Recent content by Shepherdess

  1. Shepherdess

    Granny's gone and done it again

    What breeds? I've got easter Eggers and barred tovks but would like some chocolate eggs
  2. Shepherdess

    Mama hen segregating babies

    She has been such a great mama that this behavior really surprised me.
  3. Shepherdess

    Mama hen segregating babies

    I have a bantam cochin mama hen that has raised 10 babies of mixed breeds. Seven of the babies are banty sized but three are much larger and are probably roosters with barred rock genes. They are eight weeks old and in the last couple of days the mama has started running the larger babies off...
  4. Shepherdess

    How cold is too cold?

    We have had terrible cold weather in central USA and so I wrapped both the runs and coops with plastic sheeting. I also have radiator heaters in my coops but have electricity so that doesn't help you much. Keep lots of straw on the floor. I didn't worry about ventilation this week as fighting...
  5. Shepherdess

    Rooster Flock Thread

    Here's my oldest guy, Chanticleer. He's a survivor of a cock fighting ring who wandered into our farm and stayed to be head rooster for many years. He's now retired and lets the younger cockerels worry about the girls while he just hangs out where ever he wants. I love our roosters. They...
  6. Shepherdess

    Looking for Chicken run netting advice

    You can get heavy duty aviary netting on amazon. It lasts forever and keeps hawks and owls out and chickens in. Attach it to your fence with zip ties and use long poles to lift it up in the center.
  7. Shepherdess

    Out of town for a week, chickens laid many eggs while we were gone; are the eggs still good?

    Eggs that float here get fed to the dogs. They are happy.
  8. Shepherdess

    Out of town for a week, chickens laid many eggs while we were gone; are the eggs still good?

    Do the water test. Fill a measuring cup or other clear vessel 2/3 with water. Carefully place your egg in it. If the egg sits on the bottom, it is fresh. If it begins to float or actually floats do not use it. Eggs absorb air as they age. The more air in the egg, the less fresh they are...
  9. Shepherdess

    Long distance move to cold climate - keep or rehome old hens?

    I've had chickens for many years and would not think twice about taking them with me if I had to make a long distance move. There are many ways to make chickens comfortable in a van or truck for a long distance. And if you are getting all the proper certifications, etc., I would think the trip...
  10. Shepherdess

    It's 13 degrees outside...And I am worried

    It's good to see that there are lots of other people worried about their chickens and the cold. My chickens are, yes, spoiled and so I do use an oil-filled, radiator heater hung from the rafters of each coop. They like them and often roost on boards hung a the heaters. Since our runs are too...
  11. Shepherdess

    Want to keep several Roosters together

    I've kept chickens for many years. We are a no kill farm. Our roosters do great together if they are raised together. We have five coops and each has at least two roosters as well as a group that free ranges that has three roosters. We've only had problems once with two brothers but now they...
  12. Shepherdess

    Roosters to hens ratio

    I've kept chickens for many years. We are a no kill farm. Our roosters do great together if they are raised together. We have five coops and each has at least two roosters as well as a group that free ranges that has three roosters. We've only had problems once with two brothers but now they...
  13. Shepherdess

    Baby Guinea not growing

    I have 10 baby guineas who are 8 weeks old. 9 of them are at least 8-10 inches tall but one has only grown a tiny bit. It is probably only 5 inches tall. Any ideas what is going on with my baby midget guinea?
  14. Shepherdess

    Open pop door or closed at night?

    I read this and almost had a heart attack. If I left a pop door open, all the birds would be dead. Raccoons and possums would be in there, even with a "predator proof" run. Night is the hunting time for all kinds of animals and chickens are a preferred food.
  15. Shepherdess

    Any ideas about free ranging?

    Yes, I like the idea of electrical fencing. It wouldn't work out here though because we have five grandchildren who run around crazy as only 4-6 years can. I know getting shocked wouldn't hurt them all that much but their parents would go crazy and we might not get them out here again - lol...
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