Recent content by kriswrite

  1. kriswrite

    okay to give chicks apple cider vinegar?

    This may be a silly question, but is there any reason chicks can't have apple cider vinegar? I usually get fully feathered chicks, but this spring I got 3 day old babies. I just want to be sure I don't give them anything they can't handle :) Kristina
  2. kriswrite

    Hen Hemorrhoids?

    Thank you! That's exactly the problem. I've read up on it, and we are trying to help her. Unfortunately, it keeps popping back out. Fortunately, the swelling has lessened.
  3. kriswrite

    Hen Hemorrhoids?

    I have a hen who has what looks like a hemorrhoid right next to her vent. It's swollen and bloody. Maybe it's an infected follicle? Can anyone point me in the right direction by telling me what this *might* be? Thanks so much. Kristina
  4. kriswrite

    Wheezing and Head Shaking

    Happily, it turned out to be nothing. She still shakes her head, but I'm convinced it's because our dominant hens keep pecking her there. The wheezing disappeared in days, on it's own. Thanks, everyone.
  5. kriswrite

    Wheezing and Head Shaking

    Hello, everyone. About 2 weeks ago, we adopted 2 approximately 1 yr. old hens. Our flock has adjusted to them pretty well, although they do continue to peck the head of one in particular. She isn't totally featherless on her head, but she may get a bald spot soon. We've also been wondering if...
  6. kriswrite

    Worried about sickly hen

    They all seem free of parasites. And now the hen I thought was sickly seems fine, too. The other hens had begun pecking her, but she stood up for herself and now tends to separate herself a little from the rest of the flock.
  7. kriswrite

    Worried about sickly hen

    Thank you, I will do that. I bought the hens as chicks in the spring of 2011.
  8. kriswrite

    Worried about sickly hen

    In August, we lost one of our hens. She was the smallest of our birds, and was often pecked by the remaining 4 in our flock. Suddenly, she became lethargic and pale; she died within a few days. We figured there was something wrong with this hen from the beginning, and we weren't worried about...
  9. kriswrite

    Cleaning the run?

    Thanks; that's helpful. Ours isn't smelly at all, but it sounds like we ought to try to cover it during the rainy season. Does "sanitizing" the run just consist of removing all debris? Or must something else be done?
  10. kriswrite

    Cleaning the run?

    My hubby was asking me today: When do we need to clean the run? Good question! Do we need to clean it at all? How do we clean it? How do we know when it needs cleaning? Thanks, Kristina
  11. kriswrite

    Composting chicken poo

    If the contents seem wet, stop adding water and add more browns. If the contents seem dry, add more greens and maybe a little water. Turning frequently is very important, too. Some composters just do a faster job than others. I have 2; one works about twice as fast. It's just the design; it has...
  12. kriswrite

    For Gardeners: Dealing with Slugs/Snails

    My hubby hates to give beer to the slugs, and it doesn't seem to get near enough of them. Eggshells don't work, either, and since my garden isn't raised or bordered. And no room for ducks I do let our hens out in our yard when we are outside, and I'm able to keep them out of the garden simply...
  13. kriswrite

    For Gardeners: Dealing with Slugs/Snails

    I live in the Pacific Northwest, where slugs and snails are something every gardener battles. In the past, I've used a combination of hand picking and Cory's snail bait. This year, because I now have chickens, I only used hand picking. But my garden is suffering heavily and a few plants probably...
  14. kriswrite

    How to keep eggs from breaking in nesting box

    I actually haven't followed any of your suggestions - yet. But the problem seems to have resolved itself. Maybe I had one hen who was curious and clumsy and is now over her wonderment
  15. kriswrite

    How to keep eggs from breaking in nesting box

    Hi everyone, My hens just started laying and I've had a few eggs break. My hens like to pull all the straw out of their nesting boxes, so I lined them with that rubbery, no-slide shelf paper stuff. They promptly pulled that out and dumped it in the coop. Any ideas for nesting box liners that my...
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