I'm in south Mississippi, on the Gulf Coast. My buff Orpington began sitting on a clutch August 4th. That's nasty hot down south! I had to put water right next to her nest (under the mounted nesting box). Unfortunately, she did not hatch her clutch. My husband 'helpfully' gathered eggs for me 2...
You can purchase 50' x 50' aviary netting on Amazon for about $30. I would take a couple of people to set it up, but seems less time consuming than weaving cord/wire. Just a suggestion. I've lost several hens to predation. We have seen Coopers hawks, swallow-tailed kites, owls, etc. (all I can...
Rabbits eat grasses, young shoots, dandelion greens, carrot tops, parsley, etc. Avoid iceberg lettuce. Rabbit.org recommends releasing at dawn or dusk.
https://rabbit.org/care/feeding-caring-for-orphans/
It's a beautiful sunny day today down south. Temp is 90, with the heat index, it feels like 101. (We live in a sauna!) I can't remember when was the last time we went 2 full days without rain. My girls may get lost in the grass before the yard dries out! That being said, they seem to be enjoying...
I love the coop! We just had to build a new one after a storm destroyed our previous set up. Mine is more functional than attractive. Living in the South, we went with a much darker polycarbonate roofing panels to increase shade. My small flock of 8 hens and 1 roo free-range by day and go into...
I'm still pretty new to chickens. I started with Buff Orpingtons and Americuana that are turning 2.
I have my first rooster; a Rhode Island Red just turning 1. Surprise! BAD job on Tractor Supply: 3 chicks turned out to be White Leghorn NOT Barred Rocks (1 of which died within days) and 1 of 3...
I was surprised to see nuts on the 'no' list. My girls adore raw peanuts as well as raisins. My standby treats are black sunflower seeds, raw peanuts, & raisins. I would prefer to go with table scraps, they aren't always available. My standbys are cheap, shelf-stable, & at the store year-round...
Agreed! Compost piles are a HUGE hit. When my chickens began free-ranging this year, they decimated my compost heap. Completely! From 3-4' across and 2-3' high, that area is now just 'slightly raised' and completely 'heap' free. I've given up on having compost. :-(
My chickens have also dug...
Mine ladies eat Dumor Layer Pellets daily. They eat table scraps and will indeed devour any hint of butter (learned from left-over potato)! They DO NOT eat lettuce or broccoli. They adore tomatoes, berries, empty carbs (Stale crackers, Honey Nut Cheerios, bread, etc.), any berry they can get...
I completely relate to the struggle to keep the ladies cool! I'm on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Zone 9a, so it's hot and it's humid. My pool was 97 Fahrenheit at 5:45 pm yesterday! I researched heat tolerant chicken breeds before getting my first hens. Frost is rare where I live, but we...
We have 3 Rhode Island Reds, approximately 5 1/2 weeks. This one is a bit more aggressive and spends a lot more time observing the environment than the others. I know it's early and I don't see a waddle, however, I've only had a chickens for a year. Our 3 Reds and 2 Barred Rocks, all about 5 1/2...
Thank you for the article and sharing your coop design. Everything I have been reading is prompting me to move what I have which is unfortunately a pre-made (terrible choice is retrospect) coop and metal framed run (1/3 is covered for shade). I just got my ladies this past spring and there is NO...
Did I miss the final coop? I don't see the completed coop. I'm super excited to see how this goes as my 16 year-old is begging to get quails and they will need a hope. Which is part of my big argument for "you don't need quails...admire my chickens instead."
I'm really excited about starting my flock. Next step is the run! They have a coop ready for when they are a bit bigger. Although I would love to let them free range with a safe area to return to, I have an energetic dog who already wants to the play with them. I also have to worry about hawks...
We started baking bread when COVID closed the world. Even the dog gained weight. I was doing really well with sourdough (I bought a starter through Amazon) and my oldest does an fabulous focaccia. We had to stop with the homemade bread. We enjoyed making...and eating it...a bit too much