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  1. eikome

    Beak injury, pain medication?

    That seems likely. She could have gotten it stuck in the hardware cloth of the run trying to grab a bug or something. I will keep giving her mushy food and hopefully the pain subsides soon. Thank you for the links!
  2. eikome

    Beak injury, pain medication?

    Hi! I posted earlier today about my lethargic 19-week-old Welsummer pullet. Well, I'm pretty sure she actually has a beak injury that's causing her to not eat/drink and causing the lethargy. Since she wasn't eating I went out to hand feed her but she only "pretended" to eat and drink. She'll...
  3. eikome

    Point of lay pullet acting lethargic

    Update: I think she actually has a beak injury! The tip of her upper beak looks slightly shorter and bloodyish? (Not really "bloody", but like the color of dried blood). About 1 cm in length. There's no cracks, but it looks like maybe like it was skinned (or whatever you'd call taking a layer...
  4. eikome

    Winterizing run options, opinions needed

    Oh good idea with those elastic thingies. Do they wear out over time? How long do they keep their elasticity? I never thought to hold down the tarps with rope either! Great idea! (And I might have to use this tip for the loud flapping plastic on my screen porch too :) )
  5. eikome

    Winterizing run options, opinions needed

    Thanks :) Do you use the wavy kind of panels like I have on my run roof? Do you ever find that wind blows down the channels left by the wave shape in any significant way? The wind is so erratic at my place it's hard for me to guess how drafty the different options will actually feel to my hens.
  6. eikome

    How to switch nesting boxes?

    Do the hens know where the new nesting boxes are? Like, have they investigated them or laid in them at all yet? If they know where the new ones are, but are choosing the old boxes still, I would just "close" the old boxes and let them find/use the new boxes. I've put a large object in the nest...
  7. eikome

    Automatic door

    For what it's worth, I've used a battery-powered Chicken Guard Extreme opener for 7 years and have had absolutely no problems with it. The batteries last a long time, like 2 years, but I change mine out once a year just because. I just recently bought another Chicken Guard now called Pro (to...
  8. eikome

    Winterizing run options, opinions needed

    Hello all. I built a bigger better coop and run recently and I need some help brainstorming the best way to winterize my run. Location: upstate NY, typically very cold, very heavy lake effect deep snow winters. Wind swirls at my location and does not come from one dominant direction (my home is...
  9. eikome

    Re-designing roosts for older hens

    Yes I was thinking of adding a "bottom" underneath the ladder rungs to see if would help them see it as a ramp they can walk on. Of course they do have that ramp style with cleats outside in the run to help them get up to the chicken door and they ignore that too, lol. So who knows. Chickens be...
  10. eikome

    Re-designing roosts for older hens

    Here's a current photo of the roosts as is. It's hard to tell, but there's quite a bit more floor space under where the camera is that you can't see. And there's a window behind the camera too. Everything looks a little oddly stretched weird too thanks to the camera lens. I was thinking about...
  11. eikome

    Re-designing roosts for older hens

    I built a new coop this past fall/spring and I'm trying to fine-tune everything now based on how the chickens are actually using the space. I need to change up their roosts. I have 12 standard sized/heavy bodied chickens, and a 6ft x 6ft area for their roosts (the other half of the 12x6 coop...
  12. eikome

    Air Conditioned coop?

    A ridge vent may help. Hot air rises, even if you have open windows on the sides, there's no way for the hot air trapped up by the ceiling to get out. The gable-end vents don't look large enough for ample cross air flow at the roofline. If you can't put in a passive flow ridge vent, maybe a...
  13. eikome

    Sand Vs. what else for run?

    Hi, I live in upstate NY too. When I first started keeping chickens I used wood mulch in their covered run. Pros: The poops composted in the mulch quickly. Cons: It held moisture and froze solid in the winter and so was somewhat hazardous with sticks poking up all over. I had 2 hens get...
  14. eikome

    Introducing young pullets to older hens

    Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I recall reading somewhere that it's not recommended to mix medicated and unmedicated feed together. It's probably better to just use up the bag of medicated feed, then switch to unmedicated.
  15. eikome

    Anyone plant crops for chickens

    I don't plant things for them specifically, but I do pick them things from my garden. Kale, cabbage, lettuce, and chard leaves that have slug holes in them. "Weeds" like lambs quarters they absolutely love. Strawberries and raspberries that are bug damaged or squished. Cukes and zukes and summer...
  16. eikome

    Introducing young pullets to older hens

    I would take the babies off the medicated feed and feed everyone regular unmedicated grower feed until the young ones are beginning to lay. Be sure to provide free choice oyster shell/calcium for the older ladies to pick up as they need it. That's what's worked for me each time I've put new...
  17. eikome

    Shade cloth color

    Since I built a new coop and run last fall, I need a new shade cloth to fit the new run. Are there any downsides/benefits to using a silver shade cloth vs a black shade cloth? I used a black 60% shade cloth in the past over their old clear panel roof in the summer and it worked fine enough for...
  18. eikome

    Elderly hen

    I have a 7 year old Easter Egger hen who is not feeling well and I'm not sure what is wrong or if there's anything I can do for her. Earlier this spring I noticed she had slowed down, not keeping her tail up, fluffed up feathers, kind of raspy/heavy breathing with occasional sneezes, and watery...
  19. eikome

    New coop, roost design help

    I am 🙂. 12" overhangs with open soffits, a roof peak vent, and large gable end vents.
  20. eikome

    New coop, roost design help

    Thank you, this is very helpful to hear that the standard hens don't have trouble with your high roosts. Do you have steps or a ramp or anything they use to get up there? Or do they just fly right up?
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