Recent content by whatthechickens

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    Grandpa’s Feeder help

    Mine is metal except the lid. I would have bought the rat proof feeder but the web certificate had expired and I didn't want to use unsecured connection for payment.
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    Why won’t they use their ramp ?

    Chickens are just like that, they eschew the fancy stuff and prefer simple! As long as they get up and down it is probably fine, but what I found works best is just a ladder with rungs every 4" or so. It is made from two straight branches and 4"wide. I have two either side but they all use the...
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    Where to find heavy duty buckets for DIY hanging feeders/waterers

    Is it possible to have the bucket under shelter? I live in similar climate and have the food and water under cover in the coop so the hens won't need to sit in 110 degree sun.
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    Chickens won’t lay in boxes, feels like we’ve tried nearly everything

    One easy experiment is to get a large closed cardboard box and cut a door in the side, add a few inches of hay in there (not wood shavings) and wait a week. I found most hens will love an actual enclosed area like this, and prefer it to many of the more open style nesting areas. Cut the door...
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    Chickens don’t want to sleep on roost

    Try rounding off the rungs a bit to make it more comfortable, I'd also add a small ladder/stairs on the two rails to make it easy for hens to climb up. My chickens hop up easily to the first rung but are more hesitant to hop between rungs if that makes sense. The angle shouldn't be too steep as...
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    Recommendations on coop bedding, nesting material and run floor material

    That sounds awfully expensive. Is there anywhere nearby you can get straw/hemp/hay/lucerne for cheaper? There is a place near me that sell all the above in big bales, but they end up with lots of loose scrap in the warehouse so this is all swept up into a big bin where customer can bag it...
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    Chickens stopped going in coop…

    Perhaps add some photos of where they are and aren't roosting. If nothing is amiss then make the new location inaccessible. One or two leaders may have decided to switch the whole flock followed and it can be a bit of effort to revert unfortunately.
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    How to tell age of chicken

    The reason I asked is two fold. First, I have three hens, I think they are one ISA and two Hyline browns. Were free from a friend who can't remember which batch they came from, so they could be mix of 2.5 or 3.5 year old. If they haven't shown any signs of age by mid year I guess they must be...
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    LC - life after attack

    That was amazing to see from initial horrific wound to the recovery, a real feel good story! =)
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    How to tell age of chicken

    Is there any reliable way to tell what age a chicken is? From searching there is a thousand posts on determining from chicks to pullets but is there a difference between a just matured hen and one in middle age and one almost geriatric? Even roughly? :) Thanks in advance.
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    2x2s for roosting poles

    My hens are roosting on a branch which is around 4" at thick end and 2" at thin end, they seem to not have a preference where they perch. Have used 2x2 in past, sanding off the sharp edges. Haven't had problems with either.
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    Is my coop too small?

    It looks a tad small but put the hens in there and monitor them for a couple weeks, you will pretty soon find out any pitfalls in your design. I've adjusted my coop a a bit based on the feedback my girls have provided.
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    Is my coop too small?

    What type of chickens are they? Is this just for sleeping, ie they will roam outside during the daytime either in run or free ranging?
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    Growing potatoes in sand? And soil prep question?

    Awesome advice @Sally PB . I did not know that about onion and garlic. Beetroot I use leaves like spinach (stir fry or eat in salad) and end of season dig up the root and roast them. You get two for one that way. :) My yard has carrots and parsley growing willy-nilly as I always let a few go to...
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    Bean plant fertility question?

    Legumes will fix nitrogen via the bacteria they house in their root nodules, however a common misconception is that this nitrogen (in form of ammonia) is then made available to other plants in the vicinity. This would mean the poor bean is doing the hard work for other plants to leech off! :) In...
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