Quote: I do agree that some breeds are better winter layers. But the year I added light I got more eggs per week than the year I didn't. That is taking into account the age of them, since I seem to have different ages all of the time. I think temps can have some affect too because when we have a few days of hot weather my girls slow down too, and same with really cold.Now as personal preference, I don't add light. I have gotten some really good winter layers and I like nature to do it's thing as much as possible. But that's just me.
Rats are excellent pets. If you keep the cage cleaned regularly they hardly smell. They are smart enough to be trained. The only downside to rats is that they only live 2-3 years.
Last year we had a Cooper's in our back yard eating a songbird. A friend whose job with USDA includes trapping hawks at the airport ID'ed it as having juvenile coloration. We took pictures with a zoom lens, but the hawk refused to pose nicely. Maybe these will help a bit?
