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  1. NatJ

    I Think a New Laying Pullet Is Laying Almost Only Popped Eggs?

    Can you "separate" her where the rest of flock can still see her and interact with her? A dog crate inside the coop or inside the run might work well for that. That way you can see what eggs she lays or does not lay, but she is not really away from the flock, so they will not forget her or fail...
  2. NatJ

    Chicken morphine?

    The topic comes up fairly regularly here. You might see if any of the suggestions in these threads are helpful: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/real-talk-please-best-euthanization-method.1578281/ https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-to-euthanize-a-chicken-humanely.1561319/...
  3. NatJ

    Cleaning molted feathers to make a cat toy

    I can't think why you would have to do any more :idunno Unless your friend mentions a particular concern.
  4. NatJ

    Cleaning molted feathers to make a cat toy

    If the feathers look clean, I might just show them to her and ask if she thinks they are acceptable this way. If the feathers have obvious dirt or poop on them, of course cleaning would be a good idea. But if you were picking up feathers like that, I don't think you would have said you were...
  5. NatJ

    Roosters

    What egg color do you want? If your current hens are BCM and Olive Eggers, they should mostly be laying dark colored eggs (dark brown from the BCM, dark green from the Olive Eggers.) Using a rooster from a dark egg breed will likely produce daughters that lay dark eggs (olive or dark brown)...
  6. NatJ

    Weening Adult Ducks onto Less Food (by Volume) and Free Choice Feeding

    Animals seem to act differently if the food actually runs out, rather than being available all the time. So having it really free choice for a few days (yes, even if that means 8 quarts in the morning, or something equally ridiculous) may make a difference in how they act. Then again, if they...
    • NatJ
    • Post #8
    • Forum: Ducks
  7. NatJ

    Weening Adult Ducks onto Less Food (by Volume) and Free Choice Feeding

    Did you already try giving it to them free choice? Or are you saying that you have been giving them limited amounts for a week and they are still acting starved? Hmm, definitely some reasons to be concerned!
    • NatJ
    • Post #6
    • Forum: Ducks
  8. NatJ

    Weening Adult Ducks onto Less Food (by Volume) and Free Choice Feeding

    In that case, I would give them as much as they want to eat, so it really is free choice, and watch what happens over the next few days. My guess is that they will pig out at first and eat what appears to be way too much, but then they will probably adjust their consumption as they digest the...
    • NatJ
    • Post #4
    • Forum: Ducks
  9. NatJ

    Weening Adult Ducks onto Less Food (by Volume) and Free Choice Feeding

    Does Mazuri say to limit the feed to this amount? Or does it say to provide the feed free choice?
    • NatJ
    • Post #2
    • Forum: Ducks
  10. NatJ

    Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

    I have read that racoons can reach through a 1" gap, but cannot get their whole body through. If racoons were the only concern, since that gap is at the top not the bottom, I would say to just put the perches far enough away that a racoon cannot reach chickens on the perches. Obviously that...
  11. NatJ

    Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

    What predators are you trying to keep out in that area?
  12. NatJ

    My chickens do not eat much

    How much do they weigh? Some chickens just are small, and small chickens do not eat as much as big chickens.
  13. NatJ

    My chickens do not eat much

    How much do they eat? Or how long does a bag of feed last, and how much does the bag weigh? That would give some idea, because they can't be eating more feed than the amount you are buying. To work from numbers that have already been mentioned in the thread: 5 chickens might eat 1/4 pound each...
  14. NatJ

    Artificial Lights v/s None During Winter for Egg Production Poll

    Some breeds are traditionally considered "good winter layers." It often gets mentioned in breed descriptions. If you can't find more information, you can go with the very rough guideline that breeds developed in northern areas are more likely to lay in the shorter days of winter, and breeds...
  15. NatJ

    Stray Rooster

    Andalusians and Leghorns are both Mediterranean breeds, so they tend to have slender bodies and flight temperaments. Suggestions for rooster/hen ratios usually say the roosters can cover more hens, as compared with roosters of heavier breeds. This does not guarantee that he will overmate a...
  16. NatJ

    Stray Rooster

    How cool? I don't see any snow or ice in the pictures. I would probably worry more about predators than about the temperature. If he can sleep in a spot that is sheltered from wind & rain/snow, I would expect him to be fine until temperatures are well below freezing.
  17. NatJ

    Things you wish you could say

    PC = Partridge Cochin. Or Partridge Chantecler (Reminder: if abbreviating breed names, PLEASE define it in the first post, because misunderstandings lead to wrong answers.)
  18. NatJ

    Over researched and made myself anxious about coccidiosis

    Sorry, I'm not the right person to ask about that, because I don't know.
  19. NatJ

    Preparing for winter

    Be sure you leave enough ventilation that the coop does not get hot on sunny days (like a greenhouse or like a closed-up car). Even when the outdoor temperature is cool, a closed space with clear sides can get pretty hot sometimes. It's probably a good idea to check several times on the first...
  20. NatJ

    Preparing for winter

    I see the pen already has a roof. Maybe add a windbreak on one or two sides of the pen. That should be all they need. Chickens that have protection from rain/snow and from wind can do just fine in temperatures well below freezing (32 degrees Fahrenheit), so if your temperatures are staying...
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