Recent content by Shaste

Thanks, that's good to know. We live near a seasonal wetland and I'm hyper vigilant about what gets into the water table so I'll double check safe application around water.

Is it not safe for the chickens to eat sprayed grass? Is there a half life for this stuff? I do wear boots to the barn and in the pastures out of deference to sharing the land (we have horses too) but I'm over getting bitten just for walking through my yard. I thought permethrin would be a...

The thatching ants are already getting out of hand this year to where I can't go into the yard in flip flops. They are also starting to go into our chicken run. They bite/sting horribly and steal the chickens' snacks and I'm sick of it. I was thinking of spraying permethrin around the yard but...

There are plenty of mosquitoes but it seems to have healed for the most part already. I will look up dry pox though as something to be on the lookout for. Thanks!

Thanks all! I was hoping just peck marks so good to get confirmation from y'all with more experience. We don't have a rooster so must be from her sisters.

One of our hens recently developed black marks on both sides of the back of her comb. She doesn't love being handled so I haven't picked her up for a close look .. wondering if these are just peck marks how long they would take to heal? Or should grab her to check it out?

Good idea! I already have the bag of pellets that they refused and was going to try a new "no waste" feeder so I can just give them pellets in the feeder they have been wasting with 😁

Thank you! This is so helpful. I've been wondering what a rational limit for treats would be.

Oh gosh do you have to soak pellets? I got some thinking they would waste less and they pretty much refused it dry. I feel like such a noob 😁 but it's been a good reminder that we all start out knowing nothing!

Water is so essential to both! Well any critter I suppose. I've been giving a daily "morning mush" .. just wet crumble fed by hand every morning. The farm I got them from did that to get them to come to hand. With the cooler mornings I've been doing that with warm water and the ladies seem to...

Do you think COB (rolled corn, oats, and barley) would work? I add it to the horses' feed in winter but not sure if the other grains would be OK for the chickens?

I'm new to chickens, and we're expecting our first cold snap. With horses we change how we feed during the winter as they generate body heat through digestion. Do chickens do this? Do you change what you feed during cold weather? If so, how?

Thanks! It was under the "report" menu so didn't think to look there.

I store clean ones on the counter on a skelter, wash and refrigerate any dirty ones.

For small coops like mine that you can't walk into I found a great tool for picking poop out of shavings .. a pair of clamshell kitchen tongs! We have a big door that opens to the roosting bar area, and It takes just a minute to grab what was left the night before.