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  1. deborahca

    squirrel proof feeder?

    I'm wondering if something like the Grandpa's step-to-open feeder would help keep my food in my chickens and not the wandering small birds and ground squirrels? We're working the squirrel problem, but they are rampant this summer. I've also seen sizeable flocks of small birds exiting the...
  2. deborahca

    ground squirrels

    We've seen a couple of ground squirrels getting into the chicken run. These are quite small, fit easily through the dog-run wire mesh. I don't really want to cover the whole 10x10x6 thing with hardware cloth! These are the little squirrels that burrow, not the big red and grey bushy-tailed...
  3. deborahca

    Can't stand the suspense... can you guess if these are all hens?

    Rising 5 week old chicks. 2 Easter Eggers, 1 Rhode Island Red, 1 Barred Rock. All girls? Or should I be worried I've got a roo I can't keep?
  4. deborahca

    Chicks LOSING feathers?

    My chicks are 5 weeks old, pretty well-feathered except the Rhode Island Red who has a half-fuzzy head, and getting a bit crowded in the brooder box. I have found a couple of feathers in the brooder box. Which is in the garage, so its definitely from the chicks and not some other bird. Is it...
  5. deborahca

    Scat ID?

    Just getting prepared to put the chicks outside in a week or two. We found this scat on the property, not sure what it is. Does anyone recognize this? It is quite large, about 4-6" across.
  6. deborahca

    Choosing a commercial feed

    My chicks are now on Ace Hi chick starter mash, since that's what they were eating at the feed store when I got them. With my parrots, cats and horses I've always put a lot of thought into feed, but I'm starting from zero here. I know about the gross characteristics of starter, grow and laying...
  7. deborahca

    How long can they do without water?

    My chicks are about four weeks old. Their broader is in the garage, and the last two days, the heart has climbed up into the low 90s. When I left the house this morning, I turned off the heat lamp. When I got home I found they had knocked the water over at some point, soaking the box, so...
  8. deborahca

    Anchoring Coop and Run on very hard ground?

    We live in the high desert where both high wind and very hard ground are an issue. The soil where the coop and run are to be sited is rock-hard caliche. The coop is rather lightweight and we were thinking of a covered run, so these will need to be well anchored so as to not become sails in 30...
  9. deborahca

    small chick, what should i do?

    My barred rock chick, which should be the biggest of the four (except I don't really know what to expect from the Easter Eggers) appears at 2 weeks to be growing slower than the others. She acts normally as far as I can tell. Eats, drinks, is fairly active. Slightly persecuted by the larger EE...
  10. deborahca

    Best way to build a large covered run?

    I was going to get two chickens, but somehow wound up with four chicks.... the coop is going to be cozy and will probably need to be expanded. In addition I'd like to build a fairly large, preferably portable covered run. Given that we live in the desert and the ground on which the run will...
  11. deborahca

    Checklist for Chick Inspection?

    I got my chicks yesterday from a local feed store. They are just under a week old. Right now I have them in the garage in a plastic tub on a shredded paper litter. My husband wasn't keen on having them in the house, and this is a mild climate, so I think they will be OK out there. I'm using...
  12. deborahca

    Management concerns in desert environments?

    I live in the Southern California High desert. Are there any management issues that are specific to very dry environments that wouldn't be covered in generic "caring for chickens" material? The things that occur to me off the top of my head are the following: the dry air itself -- do they...
  13. deborahca

    Foraging for chickens that can't free range?

    I'm wondering if the equivalent of foraging toys are available for chickens? Mine will be confined to a relatively small covered run most of the time and won't be able to forage normally. I'm familiar with "foraging toys" for parrots and am wondering if it is practical to feed chickens in a...
  14. deborahca

    Poll: Statistics on the fate of "spent" layers

    I've been looking at back posts on the topic of "to eat or not to eat" older hens, and I see that people have strong opinions one way or the other, but I don't get a good feeling for HOW MANY backyard chicken keepers fall into each camp. I hope I'm not reinventing the wheel here, but I thought...
  15. deborahca

    Do mixed ages and breeds cause stress -- or not?

    It looks as if a lot of folks have mixed-breed flocks (I'm used to parrots, it's hard to think in terms of breeds rather than species, but I gather all domestic chickens are the same SUBspecies, let alone species) but Storrey's guide suggests that mixing breeds may lead to stress and problems...
  16. deborahca

    Hello from Southern California

    I thought I would briefly introduce myself before I start diving into the main forum. I have been wanting to get into backyard chicken keeping for a while, and I've received a chicken coop for Christmas so I'm getting serious about getting started this Spring. I'm completely new to chickens...
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