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  1. forester7

    chicken plucker finger length question

    I am building a homemade chicken plucker. I ordered fingers for the plucker that are 2.5 inches in total length. After buying them, I saw that some come almost 4 inches in length, but the 4" ones are very expensive. Will the 2.5" ones I have be long enough to do a good job on large broiler...
  2. forester7

    cheap, safe heat source for chicks

    I am a teacher and I want to hatch chicks in my classroom. I have an incubator, but the problem is a heat source following hatching. Normal heat lamps are too much of a fire hazard for in the school. Any idea of a cheap, safe, maybe homemade way of creating an adequate heat source for 10 or so...
  3. forester7

    buying day old versus pullets. What is best?

    Hello. I can buy day old chicks for $3.35, or 19 week old pullets for $14. I have all the equipment to raise from day old and have done so before, but would it cost me $11 to feed a chick from day old to 19 week anyway? I am wondering if buying the 19 week old is smartest. Any thoughts? Thanks!
  4. forester7

    chicks, chicken tractors, and the coming cold weather

    I have 6 week old chicks that I would like to put out in my chicken tractor until they are old enough to put in with the full grown chickens. The problem is... it is getting colder in my area of the world (New Brunswick, Canada). I am wondering what temperatures chicks this age can tolerate in a...
  5. forester7

    Best feeder for a chicken tractor?

    I have just completed my 1st chicken tractor. I am wondering what types of feeders would be best for 20-25 broilers? I want a design where there would be minimal wastage. Any suggestions out there?
  6. forester7

    Racoon-proof chicken tractor plans needed

    I already have an electric fence nearby for my pigs. It would just be a matter of running a wire from it. Would a singel strand of electric be enough to ensure racoons are kept out?
  7. forester7

    Racoon-proof chicken tractor plans needed

    I just ran across the idea of using a wire mesh apron extending 2 feet out around the edge. I like that idea because it is simple, but I think the tall grass around my tractor would keep the wire from layign down flat and the racoons would just squeeze underneith to dig. Any thoughts on that?
  8. forester7

    Racoon-proof chicken tractor plans needed

    I have raised broilers in a cooop for years, but I would like to try them in a chicken ttractor now. However, we have lots of racoons in our area. The tractor will not always be on level ground and I am concerned racoons will dig under the tractor to get in. With 20 broilers, I don't want to...
  9. forester7

    drop in egg numbers: molting or age related?

    I am quite sure they are not laying outside. There are occasional days I don't let them out and I still get the same egg numbers.
  10. forester7

    drop in egg numbers: molting or age related?

    aart: I can see how answers to those questions could be helpful. I am in New Brunswick, Canada. I have 2 separate pens for chickens inside a barn. The barn is shared with cattle during the 6 months of winter we have here. Each chicken pen is approx. 6' x 12'. One pen has ten female 2-year old...
  11. forester7

    drop in egg numbers: molting or age related?

    I have had laying hens for a few years now. They are the hybrid type you get at your local farm supplies store. Each year when they hit about 2 years old, production drops off dramatically. For example, right now from my 10 two-year olds, I am getting 1-4 eggs each day. As a result, I have been...
  12. forester7

    Hen ate medicated chick starter-how long do we wait to eat eggs?

    Me! :(
  13. forester7

    Hen ate medicated chick starter-how long do we wait to eat eggs?

    That's what I am afraid of. One thing I did find was a reference that said it "may cause mutations"... which of course could include cancer.
  14. forester7

    Hen ate medicated chick starter-how long do we wait to eat eggs?

    I posted this in another area of this site before finding this, but thought I would post it here too in case someone else knowledgeable see it... I just got my feeds mixed up and discovered I have been feeding my layers medicated chick starter for the past 1.5 weeks. The medication included is...
  15. forester7

    Can you eat eggs from hens fed medicated feed?

    I have done some more digging and found out that there are no "known" short term effects on humans, but it "may cause mutations"... not very encouraging! I still can fond nothing about when it would be safe to start eating the eggs again.
  16. forester7

    Can you eat eggs from hens fed medicated feed?

    Thank you for your reply, azygous, but Robenidine is not the same as Zoalene, which this same article does mention. However, the study still found it present in eggs at 14 weeks when the study ended, which still leaves me wondering how long I should wait. i am also wondering what it might do to...
  17. forester7

    Can you eat eggs from hens fed medicated feed?

    I just got into a mess! I mixed up my feed and have accidentally been feeding my egg layers medicated chick starter for 1-1.5 weeks! The feed is medicated with "3,5 dinitro-o-toluamide" (also called Zoalene). Should I worry that we have been eating the eggs? How long should I wait before eating...
  18. forester7

    Chicken pluckers: do they work? Are they worth the $?

    I am considering buying a used chicken plucker. I have only seen them work on youtube. Do they really work well? Do they damage the meat at all? Are they a worthwhile investment for killing 25 chickens each year?
  19. forester7

    disease free heritage birds: How to be sure I will get them?

    But with hatching eggs... my understanding is that mycoplasma (which I have heard is one of the more common diseases) is passed on through the eggs. Is that correct?
  20. forester7

    disease free heritage birds: How to be sure I will get them?

    I recently decided to start a flock of heritage chickens. I bought from a LARGE local breeder and ended up with what I think was mycoplasma. Rather than putting up with that forever, I killed them all off and took the loss. I would love to try heritage birds again, but how can I know I will not...
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