Connecticut!

[BirdsinBethel]

Thanks; these ones are about the same age but I defintely have one dominant bird...as long as I know they'll work it out I'll leave them to it and keep some water/food in the coop and the run so no one has to do without. thanks-and good luck with the roos!


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After predators got 5 of our first eight birds when they were 3 months old, we bought a new batch of 6 chicks. The 3 older birds would not let the younger ones into the range for several weeks. After a while they worked out a truce of sorts and now they are one happy bunch (although the older girls claimed the best roosting spots!). I think it just takes a while, as long as the younger birds can take refuge somewhere and not get pecked on they should be ok. I had to run separate water and feed for them but tapered it off after a couple weeks or so to help encourage the younger birds to do a little adventuring.

 

[BirdsinBethel]

OK, is this story about anyone on here? Anyones chicken in Somers lay a huge egg? http://www.wfsb.com/story/15068072/largest-chicken-egg-in-new-england-hatched-in-somers Nice story

 

[new chick 203]

Ouch! That couldn't have been easy.
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[BirdsinBethel]

I'm moving my chicken tractor every other day, but the 2 month old chicks are starting to discover how much fun it is to wallow in the dirt and are digging holes in the grass ... There more permanent tractor area isn't ready yet (too many weeds have grown back since I first cleared it out) so I need to temporarily distract them from digging holes. I read somewhere that DE/diatomaceous earth -used in pool filters- can be used in a pan to give them dust baths. Anyone know if it has to be a certain sort of DE? My understanding is that DE is just a ton of little sea-creature skeletons (algae, plankton, I don't really know) and the bag doesn't say anything about additives to it...

 

[The reluctant chicken]

You need food grade DE, not the type for pools. You can find it in some of the Blue Seal stores, I heard Tractor supply sells some. I bought mine on eBay.

 

[ll]

Edit: Wow at that huge egg video!

Hello! I am so glad the heat & humidity is down today

I am also so glad that I am rehoming my sweet little black roo today

(5 crows in a row this morning!!)

I bought this DE at Agway

 

[new chick 203]

I wouldn't use straight DE. I dig some dirt from one of their favorite dusting places and sprinkle some DE in that.

 

[The reluctant chicken]

I also throw mine into the bedding...Use it in the run, mixed with their dirt for their dust bath.

 

[new chick 203]

Birds in Bethel- Are you letting them out for any free range time? I have some young ones in a tractor right now too, and I find that when they get some time out to get to the favored dust spot then they give my grass a break. When they don't get out they take out their frustration by scratching.

 

[BirdsinBethel]

Not yet- they 5 chicks have the bottom of the 4X8 tractor to run around in for now. They've been outside for close to 2 weeks, but my dog is still WAY too interested in them for me to let them free range-I want them to get a bit bigger before that. Although I've never seen them in the yard, we back to a ravine in a large wooded area and I've seen fox there, and coyotes, and we have a few hawks that frequent our area (and fight with the crows in the nest on the lot next to ours). Never mind my labrador mix is still VERY interested and I'm not entirely sure it's play that she wants with them.

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