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

[21hens-incharge]

I am old enough to remember "green soap". Hibiclense replaced that as the pre surgery scrub soap, good stuff there.

An interesting thing ...... When I went to tend the chickens the water in the hoop run with plastic had a very thin layer of ice. The water in the exposed run had 1/2 inch thick ice. This is my first winter keeping birds in that coop. It appears it is a bit better then the other even though it is on the north of the coop.

 

[Rubysword]

So sorry! That extra year is important. You'll be driving soon! Aaaarrrggghhh

That's fine I wish I would be driving soon, but up here in New York, your learners permit doesn't come till sixteen.
My mom does some gardening, but this year was more preparing for next year than anything else We just got our chickens last March, so this summer we've been buying coop, building a more secure coop after they got attacked by a bear(2 died, 4 survived), building a fence, hatching eggs and only getting roosters, finding homes for said roosters, getting new pullets, finding a home for a not-so-female chick in the batch, and caring for the chickens that we just set up a space for next years garden. We did grow some rhubarb and tomatoes, though.

 

[Molpet]

cattle panel coops do great in the snow w/a ridge 2x4 to help with the snow load

 

[Smuvers Farm]

That's fine I wish I would be driving soon, but up here in New York, your learners permit doesn't come till sixteen.
My mom does some gardening, but this year was more preparing for next year than anything else We just got our chickens last March, so this summer we've been buying coop, building a more secure coop after they got attacked by a bear(2 died, 4 survived), building a fence, hatching eggs and only getting roosters, finding homes for said roosters, getting new pullets, finding a home for a not-so-female chick in the batch, and caring for the chickens that we just set up a space for next years garden. We did grow some rhubarb and tomatoes, though.

OMG I JUST read your sig lines... Dove Chocolate?!?!?!? Hilarious kiddo!

 

[Rubysword]

Thanks We got her as a gift for my mom. She said that before the flock was complete, she wanted to have a laced chicken and a chocolate orpington.
Oof, that's some serious snow! We just had our first snow yesterday. It didn't stick, though, because of all the rain that preceded it. I recently had to rescue some bedraggled chickens from our non-waterproofed coop and move them to our garage. The coop is nice and dry now, though.

 

[21hens-incharge]

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cattle panel coops do great in the snow w/a ridge 2x4 to help with the snow load

I love that! Your ridge pole is something mine might be needing.
Mine was supposed to be a temporary run, but.....chicken math.
I prefer to keep mine all in the big coop but those BSL are horrid to my bantam and not so nice to the others either. If they were all I was keeping they wouldn't be so frustrating.

We should see a melting today if the sun makes it out. Right now we are a sweltering 27 degrees.

 

[apryl29]

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cattle panel coops do great in the snow w/a ridge 2x4 to help with the snow load

Does &the layer of snow help insulate?

 

[Parront]

I hear you about tiny flock. Mine was 4 and now I think I will be up to 22 Bantams. Since they are small, they don’t count!!! Right???

Small roosters are the worst! They look so small and cute, then they fight with big birds and get torn up. So you have to nurse them back to health, because they are pets. They mate the huge hens, who then have more runt roosters!

 

[21hens-incharge]

Awww I liked my bantam Cochin rooster and my Japanese bantam boy. They never caused a fuss.

Silkie cockerels however pure evil.

 

[Parront]

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cattle panel coops do great in the snow w/a ridge 2x4 to help with the snow load

Nice thick snow blanket there! Those look great!