Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[Beekissed]

Now, when you get little ones, the older ones will do all the teaching. I've seen chicks that were just feathered out with their new little wings up on a 5 ft. roost next to mama hen....couldn't believe it and still wonder how in the world they got such lift/loft to those heights. I don't provide ladders to my roosts, so young ones have to get up on the nest box roosts, then make a jump to the big roosts if they want to perch with the big gals.

 

[armorfirelady]

Excellent repurposing! That's how it's done at my house too ....nothing too pretty but it sure is functional and didn't cost me much, if anything. And I did it myself, which is worth all the pretty little coops in the world.

Thanks I might end up painting it wih some extra paint I have but first I have to take the ez up tent my friend gave me that broke & get it set up as a hawk-safe spot for them in their big run My friend is loving emptying his garage of stuff he doesnt need that I can repurpose for the hens I told him he gets 1st dibs on the eggs when they start laying

 

[Beekissed]

The only way to reliably find the nest, in my experience, is to drive the bunny to the wildlife rehabilitator. The longer the drive, the more likely you are to find the nest after you return home.

YES! I tried this one Sunday with a beautiful loon I found on the highway. Took it to church with us and then tried to find someone to take the "injured" bird...couldn't seem to fly and had scuffed up feet. No one wanted it and the DNR said they would just kill it if I brought it to them. No wildlife rescue wanted a loon, only raptors and such.

Finally, took it to the nearest and largest body of water and turned it loose. It did fine, wings were fine, etc. Later I found out why it was on the road...seems they can only take off and land on water and they sometimes mistaken wet pavement as water. Hence the term "crazy as a loon" perhaps? Anyhoo, that's why it couldn't take off from the road and why it did just fine when I took it to water.

 

[Maven]

Now, when you get little ones, the older ones will do all the teaching. I've seen chicks that were just feathered out with their new little wings up on a 5 ft. roost next to mama hen....couldn't believe it and still wonder how in the world they got such lift/loft to those heights. I don't provide ladders to my roosts, so young ones have to get up on the nest box roosts, then make a jump to the big roosts if they want to perch with the big gals.

BTW - Y'all have become household names around here. My husband will often start a chicken question to me with 'Have Bee and the Old Timers ever said anything about.....'

Because of this thread, the only real mistake I've made with the chickens so far is the chicken wire on the run. We will eventually get that replaced, but since they free range I'm not in any real hurry. They get locked up nice and safe at night.

 

[Beekissed]

Ooooo, that's sad, Maven! I never dreamed of such a thing.....

When you run into rooster problems, hubby's going to ask, "What would Al do?".

 

[loanwizard]

Some of y'all just raise my ire.....

Yeah, sometimes the cats get the baby bunnies, the dog(s) killed every turkey and goose cept one on the place, the remaining goose pecks the cats to eat their food, rabbits....meat rabbits free range because I refused to buy feed and feed them as they were the boys job and he didn't want them killed and couldn't sell them fast enough.... had a chicken complaining this morning because a hog was standing on her foot.... as she tried along with 30 others to raid the hog feed.... rabbits sleep with and eat with the hogs as well....

Yep! I shoulda used them baby bunnies for catfish bait.

Eyes not yet open.... methinks mine might be closed too.... Can't wait to get back to the calmness of the farm

 

[Maven]

Ooooo, that's sad, Maven! I never dreamed of such a thing.....

When you run into rooster problems, hubby's going to ask, "What would Al do?".

I thought you'd get a kick out of that. But really, y'all have been such a gold mine of GOOD information! Everyone who comes over, even the OT chicken raisers around here, tell me what beautiful birds I have, how healthy and strong they look and what nice size they are for only 10 weeks old. And I owe it all to this thread and the FF thread.

 

[Maven]

Oh, and here is a giggle for y'all..... http://carbondale.craigslist.org/wan/3249506672.html

 

[Beekissed]

LOVE it! If all of CL had those kind of ads, I'd read for hours....

Maven, it does my heart good that you are getting good from this thread. It boggles my mind at times when I think about the sheer number of folks that have viewed and participated in this thread. I never dreamed that it would be this big or varied!

 

[Maven]

LOVE it! If all of CL had those kind of ads, I'd read for hours....

Maven, it does my heart good that you are getting good from this thread. It boggles my mind at times when I think about the sheer number of folks that have viewed and participated in this thread. I never dreamed that it would be this big or varied!

I know, right? ha!

I am just soooooooooo thankful that I clicked that link without looking too closely at it that day.

It really has made all the difference in the world as far as I am concerned. Thank you so much for starting it, Bee!