Recent content by Skyfeathers

Half inch hardware cloth may not keep small mice out, they can fit through very small holes. A mouse doesn't stand a chance in my coops and runs, they would be eaten in 3 seconds flat, and snakes don't get a chance to grow up! I did not bury any wire, our ground is packed clay, roots, and...

My daughter, sister-in-law, and I each have backyard flocks, and have hatched with incubators and broody hens or bought chicks at Tractor Supply. We have noticed a definite difference in the health of our chicks, depending on where they are brooded. Those that are brooded outside in a...

The sides and top of my run is made of 2" X 4" welded wire. I have 1/2 hardware cloth over the welded wire all around the bottom 3 feet on top of the welded wire. There is also an apron of welded wire 18" out from the base of the run all the way around the perimeter on the outside. We have...

Very interesting project, I may just try it! I've not done any sprouting because I have 34 birds and couldn't figure out how to sprout enough without totally filling up my kitchen! I actually have an old refrigerator I've been wanting to haul away, maybe it will get a second chance, now I just...

Chicken math! So true! I started with 6 in February of 2014, now I have 32 hens and 3 roosters! I dread spring, it's going to be very hard to go into Tractor Supply and not get chicks. I would like a few more Ameraucanas, and I'd love a Frizzle, and what about ... Oh yes, my 2 faithful...

Is it the Safeguard for goats? How much do you give, and do you discard the eggs? Thank you!

Enola, what did you worm your hens with before hatching their eggs?

Ok, thank you! I'll get some poop samples mixed up and take that to the vet - I was wondering about samples from each, that would be expensive!

:idunno Sooo, I have never wormed my chickens, and have looked carefully at their poops on occasion, but have never seen eggs, actual worms, or anything other than what is pictured as "normal" in the literature. I mix garlic powder, oregano, and sage in their feed, maybe that is helping? I'm...

So sorry for the loss of your beautiful hen, and what a shock for your daughter! it's heartbreaking whe you love them and enjoy them so much, then lose them. I'm glad you have such a good picture of her. :hugs

I loved reading your coop story! It's well planned, cozy, and beautiful!

I'm so happy the Thieves Oil is helping! We were amazed at how quickly BumbleBea got well, it's wonderful stuff! So sorry about your roo, I know that was hard! I've wondered if any of mine had Marek's, but without an interested vet, I didn't know what to do. If any of mine that died last year...

Thank you! I hope the hypericum helps, I'm so sorry you won't have chickens after these, I know you will miss having them. I do hope the ones you have will rally and give you joy for a long time yet. My sister-in-law has had trouble with Mareks in her flock, so she has been breeding her...

No, it was several different things, and was actually 6, I miscounted. My first one was Maddie, my queen hen, a 3yr old Barred Rock. She had some kind of wasting illness with weakness and paleness. The vet couldn't figure out what it was, and she went through 2 rounds of antibiotics. After each...

So sorry about your rooster, how sad! We understand how much you love them, and how hard it is to watch them suffer with illness, then lose their battle. I lost 5 of my girls last fall and winter, shed a lot of tears over them. You sound like a wonderful chicken mama!