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  1. gtaus

    Weird poop?

    ...be very likely that was a lash egg. But I looked up the chances of a young pullet passing a lash egg just for my info. Here is what I learned... ******************** Lash eggs are more common in older hens, especially those with a history of reproductive strain or internal laying. 🧠 Why...
  2. gtaus

    What did you do in the garden today?

    ...in northern Minnesota this summer was compared to Los Angeles, which is the most polluted air I have been in before. Here is what I found out... ************************ You're right — your AQI of 155 is considered “Unhealthy” for everyone, not just sensitive groups. That’s a serious level...
  3. gtaus

    Weird poop?

    Here is a picture of a lash egg cut open.... Picture of lash egg whole... I have had laying hens just over 5 years. I have only seen one or two lash eggs in the nest boxes in that period of time (10 hens). But there could have been other lash eggs dropped into the deep bedding in the coop...
  4. gtaus

    newly arrived runner ducks won't eat!

    They sure are some nice-looking ducks. I had ducks before I ever had chickens, but I raised all my ducks from day old chicks. It sounds like your ducks might be adjusting to their new surroundings as evidenced by your statement that you could see her chest flinching because she was so nervous...
  5. gtaus

    Weird poop?

    What was she eating? I know that makes a big difference in the chicken poo I see. If your hen does not have any other symptoms, I would not be too concerned at this time. Maybe she ate something that came out the back end looking funny. But I will be interested in what other people have to say.
  6. gtaus

    Need help for a run on a sloped yard

    ...place and later use it in your gardens. Anyways, I found some good information on the issue of adding sand to clay online which may be helpful... ********************* Mixing sand with heavy clay can backfire if done improperly. It’s one of those gardening myths that seems logical but...
  7. gtaus

    Grazing Frame Failures - Need Suggestions

    :fl Yes, hope it works out well for you!
  8. gtaus

    Dead Birch Tree (Widow Maker) Falling Down - Need Suggestions

    Yep, it smoldered for a couple of days but now it is out and cold. Only about half the punky wood I put on the stump was actually burned. It was like trying to burn dirt. Well, I'm not going to build a rocket stove to burn out a stump. But the concept of forcing air into the fire works. I have...
  9. gtaus

    Dead Birch Tree (Widow Maker) Falling Down - Need Suggestions

    ...had no idea why it was only smoldering. Keep in mind our humidity level this past week has been over 75%, very high. Here is the response I got... ********************** That smoldering, low-flame behavior is very typical of rotted wood, and it’s rooted in both moisture content and...
  10. gtaus

    Wheat Grass Mold

    Your fodder in that picture looks great! I water my fodder bins twice a day, but they have holes in them which allows the water to drain out and gives the seeds a chance to get more air and dry out between watering. I never have any standing water in my bins. I don't know if you have drain holes...
  11. gtaus

    Wheat Grass Mold

    ...I wanted a second opinion so I posed your concerns to Microsoft CoPilot AI. Here is the response I got which corroborates my experience as well. ************************ ...white mold on wheat fodder is a red flag, and it’s generally not safe for chickens. While not all molds are equally...
  12. gtaus

    Dead Birch Tree (Widow Maker) Falling Down - Need Suggestions

    I'm glad I asked for suggestions. My original plan was to just use the chainsaw to cut the tree and run like heck when it started falling down! On a normal tree, that is not a problem. But this tree was all rotted out which made it more of a challenge - not knowing when or where it might...
  13. gtaus

    Dead Birch Tree (Widow Maker) Falling Down - Need Suggestions

    The only thing I don't like is that it works best to put fresh oil/diesel on a couple times a day and let it soak in for a number of days. Then the soaked wood burns great. It takes a bit of patience to wait those days. But then that old stump should burn like a candle. I have successfully...
  14. gtaus

    Dead Birch Tree (Widow Maker) Falling Down - Need Suggestions

    I want to thank everyone for their comments and just let you know what I ended up doing. It was a bit from a number of suggestions, which worked for me, and the tree is now down on the ground, and I was able to walk away with ending up on YouTube! I have few pictures to share along with final...
  15. gtaus

    Show Me Your Pallet Projects!

    No way I could do all that work with manual tools. Well, maybe I could, but I would not want to. Amazing what some people can do with a lot of pallets and determination! :old I'm just happy to build a new pallet wood raised bed or two each year. That's more my speed.
  16. gtaus

    Show Me Your Pallet Projects!

    I have believed that for a long time. My grandpa's hand tools were better made than most of the tools I can get today. However, he paid more for that quality in terms of price for tool versus how much he made per hour of labor. So many tool companies come and go. Years ago, I got stung with...
  17. gtaus

    Free Lunch Chickens! Hawk Attack!

    Someone here on the BYC invented a word for her chickens. She called them "petstock." Somewhere between family pets and true livestock. That's pretty much how I feel about my laying hens. Not pets, but neither livestock. I can tell you the personalities of almost every one of my girls. I feel...
  18. gtaus

    Dead Birch Tree (Widow Maker) Falling Down - Need Suggestions

    I appreciated all the comments I received. In my case, I have tow straps rated for 3,300 lbs. which I intended to use to pull down that dead tree. Agreed. However, I do my best never to put a knot in a rope or tow strap. Exactly. The tree is all dead and rotted out. I looked it up and...
  19. gtaus

    Dead Birch Tree (Widow Maker) Falling Down - Need Suggestions

    ...strength. As a sport fisherman, I learned how to tie hooks and lures with using knots for that reason. But here is a pretty good explanation... ********* This statement is a practical warning rooted in rope physics and safety engineering: 🧠 Why Knots Weaken Rope Strength 🔄 Stress...
  20. gtaus

    Dead Birch Tree (Widow Maker) Falling Down - Need Suggestions

    Right. I thought the chickens might like to eat the ants and termites they find in the wood. I was only considering dumping the wood in the run, not the coop. It might not be an issue in the end because I am reading that ants and termites don't continue to live in a rotted-out tree after a...
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