Search results for query: *

  1. SamLockwood

    Why is a hen doing this?

    It could be the lack of space, it could be jealousy: they'll sometimes fight over anything. Sometimes one will just take a disliking to another one for no apparent reason at all.
  2. SamLockwood

    Pullets and cockerel going into the coop before the automatic door closes

    I don't use an automatic door, but usually they have a more or less set "time" they'll start getting ready to roost. I think they go by the angle of the sun and the overall light level. The chickens tend to start getting ready about an hour and a hallf before sunset, and my guinea fowl tend to...
  3. SamLockwood

    Are My Leghorns Close to Laying?

    Hens getting red to pink combs & wattles is one sign of imanent laying. Another one is they'll suddenly get interested in looking for nests. If you free range them this will often include "inappropriate" areas. They'll also start going through mood swings and personality changes shortly before...
  4. SamLockwood

    Are they eating the dirt?

    It's also why you've got to be careful about what you leave out if you free-range chickens. If it's small enough they'll try to swallow it: chunks of plastic, styrofoam, small screws, even bits of broken glass.
  5. SamLockwood

    Are they eating the dirt?

    It's normal. It's how they "chew" their food without teeth: they'll ingest small amounts of dirt, ash, grit, or sand and as everything passes through their crop the "grit" helps grind their food up.
  6. SamLockwood

    Possum problem

    Unless your coop and run are very insecure they're not much of a threat. They will kill a chicken if they can get their hands on one, but they're not nearly as strong, persistent, and devious as raccoons are when it comes to breaking and entering. Ever since I built the new coop, the only time...
  7. SamLockwood

    Confused

    I have a couple hens that are pretty loud and have some unique vocalizations. There's one I call "Wailer" because her way of being social with me is being extremely loud: "Waaaaaaaah, wah-wah-wah-wah wah! Waaaaaaah wah-wah-wah-wah-wah!" I've got couple others that do this weid throaty...
  8. SamLockwood

    Rooster behavior stomping

    Keep in mind that while chickens have better daytime vision than we do they have terrible night vision. If I'm poking about in the dark and not making any noises my flock gets agitated, too. It's really bad news if I've got to grab somebody to work on injuries at night: sometimes I'm dodging...
  9. SamLockwood

    Coyote attack in the middle of the day.

    That's a cute sentiment but these are animals we're talking about, not the Cherokee. Plus, the OP mentioned they put a fence up so your shark analogy really doesn't work. Essentially, it's like saying "if you didn't want to have your house burglarized you shouldn't keep such nice stuff in it!"...
  10. SamLockwood

    Coyote attack in the middle of the day.

    "Nocturnal" is really a preference, it's not mandatory for them. Although it's infrequent, I've gotten daytime "visits" from raccoons, opossums, owls, coyotes, and a bobcat.
  11. SamLockwood

    How long did it take?

    It depends on if you let her raise the chicks or not. They tend to stay in "mommy mode" until the chicks are fully feathered and not lay any eggs. I've seen some have a partial molt after they get done mothering. Some snap right back after a week or two, others won't lay for up to six weeks. A...
  12. SamLockwood

    Is this a rooster?

    If they're raised by an adult rooster young cockerels tend to be a lot more passive, and you've definitely got a boy there. A hen's comb won't usually redden until they're ready to lay at 5 to 6 months old. Plus, he's got the distinctive hackle and saddle-feathers, and his tail-feathers are...
  13. SamLockwood

    Persistent Owl

    While you're not allowed to injure them or destroy their nests, you are allowed to annoy and harrass them. The motion activated sprinker isn't a bad idea. I always have an air-horn ready if they decide to lurk around while I'm outside (assuming my birds haven't run them off). I'd keep them...
  14. SamLockwood

    What is this animal, is it dangerous?

    As others noted, it looks like a young woodchuck or groundhog to me. It's not dangerous by itself but if it's getting in there so can lots of other less pleasant things.
  15. SamLockwood

    Does this really work for predator proofing?

    I've only heard of them at being effective in daytime, for things like hawks, and only temporarily.
  16. SamLockwood

    Poll: Do high-value treats turn your chickens into savages?

    There's the usual pecking order reinforcement, but nobody gets that out of sorts since I tend to spread the scratch feed out over a pretty wide area. After a minute or two of chaos the flock sorts itself out and everyone peacefully munches away.
  17. SamLockwood

    Is this a terrible idea?

    If they were raised togther for 4 months they'll have likely bonded and consider themselves a flock and you'll have the usual problems integrating strangers with them. In general chickens don't like strangers or strangeness of any kind, and often respond aggressively to newcomers. The only time...
  18. SamLockwood

    Daytime Preds

    Since I improved the coops and run and started free ranging, I've only had predator losses in daytime. The first year was awful: I had 7 losses to predation (4 chickens to a bobcat, 2 guineas to a coyote, 1 pullet to a hawk, and one chicken probably to a coyote). Year two went better in some...
  19. SamLockwood

    Guinea keets!

    I definitely would have done things differently with the first generation. The biggest issues I had were in the first 18.months. AFter that, the biggest difficulty is if I introduced new birds to the flock: the guinea hens don't like any strangers, even other guineas. Oddly, if I let the...
  20. SamLockwood

    Questions about lockdown

    From experience, you're going to have to accept you're going to lose a significant portion of the hatch: I've had power interruptions a couple of times and it always causes problems. I wouldn't worry of the egg turner worked or didn't a day or two early or late. I haven't seen that be as big a...
Back
Top Bottom