We had chickens where the whole flock started being loud at the same time. It wasn't a predator. It wasn't an egg song. We couldn't figure it out.
Eventually, somebody with younger ears informed us that our girls were kvetching and another flock in the neighborhood would answer back. Gripe...
If you were to buy seeds for sprouting for human consumption it is a lot more expensive because they make sure that it isn't contaminated with things like e coli before they sell it to you, knowing that it is being served raw. However, if you left a chicken to do whatever a chicken wants to do...
I disagree. A large minority of these seeds do sprout. That's how plants are spread. Birds eat and fly off. They deficate in a different area and spread those weeds/wild flowers to a different location.
How is she doing now? It may be that she isn't handling the transition from warm to cold well. Some do better when they just keep in one relative temperature.
I live in suburbia. I was surprised what predators we have that I never knew about before getting chickens: rats, mice, owls, hawks, eagles, raccoons, dogs, cats, and a whole bunch more I haven't noticed yet.
You might be interested in this discussion of plants that chickens will eat outside of the grain family. http://www.permies.com/t/997/chickens/perennial-chicken-feed
It sounds like we're on the same page. My gals are living in an area that used to have a swimming pool. The run is basically just sand that was used to level the ground. This spring I plan on planting the things I normally grow in fodder and covering with the frames that you showed us. I was...
I'm not sure how to answer this. Have I ever used oregano to treat an active infection in my flock? No, we've never had an infection in the flock. (I started with only 5 hens who are less than a year old.)
Have I ever used oregano to treat an active infection in my household? Absolutely...
Antibiotics tend to have 1 or 2 active ingredients. Herbs can have hundreds. In order to become resistant to the bacteria, the bacteria would have to overcome all of the complex active ingredients.
You may ferment any feed, including starter feed, grower feed, layer feed, scratch, or any whole grain. (BOSS is black oil sunflower seed.) My 4 pound mature layers eat .2 lbs or less of feed per hen per day. (This is the weight before adding water to ferment.)
A simplified approach for...
One good way to find out what eggs are going for in your area is to look on Craig's list, particularly in the summer and fall when there are a lot of ads from backyard farmers. If you do not find any ads on Craig's list, you might be the only one who is selling the real deal in your area, so...
Quote:
Thanks, pigeonguy!
1 x 30= 30 sq inches
2 x 15 = 30 sq inches
3 x 10= 30 sq inches
2 x 30= 60 sq inches.
1 x 30 x 1/2 = 15 cu inches
The math was right. The labels were wrong.
I believe this is just animal protein. Bugs fill this, as do worms and perhaps some meat in your freezer that has been there for a few years. Or you can get feeder goldfish or some kind of minnow (I'm planning on fathead minnows) cans of mackerel on sale... etc.
Actually it is an amino...
Resurrecting an old thread to ask the old-timers if the same deterrents work for bald eagles and for hawks. Seems like we have both of them this year. We were never able to go eagle watching from our yard before we got chickens.
Also, where do I find 50# filament? Everything around here is...
"Pickles" is a regional term. Where my dh is from they grow pickling cucumbers. Where I currently live and where my mother grew up they would look at you as if you were putting on airs if you called it pickling cucumbers; it was just pickles. Some people pickle their pickles and some have...
That's just the thing. The people that live there like having their whole lives dictated for them. They're certain that it keeps their property values high. And the thing about nutso laws is that they're only enforced when somebody decides to enforce them.
Two years ago a homeschool child...
If your hens have gradually adjusted to the cold, they should be fine. The only concern is for chickens that have large combs that might get frostbite.
Adjective
Lacking restraint in spending money or using resources.
Costing too much money.
Synonyms
wasteful - lavish - prodigal - excessive - unreasonable
It isn't extravagant if it keeps you from going to the chicken house every sunup and sunset, expecially in the freezing rain or snow...