Recent content by WHB3

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    Need experienced advice on how to deal with single digit temps in non-insulated coop

    Anything to break the flow of air through the coop, but allow for adequate ventilation. Plastic sheeting, cardboard, trash bags, old towels or tarps covering the spaces through which cold air can seep. We have a coop with siding, and a run with chicken wire. During the winter we staple plastic...
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    Official BYC Poll: Do You Wear a Mask or Respirator When Cleaning Your Coop?

    Sometimes. When I don't it's because I've forgotten to bring a mask, and if I do any cleaning besides scooping poop, I pay dearly. Two days ago I did some prep work for painting, which required closing windows covered in cobwebs and dust. Disturbing the crud caused it to go airborne. Within...
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    Do chickens attract snakes? Poisonous rattler last night

    You've made your coop rodent resistant, but what about your house? Like most snakes the pygmy rattler will eat small rodents. Large rodents are often too much of a threat to the pygmy's health, but pinkies and babies are just right. Same for chicks (and small birds), but not full grown...
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    Predator problem

    Do you live where there are weasels, ferrets, or mink? They're quite adept at tunneling, and defeating wire which doesn't provide a continuous barrier across the 'floor' of the coop. Do you live where there are fox, mink, ferrets, or weasels? If so you'll need an apron of heavy guage wire...
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    HUGE Black snake in chicken coop. Can’t Get him out

    That's a real beauty. Probably likes the heat up there too, as it's good for digestion! If you're committed to getting it out, put on a pair of leather gloves, gently take hold of the fattest part of the snake's body available, and with gentle, but steady pressure begin to pull the snake away...
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    HUGE Black snake in chicken coop. Can’t Get him out

    Won't harm your chickens, and will help keep unwanted critters out of your coop. It may take some of your eggs, and chicks may be at risk. Black snakes can be a little nippy when disturbed, but more often than not it'll just want to put some distance between itself and you. If it's in the...
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    Official BYC Poll: Do You Wear a Mask or Respirator When Cleaning Your Coop?

    My use of a mask when in the coop, but especially when cleaning is to protect my old self from respiratory issues from the 'junk' which becomes airborne when I or the girls (no rooster here) are moving around. I've been most concerned about histoplasmosis from rat feces, but now with the rise in...
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    Volunteer Chicken Tender

    New-to-the-forum chicken tender in Chicago: The nearby elementary school maintains chickens to teach children about animal husbandry, biology, and responsibility. My wife and I are among the volunteers who take care of the birds before and after school, weekends, and holidays. The internet is...
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