When picking up my order of chicks a little immobile silkie chick caught my attention. the others were trampling all over it and pecking it. It seemed to be dragging itself to the food/water dish so I thought I could hobble the legs and all would be good (chick was 1 day old at the time) now a...
So living 16 miles from the new jersey shore the only word I can use to describe hurricane Sandy is devastating. I lost my chicken coop which I had custom built, my garage, damage to my home etc but thank god all replaceable things. My two chickens survived the storm miraculously and since then...
No you can generally follow the same guidelines in regards to heat, make sure you have a decent thermometer or even two to measure the warm spot vs the cool spot ( this helps with peace of mind ) Also try not to handle them until they are slightly larger ( 14+days old ) Marbles in their water...
I love this thread! Can anyone please give me some advice on some flowering perennials, ( plants or bushes) that are beautiful and easily managed. (I live in New Jersey) The chickens will not come in contact with these plants but planting them in the same general area will definitely help to...
Thankyou all for your condolences it is extremely appreciated. I ended up placing an order with Ideal Poultry after a reccomendation from someone on this thread lead me to their website. They have a tie in with my local Agway and it all worked out great. I ordered 1 millie fleur, 1 white...
Was devestated to see my favorite chicken a little Millie Fleur had been killed by (probably) a hawk. The three chickens had been free ranging on my acre of property for 10 months without incident so it was a bit of a shock. Went onto mypetchicken.com to order a small amount of chicks for spring...
if your dog is a substantial breed ( 40lbs or more ) use a shock collar. They can be set to different levels of intensity. You cant have a dog that will kill chickens if your going to have chickens. It is irresponsible to put the birds in that situation. Although a shock collar seems harsh, it...
Put them in at bedtime and it would probably be ideal if you put the older chicks into the younger chicks territory vs. the other way around since their is probably a size difference.
go for the rooster return.. it can be difficult to sex them if your not extremely experienced. If the people know you will take the bird back it potentially saves it from a less ideal fate.
i think youre probably right and I do appreciate the response. Several of my posts here have gone unanswered so Ive literally started scanning through and trying to answer other people who had zero responses.
If your chicks are potentially sick you cant be in a rush to reduce their heat. In theory at 4 weeks old they could be kept around 75/80 degrees. In regards to feather loss check carefully for mites or any other parasites and be sure they are not picking on eachother and pulling feathers...
you need to remove any fecal matter from her hind end and ensure that she is clean and able to eliminate. They can get a big mess of poop stuck to their butts that can actually plug up the rectum and stop them from eliminating. Use very warm ( NOT HOTT ) water ..run her butt under the faucet and...
HI everyone. I have an 8 week old white silkie pullet that doesnt go into the coop at night. The coop is elevated 20 inches off the ground. There is no ramp ( i feel like not having a ramp eliminates an entranceway for vermin) The other three chickens ( 1 other silkie 1 millie fleur 1 cochin )...
I cant imagine her being more than 15 inches tall and definitely able to take her feed and water in a 17" space. My coop is 20" off the ground and my standard cochin has no problem getting to the food and water I put under there.
I use sand in the run and scoop it every other day like cat litter. It is convenient and can be less odorous than the deep litter method. ( though I know many people here use DLM and claim they have no smell) Also consider having less chickens. I have four hens in a 10 by 10 coop and because...
two by fours are the most reasonable choice for roosts. they can be easily cut to size and their width ( they should be placed with the wide side up ) is beneficial because it helps keep the chickens toes flatter allowing their breast feathers to cover their feet when roosting. ( this is...
I dont like the deep litter method although I know many people here do. For my own sanity ( im a neat freak ) I use sand and scoop poop every other day. I love the sand because it scoops up just like cat litter and the chickens love bathing in it . It also looks nice. As far as ventilation if...