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  1. Ridgerunner

    Real world experiences with rooster to hen ratios 18 to 2?

    Exactly. See how it works out and go by what you see. Sometimes two boys fight to the death, sometimes they work great together. Sometimes with a 2 to 1 ratio the hens are not barebacked or they don't have over-mating problems. Sometimes with a 20 to 1 ratio they do. Some roosters will...
  2. Ridgerunner

    Food/water in coop

    It might or might not. What are the other water sources the critters can use? How accessible is the run? What critters do you have? It has not been a huge problem for me but a neighbor has a farm pond right next to the run. And except for smaller critters it is pretty inaccessible.
  3. Ridgerunner

    Buying Hatching Eggs

    There is no "best" for everyone. What are your goals? What kinds of chickens do you want? What is important to you? Where are you? Some ways work better in the USA than in the UK, Australia, or Kenya. If you want show quality chickens, your best bet is probably from someone that breeds...
  4. Ridgerunner

    So called experts over-complicate things, when a hen in her natural environment cannot be so precise.

    The same thing is true about feeding, breeds, breeding, housing, integrating, and every other aspect of chickens. Everybody has their opinions which may be valid for them but may not be for everybody else. There are just too many differences in goals, experience, climate, and other...
  5. Ridgerunner

    Roosting

    First, I'd get those nests open. If they are going to sleep in them I'd want to know it before they start laying so I can train them otherwise and avoid poopy eggs. The pullets are up there during the day so they can get up to the roosts so that is not a problem. They simply do not want to...
  6. Ridgerunner

    Food/water in coop

    For their own reasons some people feed and/or water in the coop only, some feed and/or water in the run only, and some feed and/or water in both. I don't see any of these as right or wrong, mainly personal opinion as to what works best for the individual. Since we all have different set-ups...
  7. Ridgerunner

    Mineral Oil on Roosting Bar?

    Back when I was young (a long time ago) some people would use burned motor oil on the roosts as a defense against roost mites. It would soak in so no traction issues. These days I would not use motor oil because of the potential toxicity issues though the toxic part probably soon evaporated...
  8. Ridgerunner

    Ground cover ideas?

    Not sure how open to the public vision this area will be or how often you will mow it. Frequent mowing will kill out some things. You might call your county extension office and chat with them. Tell them what you are trying to accomplish and your criteria. They should have good local knowledge.
  9. Ridgerunner

    Kalmbach food leading to poor laying?

    I seriously doubt it is the feed. Yours free range so you have lost the ability to micromanage their feed intake. They are managing that. They usually do a pretty good job of that when free ranging. There can be different reasons you are not getting as many eggs as you expect. One obvious...
  10. Ridgerunner

    New pullets quarantine

    Where are these new pullets coming from: a hatchery, feed store, or somebody's flock? How old are they? If they are newly hatched from a hatchery or feed store I would not quarantine. They are highly unlikely to bring in anything. If they are older or from another source then I'd consider...
  11. Ridgerunner

    Is this a good incubator?

    I had a 1588 many years ago, one of the older models. The way you set temperature has changed dramatically, much more user friendly. To me it is a medium range incubator, more expensive than some but not as expensive as others. My first hatch with it was about a 70% success rate. The...
  12. Ridgerunner

    cockerel aggressive to flock mates

    That 10 to 1 you often see on here comes from hatcheries where they want high fertility. With the way they keep them, in the pen breeding system, that ratio is what is used to assure practically every egg is fertilized. It is not about behaviors, it is about fertility. And, like every other...
  13. Ridgerunner

    Broody hens still doting on 12 week old chicks?

    I've had hens wean their chicks at 3 weeks. I've had hens wean their chicks at 3 months, about where yours are now. I haven't seen it myself but some people on here have said their broody hen stayed with the chick even after the chick was grown and laying eggs. Each chicken has its own...
  14. Ridgerunner

    Ammonia issue in the coop

    You want the microbes that break down the poop and other organic material to be aerobic (oxygen-breathing). If it becomes too wet for air (oxygen) to reach the microbes then anaerobic microbes take over. Anaerobic microbes are what produce the ammonia. If you are smelling ammonia then it is...
  15. Ridgerunner

    Veggies

    How do you keep your chickens? If they forage for much of their diet you've lost the ability to micromanage their diet anyway. What is your main feed, especially if they are confined and restricted in what they can eat to what you feed them? What veggies are you talking about? For many...
  16. Ridgerunner

    Help: How to Cull (if you've never culled before)

    The way you can. Let me explain that. Your goal is to end the chicken's life as quickly and as sure as you can so it does not suffer. You also do not want to injure yourself, don't forget that part. We are all different with different experiences and sensibilities. What works for you might...
  17. Ridgerunner

    Which feed should I continue buying?

    It sounds like it is not ground up into a powder as you can see the individual parts. A lot of people use feeds like that but I'm not a big fan. The different components can separate and the chickens can selectively eat certain things and not eat others. I'm not sure they are all getting a...
  18. Ridgerunner

    Laying in the wrong place

    How long have they been laying? Have they just started laying or has it been a while? Are those eggs randomly scattered or in one spot that is obviously a nest? Two different things could be going on. Some pullets seem to know an egg is coming and purposely lays it where they want to right...
  19. Ridgerunner

    Rain

    My chickens do not like a cold wind but seem to enjoy being in the run when it is raining as long as it is not severe. I think they know when they are comfortable and when they are not. My theory of why they like to be outside in the rain is that they want to get any worms or other critters...
  20. Ridgerunner

    Fall chicks in Montana

    :thumbsup A good idea. Have you integrated before so you know what to expect? You generally need a lot more room to integrate than once they are integrated. It doesn't sound like you have a lot of extra room. Integration concerns me a lot more than your cold weather. Are you using both...
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