Recent content by speeps76

  1. speeps76

    Keeping Chickens Free Range

    Great idea! Thank you!
  2. speeps76

    Keeping Chickens Free Range

    Good ideas! Maybe even a big umbrella! They can still get into the shade of their run, but it'd be nice if they had more options. :)
  3. speeps76

    Keeping Chickens Free Range

    Thank you. :) I'm thinking this might be the best solution. The main garden is really big. I'm thinking I can reinforce fencing, string fishing line across and use that for free ranging when I'm not outside. I'll need to do something for extra shade. Maybe they can still roam everywhere on...
  4. speeps76

    Keeping Chickens Free Range

    Well, I could keep them locked in the run until I can put up more fencing (doing that alone will be hard for me and take time), but I'd rather them be able to free range even though they're at greater risk. We won't have a dog or more fencing for awhile, so yes, we're taking our chances. My...
  5. speeps76

    Keeping Chickens Free Range

    You've given me some things to think about. I'll have to consider our fencing for sure. We only have barbed wire bordering the property. We've been lucky with ground predators. There are hundreds of acres of woods behind our property, so they have plenty to eat, and generally have kept away...
  6. speeps76

    Keeping Chickens Free Range

    Maybe I could just keep them in the big garden during winter. That'd be easy enough to reinforce fencing and throw fishing line over.
  7. speeps76

    Keeping Chickens Free Range

    Hmmm. I'll have to think on that. There is a pond and creek back there that would pose some difficulty. Right now I'm more concerned about the Hawks when they're not in the woods, but I'm sure the coyotes, foxes, etc will be getting hungry come winter.
  8. speeps76

    Keeping Chickens Free Range

    Thank you for you input. It really wouldn't be hard for us to reinforce the existing fence that runs around our 1000 sf garden, but I was kind of hoping not to do that. They love going down to the woods behind the pond. There is no way to fence that. They have plenty of areas to hide in there...
  9. speeps76

    Keeping Chickens Free Range

    Barring cooping our chickens up all the time, what are the best ways to keep them as safe as possible while free ranging? We'd love to get a dog again, but we are on 10 acres now and don't have adequate fencing to protect a dog yet. In the meantime, they have a big BO rooster and woods to hang...
  10. speeps76

    What treat did your chickies get today?

    Shrimp tails and Japanese beetles. Yum!
  11. speeps76

    Ideas to keep water from freezing without electricity.

    It also makes us going out of town much easier - this week it'll be below freezing every night, and no one is going to come to our house every morning and deal with chicken water! :)
  12. speeps76

    Ideas to keep water from freezing without electricity.

    I caved and got the heater. I also had to run 2 hundred food extension cords. It's been working like a charm, though. I must say, it's really, really nice to not have to go deal with lugging water on a freezing cold morning.
  13. speeps76

    Hen straining in nest box

    Thank you! Good news I think! I just went to check on them and there was a fat little egg in the box she was straining in. I'm pretty sure it was hers, since it was already close to dark when she was straining, and no one else seemed interested in laying at the time. They are just starting...
  14. speeps76

    Hen straining in nest box

    One of our hens was straining in the nest box today. No egg. Of course, we are going out of town for a week tomorrow. She's still eating, drinking, perky, and otherwise acting normal, so I really hope she's not egg bound. I was just wondering if it is common for hens to occasionally...
  15. speeps76

    So, this just happened…

    LOL, thanks! To be honest, I didn't mind having a practical excuse to dress up a chicken. HAHA!
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