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  1. sqatkins

    Cuckoo Maran - Egg color!

    Me too. I purposefully chose two cuckoo marans hoping for darker brown eggs, but one has finally started laying and they are definitely a light brown. My Red Stars lay darker brown eggs. However, I did read that the color of their eggs can evolve over time. Regardless, an egg is an egg and I'm...
  2. sqatkins

    What determines hatching gender? Any tips?

    Actually, you have it backwards, Canadian Wind. The hen's ova determines sex in chickens, not the sperm from the male. Weird, huh? I have found this information on many different sources. Here is one example: "Avian sex differentiation is not determined by XY chromosomes like it is in humans...
  3. sqatkins

    Mcmurray Suprise Chick. What we thinking??

    I never check the box for a free chick because most of the time it turns out to be a cockerel. What else are they going to do with the male chicks when everyone orders pullets?
  4. sqatkins

    Mcmurray Suprise Chick. What we thinking??

    In my experience, the "free" birds are usually cockerels. No telling at this age. By now you must have your answer. Please give us an update!
  5. sqatkins

    Elector PSP and Lice Nits

    That is pretty contradictory to almost every other bit of advice found anywhere. Avian health specialists recommend Elector PSP for lice all the time, and it is the only one approved for such use in chickens without an egg withdrawal, and it kills both adults and nits.
  6. sqatkins

    Elector PSP and Lice Nits

  7. sqatkins

    Deworm with Rumatel (Morantel Tartrate) Dumor Goat Dewormer?

    But there IS withdrawal of goat MEAT, meaning it accumulates in the tissues. I'd say don't eat the eggs as it can accumulate in the eggs.
  8. sqatkins

    I'm trying to find some hatcheries in Montana that sell sexed and vaccinated chicks. Your...

    I'm trying to find some hatcheries in Montana that sell sexed and vaccinated chicks. Your website doesn't seem to be current as the "domain has expired" and I don't know how else to reach you.
  9. sqatkins

    Pinless Peepers won't stay on! She kicks it off & shakes it off.

    I'm in the same boat. I have 3 Red Stars who bully the other birds and won't let some of them into the coop at night. I thought the pinless peepers might help. After trying several times I finally got one onto one of the Red Stars. She shook her head but it stayed, so I thought we were good. As...
  10. sqatkins

    Newbie in Montana

    Welcome to the club of chicken tenders. I'm in Missoula. Where are you? I'd be happy to advise as questions come up. If you want a flock that is responsive to you, I recommend getting chicks as early as you can do so and raise them in a brooder so that they imprint on YOU as the main source of...
  11. sqatkins

    You’re not a buff Orpington

    It’s the “What difference will one more chicken make?” Rule of chicken math.
  12. sqatkins

    You’re not a buff Orpington

  13. sqatkins

    Calculating roost or perch space per chicken in a coop?

    Yes, the lower perches count. Higher status birds will grab the top spots, and lower status birds will likely occupy the lower rungs, and that is perfectly fine. Looks like you have plenty of space for 11 wyandottes! I have 3 levels of perches, and so long as everyone finds a spot to roost, they...
  14. sqatkins

    Are white chickens like Delaware more likely to be caught by hawks?

    The only bird I've had taken by a Cooper's Hawk was a white splashed Wyandotte in 2020, the only white one in the entire flock. It killed her and came back to feed because she was too big for the bird to haul away. I mentioned it to a chicken owner at the feed store and she agreed that white...
  15. sqatkins

    How to manage two broody hens

    I have an elevated coop large enough for 8 hens in the middle of a chicken run that is roofed and fenced on all 6 sides with 1/2" hardware cloth. The coop has an automatic door opener so that the birds can come and go during daylight. I generally leave the chicken run gate open all day so the...
  16. sqatkins

    How to manage two broody hens

    I'm in a similar position. I had a broody hen who hatched just one chick, and I only know it hatched because I found its dead body in the chicken run. One of the other hens apparently killed it. So, it seems I should isolate my broody hen in the future, yes? If so, how do I know when it is safe...
  17. sqatkins

    Dual Broody Hens

    I've searched the threads about broody hens, but none seem to answer my question. For context, this is a rather long story, but it will result in my question. When one of my Golden Wyandottes (GW) went broody last year, I tried to break that habit, to no avail. So this year I sought out a...
  18. sqatkins

    Can I place a galvanized waterer on a heater base?

    Yes, I do this every winter. I ended up buying a special plug adapter (found at my hardware store) that only turns on when the temperature reaches about 34 degrees. By plugging the base into this adaptor, it only comes on when necessary and stays on until the temperature rises above 36 degrees...
  19. sqatkins

    Conflicting Info on Water Issues

    1) I have two galvanized 3 gallon water cans for my two small flocks. Both of them are developing rusty patches inside. I don't notice a discoloration of the water, but each time I clean out the cans I have to blast the rust away. I searched on-line about rusty water and chickens. One source...
  20. sqatkins

    Black Jersey Giant: Hen or Roo?

    I have the same question. I paid the hatchery extra to sex the chickens because I am not allowed to have roosters in the city limits. I received four. Here is a picture of two of them. Do you think that the near one is a cockerel? Sure looks like it to me. These birds are about 8 weeks old.
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