Anyone have luck catching a feral chicken?? UPDATE: Rooster caught, no hen

[Smuvers Farm]

PS. Let me throw a dumb question out there too.... or rather, TWO dumb questions:

1. WHY does an incubator have to be in a room with a stable temp? When broodys set, they're outside, and the temps outside can range 30° every day!

2. Why do people boil, and then dry, their eggshells before feeding them back to their chickens?! Seems like an awful lot of extra steps to me.

 

[CSAchook]

Smuveeeeeeerrrrrrrssssss Why you only ever quote me so you can smack me?
I thought we were chicken chums! Or is this just how you show affection?

 

[TexasSam]

Cattle panel greenhouse?!? What the what?!?

@TexasSam PIC is my 8 y/o kiddo. He became my established PIC (Partner in Chickens = Partner in Crime), when my 4 person family, to include my 72 y/o mother AND my DH, went outside one night to put eggs under our broody pullet. I told EVERYONE to be quiet about a thousand times... yet the only one who could follow directions and keep their mouth SHUT was my kiddo. He goes outside with me every morning to put food out for the Nuggets (our 2 week old hatchlings), our main flock of FlufferButters and Littles, AND our newest hens, the Brat Pack. OH, and Assless.

That's awesome my boy helps me out a lot with the chickens too

 

[TexasSam]

PS. Let me throw a dumb question out there too.... or rather, TWO dumb questions:

1. WHY does an incubator have to be in a room with a stable temp? When broodys set, they're outside, and the temps outside can range 30° every day!

2. Why do people boil, and then dry, their eggshells before feeding them back to their chickens?! Seems like an awful lot of extra steps to me.

I just boil the eggs and give them the whole egg crunched. We boil them first so they don't know they are eating eggs. We don't want the chickens to develop the habitat of egg eating

 

[Sassysouth]

PS. Let me throw a dumb question out there too.... or rather, TWO dumb questions:

1. WHY does an incubator have to be in a room with a stable temp? When broodys set, they're outside, and the temps outside can range 30° every day!

2. Why do people boil, and then dry, their eggshells before feeding them back to their chickens?! Seems like an awful lot of extra steps to me.

1. No clue. No experience.
2. I rinse my eggshells (mainly insides) and let them air dry. I only do that because they crush better to me. Then I store my crumbles in a zip lock bag. I have read that some people throw them back to the chickens in halves, unwashed. I guess it is preference?

I scramble and bake with eggs only. No boiled eggs for us.

 

[Sassysouth]

I *think* the idea is that in most climates, there may be days when the hens can't or won't go outside. So they need enough indoor room. I personally also keep my feeders in my coop so there needs to be enough room at chow time too. Not a dumb question though! I had an itty bitty pre-fab coop I used to house bullies during integration. They seemed just fine in the small space Now that they all live in the same coop though, I am grateful the "littles" have space to get away from the "bigs"

That is kind of what I was thinking. We rarely have days when chickens stay in the coop. It has to be a major downpour. I have caught mine sleeping on the ramp to the coop during the summer.

 

[Smuvers Farm]

Smuveeeeeeerrrrrrrssssss Why you only ever quote me so you can smack me?
I thought we were chicken chums! Or is this just how you show affection?

Awww bunnies, you knows I lurves ya!

I just boil the eggs and give them the whole egg crunched. We boil them first so they don't know they are eating eggs. We don't want the chickens to develop the habitat of egg eating

1. No clue. No experience.
2. I rinse my eggshells (mainly insides) and let them air dry. I only do that because they crush better to me. Then I store my crumbles in a zip lock bag. I have read that some people throw them back to the chickens in halves, unwashed. I guess it is preference?

I scramble and bake with eggs only. No boiled eggs for us.

We do several things. We take the dirtiest eggs and boil them up (don't even wash them), let them cool then smash the with a potato masher. Chickies get those. PLUS, we save the eggshells when we use eggs.. they're just in a bowl, cracked sides down, and kinds crushed into it. When we make their FF, I add in the crushed egg shells. I was just honestly curious as to WHY people boil and bake and julienne their shells... just seemed like more work that needed to me.

 

[Smuvers Farm]

2330 here... time to get tucked in.... the PIC has been pissy all day.... and so have I.....

I need some sun so I can get some work done outside!!! grrrr

 

[21hens-incharge]

In 3 hours the dang phone has not stopped ringing!
Mostly with stupid stuff. Roadside assistance companies trying to send him 60 miles one way for a JumpStart.

Then state patrol with poor communication sent a driver to an accident BUT told the on scene a different tow company!

Needless to say sleep ain't gonna happen.
Rant over... Thanks for listening.

Baking the shells kills any bacteria, so does boiling. Baking makes them more crumble ready too.

Mine can go out but choose to stay in if there is snow. Ranging would be pointless since they would have to dig for anything.....something they are very unwilling to even consider in snow.

Night all. Gonna try again for sleep.

 

[Anansi]

That's YOUNG!!!!
I wish I were 42 again!

So you can be the answer to life, the universe and everything?