Thanks Debbie. Appreciate your input. I might look into that for next year. We'll probably be getting 3 more hens in June on Hen Day at the Hatchery. Before I acquire them I will be sweeping the coop out completely & starting over fresh.
Well, it looks like we're hitting our cold spell. Which means I won't be opening their door at all. And I'll be out their 💩 picking in their coop. I usually go in once a week to do 💩 picking. I use a grabber & half gallon bucket. I have severe arthritis in my back, neck, hips & knees, so I have...
Nothing from me this year. Our winter is behind the times. We had one day with a light sprinkling of snow about a week or so ago. Gone within 4 hours. We are due for snow on January 2nd. Wait & see. ;)
Once or twice a week in cold months I sprinkle chili powder or cumin on their feed. A little cinnamon on the off days. It helps warm them up from the inside out & will kill internal parasites if they're present.
I only have 3 hens (Bantam Ameracaunas). The 2 blue egg layers stopped laying (not sure which was laying, or if they were trading off) in September. The green egg layer laid until mid-November. Currently none are laying. I still love them too, but my son says they better start laying by Spring...
Yes, Muscovy. I had 4 on the farm growing up. I think they are friendliest of ducks. I could go either way on sex. Both my females were pure white. Only my males had colors like that.
We have taken out the framed wood section & put in a plexiglass window facing east so they know when sunrise is.
We have hatch coop doors & some of the run framed. Picture to follow.
I know what you're saying on the not so good harvest this year. Since I have limited garden space there are some things I'm not going to try to grow again. Complete failures! Other things did pretty good so I will do more of those items.
Tomorrow starts the conversion of a 9x12 lawn shed into a coop with a run on each side. I will try to take pics of each stage. I am hiring a 2-person crew to do the transformation for me, as I am partially disabled.