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I have had good success with my own dogs and my chickens. I adopted a new dog, also a herding dog last July. She wanted to kill the chickens. It's possible she still does, however I have done a lot of obedience training with her. Most important command: "leave it". I now let my dog loose...

is there any way to keep your chickens closer to the feeder? mine don't allow any critters near their feeder during the day (they even killed a rat) but they don't have too far to wander from the feeder.

Thanks, I have thought of a pet bird, they are totally cool but they are not for me right now. I keep chickens for a humane source of eggs. If I stop raising chickens I'll stop eating eggs, which would be a huge bummer as they are a major source of vegetarian protein for me. I've had some...

Thanks, everyone for the good advice. I was also thinking that a breed that cranks out less eggs makes sense. I am okay with their short lifespan relative to ours, it is the reproductive health issues that are bothersome, I guess because it is totally unnatural. The one I just lost was a BA...

sigh....I guess the silence answers my question. I'm seriously thinking this will be my last flock unless I win mega millions and can work on developing my own breed :( poor Betty. She had 3 calcified eggs in her gut and it killed her just shy of her 3rd birthday.

Before asking my question, I should mention that I just lost one of my girls today, Big Betty, so I'm sad and I would prefer not to talk about meat or hearing opinions on vegetarianism or pet chickens being silly. Usually I manage to have thicker skin but I'm just really sad as I get so...

no need to be discouraged by poop... or worse - folks who like to tease city folk just for asking a question while living in an urban area. both are part of life, i guess! but some of us do undertand the challenges of having animals a small yard. I've had chickens in the city for over 10...

you're asking good questions. if you want them to retire and not be eaten, you have to plan carefully and as another poster said, have some restraint when adding to your flock (unlike me). unless perhaps if you are extremely lucky and not limited by either budget or space. i grew up raising...

I would not be concerned just because one of them is smaller than the other, their overall health/appearance/appetite/behavior is more important. Often chicks from a hatchery grow out to different sizes. I have 3 hatchery BA's, small medium and big and the smallest is half the size of the...

Chickens are food to many people. Dogs are food to some people in other cultures. Chickens and dogs are pets to some people. To think of dogs as food make many people flinch at the thought. For some, the same applies to the thought of chickens as food. The personal and spiritual beliefs of...

Quote: I agree with this suggestion. You can look for a golden through a rescue group that has tested the dog with cats or if you're lucky, chickens or other small critters. Look for a dog that is good with cats and critters, it would be a good start. I'm a former vet tech and dog groomer...

The "old ladies": -Phyllis (buff polish) -Simone (silkie) The "turkeys": -Big Bad Betty (BA. alpha hen, loudmouth) -Miss Halle Berry (BA) -Vera (BA and supermodel) -Olivia (Marans, aka "the joker" due to floppy comb) RIP Doris and Gwennie (white sultans), Miriam (silkie), Peeps (?), and dear...

Have you talked to your neighbors? I have a loud hen and that's what I did. I was worried about the response but turns out she wasn't bothering anyone (except us, as the coop is 30' from my bedroom). Asking directly could backfire but it is what I would want a neighbor to do so it is what I...

in the electrical section of any hardware store. get outdoor rated UV resistant ones.

the first time you let them out, do it 1/2 to 1 hour or so before they typically go to roost in the coop, and stay with them to make sure they don't go too far and they make it back to the coop. Once you see them do this you can be pretty sure they know where the coop is and will return back.

don't panic! they will get used to the sound of the rain on the roof. mine were also scared at first. it didn't take long. most people let their chickens choose whether or not they want to get wet. most chickens choose to get wet when it's raining as they love to be outside. it is fine as...

I'm no expert on this, but I would worry about any heater that could get a major dust build up that is not easily cleanable like a light bulb. The 2 heaters you listed would get filled with dust and I think that could become a fire hazard. I think insulating the coop would do well to make the...

I got 4 laughs out of this one post! thanks! sorry i have no idea what will happen with the stubble but i'd go for it. poopy butts - not romantic. stubble - no biggie .

mine are bad fliers and i was too lazy to build a ramp - I put an upside down milk crate as a step that they can hop onto and then it's a shorter jump to the roost.

Quote: I use my coffee grounds I generate from home in the compost bin, and occasionally bring home big batches of coffee grounds form work (we generate ~5 gallons per week). but I am always short on browns and have too many greens. Coffee grounds and chicken poop are green (high in...