FLORIDA!!!!!ALWAYS SUNNY SIDE UP!!!

[love laugh farm]

My run is also spongey as is my entire yard. The girls love the worms they find but they have torn it up. I put down some hay last night just to keep the mud down a bit. Of course it rained last night again but the ladies are scratching and throwing hay around not mud right now.

I'm looking for a cheap (free) source of wood chips to put down in there. I think that will work very well too.

Contact a local lawn and tree company, a lot of them are happy to dump chips at someone's house, it costs less than them taking it to the dump. There's usually a someone on craigslist that offers it too!

 

[chickrunfun]

poppycock told me about the rosemary and I SWEAR by it now! We were OVERRUN with flies after getting the chickens! and I mean completely overrun! She told me she uses rosemary, I went to Walmart and bought 4 rosemary plants, put them in the backyard and maybe 10 minutes later we had maybe 5 flies! Most days none! I'm Going to plant them everywhere now!

That sounds like a great idea...for our parts of the chicken yard especially! We love hanging out with the chickens but the flies and mosquitos drive me CRAZY! I'm hitting Lowes today!

On another note...Babie Cream Legbars are 6 weeks old today! Wife says it's no birthday but I'm still giving them a celebration smorgasbord today.Got watermellon, brocoli heads, collards and leftover rice all set up for them...
I got a great shot of Boo and her crazy hair but it wont load for some reason... guess I'll log off and see it that'll help

 

[freeswimmin]

No. Too many hawks around Jupiter farms property and too many osprey around the east property. Both places will have large coops and tractors. May try a little supervised 'free' ranging in the garden if they bond.
Ducks will get turned out during the day and housed at night.

Hey there!  Just a bit south of Wellington.  Are you going to let your quail free range?

 

[Nikkieblue]

Definitely going to try this, thanks!

@poppypoppycock1974

 

[Wyandotte Blue]

I followed Chicken Chicks advice, put the hen in a crate off the ground, she was broke in two days. The longer she is broody the longer she will stop laying eggs. Aren't they funny when they get like this? Nothing as determined. Good Luck.

I gave in. She is sitting on the nest. The other hens are laying, I have added to her brood. One of them even jumped into the box with her and laid and egg for her to brood. She has 7 eggs. We will see what hatches. She is totally determined. I take the box away from her in the morning, she eats and drinks and poos, I put the box back she hops back in. I hand feed and water her at night because it is a long day without food or water.

 

[Wyandotte Blue]

No. Too many hawks around Jupiter farms property and too many osprey around the east property. Both places will have large coops and tractors. May try a little supervised 'free' ranging in the garden if they bond.
Ducks will get turned out during the day and housed at night.

No ponds for the ducks - pond = alligator or alligator snapping turtles. I have hawks as well, an American Bald Eagle living in the Everglades swamp behind me, raccoon, opossums, foxes. My small flock is kept locked up, I can never let them free range it is sad. It is all good though. I always wanted quail, they are very peaceful, sweet birds, post pics when you can!

 

[Wyandotte Blue]

poppycock told me about the rosemary and I SWEAR by it now! We were OVERRUN with flies after getting the chickens! and I mean completely overrun! She told me she uses rosemary, I went to Walmart and bought 4 rosemary plants, put them in the backyard and maybe 10 minutes later we had maybe 5 flies! Most days none! I'm Going to plant them everywhere now!

I have horses - FLIES! - chickens - FLIES! - I am buying rosemary tomorrow!! I will plant it where the chickens cannot eat it?

 

[chickrunfun]

I gave in. She is sitting on the nest. The other hens are laying, I have added to her brood. One of them even jumped into the box with her and laid and egg for her to brood. She has 7 eggs. We will see what hatches. She is totally determined. I take the box away from her in the morning, she eats and drinks and poos, I put the box back she hops back in. I hand feed and water her at night because it is a long day without food or water.

When Jeanie went broody with a vengeance...our breeder friend would tell us to just let her alone, she'll eat when she's hungry..
So...seeing as I raised her from a little bitty baby, I ignored his words and took her off the nest each morning and closed the barn up so she COULDN'T get back on the nest till she ate...and drank...pooped and stretched her legs. Even with my watchful eye over her she still ate so very little. Her comb dropped over and got so pale. My wife would say "Alan said..." Well Alan wasn't seeing her looking so bleh, so tired with her eyes drooping or watching her comb get paler and paler by the day......not to mention the weight loss. For all that I got 5 words for ya
Mealworms mixed in oatmeal and water a plenty. Ok that was more like 9...

 

[freeswimmin]

Will do.
Pond is small and not near other sources. Never seen a gator or snapper in it so will give it a try.

 

[poppycock1974]

I have horses - FLIES! - chickens - FLIES! - I am buying rosemary tomorrow!!  I will plant it where the chickens cannot eat it?

My chickens peck at it but don't mess with it too much.