What should I be looking for, and when?
  12. drymanhattan

    Will odd chicken out be able to keep warm in winter?

    I have four young hens in a coop with two roosts, one slightly lower. My polish hen roots alone on the lower rung while the other three (Rhode Island Reds and an Orpington) cuddle together on the upper. I am worried that she won't be able to stay warm in this unheated coop come winter. Should i...
  13. drymanhattan

    Chicken wire "apron" instead of buried?

    Just what I was hoping to hear, and yes I will weight it well with rocks too heavy for ME to lift!
  14. drymanhattan

    How often do chickens need to use sand or ash bath?

    I keep my four young hens in a coop and small run, which is on dirt. I have been hurling food, pellets and greens and what have you, onto the dirt of the run. All is well so far. I do plan to let them out under close supervision very soon. I have not yet made any provision for the bathing. I am...
  15. drymanhattan

    Chicken wire "apron" instead of buried?

    The weak link in my coop design is that the hardware cloth around the run was not buried more than a few inches underground. It is on a slight slope so that the lower corner seems especially vulnerable. We have all the predators here - foxes, coyotes, raccoons, so I must fortify this. I dread...
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