Search results for query: *

  1. K0k0shka

    Do chickens snore?

    I’m sorry to hear that. If you can afford a necropsy, that can give you answers. If not, you can open the bird up yourself and see if there’s anything obvious, like a crop impaction, tumors, water belly etc. If it’s any of those three, then it’s probably just her and no need to worry about the...
  2. K0k0shka

    Do chickens snore?

    They shouldn't vocalize while breathing (whether asleep or awake). So this is probably a sign that something's not right. Hard to tell what, as chickens are notoriously hard to diagnose, especially if you're not a vet. I had a chicken that "snored" (vocalized when inhaling/exhaling) and looked...
  3. K0k0shka

    How to deal with h broody hen when it's cold?

    Chickens don't use each other's body heat in the winter and don't need to huddle for warmth, that's a myth. The whole point of their nice insulating feathers is to not lose heat to the environment. So there's no heat escaping the chicken through the feathers, or else the chicken would freeze to...
  4. K0k0shka

    Molting Question

    If you feed 20% year round, you won't have to worry about timing extra protein just right. 20 is ideal anyway, for any age chicken and any time of year.
  5. K0k0shka

    Why are people so convinced that chickens need heat?

    I’m curious about how you knew she died because of temperature as opposed to something else. By the time you found her, she was just a dead hen and she was frozen because she was dead, not the other way around. Chickens can die suddenly for a million reasons unrelated to the cold, and they all...
  6. K0k0shka

    Opinions?

    Not just clickbait, but a spreading obsession with supplements, magical cures/prevention and all kinds of woo marketed as "natural" and used indiscriminately. That is usually a red flag for me. So I would avoid. A complete formula poultry feed (that's at least 18-20% protein) is all they need...
  7. K0k0shka

    Purina Flock to Farm 18% Scratch

    Only deworm if you actually see worms. Same with mites and lice, and other parasites. Overuse of anti-parasite chemical/medical treatments as prevention can build resistance in the parasites and weaken the treatments' effectiveness. So they should be used for treatment when there are actual...
  8. K0k0shka

    Purina Flock to Farm 18% Scratch

    I don't see why all that math and extra work is necessary... You'd be fine doing either one or the other exclusively. Though I'd prefer 20% over 18% protein. I've been feeding Purina Flock Raiser 20% protein exclusively for years, and am very happy with it. Grit and calcium on the side.
  9. K0k0shka

    Rats and flock block

    Flock block promotes more fighting, that's one more reason why I don't like it. It's a small thing that everybody is trying to get to at the same time, so the pushier chickens will hog it and not let the others get to it, and can get defensive and peck/pluck even more. If you give them treats...
  10. K0k0shka

    Keeping Waterers from freezing?

    There's a cutesy AI-generated image going around social media with a blurb that says Sweden is using "edible" road salt that contains beet juice instead of salt, and is "hydrating" wild birds who eat it, which is totally fake. I don't know if that's where you're getting the idea that beet juice...
  11. K0k0shka

    Rats and flock block

    This! ☝️☝️☝️ I rarely ever buy flock block for that reason, and when I do, I never leave it there for long periods of time, especially not overnight. The chickens will eat NOTHING else if there's unlimited access to a flock block. It's a treat and should be regarded as such. I put mine in a cage...
  12. K0k0shka

    Extreme calcium preferences

    Small Pet Select is the one I ordered yesterday. Glad to hear that it's the preferred one in your flock. Hopefully my picky princesses will approve, too.
  13. K0k0shka

    Extreme calcium preferences

    All vertebrates store calcium in their bones. That’s one of the functions of bones, actually - in addition to holding us upright, they also serve as reservoirs for calcium which gets used for various other bodily needs. Excess calcium can be stored in the bones to a degree, but at some point it...
  14. K0k0shka

    Extreme calcium preferences

    I have a system for collecting and storing them myself, I just don't want to ask neighbors to do extra work or need to remember specific instructions.
  15. K0k0shka

    Extreme calcium preferences

    Next step if the oyster flakes don't work, is definitely to ask my neighbors for shell donations. They don't have chickens so they don't have a use for the shells. I know how clunky and inconvenient it can be to collect shells though (slimy and wet, and voluminous) so I didn't want to have to...
  16. K0k0shka

    Extreme calcium preferences

    I just ordered a bag of flaked oyster shell. I'll report on how that goes.
  17. K0k0shka

    Extreme calcium preferences

    No, they need to be able to eat the calcium separately so they can regulate how much they eat and not end up eating too much. That's why I don't use layer feed, only flock raiser. I always have some fraction of my flock that isn't laying (because of winter break, age, molting, sickness etc.) so...
  18. K0k0shka

    Extreme calcium preferences

    I didn't even realize there were different kinds. Thanks! I got the first bag I saw, and it is rock style. I wonder if they think it's grit. I'll get the flakes, thank you!
  19. K0k0shka

    Extreme calcium preferences

    I knew that chickens prefer eggshell to oyster shell, but man... I didn't realize just how STRONG that preference was! I used to only have heritage breeds that don't lay in the winter, so I'd save the shells from eggs I bought in the winter, build up a large stash, and my hens always had an...
  20. K0k0shka

    New treadle feeders help with training

    Good points. I have this DIY feeder currently: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-waste-free-funnel-bucket-feeder.67218/ So they already have to stick their heads inside something, with something overhead. No movement, but at least the sticking the head inside of something idea...
Back
Top Bottom