Recent content by mr.hutch23

So that's it? It's a racoon?

The facts: -5lb. Dominique hen could have gone missing daytime, dusk, or slightly after dark (late closing up coop one night) -thin trail of feathers originating in thicket of small pines near the fence ending at fence -large pile of feathers on OTHER side of fence, no parts or corpse found...

Thanks for your response. Actually she is top of the pecking order among the 9 week olds and is aggressive enough that challenging the big girls might have got her in trouble. Will other birds not peck at this Blue Kote stuff?

I've read that turkeys are can be carriers of a disease called "black head" that is fatal to chickens and that turkeys shouldn't be kept with chickens. I think that was in Damerows chicken book but I'm not sure.

I have 13 nine week old chicks that I moved out to the coop last week, where they joined 4 six month old Australorps. The coop was divided in half by netting. One of the chicks (An all white one, White Rock? my Meyer Meal Maker) got onto the big girls side somehow and got pecked pretty good on...

THey've spent some time in the yard together and the older hens (Australorps) are pretty mellow with them. I think I'm going to put the little ones in the coop and the hens in the basement, then reintroduce the hens back into the coop a couple at a time for a few days. What do you think? I'm...

It got into the teens last night and the water froze solid. I've got a five gallon plastic fount. I turned on a 100 watt bulb I'd hung over the waterer, but that didn't seem to help. How do you folks in the cold weather areas keep your H2O in liquid form all winter? I've only got 20 chicks...

WE are in Northern Vermont. It got down to the teens last night and will probably be down into the twenties most nights this week. I've got 13 eight week-old chicks (mostly dominiques) in the basement and I'm wondering when I should move them into the outdoor coop. I've got a well ventilated...

Edited.

I don't have a run, just a coop and a very large (~1 acre) backyard. Plus will be at the beginning of Vermont winter when these birds are 8 weeks old, which adds additional problems. I would love to hear more suggestions on how to accomplish a smooth transition.

I have one SS rooster, one SS hen and 5 Austalorp hens in my coop, all five months old. I have 15 day old chicks coming next week, they will go in the brooder in the basement. We are in Northern VT. Everything I have read tells me not to try to put the younger chicks in the coop with the...

Meyer's Hatchery. They have been friendly and reliable and provided me with healthy, good looking birds before.

This is my roo. I only have one SS hen left but have two more on the way.

Thanks everyone! Next up: 1. Electricity (or the waterers will freeze) 2. Treat/seal/paint exterior (or the T1-11 will "deleaminate") 3. Build a run (can't afford to have the girls "freerange" with my dogs anymore) Hmm...dog run or chicken run though?

What could I cross this guy with to achieve "hybrid vigor?" Australorps, New Hampshires, Barred Rocks, Delawares, others?