Texas

[treeves]

Hi!
We are currently living in El Paso. We have 3 chicks (we are urban).

 

[needlessjunk]

Hi!
We are currently living in El Paso. We have 3 chicks (we are urban).

Welcome!

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

So, I am getting 20 peeps from Ideal next week and as I was setting up my brooder, I started thinking about the bedding. I've always used shavings and get tired of the constant changing of the bedding to keep the smell down. I use deep litter in the coops and it doesn't smell much out there - just a bit musty. So, my question - has anyone used dirt for their chick bedding instead of shavings? Pros? Cons?

Have you considered some stick on linoleum at the bottom of the brooder, then the pine shavings? It would seem that it would be easier to clean.

 

[NickyPick]

My brooder is a wading pool, so that pretty much equals a linoleum bottom? I've done shavings for the past 4 years, and it's not easy to clean an area that big in a carpeted room without making a mess. Last year I just added more shavings each week and stirred it all up. It did pretty well, but, I know that the poop will decompose better in dirt, so I think I'm going to try it this year, since I guess not many people have as I'm not seeing much feedback on it. I'll keep y'all updated on how it goes, if anyones interested.

 

[Areolyn]

I have 5 inches of dirt in my outside brooder right now and its the best thing I've tried. It doesn't smell and all you have to do is stir it every once in a while. They also don't slip and fall, and they love to bathe in it.

 

[hensfortherapy]

Hi!
We are currently living in El Paso. We have 3 chicks (we are urban).

Hi. I have 3 hens. They are my therapy. I love them.

 

[Starfire669]

I have to ask.... Where did you go to start the dog training. I have rescued, untrained led dogs (one a Jack Russell terrier and the other a Rottie. I'm personally working on them with SIT but feel I need more help to get them both where they need to be.

I went to a couple different places, before finally settling on the one I choose. Petsmart and PetCo training programs are worthless, and you have to make sure that training is always done as positive reinforcement only! I have seen trainers choke their dogs with choke chains, hit them, etc., and that type of training is not what I want for my dogs. I'm not saying all tools are bad, I do use a pinch collar to keep my Siberians from pulling me down the street like a sled, but even though it looks like a torture device, it is actually kinder than chokers. But it requires training to use properly because you can injure the dogs neck if you jerk the leash too hard while they are wearing a pinch, and you don't want to keep steady pressure against a pulling dog while he/she is wearing a pinch either. An ideal trainer should be able to give you right tools for each individual dogs issues, teach you the proper use of those tools, and show you how to train good behaviors to correct the bad behaviors.

I am now an assistant trainer at the facility I chose to take my dogs too. We have branched off from obedience to agility to conformation. My kids have also started going with me and it has become a family bonding thing, especially the agility. Nothing beats seeing my kids running one of our Siberians over the coarse!

 

[topdycke]

Hi!
We are currently living in El Paso. We have 3 chicks (we are urban).

welcome!

 

[Brookshire11]

My 4 year old Buff Orpington, Miss Priss has gone broody for really the first time. I feel bad that I can't slip some chicks under her. My limit is 3 hens. Maybe she will snap out of it. She must be tired of being at the top of the pecking order and just wants to be a Momma.

Have you thought about letting her hatch a few, then selling the chicks? I know your limit is pretty strict.
I tried for 3-4 weeks to break my Silkie before I gave in :/ Even then I put her out once a day to eat and such. She'd do it really fast then run back to her eggs, but she lasted 7 weeks without any serious issues. She did get a little thin but I tried to make sure her quick bites were nutritious ones.

Hi!
We are currently living in El Paso. We have 3 chicks (we are urban).

Welcome!

 

[hensfortherapy]

Brookshire, I so want to slip her some chicks, but I feel lucky to have the girls I have. I am in such a good place that I do not want to risk anxiety issues if the neighborhood attacks again.