Recent content by Ol'Biddy

A while back someone posted a thread about using furnace filters over the top of the brooder to reduce dust. If you have an enclosed brooder, like a rubbermaid tub it might be worth a try. If you get 2 sets you can alternate and clean them daily. I haven't tried this personally, but it sure...

I'm pretty new to the chicken thing, but my alpha hen does the same thing. Since there are only 3 hens, I know she's laying eggs so obviously isn't a roo. So far she hasn't damaged the other 2, but she certainly has an identiy crisis. From what I've read here on BYC if there isn't a roo in...

First of all . You've come to the right place for tons of advice and really nice people. Like you, I'm a real newbie, got my first hens last summer, but I can tell you what's worked for me. I got point of lay hens from Craigslist and it's been a great experience. My 3 hens are all Black...

I have 3 blackstars and really love them. They're beautiful hens and lay pretty brown (sometimes speckled or almost pink) large to jumbo eggs. They started laying early last fall and were producing 3 eggs a day (one each) almost every day. They've hardly slowed down at all this winter with no...

I used it as as part of the horses' regular diet when I was boarding my guys out and the stable didn't feed enough hay to keep weight on them. Some people use grain for weight, but most grains tend to make horses "hot" and my mare gets unmanageable with any hot food. Since beet pulp is...

I'm pretty new to chickies, but beet pulp is great for putting weight on horses without giving them excess carbs like grain does. Since it really expands when it gets wet, be sure to soak for at least an hour in cold water (less in hot). I've heard people say they leave it out dry to eliminate...

With chickens anything is possible:idonno. I've heard that broody has been bred out of BS, but one of my hens went broody last fall after only laying a few tiny pullet eggs. It took me a while to realize what was happening considering the short, cold days, her breed, age, and no roo. She was...

I'm a fairly new chicken mom, but I don't either since my girls are tidy and don't poo in the nest boxes:weee so the eggs don't get dirty. From what I've read here on BYC, washing removes the bloom and makes the eggs age faster so unless they're really yucky:sickit's best to let them be.

They should last a couple of days. I was gone for the weekend last August and temps were in the high 80s here, collected eggs on Thurs and again on Sun afternoon and all the eggs were fine. If you have doubts, drop them in a bowl of water, if they float don't use them but if they sink they're...

One of my Black Star pullets did exactly the same thing -- laid a few tiny pullet eggs then wouldn't leave the "prime" nest box. She growled when I took her off and then stood around all fluffed up and glared at the world for a while :thun. She did eat a little then right back on the nest ...

Thanks for the great advice. Didn't think 3 chickens would be such a learning curve (I read a book so now I'm an expert LOL) and you guys on BYC have been a BIG help.

New BYC addict, new chicken mom, and new to message boards so hope this question isn't too dumb. I have 3 Black Stars and one of them actually went broody (nobody told her BS don't do that). I would like to get a roo to see if she'll hatch some babies next spring and increase the flock, but...

So glad I'm not the only one. My Black Star has only been laying a couple of weeks (still tiny pullet eggs), no roo, short days and she's major broody. I keep taking her off the nest to eat and drink, but she just goes right back. Don't really want to try raising chicks in the snow, which...