My chickens hate being confined too - the cost of having a taste of freedom I'm afraid. They make a ton of noise whenever a person is outside demanding to be let out, though they can occupy themselves... if they don't see me!
What do your hens have to do in their new run? Are there perches...
Thanks for the support. I'm off to sleep but we'll see what happens. I read some more about what to do if it were a person or other mammal since I couldn't find anything specifically about poultry. I also eventually reached the poultry vet who felt that washing was all I could do. I'm making...
Ignoring the fact I'm an idiot brieftly, I took what I thought was my poultry bug stuff from its spot and sprayed one of my hens because they've been doing a lot of headshaking at night... only it was Dr. Doom wasp spray. I realized it as I was spraying and brought her into the house, sprayed...
I've heard of that but... then don't you have cold, sweating bottles in nest boxes other birds want to use?
I find the cage with something to keep them from falling through but let air flow around the floor helps, and also getting their bellies a bit wet in lukewarm water (don't chill them) so...
Yes, two of mine were determined to hatch golf balls until I took them away. I've been battling those two with broodiness for quite a bit one after the other and then back again.
It's the "depraved of the serenity of nature" bit that got me. Nature usually likes to eat chickens ("ravenous mountain predators" mentioned in the ad!). And I don't think they spend a lot of time staring at clouds or sunrises. I'll grant that they enjoy the outside but... seems like an...
Maybe if I had had more time to work with him it would have eventually worked? But he injured one pullet so badly it took 3 weeks to heal so I didn't trust him afterwards. And living separated, even in sight of the others, isn't much of a life. Oddly he easily learned other things, like to go...
I remember watching this video, along with some other vids and blog suggestions but in the end it didn't work for me. :/ They had some good advice that I imagine would work for many people though. Some people sadly suggest dangerous or abusive things. Things in my case would improve for a...
There are challenges and risks (weather and strength etc etc.) to this idea but greenhouses have gone on sale recently and I bought one. You know the metal frame things? I have hardware cloth but as you mention - lumber prices are insane. So I'm putting one together that's almost 200 square...
I would go with 1/2" hardware cloth where you can. Price is an understandable factor though - look for sales, I didn't get the best sale, but still quite a discount. It's heavier than 1/4 but not as annoying to work with as heavier stuff can be, and weasels can't get through. I did put other...
I'd leave the spiders and hope they go to war with the carpenter bees... I love spiders though!
What I do for exterior paint is make sure I'm painting in the morning outside the run so it has plenty of time to dry when they're outside. Inside the run maybe once they're back in the coop, but...
I encourage everyone to come in February and try it... :lol:
Honestly though heat can be trying too especially with chickens, and winter certainly has its beauty! Maybe not at -30 and 70 kph winds but... you know, normal winter! :p
Since I am an organizational genius who has managed to misplace not one but two rolls of the stuff........
It's like this:
It's a type of fridge/shelf liner. I wrapped it around the roost and stapled it at the bottom where none of their body parts could touch them. It adds traction, they...
...by more than 10%.
As I write this the coop is reading 8% lower than the outside.
I was thinking about editing my profile - the convenience of it VS my obsession with privacy (which doesn't always work when looking for advice online!). But I should have *something* more than... Earth. :lol:
Perhaps you can see how she does and maybe one of the vets for birds will be in later. The first one may have felt that the bird wouldn't make. But if she's eating and drinking on her own, that's not a bad sign. I would let her rest for sure. I wonder if you could tell the vet about the leg...
Booooo!!!!! Yes, snow sticks and then accumulates! It would be incredible if it wasn't so annoying. The roof for the greenhouse I want looks like a flexible plastic roof to me. My thinking was that if the roof was peaked or curved the snow and rain should just slide off. But I somehow doubt...
I'm in the same boat - neighbours' dogs were one problem, then they decided that being close to the road is the best place, and that every neighbour has a better yard than us! :rolleyes:
So I'm trying to convince them that runs are great! I think an outdoor roost (like a branch that isn't...