Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[wingstone]

Does anyone follow an exact schedule for their chickens? As stupid as it sounds, I was informed by my neighbor that I am stupid for thinking a light outside the coop MIGHT be keeping predators away. Since the neighbor is an "expert" that has lost about fifteen birds so far this year to predators, I think I just might be right. Either way, I was further educated that I don't keep a strict enough schedule, and that my flock has been seen outside late at night when I am not home (seriously doubt it. I can't get my birds to move off the roost for anything once the sun starts to set!). For the two or three times I have come home late, I am being admonished. THEY have a schedule that is such a time on these days, such a time on these days, and another time on the weekends. The birds AND predators KNOW what day it is, and when the door will be open or shut, when they have to go to bed, and when they will be fed on that day.
Bottom line, a neighbor said that they watch my comings and goings, when I do what, and how I do it, and they do not approve. I have spent the evening in the dark to throw them off.
Someone please tell me I am doing a good job!

Even if I am not.

Your doing a GREAT job,,,,,I can not put here what I would say to the neighbor, I would get kicked off...

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: I cant tell, the one with the roundish crown walks tall and looks like a roo, not crowing though... the other I think is a girl but I also think she is blind but she is fairing quite well as long as she isnt startled, Romeo and Juliet I named them because they dont separate for a moment! I think also because of her blindness, sometimes I feel so bad when she is trying to catch a bug and is just flappin her beak wildly or when I try to give her a snack I have to hold her and wait for her to find her treat : (

I love my babies! I have a small black brahma hen "Black Betty" with them and they all cuddle with her at night, its so sweet! <3

 

[wingstone]

Quote: Don't know how many she is looking for, but I could also donate some.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: If I switch to straw as bedding will I have issue with sour crop? I dont have an insulated coop, never have put light in or anything... but this year I am putting a light in on a timer so they lay better, and also I will do the light bulb in the cement block under the water to keep it from freezing... this has always been my pain in but! lol

 

[wingstone]

Quote: I cant tell, the one with the roundish crown walks tall and looks like a roo, not crowing though... the other I think is a girl but I also think she is blind but she is fairing quite well as long as she isnt startled, Romeo and Juliet I named them because they dont separate for a moment! I think also because of her blindness, sometimes I feel so bad when she is trying to catch a bug and is just flappin her beak wildly or when I try to give her a snack I have to hold her and wait for her to find her treat : (

I love my babies! I have a small black brahma hen "Black Betty" with them and they all cuddle with her at night, its so sweet! <3
I also have silkies of various colors and ages, If you do not find what your looking for, you are welcome to come look at what i got.......

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: Ditto!!! Come move here and be my neighbor!!! LOL can u imagine two chicken addicts side by side? we need to start Chicken communities where the kids and peeps can run free!! LOL

 

[wingstone]

Quote: If I switch to straw as bedding will I have issue with sour crop? I dont have an insulated coop, never have put light in or anything... but this year I am putting a light in on a timer so they lay better, and also I will do the light bulb in the cement block under the water to keep it from freezing... this has always been my pain in but! lol
It may be just luck but I have never had a crop problem, and I use straw from brooder all the way thru,,i do cover the straw in the brooder with paper towels for the first week, and i provide a small box of sand from the start.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: If I switch to straw as bedding will I have issue with sour crop? I dont have an insulatswed coop, never have put light in or anything... but this year I am putting a light in on a timer so they lay better, and also I will do the light bulb in the cement block under the water to keep it from freezing... this has always been my pain in but! lol
It may be just luck but I have never had a crop problem, and I use straw from brooder all the way thru,,i do cover the straw in the brooder with paper towels for the first week, and i provide a small box of sand from the start.
I want to switch from shavings, it seems everytime I clean and add fresh, they get the sneezes! its very frustrating. But I guess sour crop I can deal with if it arrises for the sake of not gettin respitory issues! PetRX is expensive!!!

 

[wingstone]

Quote: If I switch to straw as bedding will I have issue with sour crop? I dont have an insulatswed coop, never have put light in or anything... but this year I am putting a light in on a timer so they lay better, and also I will do the light bulb in the cement block under the water to keep it from freezing... this has always been my pain in but! lol
It may be just luck but I have never had a crop problem, and I use straw from brooder all the way thru,,i do cover the straw in the brooder with paper towels for the first week, and i provide a small box of sand from the start.
I want to switch from shavings, it seems everytime I clean and add fresh, they get the sneezes! its very frustrating. But I guess sour crop I can deal with if it arrises for the sake of not gettin respitory issues! PetRX is expensive!!!
even though straw is free for me it has bad sides,,,,chicks like to play in the water, and wet straw is not pleasant to deal with.....I use it because of price and I can just take it out to the field and spread it in the soybean field.

 

[BullChick]

Does anyone follow an exact schedule for their chickens? As stupid as it sounds, I was informed by my neighbor that I am stupid for thinking a light outside the coop MIGHT be keeping predators away. Since the neighbor is an "expert" that has lost about fifteen birds so far this year to predators, I think I just might be right. Either way, I was further educated that I don't keep a strict enough schedule, and that my flock has been seen outside late at night when I am not home (seriously doubt it. I can't get my birds to move off the roost for anything once the sun starts to set!). For the two or three times I have come home late, I am being admonished. THEY have a schedule that is such a time on these days, such a time on these days, and another time on the weekends. The birds AND predators KNOW what day it is, and when the door will be open or shut, when they have to go to bed, and when they will be fed on that day.
Bottom line, a neighbor said that they watch my comings and goings, when I do what, and how I do it, and they do not approve. I have spent the evening in the dark to throw them off.
Someone please tell me I am doing a good job!

Even if I am not.

Your doing a GREAT job,,,,,I can not put here what I would say to the neighbor, I would get kicked off... Sounds good!
Ditto!!! Come move here and be my neighbor!!! LOL can u imagine two chicken addicts side by side? we need to start Chicken communities where the kids and peeps can run free!! LOL
Thank you to all that tried to make me feel better. For the record, I DO have a schedule. I also actually spend time with my girls, and that is not scheduled (how do you schedule love?).
I think it would be great to be your neighbor. Heck, it could be nice to be their neighbor if they weren't related to my husband!
As for the chicken addict part, they are hoarders through and through. We each (one farm, divided amongst 3 family members) have an acre. They had somewhere around sixty cats as far as anyone knows. As for fowl, they are down to nine chickens, and 12 turkeys in a 60 sq foot area. And getting more! when they said that, I broke out in a bad case of chicken math... Until I remembered that I love my girls too much to cramp them like that. So I will only get ten more.

Can you imagine a chicken community? It would certainly keep the kids busy! Not to mention us! We would have more chicks than a hatchery! 8 hens would go missing, then turn up a few weeks later with 76 new chicks following them!

Probably not a good idea. Tempting, though!