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Gorgeous coop! I love all the attention to the details and the bottles are fabulous!

I am always impressed with people who put so much thought and planning into their coop/run builds! You have an awesome coop/setup for your time and planning! Really nice you included the detailed plan and the supply list too. Great job!

It definitely takes time to build up the colonies. Temperature also affects the process. The worms and beetles like a warmer environment to develop and reproduce. I try to not let the temperature drop below 68 degrees in the heated small building I keep mine in. Colder room temperatures...

I've definitely had a trial by fire with my meal worm endeavor!! The oil moat works excellent! When the mites decide to leave a bin, they climb out in huge numbers forming clusters that drop from the sides of the bins. Not only will they travel to other bins if they can, they also climb on...

I use large plastic storage type bins that are about 8" deep. I keep the beetles and pupae in one bin and then every 2-3 months I strain out the beetles putting the substrate with the eggs and new worms into my worm bin. Sometimes I have two worm bins going. I then put the strained beetles...

I've been raising meal worms since March and learned some hard lessons! I had a MEGA grain mite infestation that I finally have under control. So here's my best advice for beginners: 1. Use wheat bran for your substrate. I've tried using oatmeal but noticed they eat the wheat bran and...

That seems like a lot of kills for one raccoon but it's possible. I agree that raccoons are very good with latches. The other possibility is a possum. If the latch wasn't secured, I've heard possums will kill everything in the coop and not eat on all of them. What doesn't sound right is the...

Another tip I've heard and have done in my coop is to apply boiled linseed oil to roost bars. I also applied it to the wood ladder that my hens use to get to the roost bars. My nest boxes are painted with latex paint on the interior and exterior so no linseed oil on them. They say the...

I recently had an egg that looked just like that but I haven't had a rooster in the flock for a year. I too did a double take when I cracked it open. I store my eggs unwashed on the counter until used or sold but at the most, they may sit there for about a week.

I love this post! I've only had chickens for about a year and half and the information and differing opinions on what is good/bad for chickens is staggering! What I've learned is to just do your own independent research and come to your own logical/common sense conclusions on how you want to...

@Reno Just to clarify...I would not shoot a hawk. For one thing...I think that's illegal and secondly, I don't have any desire to shoot any kind of bird. Coyotes on the other hand are considered nuisance animals and it's not illegal to shoot them... and they just give me the creeps!

following too... I agree with @Wyorp Rock that hydration first, food second. Pictures will help. He may not be able to eat if the injury is that severe. Let's hope that's not the case! Poor guy!

@Imthe1whoquacks Exactly! Now I am thinking I won't let them out for awhile. Makes me nervous. Problem for me is the weather is really nice these days and I always let them out when weather permits and they (the hens) know it. Maybe hubby's idea of a blind and injured rabbit call will work...

UPDATE! I know what killed my hen...it was a coyote because it showed up early this evening! It's been a week since my hen was killed. I've been out of town so hens have been locked up for most of the week since she was killed but I know coyotes keep coming back as long as the food source...

@Imthe1whoquacks Thanks for the reply. I'm pretty sure there are no foxes around but there are coyotes although I've never seen or heard one near the property. One time I found coyote scat on the road to our driveway so I know they are around and I have seen them in the fields in the valley...

What a devastating loss! I would be crushed if a dog came in my yard and wiped out my entire flock and then I'd be steaming mad! I know some people will disagree with me on this but as a dog owner, I feel very responsible to control where my dog can and can't go. My dog has demonstrated...

Thanks for the replies. My guess at this point is that it was a coyote or a dog that got her. She was just too big for a hawk to fly off with...even a big hawk. Plus, I do think it's odd there was no blood or body parts which again indicates a quick "kill and run" predator. I'll just have...

Unfortunately, one of my hens was killed the other day and all that was visible was a pile of feathers. No body parts or even signs of blood. In the week before this happened there has been a huge hawk hanging around the yard and circling low about 2-3 times a day. So while the hens were out...

My first hen to start laying started acting stressed and became very vocal about 4-5 days before she finally laid her first egg. Her change in behavior and vocalizations were very noticeable than her behavior up to that point so I knew she was getting ready to start laying. It must really...

My head hen and I are buds as in, she follows me all over when I'm outside and wants to stay near me. I have always greeted her with a soft "cluck cluck cluck" verbalization. I've noticed for quite awhile that it's almost as if she is copying my greeting. She always does a repetitive soft...