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  1. deserthomestead

    Chickens suddenly stopped laying

    I have 10 hens and live in southern NV -- daytime temps around 105 F recently. We had been getting 5-7 eggs a day, but for the last 2 days I haven't found ANY eggs. My hens do free range, but there's really nowhere for them to hide eggs. They've never laid anywhere but the nest boxes in the...
  2. deserthomestead

    Can I use this thermostat in my incubator?

    I ordered a thermostat from China last week and the stupid thing won't even turn on. Now I'm returning it and looking for alternatives. I found this thermostat designed for seedling heat mats: Has anyone used one of these? Do they work well?
  3. deserthomestead

    Thermostat wiring -- help please!

    I bought this thermostat: And found this wiring diagram here on BYC: When I strip and split the cords, I'll end up with two wires from each power cord. Using the power cord (slots 3 and 4) as an example, how do I know which piece of my power cord goes into slot 3 and which one goes into...
  4. deserthomestead

    Why are my hens eating their nests?

    Most of my girls are 16 weeks old, with a few 17-18 week olds mixed in. I just put in next boxes 2 days ago and filled them with hay. They keep eating all of the nesting material! I've refilled them at least 4 times already! They have PLENTY to eat -- homemade fermented feed, kitchen scraps...
  5. deserthomestead

    How high can Barred Rocks fly?

    I've got 20 BRs - most of them are 10 weeks old, and 3 of them are about 12 weeks old. A few of them keep escaping from their run! DH is building a better door that will fit the gap exactly - right now I have a gate in use as the door. Can they get over a 4 ft door?
  6. deserthomestead

    It's been a rough 3 weeks for my homesteading aspirations

    I'm so ready to quit right now. I've spent so much money in the last year, and now it's all falling to pieces around me. Predators got my ducks 2 nights ago. A sudden storm panicked my chickens 20 minutes ago and they trampled/suffocated 3 of themselves to death, another with a broken wing that...
  7. deserthomestead

    New to keeping ducks

    Yesterday on my way home DH and I passed a sign advertising free ducks, so we swung by and picked up 8 of them. 6 of them are 3 day old ducklings, and the other two we think are about 8 weeks old. As far as I can tell, they're mallards: Can they and the chickens live together, or should I...
  8. deserthomestead

    crop - how big is "normal?"

    Tonight I noticed that one of my 4 week old pullets has a very large lump on her chest. I'm assuming this is her crop and it's just full of food. The lump is almost golf ball- sized. Is this normal? Oh, and she's a Barred Rock, if it helps any.
  9. deserthomestead

    Deep litter and sand?

    Hi, I was wondering if you can do the deep litter method if you're using sand as bedding? I'm in sandy, dry southern Nevada so sand is a free and readily available material! We're already using our sandy soil as bedding in the brooder and the chicks don't seem to mind it at all. They're using...
  10. deserthomestead

    When can my chicks go outside?

    I have 22 2-week old BR. Our daytime temps are 90-100 F, and nighttime around 60. Could they go outside if they have a lamp in the coop at night? They're currently only about halfway feathered. I *really* want my dining room back!
  11. deserthomestead

    Sick chick, or normal? *HELP, now there's 2!*

    My BR chicks are almost 2 weeks old and one of them is acting funny. She doesn't run away like the others, doesn't seem to be eating today, and isn't moving around much. She is standing still and sleeping, even when I set her right next to the feeder. When I picked her up, she just sat and slept...
  12. deserthomestead

    checking for pasty butt with many chicks

    I'm trying to watch for pasty butt on my new chicks, but there's 23 of them and it's hard to tell which ones I've already checked, especially when they're all scared and running away! Is there an easier way to tell which ones need attention, besides trying to pick up each individual chick...
  13. deserthomestead

    Is this chick a Barred Rock?

    I ordered BR, but this one looks different from the rest: This one has a lot more white around the eyes, and the light areas are more yellowish/cream colored, where all the other chicks are a brighter white. I looked at pictures of White Faced Spanish Blacks, and this chick looks somewhat...
  14. deserthomestead

    flow speed on nipple waterer

    How fast should the flow be on a nipple waterer? I screwed some into a 2L bottle today, to use with chicks when they arrive. Water is coming out, but it's barely a drip, not a steady dribble like I expected. Are they defective? Should I return them?
  15. deserthomestead

    What kind of container for wet feed?

    My first chicks are scheduled to arrive Wednesday. I'm planning on giving them damp "mash" feed, and I don't know what kind of feeder to use for wet stuff. I have two feeders: this, or: this?
  16. deserthomestead

    Can spinach give rabbits diaherria?

    I just got a breeding pair of Californians last night. Their poo was normal last night and this morning. I gave them each a small handful of spinach leaves as a treat, and they loved it! Now they're both having looser stools, especially the doe. Did I give them too much? I believe their old...
  17. deserthomestead

    Prayers for a good outcome!

    After a year of watching craigslist, I finally found a breeding pair of meat rabbits! Even better, they're free! Someone else has already expressed interest and is looking at the rabbits tomorrow. An inexpensive source of fresh, humanely-raised meat would help me so much... I'm both a...
  18. deserthomestead

    Raising fish as chicken feed?

    Has anyone raised fish specifically used for chicken feed? I'm thinking that if I could find the right kind of fish, I could create a self-sustaining system with duckweed. Then both the duckweed and the fish could go to the hens! I have heard of people collecting small fish from...
  19. deserthomestead

    Hello!

    After lurking for a very, very long time, I've finally joined up! I don't have any chickens yet, but they're ordered and should be shipped out in a week or two. I have never in my life been around a live chicken before, but hubby is a total farm boy and has tons of experience. He's slowly...
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