Just getting started... the area we decided to build our coop is not level so we began by pouring concrete pillars.
The floor was next. After installing the sub-flooring we laid some inexpensive vinyl on top to make cleaning easier.
My hubby is up on the roof working while my brother...
Please forgive the quality of these pics - I hope you can see what I am asking about. While cleaning poop boards today I noticed these tiny white "squarish" specks in the poop... All hens are actively eating and drinking, a few are molting and egg production is down, which I attributed to...
I made two very, very similar ones and have not had great results as the feed either spills out or the chickens throw it allllllll over the floor (and WON'T eat it off the floor!!) First one was flat on the bottom which didn't automatically "feed" the food toward the front, so then we recut at...
I let my birds out for about an hour or 1.5 hours in the afternoon... a few times a week. It gives them the opportunity to forage and do their thing without enough time to be too destructive! I put grass clippings in the run (with grit), straw, piles of leaves, etc... to give them stuff to dig...
I went to our local feed store yesterday for 200# of layer feed... I came home with 200# of layer feed, 10# of chick starter and 5 new Ameraucana and 1 black sex link chicks. JUST the night before I told my husband we had too many chicks and feeding them all was getting too expensive.
NOW...
I am so very, very sorry to hear of your loss. Seven weeks ago is a blink of an eye in the mourning process, so I don't think you should expect ANY of your emotions to be critiqued by ANYONE. But no, of course you are not being mean.
You might consider telling her you don't want to make ANY...
When the weather is cooler I make the gals oatmeal and spread it out on a few paper plates, then lightly "frost" it with yogurt. They go NUTS... very entertaining watching them sling yogurt all around!
We used a wooden screen door, reinforeced with galvanized poultry wire and the only thing I'd recommend is sealing the exposed wood. I didn't and regret not having done so!
We have electric wire around our chicken yard; at the bottom and again about 18" - 24" up. I doubt it would stop a determined bear, but it certainly will stop dogs, racoons, etc...
I find it a bit easier to clean and a bit brighter looking, as well as sealing the wood, but it isn't absolutely necessary - lots of coops go "au natural!"
I'm so excited!! Went to purchase 200# of chicken feed today and came home with 5 Americauna and one black sex link chicks!!! JUST yesterday I told my husband we have too many chickens (24 hens/1 roo) and then today I come home with six more!!! I've so wanted blue and green eggs however, and...
Well, if it makes you feel any better, we named our coop "The Alaskan Cruise" because when we figured out what we put into it, we could have taken one. Spent wayyyyyy too much money. Have wayyyyy too many chickens. Spend wayyyyy too much on feed. I probably was not a good person to...
This was from the op's first post:
"As long as he stays on his cable over across the street he's fine."
To me, this said the wolf/hybrid was always being chained. Also, in one of the pictures you can see a hoop or metal ring attached to the cable, not a normal part of a regular leash.
In no...
I'd suggest holding on to your money for a while and go volunteer at a barn to muck, feed, LEARN, etc... I'm very involved in a wonderful, certified therapeutic riding center which is always in need of dedicated, willing volunteers, so you might consider looking to see if one is within driving...
Get an inexpesive thermometer from Walmat and place it in the brooder near your chicks. The air temperature where your thermostate is measuring the air temp is not the same as where the chicks. are.