Recent content by Rickovo

  1. Rickovo

    Topic of the Week - Keeping the flock safe from mishaps, injuries, etc.

    One of the biggest dangers for a hen is wearing herself out laying eggs. Commercial hybrids will run this risk whatever you do but, being someone who is away from home all day, I made the mistake of using lights to extend their day so that I got to see them in the winter mornings and evenings...
  2. Rickovo

    Is there anything else I can do :(

    If they can eat at all then some fish (tuna, pilchards, mackerel etc.) will always tempt them. If you mix it with a bit of regular feed & water then you can get some water in at the same time. If those were very recent poops then things were going not too badly maybe. But a 6 years old...
  3. Rickovo

    Poor eyesight

    Thanks Eggsessive - I’m going to have a very close look at her eyes this morning (with my own glasses on) and post a picture if there is anything to note. I do wonder if it is like the situation that you have had jak. She got off to a bad start at the breeder and was in a run with the bantams...
  4. Rickovo

    Poor eyesight

    Hi, I’ve got a hen (a Cotswold Legbar about 1.5 yo) that appears to have poor eyesight. She seems to struggle to see grain or food generally, knows its there but then moves in to peck it and then hesitates. She's not eating very well. I'm going to have a good look at her eyes in detail...
  5. Rickovo

    Anyone else have chicken escape artists?

    Sorry aart - but then a lock on the door (of unknown material) wont do much either. No we don’t have raccoons, or honey badgers. There has to be a sensible limit or there would be no chickens left already :)
  6. Rickovo

    Anyone else have chicken escape artists?

    Personally - If they get through all that then they wouldn’t bother with the door, just chew through the side of the coop!
  7. Rickovo

    Anyone else have chicken escape artists?

    If your run security is predator proof then you can leave the coop door open. But, obviously, it does have to be completely trustworthy as an outer boundary (as far as that can ever be said.) Also that's if it isn’t so cold that they need the door shut but as long as its not facing into the...
  8. Rickovo

    Naughty roo's breaking moms heart

    That's great news! Well done!
  9. Rickovo

    Number of Birds for size of coop

    That would be 17 maximum counting the coop and run. That should be fairly comfortable though - Its all about them having an area each where (if they were evenly spread out which, of course, never happens) they can be anonymous in the flock if they need to be. Although they have very good...
  10. Rickovo

    How can I keep my girls water from freezing?

    One way is to get a container (like a large tupperware box, lid off, as an open drinker) just big enough to fit a small thermos flask. Fill the thermos with boiling water, lid and cap on, and put it in the drinker. It will lose heat slowly into the surrounding water and keep it from freezing...
  11. Rickovo

    Winter lighting suggestions

    The amount of light needed to keep them in lay is quite small and all at the red end of the spectrum. Too much light from a house window into the roost will do it. https://www.onceinnovations.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Science-of-Poultry-Vision-Single-Pages1.pdf Timed power dimmers...
  12. Rickovo

    Winter lighting suggestions

    I wanted a 12 volt timer for a pop hole system a couple of years ago and ended up ordering one on amazon. They are not generally available outside China (where mine was made and shipped from) Not wanting to give anyone ideas I wont speculate why! It was cheap. The other way is with a mains...
  13. Rickovo

    Another scared Newbie Question

    The small egg looks suspiciously like a first attempt. Congratulations! I would think that a good quality normal layers feed would be right for them all now. Not sure what folks use as a wormer where you are. Here it's Flubenvet which has the advantage of not requiring egg withdrawal (you can...
  14. Rickovo

    Naughty roo's breaking moms heart

    That's great PluckyJen. I'm really glad your finding a way forward. Cockerels have a hard time of it and deserve to get lucky sometimes. 2 metres square each (i.e. a 2 meters per side run for 2 birds) is an absolute minimum of run space - a bit of spare preferably. I would love to have the...
  15. Rickovo

    Naughty roo's breaking moms heart

    I know of breeders who have a 'three strikes and your out' policy for those they keep. Most, of course, don’t make it that far. Its a brief life for most cockerels but in the wild they don't fair any better unless they win all their fights and become the king of the castle! For a breeder...
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