Recent content by woodmort

Depends on what's available and what your situation is. You want backyard birds then go with australops or any of the "reds". Want a small flock and to be assured of only layers, the sex-links, Either choice will give you ample eggs, at least for the first 2 or 3 years. Want to have business...

Try a few posts and some deer netting between your yard and the neighbor's. It isn't all that expensive--certainly not 2k--goes up easily, high enough so they won't hop over it but can be tightened to the ground with wire staples and will make a good barrier.

Are they free-ranging? Mine build stronger shells once they get out from their winter confinement and begin to forage.

I sort of get a charge out of those that worry about stuff getting kicked in their waterers and making it dirty For one thing, when chickens are outside, they drink out of puddles, including those in their run where they're pooping all the time. If you're bothered by debris in the waterer...

Don't name the ones you plan on eating.

Yup--harmless unless whoever you're feeding it to sees it first,

I live in a part of the country where there are a lot of pre1940's houses, As you drive along you can't help but notice the majority of them have small outbuildings that, at one time, were chicken coops. Many are neglected, some have been remodeled into garden sheds and a few are still housing...

Let me preface this by saying I have a big coop, up to 4 dozen chickens (+/-) and my birds are free-ranged. What appears below has been my practice for over 30 years. I have always kept both in the coop because there are times when the chickens are confined 24/7--like right now with the...

Exactly but it's sooooooooooooo hard.

Agreed. My Coop Tender closes downward but so slowly that a chicken would have to be pretty slow (or stupid) to get caught in it. Also it will stop once it hits anything solid even some litter or hardened poop. I have to remember to keep the bottom of the track cleaned or it signals that it...

I have a mixed flock of standard sized chickens including Jersey Giants and a couple of big roosters, they have no problem getting in and out the regular sized door. Unless you've got turkeys or geese I don't think you'd need the turkey door unless you think bigger is better. BTW their...

Interesting: Last winter I lost all but 4 of my birds to predators and, since I was to turn 81 in the fall, decided maybe the Universe was telling me it was time to get out of the chicken business after 30 years. My dear wife, however, talked me into doing just one more flock. So I sat down...

My wife says"I do not want chicken s--t in my refrigerator!!!" so, yes, I dutifully wash everything that shows any sign of dirt. I keep a soft brush and give them a quick rinse and brush before setting them to dry.

While mine seemed to work okay off my router,(coop it about 100 yds and on the opposite side of the house from the router) so I put in a wifi extender just to be safe. BTW, the door speed can be set and I have mine so it opens/closes very, very slowly so the birds can get out of the way. On...

That's why I went with a CoopTender door. It has a number of options--manual, timer, dawn to dusk or WiFi. I prefer to operate it remotely on WiFi so can open and close it when I'm sure the birds are safe--either to come out in the am or inside in the pm. I can access it from any place were...