Recent content by rabifaf

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    Black Copper Marans Cockerels, Roosters, and Raging Hormones

    Yes, hormone surges in Black Copper Marans roosters are normal, especially in spring. The changes in comb and leg color, increased aggression, and posturing are linked to testosterone spikes. The best way to manage them is to provide ample space, separate roosters from hens when needed, monitor...
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    Looking for advice

    Since your hen is broody, she might raise very young chicks, but older chicks around 7 weeks are usually too independent for her to accept. It’s safer to stick with your plan of getting older chicks and introducing them gradually. Keep the new chicks separated during quarantine, let them see...
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    Foundation Construction

    Yes, you should put a 2–4” layer of compacted gravel under the cinderblocks for drainage and to reduce frost heave. Sand can be added on top for leveling, but plastic or a French drain isn’t necessary unless you have severe water issues. To allow water to escape from inside the run, ensure the...
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    LED lights for chicken coop?

    Hello. Has anyone any experience of LED Floodlights? am looking to replace 70 watt metal Halide floodlights with an equivalent or brighter Led floodlight to illuminate our farmyard that has security cameras covering it . Ideally they would have a built in Photocell for dusk to dawn illumination...
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    Thinking about building a web-based flock tracker - would anyone actually use it?

    Yes, I would definitely use something like this. Simple, mobile-first logging, offline support, per-bird notes, and charts over time are exactly what small flock owners need. Features like treatment logs with withdrawal dates and optional breeding tracking would make it even more useful. Keeping...
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    Setting up a makeshift brooder

    I’ll be getting some chicks next week. This week has been freezing, with temperatures in the 30s and 40s, but I’m hoping for warmer weather by then. For my brooder setup, I use one kiddie pool per dozen chicks, lined with wood shavings and a heat lamp suspended inside a box so the chicks can...
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    Quail coops near cedar chip mulch landscaping

    Yes, you can use cedar mulch chips under the coops; exposure outside the coop does not cause the same issues as inside.
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    Chicken door, manual open auto close

    I’d go with an automatic chicken door that closes at dusk. It makes life so much easier and keeps your flock safe, especially with raccoons, foxes, and neighbor dogs around. While you’re home, you can leave it open for airflow, and even if you forget to close the person door, the chickens stay...
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    Help with staggering duck eggs!

    Hello. This is my first attempt at hatching. They are due to hatch today or tomorrow. I have stopped turning them and the incubator is currently on 37.5 degrees, humidity at 70%. The eggs have been wobbling quite a lot over the last 3 days! I have been looking all over the Internet to check my...
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    How old are my hens?

    You can estimate their age by looking at feather condition, leg and foot texture, comb and wattle size, and egg production. Since your hens are already laying and fully grown, they’re likely at least 2–3 years old, though it’s hard to know the exact age without a hatch date.
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    Roosters fighting - advice please!

    thank you so much for your suggestion
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    Roosters fighting - advice please!

    I got 2 roos this weekend. I was told they get along. They were fine for 2 days together. Then I got home tonight and they'd torn each other apart. The white leghorn adapted quickly with the hens etc. and the banty was shy and seemed to stay away from the flock at first and then today seemed...
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    Help me decide which chickens to keep and get next - breeding for rainbow eggs.

    Looking for 6 to 7 eggs a week Do certain breeders breed for egg color and production instead of show? I am looking for white, brown, blue, green, etc. We had a production red that was an AMAZING layer. 6 to 7 jumbo brown eggs every week! I want that in all the colors. I know they are top...
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    Any ideas for nesting material?

    My nesting boxes are set up so that they'd have a hard time kicking it out. How are your nesting boxes set up? Perhaps your gals have decided their pampered behinds prefer a softer material to lay in? Straw is definitely more rough to sit on than hay, but a thick layer of shredded paper is even...
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    Chicken coop recommendations for beginners?

    thank you so much for your suggestion
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