While checking on one of my Broody Hens I discovered her eggs were covered in mites. I dusted her with a bit of Sevin dust, sprinkled the nest with DE, and set up a shallow tub in the coop with sand (thinking maybe the proximity would allow her to 'bath' more). She had been on the eggs for only...
2 days ago I found a kitten in my barn, it had upset my rooster which had alerted me to 'danger'. It is either feral or poorly socialized. It is currently in a dog crate in the barn with canned food, water, and a box/with towels for shelter (it is still below freezing most of the time). Thinking...
First time raising turkeys for Thanksgiving, understand that they need time to get through rigor. Does anyone have a preference of processing on Saturday or Sunday?
I ordered a mix of Rhode Island Red (female), New Hampshire Red (female), Speckled Sussex (female), and Welsummers (male) from Meyer Hatchery they are 3.5 weeks old. I understand they will be hatchery quality and vary from the standard. Most I've been able to ID because they resemble each other...
This is my second year doing cornish cross meat birds. Last year was my first attempt, I ended up with 48 of 50 big healthy clean birds. This year is not going nearly as well and I am having issues I didn't have last year.
My setup is a 10 x 10 x 2.5 ft mobile chicken tractor, solid walls/roof...
I'm not sure this is the best place but I'm looking to expand my flock and am interested in Rhodebar. Does anyone have a source of eggs or chicks with decent genetics they could pm me?
Came home yesterday to find one of my 6 month old pullets hiding in a corner of the coop. She will kind of hobble around using her left wing for balance, but she doesn't extend her legs so she is moving on the foot and lower portion of the leg. Toes are close not the normal extended. No outward...
In my experience chickens and gardens don't mix. I use the portable poultry netting to control where the flock can go, like lazy gardener the flock has access to the garden from harvest until spring. For about about a week in the spring I will limit the flock to only the garden, they tear it to...
Not exactly a broody anymore but when I went out to check and make sure everyone made it into the coop last night. Found my most recent broody and her 9 chicks now almost 2 months old had taken over a nest box for the night. They were packed into 15" cube.
I had a similar issue when I started. I put a light in my coop that stays on for an hour after sunset, so its light inside until its total dark outside.
It could also be they are young and don't get the process yet. My coop has an automatic door and the adults know the rules, occasionally I'll...
How much land do you have? Rotational forage where you let them into an area for a while combined with planting specific forage blends could cut back on the amount of feed they will require. My summer feed bill is a half to a third of the winter bill.
Need to figure out how to harvest and store...
They should have access to food during the day, food can get wet so long as it is eaten soon. Wet/damp food will spoil.
My flock will venture out in the rain, they will stay in the coop if its raining hard or cold and rainy.
If your birds can free range that feed level doesn't seem far off from mine. During the summer a 50lbs bag will last my flock of 20 nearly 3 weeks (.12lbs per bird-day). They can free range and are rotated to different areas every few weeks, they can and will strip a 10x40ft area bare in about...
If it makes you feel better mine like to do the same time thing. They have about 1000ft of pasture with spuradic brush and trees behind the coop. Even with the coop in sight they only go back 100ft. They will readily travel twice as far to the house, then into the front yard and across the...
Thanks to everyone for the help, third attempt 9 of 12. The hen took her chicks outside for the first time today (day 5), it was in the 50s and windy. A few pics...
The chick is fine.
She found a spot that was still getting some sun and sat/hovered.
Last year I ended up wrapping the pvc in roof deicer wire, not the preferred solution but it worked. This year I am going to try to run an aquarium heater cable through the PVC.
Will post results in February saying it didn't work or in April thatit did.
If its only a matter of time you don't need water. There is water in my coop because once the snow starts the flock may not come out for a while. Preventing drips is important, a dry coop is good. Wet litter will freeze and raise the humidity which isn't good for chickens.
I agree. I have never seen my rooster peck or act aggressively to a chick or juvenile. Probably because he knows he is king, whereas the hens are defending thier position.
I have a 'panic room' it is 3x3x1.5 ft., top is solid but the walls are 1/2 dowel about 4" spacing. Chicks up to a size can...