Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Do you use the powdered form? It looks like it would be pretty expensive to treat for 7 days as the package recommends. 5-10 packages for 2 gallons of water, for 7 days? Which one have you used from TSC?

That is for a dosing system where you mix up a concentrated solution and add it to the water line. They use it commercially without really needing to because it lowers mortality and increases weight gain in bad conditions, like commercial broiler or turkey operation. That is why all water soluble (and feed additive) antibiotics are requiring a prescription next year (ask yourself if paying a vet to write a prescription will slow down this practice).

You can find several threads here on BYC about dosing of Oxytet. The most concentrated form available is agrimycin from Agri Labs. It's dose is 1/2 tsp per gallon. TSC doesn't carry that brand, they carry another brand that has only 1/10 the potency, so you need 5 tsp per gallon. Same price per once, so I guess they figure they can sell more that way. Of course, they won't sell it at all next year.

Thanks. I will see if I can pick some up at TSC for now, but stock up with Jeffers later.

What do you guys use for your runs, material wise? I want to use hardware cloth eventually, but for now, some it will have the be the welded wire fencing. That should be okay since I will have the group secured in the shed at night to sleep, and have the automatic chicken door to let them out when the sun is up.

 

[kie4]

Hi all - I noticed one of my hens had gone broody in a strange spot underneath the coop. I got her out after only a day or two, but somehow she managed to accumulate 18 eggs down there. I figured she had just stopped laying for the winter, but turns out she was hoarding all of her eggs! Anyway, now I have 18 eggs that have been sitting outside for who-knows-how long. Any suggestions as to what to do with them? I am not going to eat them myself - but maybe scramble them up and feed them to the chickens?

Wow! What an awesome find!

 

[kie4]

Thanks. I will see if I can pick some up at TSC for now, but stock up with Jeffers later.

What do you guys use for your runs, material wise? I want to use hardware cloth eventually, but for now, some it will have the be the welded wire fencing. That should be okay since I will have the group secured in the shed at night to sleep, and have the automatic chicken door to let them out when the sun is up.

I'm in the middle of experimenting with the height of a low fenced run. Our chickens are out ranging all day every day but some days we want them to stay close by have access to the compost bins and a little bit more freedom that the covered run. They can easily fly higher than 4ft but don't escape a 4ft high net. Once I make the net into a fence though, I think they might jump up to it and then over. I'll put up a temporary structure to see if they do. Then, if they do, I might buy some of that 4ft high green vinyl fence I see everyone using to keep dogs in.

Wood covered Hogwire looks really good, but it's expensive per 8x4 piece. (Pictures from http://www.houzz.com/photos/query/coop/)

 

[fisherlady]

Hi all - I noticed one of my hens had gone broody in a strange spot underneath the coop. I got her out after only a day or two, but somehow she managed to accumulate 18 eggs down there. I figured she had just stopped laying for the winter, but turns out she was hoarding all of her eggs! Anyway, now I have 18 eggs that have been sitting outside for who-knows-how long. Any suggestions as to what to do with them? I am not going to eat them myself - but maybe scramble them up and feed them to the chickens?

You can hard boil them or scramble them and feed them back to chickens, dogs or pigs.... If you hard boil them just throw them into a food chopper shell and all, the shell calcium is good for them anyways.

 

[ewe105]

You can hard boil them or scramble them and feed them back to chickens, dogs or pigs....
If you hard boil them just throw them into a food chopper shell and all, the shell calcium is good for them anyways.

Didn't think to hard boil them - good idea, thanks! Would it be safe to give the chopped/ground up egg-shell mix to my dog? With only 3 chickens, 18 eggs would be a lot, and I'd rather get rid of them quickly than have them sitting around my house.

 

[fisherlady]

Didn't think to hard boil them - good idea, thanks! Would it be safe to give the chopped/ground up egg-shell mix to my dog?  With only 3 chickens, 18 eggs would be a lot, and I'd rather get rid of them quickly than have them sitting around my house.

I would make sure the shells are finely ground to prevent any small cuts....google egg shells for dogs to see if any other precautions. Mine have eaten them without problems but not in any large amount.

 

[bobrut]

Hi new neighbors! I have a 9 month old lavender ophington rooster looking for a home, got 2, need one--

 

[stake]

Already got the log splitter and chain saw

we were going to do an insert but being that we have a mobile home, our fire place isn't designed for one and they don't make them to fit. Eventually, we'll get set up with a wood stove though.

Auro:

Not to be preachy, but, be really careful regarding the heat screen....some require up to 6" of base insulation....when I got mine, Joutal and Quadrafire were the best..I had a buddy that had a Vermont and replaced it after 7yrs.....

 

[stake]

This time of day is so beautiful. Wish the chooks would all go to bed so I could finish work inside.

Looks like Bella is doing good....give her a pat for me.....

 

[stake]

I'm in the middle of experimenting with the height of a low fenced run. Our chickens are out ranging all day every day but some days we want them to stay close by have access to the compost bins and a little bit more freedom that the covered run. They can easily fly higher than 4ft but don't escape a 4ft high net. Once I make the net into a fence though, I think they might jump up to it and then over. I'll put up a temporary structure to see if they do. Then, if they do, I might buy some of that 4ft high green vinyl fence I see everyone using to keep dogs in.

Wood covered Hogwire looks really good, but it's expensive per 8x4 piece. (Pictures from http://www.houzz.com/photos/query/coop/)

KIE4:

I have had foxes jump my 4', 2"x4" welded wire fence...I have also had them reach in and pull young chicks through the 2x4,,,I added 2' hardware cloth around the bottom, have landscape ties around the bottom (never had any attempts to go under) and closed the top with welded wire....I am surprised you haven't been visited by a fox.....I have so many and you can't be that far from me.....

PS: really nice looking setup!!!