I did that, giant bowl of eggshells in the coop too. I offered calcium, I thought about dosing them with citrical. They are production reds. An egg a day when young, almost no egg output after 18 months.
Kept the best looking one, nicest feathers, brightest comb. I can't afford the space for...
Well she made it through the winter - all of my production reds did, they all lost feathers and grew new ones. I wormed them at the end of the year and threw out what eggs there were for a couple of weeks. But they lay an egg or two a week. (the reds. Actually the BR too.)
And one of the reds is...
Alright Bee, you're my mentor on this. I have my little red hens separate from my americaunas. Went out to feed and noticed Americaunas were all in the run, eating, while the bossy older hens were out. i've got the day off, no truck, decent weather and the dogs crated, and on order for 10 or 15...
Well, I'm going with black australorps, (noting Bee's comments on the BO's) and between my friend and I we can order enough to get free shipping (she's taking 40, I am getting 10, or 35 and 15 if I get my other coop built by then.) I didn't get many eggs through the heat, except the last week...
I have not given them a fan. I have put a sprinkler near the run once or twice.
I practice open coop/secure run - only time I've ever closed the front door on the coop the wind chill was about 10 above zero, it's well ventilated, but the birds sleep on a 4 tier perch in the run itself, under...
Well, my friend with Americaunas lost all of hers last summer, in a similar shade situation. I have some stuff for her pond, I may run out and see who did live through the winter before making a chicken decision.
I like my little barred rock, but realizing I started with 5, and I only have...
Of the breeds you like - which ones tolerate summer temps of 110 with layered shade (tin roof, coop, to get under) but sometimes high humidity to boot?
I lost my other barred rock when it was 108 last summer. The production reds all made it through the heat - like I said, I don't consider...
No one taught me the salt trick. I made it up. Fighting fenceline hackberries that regrew for years with trimming back and roundup. I thought of it then, but never tried it on them, I moved instead. But I'd fought those roses back for 4 or 5 years. Some people on freecycle picked up cuttings. We...
Well Bee, instead of planning a garden, I'm planting mine. Spinach and swiss chard, broccoli and onions are in, had to add potash today, our soil seems to be deficient, I was getting very leafy onions with no bulb again. So I hoe'd a bit while I was at it, to get the weeds out of the way and...
My last offering was rather large, but I do admire and tell the blue heron just how handsome he is. I also put fencing and netting over my pond. He got about 35 6 inch koi and oh, 50 or 60 large goldfish before I discovered his predation.
He is such a majestic bird. I got a couple of pics of...
While I was trying to find the end of this thread, I landed on page 3, the 13 year old's tantrum. No more time to read this morning. Having survived twin DD's, who are now 28 years old, 13 was ok, 14 was awful and it went downhill until they hit about 21. At which point I was suddenly the...
No, the insurance payment is coming in so late and so low I'll be using it to pay for my daughter's truck (which I've been driving since the wreck) and needed repairs to that truck.
If anything is left, a new chicken coop in the shade on the lot. I have seed for my bee forage. Still need to...
On the bright side, you don't have to dig the snow out. Parts of mine are being covered with a thin layer of henbit and other weeds. Not going to be fun when I get there.