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  1. RIBill

    Why don't people listen... Rant

    Just to add to the original discussion, the worst "not listening" person I encounter (WRT chickens) is the person who says, "I've never raised chickens before and I want to. What can you tell me." I say, "You want to start small, maybe 3-6 birds. Give them a secure area, keeping in mind that...
  2. RIBill

    Are the Green Parts of tomatoe plants bad for chickens?

    Tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, and a bunch of other things are in the nightshade family. They contain alkalid toxins in varying amounts. Different animals are affected differently and quantity certainly matters. For example, eating the leaves of a tomato plant would kill a cat, but doesn't seem...
  3. RIBill

    acorns

    By this point, most will have split open and sprouted or started to mold. I was at a playground one day with my kids and collected acorns which had just split open. I shelled them and dropped them in the run. A couple were devoured. The rest sat in the run for a few days before they were finally...
  4. RIBill

    Seeding/Reseeding ground cover for chicken yard ?

    I am planning the same thing. You will need to plant at least 2 or 3 seasons of crops. Peas, mangel (beets), mustard, and any cole crops or greens make good forage for spring and fall. Buckwheat would make a good summer forage. Depending on your site and the weather, you could get a cold crop, a...
  5. RIBill

    Epoxy paint in the coop???

    I will second the drying time recommendation. Just because it is dry to the touch, doesn't mean it's fully cured. Most epoxies are going to off gas as they cure for up to a month. With birds living in a confined space, you don't want any fumes remaining. Don't even put litter in there while it's...
  6. RIBill

    Food effiency idea - sift chick starter?

    When we had chicks, I just spun the chick feeder back and forth a couple times and a little food and all the shavings and poop would broadcast. Now, I have to separate the litter and poop out of their oyster shell feeder. I just hold it downwind and blow on it a bit. The litter and most poop is...
  7. RIBill

    Can I use cedar chips on my birds?

    Cedar is not horribly toxic, per se. Also, cedar is many different genus/species in many different places. The problem caused by the "fumes" from some cedar is that they can irritate the respiratory tract. The stronger the smell, the worse it will be. In an open, well ventilated coop, just using...
  8. RIBill

    Using Pre-cut Mini Barn KITS - Newbie with ???s

    It's usually fairly simple to add ventilation. If the structure is a standard 2x4 stud and sheating construction, you should be able to open up the gable ends and cover them with wire and then trim them in. I have a coop that I designed which has a saltbox roof. The front (high side) and both...
  9. RIBill

    If the coop is big, do they still need a covered roof for run ?

    I was out in the wind and snow yesterday morning fixing my "roof". I had used deer netting which snapped under the heavy wet snow we had here. The chickens never minded the rain and wind, but they really don't like the snow. I would suggest getting something over their run. It probably wouldn't...
  10. RIBill

    Need advice on insulating the external nesting boxes.

    My nest boxes aren't insulated. They seem to be the warmest. They get sun for about 3/4 of the day plus the chickens warm them when they're laying. I've pulled eggs out that are still warmish hours after laying. They get the added benefit of being freeze proof down to an internal temp of 28. If...
  11. RIBill

    Bagged Sand

    Most sand is pretty clean. It shoudn't have chemicals added, but there is a slight possibility that it coul have heavy metals and other naturally occurring compounds like arsenic. That said, if it's locally sourced sand, it's probably no different than is in your own soil.
  12. RIBill

    Landscaping timbers $1 a pop! Are they usually pressure treated?

    In contact with the ground the shoul be fine. They are not pressure treated, but they are simply coated. I had some used as fence posts from the previous owner. The part in ground rotted away completely in 1 year. The wood above ground was fully intact. I used some on the low side of my sloped...
  13. RIBill

    Honeysuckle vines on chicken yard...safe?

    I was curious about the toxicity so I did a little more research and found that they have two toxic compounds in the fruits, leaves and stems. The two components are cyanogenic and saponic glycosides. They are mildly toxic, and don't usually cause more than mild nausea and stomach irritation in...
  14. RIBill

    Chicken's diet for a homestead

    You could offer a mixed whole grain scratch in place of corn. I like that approach rather than putting whole grains in a feeder. When scattered, it is less likely that the dominent hens will pick out the best bits. You would want to aim for higher protein seeds if corn will be a component. I mix...
  15. RIBill

    Confused about Protein %

    Protein is expensive. Commercial feeds are formulated to provide as little as possible to save money for the feed companies. My chick grower was 14.5%. My layer is 16%. I would like to get 18% feed but I would have to drive to get it. I just feed high protein treats to compensate. When it comes...
  16. RIBill

    Rabbbit Feed or Laying Feed?

    Some rabbit feeds have a bunch of salt in them. Also, check the ingredients. Feed is more than just macro nutrients. The right balance of vitamins and minerals is also important. That said, almost anything can work as feed with enough variety. One other issue, I cant see rabbit feed being cheaper.
  17. RIBill

    No fruit? Will this stop the chickens from laying?

    I could see this having a potential effect. Fruits are mainly water and sugar. It theoretically could have an effect. That said, they would have to eat A LOT of fruit. This past fall, mine got windfall apples, pears, grapes, and berries daily and never had problems.
  18. RIBill

    What Protein %?

    Most commercial layer feed is 16-18%. At times, they need more (moulting, summer, etc). I'be never seen any suggestions that they could have too much protein, although I'm sure there is a limit that becomes unhealthy. That said, protein is expensive. From reading posts, most feed layers a...
  19. RIBill

    Random question: Feeding fish to chickens?

    Just try to be responsible with your fishing. If you take a lot of juvinile fish, you're taking your future catch of adults. Don't know where you are but around here fish traps are highly regulated and must be designed to reduce overcatch. While your infrequent fishing probably wont make a dent...
  20. RIBill

    Roosting bars

    In theory, inches above the litter. There was one coop I saw which actually had roosts 6" off the coop floor. They should be higher than the nest box to keep them from roosting in there. I think the advice I read in books said 15" between roosts. I also only have 12" between the roost and the...
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