Eastern Tennessee Thread

[Barbedwirecat]

I wish I had built our coop/run bigger! I really want to add more chickens

i think we can easily make the run longer and the coop is big enough for 4-6 birds. I really wanted to get a silkie at the Newport show but needed a hen. Anybody?
Stang-the frizzle is adorable. Too bad no Roos since I live in the city!
On sat & yesterday I didn't get an egg from my red. I know it's normal for them to skip laying every so often but I didn't know if it is something I should keep an eye on? When I cleaned out the coop yesterday I did see egg shell in the coop? Expert opinions?
I finally got the nipple attachment to make our waterer! I'm really excited about getting it in the coop...have looked at a few diff setups on here but not sure which direction to go yet!
I am still having a hard time w my dog around the run...I think the issue is that he sees/smells the treats I give the girls (bananas, etc) and wants them

http://avianaquamiser.com/posts/Heated_bucket_chicken_waterer/

I use this one myself, but I use the 3 gallon buckets from lowes---it's hard to get the bigger buckets to nest right so you can use the handle to hang them from. I use 3 nipples per bucket. I have 2 in my pens right now, adding a 3rd soon just in case. I also ordered extra nipples and modified some small coke bottles for when I go to sales/swaps. Works nice, and the chickens take to them really quickly!! People thought they were really cool when I took them in Kingsport. SO much easier than cups or bowls, and cheaper than water bottles.

 

[grawg]

I am in knoxville. I am thinking about starting pigeons. Do any of you know of any breeders, with websites, that i could contact?

I think laughingdog raises or raised pigeons. I haven't seen him around here lately, but you might be able to PM him: https://www.backyardchickens.com/u/80079/laughingdog

 

[TNBEARCHICK]

Yeah for me!! I caught, well...an animal in my trap this morning. It just so happened to be one of my neighbors many cats

I bet she don't try to mess with the chickens anymore

 

[TNBEARCHICK]

I forgot, did you say it was a coon or an opossum? My neighbor uses a can of sardines, in a small hole with the cage put over the hole for smart coons. Opossums like cat food, I caught one on my porch eating my cats food. I would put it on the ground in the trap, put the trap NEAR an area you know they've been. If they're getting inside your coop put it where they are getting in. I trapped a coon once with no bait due to it going to the same spot it tore a bunny out of a cage.

its an opossum. Caught one of my neighbors cat's in it this morning. Apparently it scared her so bad she didn't want to eat the food after she got in there because there was none left.

 

[Peach2u]

I'm also having trouble with my dogs. My golden will eat anything but a mint tic tac--surprisingly his is not the problem- I tell him to stop at the barn door and that's that. But the corgi is a terror around the chickens, she made it into the coop again Sunday. By the time I capture her the coop was a mess, and as I carried her out one of my black orpingtons, who escaped into the main barn, came though the coop door as I headed out with Zoe~, she fussed and cussed the whole way back in. She looked like a lady holding up her skirts and giving Zoe` a piece of her mind. Any Ideas on how to get Zoe` less interested in the chickens? I'm adding a inside lock to the barn door so she can't get inside again. and she can't get into the pasture, and the donkey will try to kill her if she does. But--I would like her to be less reactive, it's like living with a bomb.

I too have a female corgi who loves stealing eggs and herding the chickens. I bought a cheap training collar off of amazon $26. It has a buzz or zap mode. When she would start running after the chickens I'd yell across the yard leave it! If she stopped I praised her. If she kept at it I would buzz her. If the buzz didn't work 1 zap. After the first zap I no longer have to do that. Buzz works fine. She has been with out the collar for 4 days now. This morning she was herding the chickens. I yelled leave it! She came running to me and sat by my feet. She got a treat and lots of praise. It is in the blood to heard. I don't mind the walking around the chickens and smelling them. But the manic running them into the woods or fence not good. I did feel bad about the 1 zap but it did work. As long as a warning buzz and voice command comes first they will learn quick. Good luck

 

[amenfarm]

Peach2u, do you have a picture or link to the collar?
the corgi-Zoe`, can't reach them unless I forget to close the barn door behind me.

which happens more than I would like, the lock on the inside is to remind me to shut the door and to keep the wind blowing the door open.Tthe hunting training collar would be nice,stang, but it's way too expensive.

 

[Peach2u]

Peach2u, do you have a picture or link to the collar?
the corgi-Zoe`, can't reach them unless I forget to close the barn door behind me.

which happens more than I would like, the lock on the inside is to remind me to shut the door and to keep the wind blowing the door open.Tthe hunting training collar would be nice,stang, but it's way too expensive.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/E328B-Remot...ltDomain_0&hash=item1e6cafb234#ht_3965wt_1399
They went up a little now $29.99. free shiping. The only problem we hads to over come was the collar size is a bit big. We made it go as small as we could then put the unit on the inside strap with the outer strap over the top of it. I love it because it is rechargeable. I would take it off at night then before I went out to the chickens in the morning I would put it on. Mine will stay unplugged and still work for 2 days. The main buzz button in the middle of the control could have been bigger.

 

[stanglover2001]

a can of cat food

Try an apple, possibly put peanut butter on it? The top 3 possum baits are fish, apples, and canned food. The first and last won't work unless you want to possibly trap a cat again.

 

[bairo]

Quote: Hmm...those are just about my favorites too

 

[bairo]

OK AJ...just as soon as I finish this job i'm on now, i'll do the video on caponization. (I think that is a word, if not it is now)
I have 4 cockerals that are about 14 weeks old. Older than I would like for a capon, but better to show because the testes are larger. Actually I might get rid of them anyway after they heal up.

I knew I had one....but I also got three more out of five EE's