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Thank you for the advice! It's greatly appreciated.

My chicks are now 8 weeks old and have been outside in their own pen for awhile. We need to mix the babies (6 of them) with our two adults soon for various reasons, and I'm confused about food. I know I should transition the babies over to grower feed, but can my adults eat the grower feed as...

I have ventilation high up on all four walls. I did wonder if I need more. I'll think on that.

Hi, So we got our first chickens unexpectedly from a neighbor who was moving 8 years ago. At the time we quickly constructed our first coop which we've tweaked and tuned over the years. Finally we decided it was time to build a new one. We live in a small city and have medium sized back yard...

We get our chicks tomorrow, and they'll be inside for several weeks, so I don't have an answer yet. From other folks I've talked to I've heard to do it as normal - put them in an area where the older girls can see but not get at them, then introduce them at more like 8 or 10 weeks.

Few other details...one adult is an 8 year old golden laced wyandotte (that I'm convinced will live forever) and the other is a rather calm 2 year old Ameraucana. I just had my first ever predator attack which took out my other two Ameraucanas, one of which was the top of the pecking order...

Hi, My small backyard flock is down to two adult chickens and I'm planning on adding 6 new chicks in June. Would the practice of introducing the chicks be any different with only 2 adults? Normally when I move the chicks outside they hang out in their own area where the adults and see them...

We hung a cabbage by a string. They like picking off it, and they chase it when it starts to sway a bit.

Nice!

I've read that the avocado pit and skin is toxic, but not the flesh in moderation. Or so says the chicken chick http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/08/chicken-treats-guide-dont-love-your.html

I agree. I was kind of hoping that sort of study had been done and someone out there would know. Or...there would be some kind of general consensus from the long time chicken keepers. Actually, from what I've been reading, seems like most folks who raise flocks for meat and eggs don't run into...

I've always been curious about the affects, if any, on using light to keep the chickens laying through the winter. Does it lessen their overall laying time? How hard is it on their bodies not to have the winter rest? We don't have a light in the coop and go several months without eggs. I'd love...

Yes, just like that. I don't know if this is the exact site, but it works like this: http://www.waldeneffect.org/blog/Do_it_yourself_power_antenna_automatic_chicken_coop_door_opener/

My wife made our automatic chicken door out of a car antennae and a piece of plexi. Best thing ever.

We're in Northern Vermont, so probably fairly comparable weather. Winter checklist: Wrap the indoor run area (The run that has a roof and is enclosed in hardware cloth) in heavy plastic. Put tarps over two sides of the fence in the outdoor run area. This gives them a place outside where...

We use an automatic door. My wife built it out of a car antennae and a piece of plexi. It's on a timer which we change slightly with the season. Works great. It's amazingly wonderful not to have to close the coop door each night. Totally worth it. We wanted to install a secondary door in the...

We're in northern Vermont. Temps in the winter range from -15 to the mid 20's. I definitely put down a good layer of bedding (we use shavings, but after reading I'm starting to think sand) this time of year and keep it deep all winter. I clean it out every few days to keep it nice and clean as...

I'm looking to purchase pullets in my area, but all the breeders I've talked to do not vaccinate. So if I want to vaccinate against Mareks I'd have to immunize them myself. The chicks I'm looking to purchase are 6 weeks old. Is that still young enough to immunize, and where would I get the...

Hi, I've been looking for pullets in my area and most of those I'm finding are from private breeders in the area, small farms or those belonging to bird fancier clubs. When I ask if the birds have been immunized against Mareks they all say no, and seem to think it's unusual to ask. I only...

Where are you located? Are you in a cold weather climate going? I got to say that Vermont is going through one of the worst cold spells we've had in a long while. The temps the past two weeks rarely get out of the single digits.