Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[cwrite]

@krista74 I have seen snake traps on one of the predator threads. The are oval wire baskets with holes in each end. Snakes can't figure out how to get out and they are easily relocatable once they are in. I think they are some kind of fish trap but they looked really effective. I highly recommend against trying to kill the snake with a spade. Most people that get bitten are bitten while trying to off the snake. Wish I could remember what the baskets are called, but someone else may have read about them.

@DylanL sorry for you loss. I freeze ice in plastic cups for the water, wet soil for them to dust bath in, feed frozen fruit and put frozen peas on their water (Fancy's idea). My chooks never got the hang of standing in water either. I installed a cheap mister but don't have a timer and that helps. If you added a timer for 10 minutes an hour you could leave it on while you are at work. Hope they make it today!

 

[Fancychooklady]

My hubby has 2 pet snakes and agree they are really going through water at the moment. They also need water when they shed skin otherwise it doesn't come off cleanly. At least you shouldn't have too many mice in there at the moment ! I think I'd be too scared to go in the coop if I knew there was a snake loose. When it comes to the venomous types I too am of the "a good snake is a dead snake". We always kept a long handled shovel by the door growing up, might be an idea so next time you see it you can grab the shovel and "off with it's head!" Before it disappears again


My new chickens have obviously not been handled much , just changing their water sends the young ones flying. I've had to separate Tonks as she was keeping the young ones trapped in a corner where they couldn't get to the food. She allowed them to roost with her though so I think she's just being a bully, I used my old play pen so she can see them but not touch. Put a nest box in there for her with a golf ball as she's starting to cluck in an eggy way, might be still a while but now she has somewhere to go.

Q. She was laying before I got her, how long can they go without laying before running into trouble? I gave her grower crumble the first day but she's on layer pellets now, but if she's not going to lay soon should I go back to grower till she does?

Also I'm thinking about trying a batch of fermented feed, does anyone here do it with riverina (red label) ?

It's not uncommon for them to stop laying when they have been relocated. However there are many reason for a drop in egg production. Illness, broodiness and molting are just a few.
What is the protein level in the pellets ? Once the hen reaches 20 weeks of age the protein level should be kept between 15-17 %, anything more and you are risking fatty liver and visceral gout.
I sprout barley for mine at this time of year and they love it.

 

[DylanL]

Thankyou, it's about 10 degrees cooler today and they seem much happier, I have a hose and sprinkler long enough to reach the coop on order, gave them ice cold lettuce yesterday and I quick splash down and the same again today, I also had trouble finding a timer that does short periods like that, couldn't find any at bunnings

 

[birdman55]

well night everyone...see you tommarow
sorted out the mealworms to pupa and beetles...

 

[appps]

Well I am knackered! Spent most of the day renovating the chook house. There is more room in the broody area than the house so thought it was time to move the dividing wall over. Note to self if I ever build one from scratch I shall make one I can stand up in. My legs are killing me from all the bending up and down and squatting to do stuff.

Hope to finish it tomorrow so then I can start working on the floor. Years ago and I mean like 10 years ago we buried wire under the ground to stop bunnies digging out. Suspect after all this time it would probably be rusted out and not much deterrent to a fox. I'm trying to decide what to replace it with. Concrete? Pavers? Sheets of steel mesh with sand over?
Anyone had one of those fail the fox test? Any other thoughts?

 

[vehve]

Appps, I'd just be lazy and go with hardware cloth, simple to put in.

Hope all you Ozzies stay safe with the fires! (Now I'm stereotyping again, I see the whole continent as a giant ball of flames at the moment). It's pretty and sunny here today.

Perhaps a tad colder than over there though.

 

[AussieChics]

Lol giant ball of flames. Well in saying that its quite warm. 40 degrees celcius!

Chickens are feeling it but wont play in the wet dirt I prepared for them.

I have chicks everywhere! They all roam the yard on their own now. The silkies look like they have little pantaloons. I love them all!

 

[Ashburnham]

Well I am knackered! Spent most of the day renovating the chook house. There is more room in the broody area than the house so thought it was time to move the dividing wall over. Note to self if I ever build one from scratch I shall make one I can stand up in. My legs are killing me from all the bending up and down and squatting to do stuff.

Hope to finish it tomorrow so then I can start working on the floor. Years ago and I mean like 10 years ago we buried wire under the ground to stop bunnies digging out. Suspect after all this time it would probably be rusted out and not much deterrent to a fox. I'm trying to decide what to replace it with. Concrete? Pavers? Sheets of steel mesh with sand over?
Anyone had one of those fail the fox test? Any other thoughts?

Yep - First rule of chook house building - never build one you can't stand upright in!@
You only have ONE chook house?
I would use concrete. xxxxx M

 

[appps]

Yep - First rule of chook house building - never build one you can't stand upright in!@
You only have ONE chook house?
I would use concrete.    xxxxx   M

I know, just one, shocking right

I am leaning towards concrete but not sure if it's going to be quite expensive. Wouldn't need reinforcing steel as well just for a chook pen floor would I?
(I'm not actually sure we have hardware cloth here vehve, or if we do what it's called or what is used for normally)

The house also has flooded before, year before last it was a big mud puddle and I had to put bread crates all over the floor to keep the chooks out of the mud. Thinking whatever I do also needs to raise the ground level.

I've also made sure I've got a wall I can later add an automatic door . Another project for another day!

 

[vehve]

Appps, that's what the yanks call it. I'm assuming it's what's known as "rappausverkko" in our hardware stores, that would translate roughly to "stucco net", it's actually meant to be used so that you fasten it to a wall and then stucco over it, it provides something for the stucco to stick to while it's drying, and later it strengthens the construction. I buried 19mm net under my coop, and used the same stuff instead of chicken wire for the run (I think it looks better with the square net instead of the hexagonal net). Also, it's welded in stead of woven, so it doesn't untangle the same way chicken wire does.