Thank you Chooks, I appreciate the straight-forward answer. I am certainly not against culling the roo because I may as well eat him if I can't get eggs from him. My fiancee wanted to breed him and see how offspring from our roo (EE) plus our different breeds of pullets would look. I don't...
Thanks Maryellen, I think I will check how tall the lip on the nesting boxes are to find out if making them taller is feasible. Maybe I should try molding fresh bedding into a nest shape, too and see if that helps.
I have read about putting carpet down, but it was strongly discouraged by people as it would be a good place for mites/parasites to hide. On the other hand, with cardboard (which sounds like a good idea) I think it would just be a matter of time before they scratched that to heck and back too. I...
I am having a similar issue with my Roo. I have 2 ducks (one of each gender), 4 hens, and 1 roo. He was never aggressive towards me, but my roommate went into the run one day and he met her at the door, jumping at her. She kicked at him when he jumped at her and eventually he backed off. He was...
I have 3 nesting boxes for my 5 hens. They're wood and built based on specs I found here. My problem is that they kick whatever is in the boxes out until it's just wood, as a result I get cracked eggs sometimes. I started with pine shavings and those were kicked out in no time (I do have a ledge...
Here are a few snaps of my group. 2 Pekins and 5 chickens. The Pekins are always with the chickens, part of the flock.
A trip through the woods.
One of my Pekins and Red Robin shading under a tree.
Everyone snoozing under the propane tank. One of their favorite places.
My ducks are about 3...
Hi, new to this thread so sorry for quoting a post from page 1! I have 2 pekins, a male and female I believe (have not seen a drake feather yet, but there is a noticeable difference in size and sound). They have a 50 gallon agricultural watering tank for their "pond." I love watching them dive...
My flock is aging and pretty soon we will be starting Layer feed for the girls. I understand it's actually pellets... does this still ferment well? I also have at least one male, a questionable second, and I believe a male Pekin... does the extra calcium in the layer feed need to be kept away...
I have been lurking around the forums since I got my flock. I have read some really interesting articles and picked up some great advice. I have read endearing stories of how Roos take care of the hens in the flock, give them choice eats, etc. My question is... when will my roo start behaving...
I have been keeping an eye on the duck's foot. It looks fine. Sent DH to get more epsom salt and some clear iodine. Instead, I get Blue Kote. DH talked to a salesman at Family Farm and Home and showed pictures of the injury and came back with instructions to use this every 3 days, so we will see...
Thank you so much! I have read about bumble foot in chickens and was really hoping this was not that because people are always talking about doing surgery for that, which scares me! Thank you for the alternative treatment! I will go ahead and try your suggestion, although it might be a few days...
I was checking my flock yesterday and noticed a wound on one of my duck's feet. Is this anything to worry about or maybe just a result of foraging in the woods? It looks a little swollen, so I'm not sure. Any help is appreciated!
I have 5 chickens and 2 Pekin ducks. Pekins are a lot bigger than Runners, so I can't say for sure about laying every day because Pekins don't. You just have to do your research regarding different breeds and their laying capacity. Also, I feed my ducks the same thing I feed my chickens without...