Michigan

[SankofaGypsy]

I'm glad you all like my silly song. The words change every time (except the bit about the other hens' eggs rhyming with coop - except sometimes poo rhymes with blue). I really am a crazy chicken lady.

Ok, can somebody *please* explain to me, now to sell a chicken coop on craigslist? That's where I bought mine, that's where I'm trying to sell it... and it gets flagged within 5 minutes of being put up in the farm/garden section. grumble. There are tons of other coops up there. *sigh* I hate that website. ventventventvent. I need to sell my current coop so that I can build a new one when we move in a couple of weeks. I really like our current coop, but I just don't want to move it up and down the hill.

We're planning to build the new one out of cob - mud and straw over a chicken wire frame, with a 6 foot dog pen for the run, and then let the girls free range in the horse pasture in the evenings, to kick apart the piles and keep the flies down. I currently have 3 buff orps, 3 black 'lorps, 2 'canas (including the musical one) and a silkie who lords over them all. I'm hoping to pic up some chicks in the spring - some marans, some more 'canas, and I
d really, really love to find a frizzle polish or two, for entertainment value

 

[Chickmate]

Quote:
I have sand in the run, not the coop. I use pine shavings in the coop and nest boxes. I don't really care to do the deep litter method but depending on the weather in winter sometimes I don't have a choice. I also sprinkle DE in with the pine shavings.

I'm with HH on this. I do the same thing with pine shavings but sprinkle Sweet PDZ in it. Haven't been able to afford the DE yet. I thought about sand but was reading a thread in the Coops and Designs section where people in the Midwest said it gets packed down like cement in the winter and is too cold for the chickens. That made me decide to stick with pine shavings.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Quote:
Sounds like she may have a larger egg that she needs to lay. If she does not lay it by tomorrow, bring her in and give her a nice long, warm soak and gently massage her belly. Stroke her belly from front to back. Put her in a quiet room and hopefully she will lay the egg. Maybe give her some yogurt too. Good luck.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

I have started to dig up the top soil where I am going to put another run. We are going to put sand in there where I have dug it out. At the rate I am going I might finish next spring

It is going to be 16 X 8 & 1/2. I want to put up another run since I plan on seperating 5 different breeds for breeding next spring. Which means it has to be done before winter gets here because I don't think I want to try building anything when there is still snow on the ground.

Then there is a bushel of tomatoes that I need to can and since I don't have any sense at all, today I bought a bushel of peaches and a half bushel of apples.

Oh, and I got my third Icelandic egg today!

 

[NovaAman]

I had to pick her up to put her in the coop again tonight. I looked at her bum while I was at it. Never looked at a chicken butt before... I didn't see anything. No yolk, nothing red or swollen... But I was reading on another thread about the bathing, so I think I will do that. I do not have mineral oil, but the store is 1/2 mile up the road, so, not like I can't get any. Where do I get it thou? Pharmacy area? I can ask someone there.

Now the fun part would be where to keep her till she is dry, cuz I have 2 dogs, and 3 cats, and 2 kids, and ALL are rotten brats. LOL, but they are mine.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

I did not use the mineral oil but I am sure you can find it in the pharmacy. I just did the bubble bath, massage and blow dry [it was still cold outside]. Do you have a dog crate or a pet carrier?

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Oh, I forgot to ask, did you feel of her belly and between her legs? Sometimes you can actually feel the egg there.

 

[NovaAman]

Yes, I have a cat carrier, well its a dog carrier, cat carriers don't fit Fat Cat, But its big enough for her, since she's smaller than the cat. The laundry room is pretty warm, so I can put her in there after I give her a bath in a tub, got plenty of them too. I don't have a blow dryer thou... Well anyway, yes, have a carrier and a good supply of pine shavings.

Should I check in her vent then after the bath? Or just wait a few hours to see if the bath works?

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

I make it a habit to check the chicken bums every so often, just to make sure they aren't hiding any ctitters and making sure the hens are ok.

 

[M.sue]

Keep her in a cozy crate if you have one and put it in the garage or a shed, screened porch, someplace quiet & safe. I'd personally do a bathroom because I have two.