Recent content by kittycooks

My hens do that when they are cold or damp. Has it been raining lately?

The corregated PVC roofing is very strong and sheds water and snow very well. We used drywall screws to attach it to the roof, which is constructed of 2x4s and plywood. We bought the sheets at Menards, a local home improvement store. They are overlapped by several inches and the slope drains off...

I agree with bearfootfarm. We just let the lawn (grass with dandylions and creeping charlie) grow through the wire and it knits it to the ground. This is one year later:

My run is not fancy, but keeps the girls safe from the visitors. I add more sand each spring to the floor. The run is 8x8 feet and the roof is covered to keep the hawks away. We let the hens out for supervised yard time when the weather is nice. In the winter, we cover the run with...

I vote for a walk-in for easier maintenance and cleaning. My coop is not as pretty as those beautiful pictures, but when it comes to mucking out after the winter or gathering eggs laid outside of the laying boxes I like being able to maneuver myself and tools with ease. Also, if I have to catch...

They need time to get used to their new environment. Moving is very stressful on chickens!

I love those! Such a fun suprise!

Yes! Just as much as other breeds. I have sand in the run and the chickens all enjoy a good dust bath. Play-sand doesn't have dust, but I wouldn't recommend builders sand. It is made to compact between pavers and has very fine particles/dust.

Hawks will eat the head and ignore the tail and feet. Brains are their favorite part. I've had trouble with weasels, but they tend to mass kill everything and leave the bodies strewn about. Qudo, I'm sorry about your ducks.

Two of my large bodied hens got bumblefoot from a four-foot roost. They had a ladder to get up but jumped off onto a sand run. I have since lowered the roost to 18 inches and all is well. There are many excellent posts about bumblefoot on this site. Here is our story: Bumblefoot in Chickens

Thanks, Clare! Diva on a dime! :)

My kids love making their own deviled egg for a snack. I let them peel the egg, cut it in half, spoon the yolk into a small dish, add their favorite seasoning and spoon it back onto the white. They are so happy they did it themselves! Here is an easy homemade egg carrier: How to Make and...

I had three hens (all Buff Orphingtons) who molted their back side. It was the oddest thing, but there were no mites or parasites present. They lost their neck feathers next and feathers under their wings last. It took about 10 weeks, but they grew back all their fluff and are laying again...