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  1. Mrs. K

    Problems with Broodiness - any ideas or thoughts?

    You know what - these girls are not working for you or your flock. SELL them. A lot of people love to have a broody. Keep one, have her raise some new pullets for you. Then sell her. Getting rid of the birds you don't like, gives you room for new birds. It keeps your flock younger, and...
  2. Mrs. K

    Dealing with a 1 year old rooster

    As for picking a rooster that is a great rooster. Start looking locally for people that have chickens. Contact local 4-H clubs, or a poultry club, keep an eye on the board at the feed store. If you can get your druthers, what you want is a rooster that is close to a year old, that has been...
  3. Mrs. K

    When can I expect my pullets to start laying?

    About 4 weeks after bright red, swollen combs show up, about 2 weeks after they squat give or take 3 weeks either way. Mrs K
  4. Mrs. K

    Cull, Rehome, or Rehabilitate/Reintegrate?

    How was she a high ranking bird? So I would keep her separate until she passes, and to be honest, I would not expect a bird like this to live very long. You can see the parts that are wrong, but I would expect that there are internal parts that are wrong too. I would consider putting her...
  5. Mrs. K

    Introducing Chicks

    Lift the screen up off the floor of the coop. Just a couple of inches. This will create a safety zone. The chicks can escape to here but the big girl can't follow. Also a pallet laid flat on some bricks in the middle of the run is another great escape. Chicks can approach it on a dead run, and...
  6. Mrs. K

    How to integrate 1 hen into a free range flock of 5?

    They are not full size birds, so I think you can get away with it. However, I would do this on a day when you are close at hand. But because they are so young, I think it will be a bit of bluster and not much more. Especially with the rest of the birds gone out free ranging. The thing with 3...
  7. Mrs. K

    How to manage a rude rooster?

    A very good point, very tough at the time, but really rather funny when you look back on it.
  8. Mrs. K

    How to integrate 1 hen into a free range flock of 5?

    It is better to introduce a pair than a single bird. Depending on the size of your enclosure - pick a middle of the flock of the main flock. Put her and the new bird in the enclosure. There will be a dust up, but one on one should settle pretty quickly. Do this when you can watch and keep an eye...
  9. Mrs. K

    How to manage a rude rooster?

    If you use the broomstick method, it helps me to put them immediately in a clean 5 gallon bucket. It kind of contains the death throes and keeps them clean. Note: do not expect KFC chicken. It will be much more firm and have a stronger taste. IMO I like it for soup and casseroles, rather than...
  10. Mrs. K

    Bio Security vs Utility company

    Well, yes I do let people see my chickens and no I don't use booties. But a couple of disclaimers: I don't have a genetically valuable flock. I live out in the bone's, right next to no where. The people who do come that have chickens, only come once in a great while, usually if we are trading...
  11. Mrs. K

    Now in time of plenty, gather and store for times of want.

    I just recently read this on another cite, but another 'way' of preserving eggs - is to make home made noodles and 'store' them that way.
  12. Mrs. K

    Jersey giant layed an egg at 18 weeks

    Laying is a natural act and it is genetic . When it happens it happens and humans have almost no influence on it. While there are breed trends, there are exceptions. I think Jersey Giants are suppose to be late maturing. But each breed has has huge variance. So if you had a 1000 Jersey Giants...
  13. Mrs. K

    Heat and chickens

    Even if you have a roofed run, I think it is important to look at your shade at 10:00 in the morning, and 4:00 in the afternoon. Shade moves throughout the day. Always enough water, just plain water. I often consider when caring for my birds, what are the wild turkeys and prairie chickens...
  14. Mrs. K

    Which boy to keep?

    Then eat Soup. Thing is, if the old rooster is getting some age on him, you said you were not looking for hatching chicks, so no big deal if he does not hit the mark. You could just wait, have a very pleasant happy flock all summer and fall and winter. If the sad day comes, and you loose the...
  15. Mrs. K

    Australorp or RIR?

    Oh this is a merry hole to go down. There are so many breed, that even years after joining this forum, I have never heard of. You might want a white egg laying bird? I am not sure what color the silkie or polish lay. But if they are brown, a white egg will add a pleasing contrast to the brown...
  16. Mrs. K

    Rooster is perfect to all hens, except one?

    Not to enable you, but a second coop is nice for a lot of reasons!
  17. Mrs. K

    Now in time of plenty, gather and store for times of want.

    I have never seen 02 absorbers. Do you find them in the canning section?
  18. Mrs. K

    Has anyone kept a small flock of sickly chickens?

    I don't like sick birds either. Ruins my enjoyment of the flock. I would keep them far away from the healthy birds, as the sick birds are apt to suscrumb to any passing disease, and then are like a disease sink hole exposing healthier birds.
  19. Mrs. K

    Now in time of plenty, gather and store for times of want.

    if you don't have a vacuum sealers, I have heated my jars in a 300 degree oven. Added my dry ingrediants, lids and rings to the hot jars. When they cool they will seal. I have never done eggs - so I don't know if that would be safe. but I have done bread crumbs, nuts. A hot jar has less air in...
  20. Mrs. K

    Coop temps at night

    If you are really worried and have a secure set up, well leave the pop up door open, so a bird could leave the coop if they want. I have roosts in the run too. However, mine have always cooped up. If an animal has options, well they seldom will kill themselves. It is when humans trap them in a...
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