After several years together, our lone remaining emu did something unexpected this morning. He/She is a couple of years old, the only one we've ever hatched on the property, Hubby's love - we thought it was a female (not very vocal but no hissing, maybe thumped once) but then he/she built a...
We had planned to forego the artificial light this winter, but alas we are down to 0-2 eggs per day from 18 layers .... is it too late to add light? If not, what kind of delay should we expect before production picks up again?
Thanks!
We've got at least 4 birds laying, and we're getting eggs throughout the day. Is there any way to get them to all lay in the morning? I worry about the temperatures in the heat of the day and whether the eggs are still okay to eat ....
We're trying to go away for 5 days (Hubs and I, together, alone, oh my heavens) for the first time since we got chickens in early March. He does morning animal duty and I take evening. Oh the preparations involved. Maybe this is why farmers didn't usually travel a lot.
I've ordered the motor...
The eggs are as pictured left to right - last Monday, Wednesday and Friday, then Saturday, Sunday, Monday and today. The first was in the run, so I put golf balls in the nest boxes and every one after that has been in the same nest box. My oldest 7 girls are 23 weeks old - 4 production reds...
Of 6 straight run Speckled Sussex chicks, 2 were obvious cockerels and rehomed months ago. This one developed more slowly, but has a much larger (floppy) comb and wattles than her sisters. My husband thinks he heard "her" try to crow, I haven't yet. I have found a good home if in fact she is...
My last trip through TSC I went ahead and bought scratch grains and regular sized grit (I already have smaller chick grit) -- they don't have baby chicks anymore, so I must entertain myself :-)
At what age should I let them have scratch grains -- my oldest are 14 weeks and the youngest are 9...
Yay chickens -- tonight is the 4th night that they have put themselves to bed -- so much better than chasing them around the run!
Mah babies are in the coop for the 4th night -- 14 weeks (RIR and SS), 10 (GLW and BR) and 9 weeks (Australorps) respectively -- All is well, they've integrated...
The last couple of warm days I've been letting the 4 wk BRs and GLWs go out in the covered run with the big girls (9 weeks, RIR and SS). When I checked on them this afternoon, one of the GLWs was dead, lying pretty close to the feeder. She was the only one that hadn't feathered out well, but...
We have enough Corian (white) left over to do the coop floor -- it would be nice for cleaning, but will it be too slick for the chickens and/or me? Other ideas? Linoleum or something like that?
Thanks in advance for your help!
Okay, so I've promised Hubby that I will stop now. He doesn't believe me (smart man), but I'm really going to try :-)
The 7 week-ers are way too rowdy to be put in with the babies and will be moving outside soon anyhow, but what about the 3 week-ers (3 GLW and 3 BR) and the 3 day-ers (5 BAs)...
Our RIR pullets and SS straight runs are almost 4 weeks old -- I've been trying to get a good picture of my suspected roos to post on here, and they aren't cooperating. Do I need someone to hold them while I snap the picture? When I try it by myself it looks like I'm abusing them, though of...
Since I can't seem to stop myself from meandering through TSC at the first of every week to see what new chicks have come in, I've become quite familiar with their stock. This week they added dried meal worms in the chick event display area.
How old do the chicks need to be before I try it...