A 2x4 measures 1.5x3.0" which is 3.8x7.6cm.
It is a standard size of construction lumber here so I have lots of left over off-cuts.
The idea is that it is something that they can stand, walk, and roost on but it is NOT big enough for them to consider a nest.
Use what you have around. Even a...
Definitely she has been making some bad decisions.
Today she spent 7 hours outside foraging in the deep undergrowth. Then suddenly she remembered she was broody and shot back to the nest.
This is after sitting for 23 days on nothing!
One suggestion on the crate is to put a length of 2x4 wood in there for her to stand on.
It is not wide enough to nest on, but it means their feet are not on the wire.
That is what I did for Tassels - I copied it from someone on BYC - and she marches up and down on it yelling curse words at me.
I totally understand the concern. However, the issue of walking through poop is really not solved by antiseptics, it is solved by covering the wound. And that is tricky as chickens will peck away any wound covering.
Arguably it would be better to wash the wound frequently rather than spray it...
I suspect my answer is going to get me in hot water, but since you asked......
First remember there are different kinds of wounds. A surgical incision into healthy tissue is different from a puncture from a tooth or a talon for example.
Some wounds are best closed up and some are best left to...
On a brighter note, I promised to post pictures when my irises came out.
Two shots from the patch where the first one emerged and then the mass out in the field.
I do love them!
Sorry all. I didn’t mean to be a downer.
It is just my way of coping.
I am probably still more active than the majority of the population, but the reality is that I will probably die long before the worst from a climate perspective, and I am very content in my introvert cocoon with my cats and...
Sadly the problems will have an impact everywhere. I confess I am quite pessimistic about it all.
I am also much closer to the end of my life than the beginning and I find my attitude increasingly detached.
Not my problem.
I am not proud of that, and I strive to ensure that my personal impact...
What is the volume of antibiotic you need to give? And is it powder or liquid?
I had quite good success with ‘bread balls’ - pop them in the beak (at the back and to the side) and one swallow and it is gone.
You need bad quality bread though to be able to make it into balls!
I am sure it was a huge relief to her to have that nasty hard plug gone.
I will probably get yelled at by someone for this - but soap or detergent is a perfectly adequate disinfectant. Vinegar too if you want to get fancy!
Farewell Blanche, you will be very missed around the world. Your joy in the little things in life, whenever you had the energy to do so, was an inspiration for us all.
Manue - I know you will be feeling very sad and knowing you, probably guilty for something. But in my humble opinion you did...
I was wrong.
My first iris came out today. Quickly followed by a friend. And the first daisies.
I still think those in less protected areas are a couple of weeks away.