Go to the where am I where are you section of the Blog and find the Alabama thread. I think there are couple on there that have ducks around Montgomery or Birmingham.
I am a Soldier. My specialty for 18 years was the AH-64D Apache Attack Helicopter. My specialty now is the Army's Unmanned Aircraft Systems. However, I retire in 32 days.
I have hatched several hundred in the egg cartons. It is the way I prefer to do it. I am sure it would cause a problem in still air incubators, as far regulating the temp at the proper levels though. I have used both cardboard and plastic cartons and couldn't tell the difference from one to the...
I grew up on a ranch in Texas and we saughtered a lot of critters, plus I love to hunt so the process doesn't bother me any. Just make sure you salt the hide as soon as you can if you are going to have it tanned. Looks like you did a great job though.
Yep, and long as it is cleaned up she will do fine. I have found that some chicks just seem to keep getting it once they have done so. But while the warm water is still on there bum, I just try to gently pull out the surrounding down and that helps a lot.
I let them do their thing as you put it. Most chickens are smart enough to do what they need. Just make sure you close them up at night. Predators are usually worse in the winter, do to the shortage of new young prey in the winter months.
I would not build directly over the well. I would worry about the contaminates in the feed, like the meds, leaching down around the well casing and contaminating the water supply. Close by would be fine, just not right over it.
They will adjust to the light. I am just a chicken when it comes to lights in the coop unless they are properly installed and protected. Lots of coops burn down from heat lamps every year.