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  1. Ridgerunner

    Friendly Rooster has begun attacking just ONE hen--help

    You did all you could. :hugs
  2. Ridgerunner

    How big is too big for new layers

    Lohman Brown are a hybrid mix used by commercial egg laying operators to lay a lot of large eggs. At 30 weeks of age yours have probably been laying for two months or more. It sounds like they are doing what they are designed to do. I understand your concern. Is there a risk because of...
  3. Ridgerunner

    Chicken Behavior

    Most commercial egg laying flocks tend to molt around 18 months of age. That's not because of their age but the cycle of them starting to lay around 5 months of age and laying for around 13 months before production drops and they are forced to molt to reestablish profitable laying. This can be...
  4. Ridgerunner

    Opinions?

    @Yardmom I know I'm getting nitpicky but the original post was about chickens, not ducks. Some feeds meant for chickens will not have as much niacin as ducks need. If the bag has a picture of a duck on it then it should, but many bags just have pictures of chickens. I know that is a...
  5. Ridgerunner

    Opinions?

    In my opinion, there are a huge number of potential supplements or additives or just miracle foods for chickens, humans, dogs, parakeets or anything else. If they are receiving a balanced diet they don't really need (have to have) any of those. If their diet is not balanced then that imbalance...
  6. Ridgerunner

    How many more hens can fit in this coop?

    :thumbsup This is how I explained it in my article (link in my signature) about how much room chickens need. 10. The number of chickens. The greater the number of chickens, the more personal space they can have if the square foot per chicken stays constant. Let me explain. Assume each chicken...
  7. Ridgerunner

    Not using roosting bars

    You can do whatever you wish but if they were uncomfortable they would move.
  8. Ridgerunner

    Favorite breed other than Cornish Cross

    Cornish X - Commercial meat birds, what you buy at the store. Butchered at 6 to 8 weeks of age so still very tender, can be cooked with any method. The most efficient at converting food to meat. Don't plan on breeding your own, plan on buying chicks. If what you want is quick turn-around...
  9. Ridgerunner

    New to raising chickens – what essential supplies and equipment do I need?

    :thumbsup The essentials: Age appropriate food, clean water, sufficient room, and protection against predators and the weather. The details of these will depend on your specific situation, climate, and flock. The more you can tell us about your specific situation the more we may be able to...
  10. Ridgerunner

    Buthering First "Rooster"

    :thumbsup
  11. Ridgerunner

    Power outage, what to expect? Help please.

    The power outages I've experienced have been from broody hens going back to the wrong nest. I don't know how long they were off but sometimes the eggs were ice cold to the touch when I found them. I put the hens back on their nest and let them carry on. I did not see any other options unless...
  12. Ridgerunner

    Buthering First "Rooster"

    This is a link to the sticky section of the meat bird section of this forum. You will find a lot of informative threads of different methods, some including photos. I suggest you browse through this and see what you can pick up. If you have any specific questions just ask...
  13. Ridgerunner

    Shipped Chick Poll

    I've had three different shipments of day old chicken chicks, each from a different hatchery, totaling around 75 chicks. I have had zero deaths and zero illnesses other than two or three chicks having pasty butt, all of those from the same shipment.
  14. Ridgerunner

    How long do you keep hens confined for teaching them a new place to roost?

    Whatever the exact topic, whenever you start a question like this the answer is "I don't know". You do not get any guarantees with chickens and their behaviors. I don't know how ling it would take. But I'll make a suggestion. Every night, after dark and they are easy to catch, go out there...
  15. Ridgerunner

    Integration Roadblock and Questions

    The way I do this when the chicks are in a separate coop/run is to allow the older ones and the chicks to see each other for a week or two across wire, then open the gate between the littles and bigs. See what happens. They tend to return to their own coop to sleep at night. After they have...
  16. Ridgerunner

    Pullets wont roost

    Are they sleeping somewhere predator safe? If they are in danger you need to do something. Most of my brooder raised chicks start roosting at around 10 to 12 weeks of age. This is in a coop away from the adults, the adults can bully them off of the roosts if they are around. I've had some...
  17. Ridgerunner

    How many more hens can fit in this coop?

    Yes, we generally manage then differently. Not only do the commercial operations typically de-beak their chickens so they can't eat each other, they chickens they use are bred to be docile, to take confinement well. There are other differences between the commercial operations and us. We both...
  18. Ridgerunner

    Dust bath

    That looks plenty big enough for two large hens. You should have enough room for a kitty litter bin and they are not that expensive.
  19. Ridgerunner

    Dust bath

    What do your facilities look like? What are you using to move them around? Knowing what you are working with might give us some ideas as to what would work for you.
  20. Ridgerunner

    Integration Roadblock and Questions

    May I make a suggestion. Turn that chair upside down. When they perch on it they will poop. If it is normally upside down, when you want to sit in it just flip it and you should have a clean seat.
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