Recent content by Wrooster

  1. Wrooster

    Egg washing

    There's a wide range of estimates for how long you can keep unrefrigerated eggs: "7-10 days" (India Times), "at least a month" (thehappychickencoop.com), "weeks" (me). That would be unwashed, of course.
  2. Wrooster

    Egg washing

    Is that really what you meant to say? Everyone else in this thread and everything I have heard before say that if you wash, you refrigerate.
  3. Wrooster

    What was your worst mistake as a chicken keeper?

    We introduced a young rooster into an established flock and it worked very poorly. We had a happy flock of about 12 hens and one protective rooster. We had given some fertilized eggs to the local 4H because they wanted to hatch them. One of the resulting roosters became too hard for them to...
  4. Wrooster

    Type of leg ring

    Ours are plastic. Found them on Amazon and got a few dozen in about 5 colors for cheap. A few fell off but I think that was because we weren't careful about being sure they were really clicked shut. I have no complaints about them. I can't imagine useful wording on leg bands. It's hard enough...
  5. Wrooster

    How + Why Do You Keep Your Chickens/Poultry? ~ OPEN POLL~

    Because my wife wanted chickens. When we looked for a place to buy we agreed on 3 basic criteria: 1) House with everything on one level 2) On a paved road 3) She wanted chickens. Of those 3, we got the chickens. I'm still not sure exactly why, but it's OK.
  6. Wrooster

    Rooster Ejection?

    I would take this as an opportunity to have only 2 roosters.
  7. Wrooster

    Yard Free Range Questions

    That's important. They know how to go back to their roosts at night. Get them (and you) used to finding their way home or you'll go nuts trying to pen them up before they think it's bedtime.
  8. Wrooster

    Opinions on mouse control

    We haven't had mice in a while, not since the snakes moved in. I think I'd rather have the mice. I don't have anything to add that hasn't already been said but IMO, if you're going to trap them, it's not fun for the mouse (nor for you, I hope) no matter how you do it. Just do it and get it done...
  9. Wrooster

    How far to relocate rat snakes? (Graphic)

    In general that's true. It can also move an animal from a location where it's established and comfortable into a situation where it is prey for everything that's already there. In this case I would be moving snakes from one side of my rural and wooded 2 acres to the other side, where they would...
  10. Wrooster

    How far to relocate rat snakes? (Graphic)

    I'm older than that so I guess it was time. It was in the nesting box facing me. I was grabbing it from the front. I got it about 3 inches behind the head but it was able to turn enough to grab me. It was not a serious bite but those little teeth are very sharp and angled back, so they do not...
  11. Wrooster

    How far to relocate rat snakes? (Graphic)

    We'd seen snakes around our chickens so rarely it was an event until recently. Then within a few days there were 3 of them. I walked one about 100 yards away, one bit me and did not survive and the other got away. I don't mind sharing an egg once in a while but I suspect there are more where...
  12. Wrooster

    Is broody contagious?

    When hens have gotten broody in the past we've waited it out and they got over it but this is too much. It started with the Speckled Sussex several weeks ago followed by the Leghorn and now there's 4 of them. Sticking your hand in there takes guts with all those sharp beaks defending...
  13. Wrooster

    Chicken Laws for Lake City Florida

    I'm not a lawyer (and I really hope you never have to get one involved over this) but where it says "...permitting chickens to run at large within the residential section of the city" is a nuisance, I would argue that if they are not running at large then they are not a nuisance. As a practical...
  14. Wrooster

    Home made vs commercial feed

    I agree with the last 2 posts. Did you notice that the Garden Betty recipe says "overall, yes — this is a complete diet" because she assumes you will let your birds "forage for bugs and weeds, or give [them] mealworm treats and kitchen scraps." IMO it has too much preaching and not enough...
  15. Wrooster

    Mice and rats found with just the head

    Long time ago, which was the last time I had a cat, one night I woke up hearing a crunching noise. On the kitchen floor there was the head of a mouse from the ears forward, the tail of a mouse, and my cat sitting in the middle with a stupid grin on his face.
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