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We get down to zero degrees periodically, that's pretty cold no matter where you are.

I would have thought they'd stay where it's warm but I guess not.

I have a flock of bantams that like to sleep up in the rafters of my carport. Since it's down in the 20's overnight, I've been going out after dark, collecting them and putting them inside the coop with the 2 older big girls. BUT, without fail, when I leave for work in the morning (still...

I don't think you are crazy, just empathetic. I understand wanting to 'save' an innocent creature, so please try to understand that we raising chickens and other livestock at home for personal use are very cognizant of the welfare of our animals. We are certainly NOT like the factory farms...

Caseybear, what do you mean by how dare you? This thread is about culling and bleeding. If that bothers you, why did you come here? Most of us keep chickens to provide food for our families. You do not have to join us if you don't like what we do here.

I want a flock for eggs and meat. I already had heavies, so I got some bantams (silkies) to be brooders and then a fox got all but 2 of the heavies. So, now, the only males I have are bantams (7 of them), 5 bantam pullets and 2 big hens. Can a bantam cock breed a full-size hen? One is pretty...

Baby Adaline is now home, feeding tube removed, no more supplemental oxygen and doing well. Big brother is good at making her laugh and entire family is getting back to normal. Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers--as a praying family, we know He has us in his hand and wants what is best...

I had a problem with one snake for awhile, until I snake proofed the coop. I would go to collect eggs and you could see by body distention that it had eaten several besides the one in its mouth. If its mouth is full (with that egg), you can simply pick it up and dispose of it however you want...

I've had young cockerels that will attack anything, so I DO grab them and hang them by the feet momentarily, just to stop the flapping. Watch the bird. If it's very stressed, don't do whatever it is you're doing; if not, then keep on. When I check for pests, I sometimes have to turn them in...

If it says "Layer", then it is high calcium. If it says Starter or Grower of All Flock, then it's fine for chicks. I don't think there's a specific 'pullet' food, since a pullet is just a young girl chicken. You want food without the additional calcium, but there's no need to read the label...

Just don't overthink it. Whatever you do, you'll think you should have done differently. As long as they have a place to lay/brood eggs, a place to roost higher than surrounding areas, and a place for clean food and water, the rest will sort itself out. If, when building a coop, you can...

I no longer use nest boxes. They seem to nest wherever they want anyway, so why bother? And, when I had nest boxes just up off the ground, it always seemed to get an egg stuck under it somehow, which wasn't good; too high and the chicks struggled. So, no more. They have acceptable bedding all...

I'm sorry but, if you read the thread, you will see that they are not in the big yard, but in a smaller one because a fox got most of the hens. I have a smaller, 20 X 22 roughly, area for chicks that I put the 2 remaining hens in to keep them safe. No one is in the large area at this point...

Thank you, gtaus. My big chicken coop is over 1/2 acre, so not possible to cover it all with netting. Even the parts that I do cover, I need to move it so I can mow. I guess your area is manageable for them to keep scratched up, but mine is too big for the number of birds to keep the grass...

I needed my garage back, so moved the chick box (8' long by 3' wide by 3' high) into the run with my 2 remaining hens (the rest were gotten by a fox while free ranging, very traumatic). The 2 hens are hardly laying since the attack, but doing well otherwise and injuries have healed. So, put...

Look at it this way--sending 2 off may break the cycle for the others, forcing them to leave mom. I, personally, don't see any need to remove them or have them on a roost until they are ready, but the 2 going away? They're animals and simply live with whatever circumstances they find...

When it gets dark, no matter why, the door will close. Often, when the storm has passed, it will reopen just like it would at dawn's light. But not always. I do sometimes come home to see the door closed due to a storm earlier in the day. In this case, I mash the button so that it will open...

I love my ADOR door. It beeps and they quickly learn to head inside when the right set of beeps does its thing. I think it beeps once at 5 minutes, then at 1 minute and then beep, beep beep just before it closes. The only ones who don't go in on time are the babies who have not figured out...

I usually do this, too. We put maybe an ounce down the hole, then light it and burn them out. You can see various other exits as the smoke rolls out, which is very enlightening about their habits. But, since this goes into a wall, I really don't want to burn it. Gas alone will probably work...

My hens are in a wired-in carport. Inside the carport is a small block building that they roost in (it used to contain the well pump). I now have hornets. I think they have burrowed underground and are making a nest inside the block wall. I have wasp-sprayed and used expanding foam to close...