Recent content by Trellinius

  1. Trellinius

    I need some opinions

    I keep our eggs on the counter, and we don't use AC until outside temps get in the mid 80's. Never had a problem with spoilage due to heat.... but we use our eggs fast enough that they are seldom on the counter more than a couple of weeks. If you are storing them on the counter for longer that...
  2. Trellinius

    cold eggs on counter?

    Yeah, I don't wash my eggs til I'm ready to use them. That preserves the bloom. With bloom intact, I have had eggs on the counter for up to three weeks with now issues of spoilage or anything. Don't know about longer than three weeks cause we eat them too fast...
  3. Trellinius

    cold eggs on counter?

    Hadn't thought of that. Thanks! Our house is so dry (low humidity) in the winter because of the heating system that nothing will condensate so that may be why it hasn't affected my eggs...
  4. Trellinius

    cold eggs on counter?

    I always keep our eggs on the counter, unwashed. Seldom have more than a dozen at a time. Anyhow, I've always heard that if they have been refrigerated you cannot then leave them on the counter. So I am wondering why....because when I gather eggs in the winter they are cold (natural...
  5. Trellinius

    How much space do 13 chickens need

    Sorry to say, but "supervised free range time" will not do you or your birds any good - unless you have a rifle in hand. I have seen a fox run up from behind me to a hen about 20 feet in front of me, grab her on the run, and keep going. Simply watching them is no deterrent.
  6. Trellinius

    Comment by 'Trellinius' in article 'Common Predators to Look Out For In The Fall'

    We had a problem with a fox, so I put a pullet in a small cage and hung it from a tree. Then I set a Duke #1 1/2 trap under the cage. The fox problem was then eliminated....
  7. Trellinius

    The Great Debate: Free-Range vs. Coop-Raised Chickens

    I believe whether you free range or coop depends a LOT on your purpose for having chickens. If all you are interested in is eggs, then a coop is fine. However, I free range my chickens and here are the reasons why.... First, I live near Lake of the Ozarks in the wooded hills of Missouri. That...
  8. Trellinius

    Comment by 'Trellinius' in article 'Introducing New Chickens: Using the “See but don’t touch” Method'

    This is a good article...I have used this method for years, just never bothered giving a name to it. One thing I have found works really well is those wire dog crates (if you're only doing a few birds at a time). The wire cage allows the interaction with the other chickens, and the wire bottom...
  9. Trellinius

    Pallet coop- tips and ideas needed!

    Here is an article I posted a few years ago about a pallet coop I built. Perhaps it will be helpful for you.... I was getting some chickens to help keep down the tick population, but I knew I needed a coop - a place where they could roost at night without fear of the coyotes, coons, and other...
  10. Trellinius

    Free range unattended?

    I always free range my chickens because the main reason I have them is to control the tick population. I leave them out all day while at work. If I kept them in a pen they would only eat the ticks that wandered into the pen.... The eggs are a definite bonus, but not the main reason for having...
  11. Trellinius

    How to keep chickens from straying to neighbors?

    Tie a small rope (actually string or twine) to their leg and the other end to a tree or stake. Do this for 4 - 7 days and they should learn that your yard is home and that's where they belong.
  12. Trellinius

    Can I use a small dog harness for a chicken

    As BaaKaaawk mentioned, you can't really "walk" your chickens. But I have had times when I needed to keep a chicken confined - for instance, bringing home a new roo that wanted to wander off . . . In such cases I have used a light rope / twine with a noose on it around their leg. Then I tie the...
  13. Trellinius

    Comment by 'Trellinius' in article 'Why Raise Chickens In Your Backyard? The Many Reasons & Benefits'

    Nice article overall. I love the chart showing the nutritional differences between caged bird eggs and free ranged eggs! Thanks. And as for the last part about chickens taking care of "other pests" in the garden....the #1reason I have chickens is to control the tick population.Used to be that...
  14. Trellinius

    Easy and almost free chicken coop!

    Well,...before we had chickens I would go out in the evening and pick blackberries and come in with 45-50 ticks. But last summer I when I would go out to pick blackberries I would come in with 1 or 2 ticks, and on a few occasions no ticks at all! So yes, they are doing their job. They earn...
  15. Trellinius

    Question about grit

    Yeah . . . I saw an article the other day relating chickens to the T-Rex. Now I'm reading about grit. Then it struck me! Here in the Ozarks we have "grit" for the T-Rex! My nine acres is strewn with rocks the size of softballs!
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