So the back story. I will try and keep it short.
In the spring I was trying to get a few BA hens. Kept ending up with a rooster in the lot. No roos allowed in town.
DH had a friend a work that wanted the BA roo but with the cattle and the drought he did not have time to make a coop.
SO... At...
Ok so I had the girls in the yard while I was doing some chores and one of these birds dive bombed several times.
American Kestrel
They are not large birds but he dive bombed like he meant it. Not once but several times he tried to catch the hens. Lilly was the first target. Then he went...
With information and a lot of looking here on BYC I made this for my smaller hens.
THANK YOU ALL for what you do and what you share.
the front
the back
the board in the middle of the clean out door holds a feeder
the nest box side
lots of windows
the feed dish on the clean out door
from...
I am going to try and get some hens today. Leaving here in about one hour to drive FOREVER and hopefully get a couple bantam hens.
I hope someone can give me a couple quick tips on cochins.
I have had rotten luck picking hens in the pullet bins this year and rehomed one 11 week old cockerel and...
I had an odd encounter with a squirrel in my run yesterday. It was acting very oddly.
It was not moving right and looked sickly. It was soaked from the lower jaw and down the front legs. Very wobbly and did not run away from me. I did dispatch the animal as I felt it was the kindest thing to do...
I have come to the conclusion that my DH is a chicken addict enabler.
We went to get hen food for the big girls and well....
We brought home these.
There are 5 in total and one is so small she is already named Lil since she is too small for all the letters in little.
Now I need to cancel my...
My run is 12x18 now. I am expanding it to 20x18 in the spring.
The pitch will be so the 18 foot side is the front and back so to speak. (I hope that makes sense.)
I need to roof it since my hens HATE the snow and it makes such a muddy mess of the coop.
I am looking at the metal roofing or barn...
A few weeks ago my EE shocked me when I saw she was missing her entire muff, all the way around.
I have treated with sevin in case it was mites or lice. I have checked regularly and retreated even though I have seen no bugs at all.
During this last few weeks I have seen that my other EE is...
DH said I can have whatever I want. BOY is he in for it lol.
I have an order placed but am thinking perhaps some Barnvelders instead of the Columbian wyandottes I ordered.
I have room for only 2 and I have found that my current hens tend to stick with the ones that are the same breed. So I want...
Not sure I am going to like having another payment to make each month. BUT I LOVEEEEEEE the new windows!
We have lived here for 10 long years with ice forming on the inside of the windows.
Then water hitting the floors when it thaws. (I have killed many a mop cleaning it up.)
Then there was the...
We treated our birds with sevin mixed with DE and I am wondering if the eggs are still safe or if I should toss.
We treated them because I suspect mites.
I am stuck on deciding what breeds I should get.
The choices are:
Silver Spangled Hamburg
Reasons I like this breed:
cold hearty
pretty ( lol )
smallish and can possibly get along with my lone hamburg (Ducky is not a good layer and is DH's favorite hen.)
Columbian wyandotte
reasons I like...
This morning my 15 year old dog passed away.
She went quietly in her sleep. It was 7:45. Her breathing got very quiet and then stopped all together.
She had a wonderful full life. She chased many a rabbit and many a ball in her prime.
I knew it was her time and had planned to call the vet on...
I have one hamburg. She is seven months now and no egg at all from her.
I was led to believe they lay early and often. She is my last one to lay ( if she ever does ).
Could there be something wrong?
She is active and alert with a great appetite and excellent feathering. Her comb and wattles...
Several years ago I decided with my family that we were no longer going to have a comercialized Christmas. We do still have Christmas.
Things we do here:
1. Make sure to do a kind thing for someone. Random and unexpected. Preferably unseen. Gratitude not expected.
2. Have the day without...
So someone where I work was saying not to eat eggs from the pullets since they are full of yucky stuff.
I asked what yucky stuff. He was all like you know when they start up a well they have to get the debris out of the pipes.
Pretty sure my pullets don't have "debris" in those pipes. Made me...
My run door was held shut with just a hook.
For 5 mornings I found the hook undone.
I thought perhaps I have been careless on the first morning. Finding it open five mornings in a row told me that there was a serious issue.
(Don't worry my coop is VERY secure. NOTHING can get in the pop door...
if anyone thinks this will work or be safe enough for supplemental heat if we go below 0 this winter.
I want to have something on hand just in case. I know many do not heat but for those arctic times I want to be ready. It would be going in a 4' deep x6' long x3' tall coop. Not near the roost...
SO long story short.
My sis in law is coming to stay with us since her no good hubby is abusive. (currently he is in jail)
My grown daughter has a no good boyfriend also abusive and is staying here.
Now I am in the
part of dealing with it.
I wonder if the chickens would mind if I...