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  1. usedhobarts

    Fox problem

    Don’t kid yourself, Fox are the worst the worst when it comes to chicken predators. They don’t kill, eat, take a break and then kill again when hungry. Fox are nasty hoarders. Given the opportunity they will take out entire flock in a very short time. They kill , go bury the kill, return and...
  2. usedhobarts

    springtime post your new chick pics

    Drinking water at her age is more important than eating if she is weak. Put a little a sugar in her water to see if that boosts her up a bit. Also make make sure she doesn't have pasty butt.
  3. usedhobarts

    Artifial lighting

    NO, NO , NO ,NO how many times can I say no. I was thrilled with the info here and my first year of artificial lighting. My girls laid like summer. Wo Hoo. Oops. After that my girls moulted in June and did not lay again until this spring. These were first year pullets and are now screwed...
  4. usedhobarts

    Helping chicks out of eggs?

    After 2 more months of experience I have found the following. DO NOT ,help your chicks out of their shells. I don't care what others say who don't care about the chicks long term health. Hatching is a natural thing and the fact that your not sure whether your temp or humidity was correct is...
  5. usedhobarts

    Helping chicks out of eggs?

    As a newbie to incubating l have learned the following. What I'm going to say is my personal opinion and only my personal opinion based on my results and experince. DO NOT, EVER NEVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE REGARDLESS OF YOUR MATERNAL INSTICNT HELP A CHICK OUT OF THE SHELL. There is no good...
  6. usedhobarts

    Appenzeller Spitzhaubens and winter laying habits.

    HI, my spitzs are laying like crazy. As stated in the initial post I got a few eggs last fall. From my experience with these now it just seems like they don't lay much the first year. Once yours starts she will lay like crazy. If you free range make sure you check hiding places. It got...
  7. usedhobarts

    Appenzeller Spitzhaubens and winter laying habits.

    16 eggs was strong day. I'm averaging 10 or so. The days are getting longer plus this little heat wave probably has helped. They all have been coming out of the barn and ranging in some areas where grass is showing the last few days.
  8. usedhobarts

    Appenzeller Spitzhaubens and winter laying habits.

    Thanks for the info. I'm using a "Kane" heated dog waterer this winter. It was a bit pricey but worth every penny and then some. Water is a none issue. My feed protien is bumped up in the winter along with fresh fodder daily. I'm certain the diet is very good. It must be something in the...
  9. usedhobarts

    Appenzeller Spitzhaubens and winter laying habits.

    Hello all, I'm looking for a little information. Late Oct. 2015 I added 13 Appenzeller Spitzhaubens to my flock. 12 pullets and one Roo. They were about 24 weeks old. I was told they were just starting to lay. After about 5 days in the coop they did start to lay. I was getting about 3-4...
  10. usedhobarts

    Roo or pullet

    From that pic I would say Hen. I see no saddle feathers.
  11. usedhobarts

    What treat did your chickies get today?

    I'm constantly hearing about toxic things for chickens. I recently seen a chart on here that had a whole laundry list of toxic foods for chickens. In the bad list I found my chickens have eaten over half of those items at some point or another and many on a regular basis. My conclusion on...
  12. usedhobarts

    Winter egg laying and artificial lighting.

    Hi, I definately agree the light experiment had a significant effect however the transition on to the lights and off were timed with the natural day light to never let the chickens think it was dark for more than 9 hours a day. I completely agree with your scenario and how it could cause the...
  13. usedhobarts

    Winter egg laying and artificial lighting.

    I agree with junebugga 100%. Most frostbite scenarios are a result of ventilation issues and moisture. My hens pull out the bikinis when it warms up to 20 here in the winter. Chickens get frostbite fairly easily. If they're getting it in a coop you have moisture problem. Most breeds of...
  14. usedhobarts

    Winter egg laying and artificial lighting.

    It may vary if your flock has been raised this way consistently. I'm guessing those around the equator just lay for fewer years or they have adapted different habits then northern hemisphere chickens. It is my understanding that chickens are hatched with a certain amount of egg cells and once...
  15. usedhobarts

    Winter egg laying and artificial lighting.

    Hello all, winter is upon us again. We're in a mini blizzard here today in NW MN. the girls are not happy about it to say the least especially since Sunday it was 65 and sunny. Last winter I used artificial lighting to enhance egg production. The results were very good and I sustained near...
  16. usedhobarts

    COLD weather question

    In my opinion the more freedom your birds have to move about the better off they are. I leave my small doors open year around 24/7 except under rare occasions. ( blizzards, etc). Chickens, like all other creatures have built in instincts and will avoid situations that are unhealthy for them...
  17. usedhobarts

    Coop building advice for cold weather please

    Hi, I'm in nw Mn about 50 miles from the Canadian border. The winters are extremely cold. We had 28 days in row last winter where the temp never got warmer than -8. Like you, we had chickens when younger and have just recently acquired them again. Here is what I have learned for wintering...
  18. usedhobarts

    Keeping Away Hawks?

    Hawks have been a real problem for me this summer. A hawk unchecked can take a chicken or other fowl a day. The really bad thing is they will eat their fill leave the carcass 90% in tact to go to waste and only to come back and back repeating this. You have right to protect your flock...
  19. usedhobarts

    Fodder for the girls

    What type of grain are you using? Can you attach a picture of an empty tray so I can see the drainage holes. If your getting plenty of natural light your seed must be staying to wet.
  20. usedhobarts

    Fodder for the girls

    Hi, mold gets created primarily from dark and dampness. If you properly drilled drain holes in your rubbermaids and have them sitting in a manor the water could fully drain than the most likely culprit was lake lack of natural lighting in your garage. Here in MN were getting down in the 40-50s...
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