Michigan

[Olive Hill]

Two hens will be fine in the winter. The amount of body heat generated in a space has nothing to do with their ability to thrive. Their feathers are nature's way of insulating them, their body heat stays in and the cold (and anyone else's body heat) stays out. Many years ago we had a lone hen who was very happy and healthy with a large dog house to herself all winter long.

If body heat had to heat a coop in order to keep them comfortable anyone with a walk-in coop would never be able to keep chickens at all.

Also for those wanting quail, they most certainly do not have to be kept in the house. Even buttons can be outside. Quail hutches, much like rabbit hutches, can be built to house them outdoors.

SO here's a totally off the wall question!

What is a good brand of inexpensive muck boots? I have gone through 3 pair in 2 years because I'm hard on any kind of shoes or boots. I REALLY want a pair of muck brand but that's never happening! I have looked on ebay, Amazon and a few other places and I just can't afford them!

Unfortunately, I think you answered your own question.

Bogs are another good brand, but priced about the same as Mucks in general. When it comes to farm work you really get what you pay for because the manure is HARD on anything it comes into contact with.

If you don't want insulated boots the plain boots at the back of TSC, usually black or drab green are decent. They're usually $20 - 30, not as good as Mucks/Bogs, but probably the next best thing at a lower price point.

 

[keyt1969]

Two hens will be fine in the winter. The amount of body heat generated in a space has nothing to do with their ability to thrive. Their feathers are nature's way of insulating them, their body heat stays in and the cold (and anyone else's body heat) stays out. Many years ago we had a lone hen who was very happy and healthy with a large dog house to herself all winter long.

If body heat had to heat a coop in order to keep them comfortable anyone with a walk-in coop would never be able to keep chickens at all.

Also for those wanting quail, they most certainly do not have to be kept in the house. Even buttons can be outside. Quail hutches, much like rabbit hutches, can be built to house them outdoors.

Unfortunately, I think you answered your own question.

Bogs are another good brand, but priced about the same as Mucks in general. When it comes to farm work you really get what you pay for because the manure is HARD on anything it comes into contact with.

If you don't want insulated boots the plain boots at the back of TSC, usually black or drab green are decent. They're usually $20 - 30, not as good as Mucks/Bogs, but probably the next best thing at a lower price point.

Yup, those are the ones I've gone through in no time. Without the manure and all that I'm just very hard on anything that goes on my feet! My last pair I got at a 2nd hand store for $6. I doubt I'll ever get that lucky again! lol.

 

[Olive Hill]

Yup, those are the ones I've gone through in no time. Without the manure and all that I'm just very hard on anything that goes on my feet! My last pair I got at a 2nd hand store for $6. I doubt I'll ever get that lucky again! lol.

Good footwear is expensive, that is for sure. Be glad you're not outfitting two kids who outgrow an $80 pair of boots every year. LOL!

Honestly though, why not just make do with whatever you can find cheap for a little while -- even a couple buck pair of thrift store tennis shoes are good enough for chores -- save the pennies you'd spend on the cheapies in the meantime and buy yourself a good pair when you get enough?

 

[keyt1969]

Good footwear is expensive, that is for sure. Be glad you're not outfitting two kids who outgrow an $80 pair of boots every year. LOL!

Honestly though, why not just make do with whatever you can find cheap for a little while -- even a couple buck pair of thrift store tennis shoes are good enough for chores -- save the pennies you'd spend on the cheapies in the meantime and buy yourself a good pair when you get enough?

See, I have this really bad luck. I save hard for things like good boots and a zoom lens for my camera then before I know it, I need the money for other things like struts for my car, brakes for the truck, and littler things like paying the grainery bill lol.

It wouldn't be so bad if the ****** runs weren't so muddy. It's nice that they're surrounded by trees so flying predators can't get in there and the birds have shade from the blazing sun, but when they get wet they take forever to dry! Now that the geese are back there it's even worse when they play in the pool lol It doesn't help that I have a balance issue so I need something good.

I guess I'll get out my winter boots and use those for now.

 

[Totalcolour]

Quote:

Roosters even guide the hens to eat, guide them to nests and protect them while they lay their eggs (because they are pretty helpless while passing the egg)

I hadn't realized they looked after the hens. None of mine did, until this one. I saw him the other day, pacing up and down by a nest, while one pullet was watching. Finally, a pullet came out, and the second pullet went in. Duncan followed first girl and checked her out, then went back to the nest and started pacing again.

It was like watching one of those old movies where the "DAD" is pacing in the waiting room while "MOM" is in labour!

He may be a "mutt" cockerel, but so far, he's the best boy we've had, personality and behaviour wise.

 

[snowflake]

totalcolour, wanted to say how much I enfoyed that article you posted, Patriotic duty to have chickens in 1918, against the law in 2012......go figure

 

[snowflake]

the other night there was a lot o noise in the coop went out there and one little hen had a fly trap(tape) wrapped around her, poor thing lost a few feathers as I was taking it off
poor baby. getting ready to leave for vacation testing the amt. of water and food to leave out. Grandson will be home to check on things but want to leave him with as little work as possible as he leaves( in a hurry) early AM for work.
Fuzzy, ment to thank you for the response. I have used both Flock Raiser, and layer feed, always oyster shell out, crushed egg shells, free range, should not have soft shells, unless parasite. or infection, Have treated for parasite, cocci, ,don't see and infection, combs bright red,feathers good(except rooster ware on a few) only thing left that I can think of is old age, the ones laying soft shells or no shells are 41/2......they get kefir, which, they love and small amt of scratch,treats........

 

[XxPandaxX]

I want some quail eggs xD Maybe after the batch of chicken eggs I'm going to put in when I get back. (Thanks Keyt lol)

I'm too excited !!

 

[RaZ]

"Stress induced by fright or excitement can cause a hen to expel an egg before the shell id finished. A nutritional deficiency, especially of vitamin D or calcium, can cause soft shells. A laying hen's calcium needs are increased by age and by warm weather (when hens eat less and therefore get less calcium from their ration). Appropriate nutritional boosters include a calcium supplement offered free choice and vitamin AD&E powder added to drinking water three times a week."

Quoted from Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens by Gail Damerow. Third edition, (page 203).
Copyright 2010, 1995 by Gail Damerow
Published by Storey Publishing. North Adams, MA 01247

My vet (who raises poultry and rehabs raptors) mentioned environmental factors such as ingesting contaminated feed, or pesticide treated plants/insects could be a factor but is difficult to determine. We had been talking about the massive spraying of DDT in the 60's and how that caused soft shells in song birds, raptors and game fowl.

 

[Momma K]

they are so pretty! however, they are PRICIER than the regular bob white..you will have to post/send me pictures when you get them!
Are pheasants hard to raise? I always wanted to try (not 31!) PHEASANTS BUT ALWAYS SEEING THEM WITH BLINDERS ON SCARED ME OFF

Pheasant are hard when they are young, you need to keep them separate from EVERYTHING because they are so fragile.
The blinders are for keeping more birds in the same space. Birds with blinders need 16sq ft per as opposed to without 24 sq ft per.

Red and green make brown... LOL

Shhhhhhh!!! Don't tell everyone