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  1. Whistling Badger

    Molting?

    Hi, everybody. Can't remember the last time I was over here, but I've acquired both a masters degree and a lovely daughter since then, and parted with a rooster who learned the hard way not to bite the hand that feeds him. (he was delicious) Anyway, I still have 11 gold laced Wyandotte...
  2. Whistling Badger

    Permethrin treatment for perches/boxes?

    We're starting on our chicken coop today, and I have an idea. I've been reading about all the parasites that love to take up residence in a chicken house, and since our birds will be semi-free ranging, they'll probably come into contact with whatever the local meadowlarks, blackbirds, and...
  3. Whistling Badger

    Hatch Pictures!

    McNugget #2 arrives on the scene. We've been incredibly disappointed with our hatch--only two out of 20+ eggs! But I got to watch this yesterday, and disappointing or not, this was a pretty cool thing to get to see. It's the CIIIRRRCLE of LIIIIFE.... (come on, everybody sing along with me)...
  4. Whistling Badger

    When do I start feeding/watering new ones?

    Howdy. We're in the process of our first hatch and wondering: Should we have food/water available from the moment they go into the brooder? My instinct is to wait until they are at least walking reasonably well and aware of their surroundings. Thanks! Tom
  5. Whistling Badger

    Gadwalls on Loch Wilson

    We are in the process of lining our pond. It's about 40' across and 7' deep, so this has been quite a chore, and will continue to be until we get it all finished. I have wanted to give up and fill the sucker in on several occasions, but we need it for irrigation and such. A couple days ago I...
  6. Whistling Badger

    Thursday is the day...We Have a Winner!

    We candled late last week. Seven of our eggs (out of the 23 we received) are fertile for sure--a few of the little critters were dancing around lively--and three "maybes." The others were getting nasty so we threw them out. I didn't open any of the bad ones, because if I threw out a good one...
  7. Whistling Badger

    Wing clipping

    Does anybody here clip their chickens wing feathers to keep them from flying? I want mine to stay put behind the fence when I need them too, and I probably won't be able to cover their run, for reasons I have described elsewhere. I read about a way you can permanently clip wings by cutting off...
  8. Whistling Badger

    Free ranging questions

    Howdy. Well, based on last night's candling, some of these critters might actully join us in a couple weeks. So, time to start thinking about what we're going to do with them. We plan on letting them free-range a few hours a day when we can be outside to keep an eye on them. Our property...
  9. Whistling Badger

    Day 6--Just candled...

    ...using a backpacking headlamp. Around half our eggs are showing veins (YES!), some are dark with no veins (yet?), and some are very clear and translucent, no veins, no dark areas. I'm assuming those aren't fertile. How long should we leave the non-fertile-looking eggs in before giving up...
  10. Whistling Badger

    Finding the balance

    OK, we're waiting for our eggs to hatch, and pondering our layout. Our chickens will be "working" birds, not pets--we are raising them to help us become more self-sufficient and healthy. In other words, we plan to eat them and/or their offspring. (no sense mincing words, right?) We will...
  11. Whistling Badger

    Cage free eggs...

    ...are up to almost $5 a dozen at the grocery store!!! :o Come on, little bator eggs... T
  12. Whistling Badger

    When does the count start?

    Our eggs are supposed to be here today. I know the eggs usually hatch in 20-25 days. Does that start from the day they're laid, or the day they go in the incubator? I hope it's the latter, because I don't know when they were laid! Thanks! Tom
  13. Whistling Badger

    Chicks and dogs

    Howdy. We are eagerly awaiting our shipment of eggs (there are 18, but I'm not counting 'em before they hatch). We have a big dog who is a very gentle soul, but he likes to play, and he's a pretty good mouser. He's very gentle with my wife's mentally retarded cat, who was not much bigger than...
  14. Whistling Badger

    Homegrown winter feed

    Do any of you grow your own winter feed? If I wanted to keep a few hens and a rooster through a Wyoming winter (frequent dips below zero, sometimes for several days), I'm assuming something with a high protein and fat content...I'm thinking maybe a mix of millet and sunflower seeds...
  15. Whistling Badger

    imprinting

    Hello again. Is it true that chicks will "imprint" on the first living thing they see? If so, what exactly does this mean? Does it matter? Has anyone tried getting chicks to imprint on the family dog to help with predator control? Just wondering. Tom
  16. Whistling Badger

    Fencing for Chickens?

    I'm worried about predators and I thought getting our chicks some basic sword fighting lessons might be the ticket. OK, not really. How high does fencing need to be for chickens (Wyandottes in my case, hopefully) to stay put? Will they stay put behind 3 feet tall of woven wire, or will they...
  17. Whistling Badger

    Getting Started in Wyoming

    Howdy. Tom here, from Lander, Wyoming. Hope all you nice folks will allow a Badger in the hen house. I promise not to eat anybody's chickens except mine. We just order our first set of hatching eggs. They should be in Tuesday or Wednesday. We've been reading up a lot on keeping...
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