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  1. B Redhawk

    Is this barbed mesh cage predator-proof?

    The mesh will stop most of the predators, the "barbs" will only harm you or any other human. My biggest problem is Raccoons, we have hawks, foxes and coyotes and good heavy mesh stops all of these from getting into our birds when inside their coop. The breeder we use raises quail, chickens...
  2. B Redhawk

    Mixing my own feed?

    Our chooks have been known to reject layer crumble but they love to steal the hog's feed, I compared the ingredients and they seem to be close enough in nutrients so I stopped worrying about that. They have free choice minerals and oyster shell for when they want those. Mostly they free range in...
  3. B Redhawk

    Mail order chicks question

    Hope it works out for you. Usually there is a minimum number of around 25 chicks so they can keep warm enough to survive, I can't believe they took an order of only 6 at this time of year.
  4. B Redhawk

    No Crow roo collar?

    So what you are saying is that you don't care about the law?
  5. B Redhawk

    Water barrels?

    We have a rain barrel connected to the down spout from the coop roof. I installed a bulkhead fitting to a pvc pipe that holds the nipples. I had to add a drain via a T fitting for when it starts to back up because it is too full. A few drops of bleach keeps alge and mosquitoes away.
  6. B Redhawk

    Can a roof be flat for part of a chicken run?

    Instead of a flat roof you might want to lower one side by at least a few inches so it is a shed roof. That way the water would run off one side only and you would just gutter that one side. The other option would be to do a standard gable roof. Flat roofs really aren't flat they have to shed...
  7. B Redhawk

    Blue Marans--Help!!

    The Blue Marans are a recessive gene bird. The Black Marans is the original bird from Marans, France The Black Copper is what most people want In order for a bird to be a Marans it must have feathers on the outside of its legs. There are differences in Marans Clubs, when I was getting started in...
  8. B Redhawk

    Altering an Urban Coop Co "Starter Coop"

    I'm with aart, that looks like a good hospital or isolation coop to me.
  9. B Redhawk

    ZIP TIES! What kind do you use?

    J clips can be tightened with a pair of pliers, stainless zip ties are also great as is stainless steel safety wire (I have some securing just about every nut on my jeep).
  10. B Redhawk

    Best heritage meat chicken?

    I'm working with Black Copper Marans, they are large enough for use as a meat bird and they produce large eggs too. This coming year we should be ready to put in the wife's Turken birds which will also do dual purpose for us.
  11. B Redhawk

    new chicks in coop with older birds

    DH has the right plan for that many chicks. Instead of using "chicken wire" I'd use 1/2" mesh to cover those larger holes in the main fence. It is far less likely to harm any chick (which can get stuck in "chicken wire"). I've told my wife several times that the only thing "chicken wire" is good...
  12. B Redhawk

    Where to get show quality chicks?

    Like Pyxis says, you buy chicks but actually grow your own birds to show. Most all the folks I know that show birds are breeders of their birds. You have so much to select for to meet the breed standard that most of the showing people are not going to let go of any bird that they can use to...
  13. B Redhawk

    Evaluating ventilation?

    First off, there are coop designs that have a completely open side (usually the south side) with only screening (1/2 or 1/4 inch mesh (hardware cloth)), these were very popular in the 1910's thru the 1940's and they work very well. I've seen the 1 sq. ft. ventilation per bird figures and for...
  14. B Redhawk

    Is this enough venting?

    an 8' x 8' coop (64 sq. ft. floor space) should have around of 8 to 12 sq. ft. of vent, more is better if you have a dozen or more chickens in there. You can make the extra venting closeable if you have windy conditions in the winter.
  15. B Redhawk

    Help with leaky coop, please!

    The first thing to do is get at least 16 inches of overhang on those sides, that will help a lot with wind blown rains getting in through those holes. The front edge needs to have at least 2 feet of overhang and the back would be fine with 16 inches. our new coop has 3 feet of overhang on the...
  16. B Redhawk

    Coop located under barnyard flood light 24/7

    They might not want to go in to roost if the light is always on. Don't expect predators to be discouraged by a constantly on light either, all that does is make it easier for them to see. Even a security type, on when presence is detected, doesn't bother raccoons or opossum and probably wouldn't...
  17. B Redhawk

    What do I call my chicks?

    I think you can call them what ever you like. I would probably refer to them as Rhorpins
  18. B Redhawk

    Eggs eaten

    Could be an opossum but the trail of eggs makes me think rat. Rats will roll eggs to their nest, stopping to suck them dry along the way. If no bird seems traumatized I would doubt it was a opossum, they tend to grab feathers and the bird will be very skittish for quite a while. A rat can simply...
  19. B Redhawk

    Black beatles

    You might want to try to identify that beetle species, some can cause botulism in chickens if they eat the beetle. Some times the chooks can get over it but usually a case of botulism can run through the flock since it is a bacteria and anaerobic the toxin can be spread by other birds feeding on...
  20. B Redhawk

    Predator

    Unless you have skunks there, it is more likely to be a member of the weasel family such as the common weasel, otter, mink, ermine, one of those are known to rip heads off and leave the body.
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