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  1. mcostas

    soft shell egg behavior, why usually evening, and usually outside

    I was going to start my own thread on this, maybe I should still. I have 4 laying hens, 3 just started a month or so ago. I have been finding soft shelled eggs (or what's left of them) under their roost. Yesterday I got eggs from all my hens. Today I got eggs from all my hens - plus this soft...
  2. mcostas

    Sand Maintenance

    Welp, I through caution to the wind and hosed the pen down. I am glad to report no smell! I was worried that a year of dried droppings would instantly putrify but it didn't. I didn't realize how dusty the pen was till I hosed it down. My origional plan was to keep adding sand until the pen is a...
  3. mcostas

    How do I keep my run from smelling??

    I found my chicken tractor got smelly as well. I now have a 10x10 dog kennel that's covered. I don't have the wherewithall to move a bunch of sand with a shovel so I just put a few bags in every now and then. I put leaves in the run as well and it's covered so it's nice and dry. I sprinkled...
  4. mcostas

    hot peppers in feed

    I need to find a way to keep my beagles from eating the chicken feed. I was wondering about putting hot pepper powder or crushed red pepper in the feed. I know other birds like to eat hot stuff but not sure about chickens.
  5. mcostas

    I'm at a loss...

    I found it harder to keep my chicken tractor clean than I do my stationary pen. I have between 5 and 7 chickens.
  6. mcostas

    Sand Maintenance

    I have a kennel pen that I put sand down. I put leaves on top of that. I just got whatever sand was easiest at the time. Very little poo gets picked up, I guess it just falls apart. The leaves break down as well. The pen is covered, I imagine as long as it's nice and dry there won't be a...
  7. mcostas

    Anyone ever read this?

    something like that would be perfect for me. I actually plan on replacing my currrent small coop, which is nothing more than a place to go when they want to lay eggs, with something else but I hadn't gotten around to it. Mine never when in even when the nights were at their coldest. I actaully...
  8. mcostas

    AC for chicken coop

    Won't it just make it harder on the chickens later?
  9. mcostas

    When it Rain Chickens dont go back to coope

    Mine hate the hose and sprinkler but they go out in the rain, even the heavy storms. We just had a storm yesterday and I swear it almost appeared as if they were playing.
  10. mcostas

    Yard bugs

    Quote: Our termites swarmed this spring. I carried buffy my hen out front and sat her down in front of the swarm where she ate to her hearts content. I had a few swarms in the back yard too and the young chicks took care of them. I sought out swarms and simply called them over! They will eat...
  11. mcostas

    shaving from coop used on garden

    Quote: What blasphomey!!!!! Throw away chicken litter?!?!?! And you have A GARDEN!!! Chicken litter compost produces results that are etherworldy!!! I'm not joking! My tomatoes grew so much they covered everything, even the patio table!! I was giving away a box a day...
  12. mcostas

    Poop and Compost

    I used compost in which I dumped the litter from my chicken pen and it was amazing!! My tomatoes grew like they were kudzu!! I make too much compost to use one of those tumblers, I just put it in a pile that has wire around it (mainly to keep my doggies out) and kind of stir it around as best...
  13. mcostas

    You might be a crazy chicken lady/gent if...Go on, post yours!

    Quote: I also would like to see that!
  14. mcostas

    You might be a crazy chicken lady/gent if...Go on, post yours!

    When you live sorta kinda close to work and can zoom home on your half hour lunch break, check for eggs, throw out some scratch . . . and before you know it it's time to go back and you havn't eaten lunch. Again.
  15. mcostas

    First egg was a double yolker!

    One of mine's first egg was a double yolker! It was huge! It was the only one though. Somebody is laying a rather small egg to be such a large bird! I wish I knew who it was. I have 1 dark brahma, 2 jersey giants, 3 black sex links, and one banty that is a good layer when she's not broody. So...
  16. mcostas

    Orange yolks?

    probably from the grass and other dark greens they eat. I knew someone that lived on the coast and fed her hens crab and scrimp scraps. The yolks were red! I just ran out and offered mine some marigold but they didn't seem interested. Mine have dark yellow yolks. I think protien affects the...
  17. mcostas

    What age should they start laying?

    I just got my first egg from one of my black sexlinks today!!! It's big!! A lot bigger than the ones buffy the brahma lays. The sexlinks are about 5 months old, maybe a tad less. I got them from the feed store a couple days after valentines day. I'm guessing they were a few days old then. I...
  18. mcostas

    How to get a chicken to STOP laying?

    Do they have a history of this? I have had eggs stay in the coop for a day or so either accidently, or because I was out for the day and the eggs were fine when we came back. Even the ones that stayed there a few days (did not know zoey had started laying!) were fine when we cracked them for eating.
  19. mcostas

    Bantams for eggs?

    I only have one banty but I think she lays a slightly more quality egg then my dark brahma. They are small but larger than you would think, and not really that much smaller than the brahma considering she has those big birthin' hips! I'm not kidding, she's as wide as she is long!
  20. mcostas

    Broody Hen is not eating or drinking for 1 1/2 days. What should I do?

    I would take mine out and she would immediatly drop and gobble grass while dirtbathing. I finally came to the conclution that in the absence of a rooster I had to perform the duties of a rooster by escorting her off the nest. She always carried on when I lifted her out of the nest box but she...
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