Hello! We have a poop board with sand/lime under our roosts which works great, but when the girls get muddy feet (have covered runs, but also a Chunnel, so they get muddy) we have noticed the eggs are dirty (doesn't happen unless its raining). Suggestions for bedding to put on the floor of the...
I Have 4 girls, put wood shavings in their runs and cleaned it out in the fall and put it in my outside pallet composter (with a tarp). I stir it occasionally, but am not actively adding anything to it. Should I wait a year before stirring it into my raised garden beds ?I have read through all...
I saw a previous post about using ash from wood burning stoves, but I want to ask about pellet stove in particular. Is it safe for dust bathing? They appear to be only compressed wood, but wonder if they burn differently and may pose any danger to the girls. TYIA!
Our 25 week old Silver Polish is acting strangely- she has a good appetite, eating drinking, walking fine, but I've noticed her leaning forward, almost like she is falling asleep, then jerking "awake". She is doing this pretty frequently (both on her perches and on the ground). She is the only...
I ordered one of these from My Pet Chicken. She's such a cutie, really sweet temperament. Does anyone have a pic of what the eggs may look like? Curious as to how blue the blue eggs are.TYIA!
New chicks coming today, I have some Braggs ACV from last batch about a year ago. Is it still ok to use? I have no idea how you could tell if vinegar has gone bad.:hmm
After we lost our hen this weekend I am thinking of getting two hens, but the only thing I am finding is from a fellow chicken owner. I a, concerned about introducing disease, mites etc into our coop/run. What if anything dio you suggest to ask/look for?
We lost our hen yesterday (waiting for the necropsy, possible a partial crop obstruction). Wondering when we should add another (once we know it is safe to do so). Should we get a hen about the same age and add now, or would it be ok to wait until spring (the thought of raising a chick and...
One of our hens has yet to lay, but has recently stopped roosting (in both run and coop), has started sleeping in a nesting box (though she no longer goes into the coop with the others, we are having to put her inside in the evenings) and kind of separating herself from the other two hens (who...
One of our three hens (Fred) is acting strangely. She is about 30 weeks old, has yet to lay her first egg (although her barnyard mix sister has been laying for weeks). She has stopped going into the coop in the evenings with the other 2, and isn't roosting at all anymore. She prefers to sleep in...
One of my three hens has started laying, do I start intigrating layer feed? WIll it hurt the two who are not yet laying? I put oyster shells down thinking only the layer would somehow know she needed the extra calcium, but they all devoured it.
What should I do to get enough calcium for the one...
My hen just started laying this week (yay!), but lays on the floor of the coop in stead of the pristine nesting boxes about a foot away. I have nesting pads topped with shavings and ceramic eggs in the nesting boxes . Will she get it together and start using the boxes? Anything I can do?
Our coop is pretty secure- is there any reason not to put the food and water inside when the girls go in for the night (to help deter unwanted pests), then put it back out during the day when they are in the run?
Loving the ease of the sand in the coop-what (if anything) should I be adding to the sand (DE, lime, ash etc). I've seen so many approaches, but am confused at this point). TYIA!
The coop is done (yay!) but thinking of getting an Omlet run and modifying for additional predator proofing. Anyone have experience with them? Husband will build a run, but it will take longer than I'd like....:hmm
Tips for catching your chickens without scaring them and looking like a crazy person? We moved them for the first time yesterday. It was...comedy. :lau
Our 8 week olds are going to have to move into the coop for a bit while husband finishes the run. If he can complete it in a week, will they be ok (only 3 in a 24 square foot coop)? Suggestions for food and water delivery systems while they are in there (as well as your favorites once they have...
I have shavings in my little "playpen" brooder, but would like to start giving the littles some treats. I've sprinkled grit in their feed, but how else can I make sure they get enough into their little gizzards? If I sprinkle it it in the brooder it will just get lost in the shavings.
If I put a...