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My girls were super picky about treats till they reached about 5 months of age. Now anything is a treat and they get excited over everything. When they were younger I found sunflower seeds were a huge winner-- they went crazy for them. Also when they were younger it took them awhile to...

I was reading this post awhile back and went directly to Foy's to order my automatic door, but they were sold out Looks like they have them back in stock now. Many of you are saying you just use the light sensor and not the timer. So I know exactly what to buy, what are the advantages of the...

dianneS, I am very sorry for your loss and do offer my sympathy. As this is the second chicken you have lost in this way its time to rethink your approach. As has been suggested, fencing your chickens into your yard seems a good approach to take. I understand you are mad at your neighbor and...

My Pet Chicken and Nature's Hatchery are the only ones I know of that will let you order just a few (and you pay quite a premimum in shipping to order just a few). I too live within city limits where there are no roos allowed. Therefore ordering through a hatchery or buying chicks locally...

I lock my girls up at night in their coop with their food. During the day their food hangs outside in their run but at bedtime I take it in to prevent rodents from getting at it.

For those of us without a rooster and therefore no fertile eggs for a broody hen to hatch, going broody is a pain. My 1 yr old blue orphington went broody for the first time at about 9.5 months of age. I say this is a pain because while broody the hen just sits in her nest box, doesn't get...

I've got one very similar to the Horizon Structures coop. I purchased mine last summer from a local garden center and I love it! I got the smallest one but they have larger sizes. Its very sturdy and easy to keep clean. We priced out the cost of materials needed to build a coop and materials...

Ok, I am sold on these recommendations for Foy's as well. For those of you who have them, how did you go about deciding on an inside or outside opener? My coop looks like this and my pop door opens out on the side.

Another option to consider is a chain link fence around the chicken coop/run area. That's what we did to keep my german shepherds from having a chicken dinner. The chain link fence with concrete in the posts is very secure. In case of power loss, it still works at keeping dogs out. Depending...

When I got my three girls last summer at 8 weeks of age they too spent a lot of time inside the coop. As they aged that changed dramatically. Now they are never in the coop except to roost at night. Even when its raining they prefer to be outside. Last summer I thought my three were very...

We only have 3 hens and get about 16-19 eggs a week. My husband and I eat most, my dogs get a raw egg with breakfast every few days, and my hens have scrambled eggs and totillas for breakfast once or twice a week. We've gotten really used to having fresh eggs. My hens are 11 months old and I...

I'm in central PA and we can get quite cold. My coop is not insulated, but has penty of ventilation and is draft free. I was worried about my three pet hens getting too cold this winter so I put in a flat panel heater hooked up to a thermocube. I went with a flat panel because of advice I got...

Dear crittersitter, I am so sorry for your pain and loss. I also really admire your empathy for the dog. Although the bad news is there are people like your neighbor who lack the responsibility and committment needed to care for animals, the good news is there are people like you who have...

Hey swampman and Melvin, good to know there are other BYC chick folks close by. I'm in State College. I haven't gotten chicks yet, I started with 3 pullets last summer, but am planning to get a few next spring to this info is very helpful.

Nature's Hatchery ships as few as 2 chicks and they have many bantam breeds as well. They ship all through the summer. Another great source for chicks or pullets are local chickenstocks (gatherings of chicken people, lists can be found on BYC). There may be one in your area coming up. This...

I've got three hens, and here is my typical day with them: MORNING: Walk out to the coop and talk to them while I am entering the run and opening the coop door. I hear a lot of squarking and wing flapping when I don't talk to them so I do this to let them know its me. I open the coop door...

Hi Laurajean, I bought my coop last summer rather than build one for a variety of reasons (time, skills). There are some wonderful home made coops out there, but for some people pre-made is the way to go. I didn't go with Horizon Structures, but they have a coop very similar to the one I got...

I've got a blue orpington and a BR, along with an Ameracuna-- all girls, no rooster. All three are very friendly and let me pet them and pick them up. But I do prefer my BR because: 1) my BO is loud, she is always making a racket for no apparent reason; 2) my BO goes broody often, and with no...

Don't shoot the messenger. I tivo'ed the Martha Stewart show and liked the attention it gave to keeping chickens. Apparently Martha did a piece titled "Home Grown Eggs- Cant Beat Them" back in 1986. For a substantially less positive take on back yard chickens, see the article on Slate about...

Hi, anyone bringing any brahmas or wyandottes? I'm looking for females up to 8 weeks old. Thanks.