Thanks for the heads up on the black vultures. We have both varieties here; they often land on top of the utility poles at the barn and preen or wait until some thermals come along. My experienced girls can tell the difference between vultures and hawks, but the closeness of the vultures makes...
Kudos to your perseverance with this girl! I often wonder if someone couldn't create prosthetics for chickens and small critters using 3D printers (of which I have zero understanding). Wondering if there is a type of splint or brace which could be created with rigid foam, tiny dowels, vet wrap...
My girls depend upon and expect to have free-range ability once I open the door to the run each morning.:rolleyes: I think they would have a meltdown if I kept them in the run for anything other than predator lock-down or some major barn/fence repair involving men and equipment! At least I know...
Well, I blocked off access to the Pullet Palace and Belle decided to revert to Bush Chicken mode, laying her egg in the grove of trees in the barn pasture. Of course, the egg was discovered, cracked open, and eaten by some critter, or worse, one of her flockmates.🙁
I've abandoned the idea of...
I have Horseguard fencing around 2 pastures but didn't use the t-post covers, just the caps. Love HG but the components are truly designed to work with the HG system, plus they are expensive and quirky.
I'd suggest using a 4' mesh and t-posts. Go ahead and make the fence height something that...
Belle is one of my new girls and began laying about 4 weeks ago. Rather than using a nest box in the nice Coop where she and all the hens spend the night, Belle prefers to return to the Pullet Palace (empty horse stall in the barn, tastefully repurposed for Belle, Hazel & Maxine :)) where she...
Looks like Evadig, who posted in this forum a few spaces above your request, has a few hens remaining of her flock to be rehomed. Might want to contact her.
I use the 8'x4' plastic lattice panels found at DIY stores. I spray- painted mine gray on one side, leaving white on the 'inside' Then attached 4 ml clear plastic sheeting completely over the outside surface of the panels by making tiny duct tape tabs, spacing them out over the lattice and...
I have sparrow traps set perpetually--the house sparrows have increasingly plagued us in the past few years, ever since neighboring properties began to run more livestock than their land can support. Be sure to set the traps up somewhere where chickens will not be able to access them. Use bird...
In the last 15 years of chickenhood I've had several varieties of broodies: some stay on Broody Planet for up to 7 weeks, some are around 3 weeks, some broody on/off/on/off throughout the year. All my girls have let me take them off nest boxes to provide food and water breaks, which they always...
Have you posted your info/pics/location in the "Where am I? Where are You?" forum here on BYC? Go under the Texas thread and post there. Also, might want to indicate if you are willing to drive, at least part way, to meet a buyer.
Wish I could find a way to take her--BAs are my favorite. I'm maxed out on space right now.....:hmm Have you tried posting in the "Where am I? Where are You?" forum here on BYC? Look under the Texas thread and post your request along with a picture, if possible. Also, you might add your general...
Ditto the all flock feed crumbles (i.e. Purina FlockRaiser) along with supplemental free-choice calcium (I use crushed oyster shells and well-dried, crushed eggshells in the same dish).
Chiming in from the Hill Country....It might be difficult but first, try to pick the poop out of the run. I pick poop in my sandy run every day, in addition to cleaning the coop every day. You could sprinkle a bit of PDZ on the poops if you can't get to them right away--I do this in my barn when...
I don't recommend either pine pellets or mulch for your run. You could take advantage of the dirt that has remained now that grass is mostly gone (chickens love dirt baths), just leaving as is, but add some coarse sand to a section of the run to see how they/it responds. You don't want to add...
I'm just north of Kerrville by about 25 minutes. Mom (age 93) lives there, independently. She's in a neighborhood nearly on top of a hill and thankfully ok, almost oblivious to the flood carnage due to her age-related cognitive issues.
I've been kayaking on the Guadalupe for several years now...
Ditto using the drill bit to make a small hole in each corner of the rectangle, so your blade can have a starting opening. The piece of plywood you end up with could serve as a door over that window once the hardware cloth (mounted on inside) is in place. Lightly sand down the edges, get the...
BAs are my favorite, so very sorry you've lost yours. The hen in the nest box could possibly have been egg-bound, especially if it was unusual for her to not have laid in a few days.
Sounds like your setup is good re: shade and cool spots of earth to settle into. If your coop has ample space...