Can I just use a large traffic cone, and slice off the top on an angle? Guess the opening (where the head would hang down through it) would be 4"-5" diameter? Hubby has lots of traffic cones, some REALLY tall. Figured I could nail it to a post, or suspend it between 2x4s.
I can't stress enough about biosecurity: dedicated shoes/boots, gloves, clothes left outside your home (leave in the garage), then machine washing weekly. Hand washing before/after entering coop/run areas immediately when entering your home. Don't put your hands to your face. Don't snuggle or...
Since you posted in 2018, still not seeing any condensation? It's exactly what I was thinking of doing to my existing metal roof. Mine is just laying on top of a welded wire pen roof and screwed into some 3/4"x4" wood pieces to anchor it down. LOT of condensation.
I have
I have found, over the last couple weeks, a few attempts at laying a first egg (I think, I don't know): Two hard amber-colored blobs below their roost bars (they didn't understand a nesting box?), 2 gelatinous eggs in a nesting box, and 2 soft shelled eggs in a nesting box. I just chock...
I have the same issue, 3 BO's and 3 New Hampshire Reds, 21 wks old. One red is laying in the north box and 2 whomever are laying in the south box (haven't been able to see who), but only up to 3 eggs/day.
Anyone dealt with pitch in feathers? I kept seeing one New Hampshire Red constantly dust bathing. I thought her feather's were just full of soil that she hadn't shaken out, but while watching her preen, she kept picking at that "dirty" area. That when I realized it was pitch. When free ranging...
PNW we'll be back into the 80s with extremely high humidity, even up to 100%. I have to be away for 10 days with a chicken sitter, so the 6 girls won't be able to free range much. I sure hope the sitter and the chickens fare through OK, and pray for no wildfires! Get prepared.
Emergency evac? Like in case of a fire? Sounds like you're starting off good with the large dog crate (if they will go in) and food/water. Maybe a treat feed by hand to calm them if needed.
I too watched my 6 girls panting during that awful weather. I felt so guilty, feeling like I should relocate them to our garage with a cool concrete floor (but such a setup for 14-wk-old birds would be difficult). I read that chickens don't like cold water so I just continued to check the...
I visited a farm for an outdoor class and was asked to dip my boots/shoes in a disinfecting bath to prevent viruses, disease, pathogens from being transferred from my farm to theirs and vice versa. Yet, I've also read that this really doesn't kill much. I've searched everywhere and cannot find a...
For sexing, I watched a Discover TV show that showed what the commercial hatcheries do. As chicks, spread out a wing and look at the length of the feathers. If they are long short long short, it's a female. If they are all long, it's a male. The farm store I got my chicks from said they pay...