Our Flock-of-Sillies
Little Margaret (Del), Emily (BO), Rythe (Austr), Fluffy the Elusive (EE), Rhoda (RIR), Mary (RIR), and Sweetie "BoBo Chicken" (BR).
Building the coop...
Here's the frame 5'Wx8'Dx5'H. The section with the henhouse is actually 6" taller to allow for a sloping roof.
The...
Hi all,
I just wanted to post a little update on my waterers. I have the plastic ones (with the spring) and have been using them for 2 years now. However, 2-liter bottles really don't work with them - they're too fat. But tall, skinny bottles work well - 1 to 1.5 liter bottles. Usually the...
We are moving to a nearby town which has stricter laws than here in Nashville/Davidson County. According to the town's code, we have to have permission from the director of health. So dh contacted the town's authorities and the director of health sort of made it her own personal crusade that...
Hey all. I've been away for a while - been a busy year! We are moving about 15 miles away and I need some advice on getting our VERY HEAVY coop moved (pictured below - it's about 8X5) and on how to house our 7 hens for a day or two while we move the coop and get things all nice and comfy for...
EE - Fluffy ('the elusive)
Delaware - Little Margaret
2 RIR - Rhoda and Mary
Plymouth Rock - Sweetie
Australorp - Rythe
Buff Orp - Emily
Most were named by my kids.
Can a chicken molt at 8 months old? Out of my 7 chickens, only one seems to be losing feathers in any noticable way - my Delaware. She's lost her longer tail feathers and is looking a bit scruffy in general. I haven't seen any bad behavior or injury to her (I'm pretty sure she's the 'Queen'...
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If I hadn't waited until the last minute to buy more feed, I bet that would have worked - mix in the new with the old. Silly girls - they can probably smell the difference. Fortunately, they have been gobbling up their food now that they have their favorite brand again.
Turns out Dh got a "generic" laying feed; NOT Layena. And apparently my chickens are finicky eaters. At least it's not mold or disease! Now I just have to convince them that they have their favorite brand back!
No, they get very few treats. A handful of sunflower seeds and once in a while some leftover veggies from dinner (like a cupful). I'm sure it's not that. They've always been good eaters and generally empty their 11lb feeder in about 5 days. It's been 4 days and they've hardly touched the feed.
Well, actually, they will eat sunflower seeds and treats, but they don't seem to be eating their feed. They are drinking tons of water.
I just saw the other post on Purina Layena; could it be that their food is moldy or something? It's from a new bag. I didn't fill their feeder and so I...
I'm proud to announce that all of our 7 chickens are now laying! The last one to get on board was the 25wk old EE, "Fluffy the Elusive", who laid a lovely baby blue egg for us yesterday.
Our other milestone is that our Black Australorp, "Rythe the Clever", actually laid an egg in the second...
Like chirpy said, it might just be the stress of a new home. A nest on the floor is fine, I think, as long as it's cozy and 'private'. My chickens shed feathers around quite a bit, and I figured it was just a part of being a chicken. If there are lots of feathers everywhere, do what Chirpy...
Thanks for the ideas. One thing I love about our current neighborhood is that it's old - no HOA. We are planning to move in the next year, and there is one neighborhood that we are looking at that has no HOA and we are hoping to find a good house there. If not, we may need to get a lawyer to...
Love it, but I think I could make one cheaper than $500! Great idea though. "See our new trash can and compost bin combo? It does squeak a bit, though..."
If HOA bylaws don't specify "no chickens/poultry/farm animals" etc., and you are approved by the city/county to have chickens, can the HOA force your chickens out? We may be moving into an HOA governed neighborhood, and just want to know what our rights would be.
OK, I went to take a closer look, and it does look like the above picture. Thanks Oh, and one other thing, should their bowl of oyster shell stay inside the coop, out of rain and stuff, or is it OK if it is outside in the weather, as long as we check it and change it frequently?
eta: (Never...
I opened my first bag of oyster shell and it looks like little rocks. I expected it to look more like, well, the crushed shells I see on the beach. Stupid, I know. Just need to be reassured that I bought the right stuff. Thank you. That is all.
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This sounds good - do we need to keep them on the ground, or can we put them off the ground a bit or hang them up a yard or so? (We have little kids who I'm sure would just love to 'explore' a fly trap - yuck!)
What would you say are their "effective ranges?" Like 15 square yards or 1/2 acre? How high can you hang them? There are a couple spots in my yard where I could hang a trap, but I don't want it too close to my neighbor's yard - they are pretty easy going, but I don't want to stink them out.