I have two 3-gallon waterers for my flock of 34 hens and 5 ducks. I usually either refill and/or rinse out and fill when they get low, which is about every 2-3 days.
I have free ranged my chickens ever since I bought them a year and a half ago. But lately I've been considering keeping them in the coop/run because they dig holes everywhere! I'm afraid to have guests over because they might twist an ankle or break a leg stepping in a hole. I've almost done...
I had a similar problem a few months ago. I was getting 25-30 eggs a day. Then suddenly, it dropped to 5-10 a day. I heard the rumors about TSC feed, but I have had no problems with feeding my flock for many years Dumor All Flock (because we also have ducks), sold at TSC. It has 17% protein...
Thanks for the link. This egg most closely resembles the Corrugated Shell (#13). Of the possible causes, I think the most likely would be either hereditary or a defective shell gland. I'm assuming it is coming from just one individual. There are no flock-wide symptoms of any disease and they...
I didn't know some of this information. I'm going to be paying more attention to my hens' combs from now on.
I read in another article that if a hen does not have a comb (or wattle) or a very small one, she is not laying eggs. Is this true?
I have one where the comb is just a very thin line...
Thanks for the info. I've only been using TSC (Dumor, by Purina) pellets. When my girls were younger (but past the starter stage), I was feeding them Nature's Best Organic Crumbles (the only crumbles I could find). But it's $10-12 more for 10 pounds less. They are big enough now for the...
What are you doing with them?
It's nice to know what bait works best. If I have a problem with them, I'll remember your sardines! Plus, I have a lot of cat food (5 indoor cats and around 6 outdoor cats).
Congratulations! I hope your raccoon problems are over or soon will be!
Good advice! I remember years ago there was a TV show called "Monsters Inside Me" that dealt with all kinds of parasitic worms and other diseases that can be transmitted through animal feces. The results were devastating, with long periods of recovery, if at all. I seem to remember raccoons...
Wow! That is some persistent, hard-core raccoon. I feel for you. I just have a 2-inch x 4-inch x 4-foot metal fence all around my coops. Everything above that is just nylon bird netting similar to what you have. And I've never had a predator try to enter that way.
If I were you, I'd...
I did not want to go that route with my bobcat, but he didn't leave me much choice. He'd already killed several of my chickens over a few days and I didn't have many left. Then he was after what few ducks I had. I didn't have a trap that size and I didn't think he would be stupid enough to go...
We have 36 hens and had been getting 20-30 eggs a day. Then last month it went down to 5-10 per day. It stayed that way for about a week before it gradually grew to 13-18 per day now. It is the shorter daylight hours. I decided against putting a timed light in the coops, but may change my...