Recent content by esthermgr

  1. esthermgr

    can i use a thermostat from an iron . what items have t-stats ?

    I have no aptitude for electrical diy projects, but if you do some research online you might find out more about this: I've read of people poking holes to enlarge the air intake in thermostats to make them adjust to a lower temp range. Maybe that will help.
  2. esthermgr

    Curly wing feathers??? What've I got?

    Yeah, I think I definitely have a partly frizzled chicken I just wish I knew where the gene came from! None of the parents had any frizzling, and I think they were all pretty boring standard production reds or the like. I love hatching out mutt chicks- you never know what you're gonna get!
  3. esthermgr

    Curly wing feathers??? What've I got?

    I hatched out chicks from my mom's chickens. All she knew was that they were red sex links. A mystery red roo was mixed in there by accident, and she kept him and he fathered the chicks. The two chicks that hatched are both a lovely reddish brown color, with dark brown patterning on the...
  4. esthermgr

    When to let chicks out of coop into their yard?

    I let my chickens free range at a month old, but only with supervision. If I couldn't be outside with them, I put them in a smaller pen and covered the top with netting or a big sheet of cardboard. That way they could jump, flap, and scratch but be safe. I think your feed store guy is way...
  5. esthermgr

    I have a really stupid question.

    You need to leave it on 24/7, especially for the first few weeks. Make sure it's safely secured to prevent fire hazards.
  6. esthermgr

    Does anyone have Cayugas?

    Ooh, I want some cayuga ducks too. I'm on a large urban lot, so I'm looking forward to learning more about temperament, etc. as well. I've heard that they're wonderful dual purpose ducks and that they do better in confinement than many types of ducks.
  7. esthermgr

    Second Thoughts and feed store chicks

    Why not buy from a local breeder? There are bound to be others besides the one who closed. Shipping day-old chicks, whether to a feed store or to a home, always seemed to me like something we should avoid if we have other options. Stressful for the chicks, etc. If you do decide to buy from...
  8. esthermgr

    My RI Red hen hatching eggs story

    Nicolets, some breeds go broody more often than others, but all hens have the potential to go broody. It's just that some breeds have been bred for very high egg production, and broodiness interferes with that, so they have been bred with an eye toward selecting hens that brood less often...
  9. esthermgr

    Help! Two huge timing problems and I'm coming to lockdown

    Delaying lockdown by a day or two or locking down a day or two early will not kill the chicks. THere are people on here who have forgotten the eggs in the turners and still had decent hatches by locking down when they noticed a pip! I've locked down one day before hatch and still had an...
  10. esthermgr

    Greenish, runny poops, lack of appetite and sits hunched/ puffed up

  11. esthermgr

    Please somebody help me!!!

    Try warm olive oil in a medicine dropper with massage, twice a day. That worked for a case of sour crop in my flock. Feeding moist mash is also recommended, although I never had to do that. There is also a good video floating around here of last-resort crop surgery. Seems extreme to me, but...
  12. esthermgr

    Chicken Killing Family Dog

    Sorry your chickies died. It may not be realistic to free range those chickens around that dog. You're going to have to build a secure area where the chickens can get outside time but don't come into contact with predators. In my experience, dogs that are raised around chickens as puppies...
  13. esthermgr

    Chicks arrived dead.

    Better to buy chicks local from a local breeder or hobbyist if possible... even chicks that live through shipping get stressed, and it's nice to be able to see the breeding stock. I know it's not possible for everyone, but I'm grateful to have so many responsible local breeders here near Atlanta.
  14. esthermgr

    HOW TO~ screen door??

    Reading your location and looking at the pics of the coop again, I think you are going to need a lot more ventilation than one screen door. I'm in Atlanta, and my chickens are in a coop that is large and basically open on two sides (with walls made out of welded wire nailed to a frame). Your...
  15. esthermgr

    HOW TO~ screen door??

    My coop has screen door. I used a screen door that we pulled off a home renovation project. But I didn't think the screen was strong enough, so I ripped it off and nailed welded wire onto the wooden frame instead of the flimsy mesh screen. Then I got some $8 hinges from Lowes and attached it...
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