Anyone from Missouri?

[stilwellchick]

Sorry for your loss Faith. How old was she? She seemed okay before today?

 

[Faith]

She was right about a year old & yes, she was fine before.

Three weeks ago, five hens had white runs. We started feeding them straight layer pellets, some cat food, & keeping them entertained due to feather loss. Her feathers were growing back in just fine & the ruuny white gunk stopped.

The one I have inside is doing a bit better but I'm not certain how much CS to give her.???

 

[ozark hen]

Welcome fellow Missourians!! We live down near Springfield, actually about fifty miles east of it. Glad to see new members. If you do a search for Missouri you will find , I think, two more Missouri threads.

 

[Faith]

Carrie ~ Love your quote! I saw your pup! So cute. We have a Great Pyr & Great Pyr German Shepherd mix with their 5 puppies. Such great dogs! Loyal, fearless, & gentle.

Do you have a dirt floor in your coop? If so, how do you clean it? Ours is dirt so I'm needing a lil' info.

 

[ozark hen]

Hi Faith, I assume you are speaking of our great pyr mix? He is a monster at seven months old. More than I can handle. He thinks he is a "small" dog and towers over me and I can't keep him from jumping up on me. LOL
My coops are in an old oak house that has sat on our property for probably over 100 years. The walls were layered with old newspapers....very fascinating reading. Then the old oak floor boards are layered with many years of old linoleum (*sp). I just dusted the floor real good with d.e. and then I use the deep litter method and only change out the litter a couple times a year. I go in with a pitchfork and turn the shavings every other day and I add shavings as soon as I detect a smell. My coop honestly doesn't smell at all. It stays fresh and clean smelling all the time. I just did a spring clean out this past Monday and spread the shavings/manure over flower/garden beds.

 

[mnuck]

Quote:
Oh wow, I'm in Licking too! Well, 3 miles north of Licking. I got out of the military last fall and bought 20 acres here.

Last fall I ordered a batch of 25 barred rocks, straight run. What I got was 25 barred rocks, pullets. I lost one to a predator (hawk or eagle I bet), and ate 5, so I'm down to 19 barred rock pullets, who I expect to start laying any day now. They're big enough now that they own the yard, and will gang up on the feral cats, and sometimes the basset hound.

Two weeks ago I got a cockerel at the Small Animal Swap at the rodeo grounds (3rd Sunday of the month, every month), a beautiful Australorp. The girls took a day to adjust to him being around, but right now I'd say he's easily the best $5 I've ever spent.

I have an order in with Cackle Hatchery for 5 barred rock cockerels, 5 dark cornish cockerels, and 15 dark cornish pullets. Aspirations of developing my own pasture-hardy meat birds.

So, twenty chickens, three dogs, one housecat, a wife, two sons, a cousin, and assorted barncats.

 

[ozark hen]

Welcome!!

 

[Faith]

Hi Mnook!

Carrie ~ He will settle down around a year old but watch your kitchen counters & windows! When they want out, they'll get out.LOL I found out the hard way about that after finding three screens out of my new windows.

It was the fourth of July & Laddie discovered how to open our front door. When the fireworks stopped, he jumped out. When they began, he went back in. I thought our children were forgetting to close the door.

That's neat about your old house. DE is good stuff. Do you order it online or do they sell it where you live?

 

[ozark hen]

Actually I shopped around for the de and found it cheaper in Springfield at Race Bros. for a fifty pound bag it was like maybe $32 ? I think that is what it was. Only place I could find that said "food grade" on the bag.

 

[Faith]

Carrie ~ That's a great buy! What is Race Brother's? A Feed store?