Where our coop is in our yard it does not get much sun in the fall / winter. Are there any artificial lights that simulate sunshine? I know vitamin D is important for them. I don't want it for better egg production, they do just fine but I know they need some sunlight. The front of the coop...
I have three hens and one rooster and they all get along just fine. Over the weekend I noticed Belle sitting off by herself, not pecking and scratching with the others. Every day after work I let them out into their yard and they are always on my heels to get out into the grass. When I let them...
I noticed yesterday one of my GSL's is missing some feathers above one of her eyes.
She is not bleeding, it just looks like dry red skin underneath, like the skin around her eye. Maybe
she scratched it? Could it be mites or something irritating her? She and her sisters are a year old...
I have a lemon orpington cuckoo rooster who is just over a year old and three golden sex links that are a year old. When it was still cold out my roo got some frost bite on his comb and waddle and one of the girls started pecking him. That is him in my avatar and now one of his combs is a half...
Yes, my question is do I have enough!! I'm sure everyone is tired of hearing that question. Here is my coop:
I came out the other morning to let them out, and the glass on the people door was fogged up. It has
been getting to 32 and sometimes below the past few nights here in NJ. The left...
I have a few designated pairs of flip flops I wore inside the coop area in the summer. They are great because the bottoms are flat so I just drag my feet through the yard and they are clean by the time I reach the porch. Well, it has gotten colder and I switched to rain boots, and let me tell...
Hello chicken loving friends! Not sure if you saw my thread from a few months ago (so I will attach it, it is somewhat witty on my part) https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/699307/i-should-just-build-a-bigger-better-coop#post_9524784
Well it's done! Haha, well 97.5% done. But here are the...
I only have 3 hens and the other day I went out to see them all chowing down on an egg. So I put mustard in one and put it in their nest box. (Read that on BYC). That night it was broken open. I cleaned it up and thought that would be a lesson to them. Well, they have other plans!! Or they are...
Does anyone know what would cause this? I have 3 4 1/2 month pullets. 2 are laying. I am feeding them layer pellets - I'm not sure they are eating them, I got pellets instead of crumbles by mistake. I do feed them corn on the cob and grapes every day.
This morning I found really big poops - as...
Magical words every chicken loving wife wants to hear. Don't be jealous ladies! My fabulous husband only had to say it once for my mind to take off with ideas. Most of which were found right here! I won't bore you with lengthy explanations on every little detail - I will just load you up with...
I know it sounds like a dumb question, but my husband asked me this morning and I said, well I don't know! I just assumed it happened in the morning. I left for work and one or two of my girls were making odd sounds so I told him to check - they are getting ready to lay and every morning I've...
Here in NJ we've had some crazy crazy thunderstorms. Last night was exceptionally scary, with lots of lightening, and sky-tearing thunder. Not to mention torrential downpours! Do these wake up chickens? Does it scare the bejesus out of them like it does me??? I have never checked on them in the...
I'm reading conflicting things on next boxes. Some people say they should be dark so they are comfortable, and others say the more light the better. So naturally I am confused! I can create them either way, we are very accommodating to our girls! My girls will be 18 weeks this weekend so I want...
This morning at 5:30 when I went out to change my chicks water, I saw my rooster grab one of my hen's necks. He pulled a few feathers out. It didn't look like he was trying to mate. Was he just being rammy? Their current run is roughly two feet high so they don't have much headroom (new coop is...
My girls are turning 17 weeks on Sunday. I have their nest boxes blocked off because naturally they wanted to sleep in them! Do I wait until I find an egg somewhere to uncover them and put some bedding in?
I know my one bantam below is a roo, he is perfecting his crowing and tail pulling on my girls. This is Prince Charming
who has not been too charming lately . . .
This is my other bantam Snow White (s/he was all white when I named her!). She tries to crow but it sounds awful!! It is a crow...
Some of you may remember my thread asking if one of my bantams - Cinderella - is a roo - well, he is (and is now Prince Charming). This is my other bantam, Snow White (s/he was all white when I named her . . . ) I'm not sure if she is just trying to imitate Prince Charming (very bad imitations I...
My 12 week old Bantam Roo, Prince Charming has not been too charming lately. He's practicing his cocka-doodle-doo's every morning and getting better. But he is also pulling my pullets tail feathers. I have 3 GSL's and one other bantam that I am not sure if it is a boy or girl yet. I've seen him...
This morning I let them all out at 5:30 a.m., they raced out and ran to their food like always. When I went out at 7:00 to give them frozen water bottles and grapes for the day (we are having a heat wave : ( ) they were all in the coop. They all walked out when I came out but I wonder why...
I currently have hay inside my protected run, which I fluff up every once in a while. There is hardware cloth underneath my run and lots of hay. I put a tarp over it at night and on days when rain is in the forecast. Should I use pine shavings instead? And if so how would I clean that? I've also...