A mix of Dawn dishwashing detergent, orange oil and water poured on the mounds works for fireants and is totally safe! Pour it on the mounds. Something in the orange oil stops up their breathing and the dawn acts as a sticking agent. Use it on and around plants all the time. Kills the mounds...
Several years ago someone posted directions for making a heater to put under your water pan using a cookie tin and lightbulb. Maybe it's still on here somewhere...
I would fill a large pot with warm water and place the eggs in - the bad ones will float. Boil the rest, keep what you want and feed the rest to dogs or chickens. No need to waste them all!
I usually set my brooder up by pouring a couple of inches of pelletized wood (used for horse bedding) and cover it with a layer of paper towels. I do not put feed directly on the paper towels because I want the chicks to eat out of a feeder. I think the idea of old diapers as a covering would...
If you use the pelletized wood horse bedding, it doesn't get in the water. I put paper towels over it for the first two or three days and then remove them. By this time they know where the food and water is and it is so much easier. Stir it up every couple of days so the finer particles that...
Come on peeps! We're talking chickens here. They will eat pretty much anything that doesn't get them first! Ever gone out to the coop and found a chicken that has died and the others are canibalizing it? There may be feed in the feeder but they prefer something new and different! They eat...
Had a big problem with fire ants getting into my feed bin...dusted it thoroughly with DE and they disappeared. It is safe for use on chickens so I would give it a try.
Ideal has assortments of plymouth rocks and cornish both - but only males. Sounds like what you are looking for. Roosters should get along fine if there are no hens to fight over.
Much as I hate the crows, they chase away the hawks. I have been throwing out leftover deer corn to encourage the crows to hang around. Don't know if that's an option where you are. Yours look more like buzzards to me but I would need a closer look to be sure. Good Luck!
I try hard not to feed medicated feed of any kind to any of my animals. I think it is akin to taking antibiotics when you don't need them - you build up resistant organisms. Besides, I don't know how much of what I feed my animals comes back in eggs and carcasses.
Meat can be canned! My grandmother did not have a freezer until after I was born. Milk was kept in a spring house, Pork was in the smokehouse with sausage kept in vats of lard and beef (after dividing with all the neighbors) was canned as stew meat in jars. Your pressure cooker guide will...
6 out of 7 have hatched and there is a pip in #7. Rolls did not work well - too humid and they fell apart. Will try them again but will not cut until I wrap them with duct tape. Last egg has been used for a soccerball and pillow all afternoon - not sure when it pipped. None of them were due...
Good thing my cradles were all ready to go...I was supposed to go in lockdown today but got up to 4 pips and singing. The turner was still turning so I rapidly removed it and put the eggs on the cradles and added water! Keep your fingers crossed. I am still hearing singing two hours later...
I have my toilet paper roll cut and ready and also have egg cartons...I am due to go on lockdown tomorrow so please keep us posted on progress. If you use egg cartons, do they go big end down or small end? Air sac is on big end. I have usually laid them on their side (in a Brinsea mini) but...