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I'm interested in setting up an agricultural ecosystem using ducks to control slugs and whatnot in my veggie garden on the south coast of Oregon. I need info on how to keep ducks, how to breed and incubate, how to keep them from eating the veggies, how to protect them from predators, etc. And...

Can anyone with substantial experience making their own chicken feed recommend a good book on the topic? Thank you!

I have 10 hens, only one Ancona. She used to have the biggest, reddest comb out of my whole flock, including my Leghorns. Here is the timeline of what's happened. 1) I switched to a nipple waterer about a moth ago. Right away, I saw all ten hens drinking from it. 2) Not long after, I noticed...

I have 7 laying hens almost 6 months old - 4 brown Leghorn, 1 EE, 1 Ancona, and 1 Blue Hamburg. I free range them all day every day, and I'm only averaging 2-3 eggs a day in my nest boxes. Is that normal for this time of year, or are they laying off in the brush where I can't find the eggs? One...

Sadly, I have to put down my rooster because he attacked my landlady's small, elderly dog this morning. He started limping a couple weeks ago, probably from one of our older, larger hens who's not too keen on his overtures. It has improved a lot, barely noticeable limp at this point, and I...

I'm looking for the true blue egg and "wilder" personality for surviving the free range than a common mixed-breed EE, but I don't show my chickens, so I prefer the convenience of a mail-order hatchery over a breeder. Any suggestions? Thanks!

How can you tell if a bald eagle is checking out your flock or just passing through? I just ran out from my house when I heard them calling and chased off a pair who were circling high overhead, but wouldn't they be quiet if they were planning to attack? I don't know!

I have an Egyptian Fayoumis pullet about 7 weeks old with a leg that splays out to the side from the knee when I hold her on her back. I can put it back into place without seeming to cause her any pain, but as soon as I let go, it juts out again. It slides out from under her while she's trying...

Anyone ever trained a dog to find egg clutches in the woods? If so, how did you do it? Thanks!!

I have a dozen 8-week-old pullets I plan to let free-range over 5 acres most of the day each day as soon as they are full grown and might have a prayer against coyotes and hawks. They are brown Leghorn and EE, so they should be excellent foragers. I have heard that free ranging means you can cut...

I have 5 chicks around 2 weeks old, 3 Egyptian Fayoumis and 2 silver-spangled Hamburgs. A few days ago, when I was checking them for pasty butt, one of the Fayoumis was fighting me (typical breed behavior), and she seemed to kinda get her wing caught behind my thumb at one point. I was worried...

PECKING AT PASTY BUTT. I have five chicks around two weeks old, three Egyptian Fayoumis and two silver spangled Hamburg. When we brought the Hamburgs home from the feed store about a week ago, we quickly realized one of them had a touch of pasty butt, so we took care of that. A couple days later...

I have five chicks around two weeks old, three Egyptian Fayoumis and two silver spangled Hamburg. When we brought them home from the feed store about a week ago, we quickly realized one of the Hamburgs had a touch of pasty butt, so we took care of that. A couple days later I noticed she had some...

Yesterday I went to a local brooder and bought three chicks who had just hatched a few hours prior. In the past I have only bought chicks from the feed store after they'd been shipped a very long way, so this is my first time with actual day-old chicks. They're Egyptian Fayoumis, a breed that is...

I have heard some folks say that you have to bury hardware cloth horizontally underneath your entire run if you want it to be secure from digging predators. But this video linked below from the University of Iowa says all you have to do is bury fencing vertically around the perimeter, 12" down...

I have heard some folks say that you have to bury hardware cloth horizontally underneath your entire run if you want it to be secure from digging predators. But this video linked below from Iowa State University says all you have to do is bury fencing vertically around the perimeter, 12" down...

Purchased from feed store on 3/11, though probably had been in the brooder there for a while, so no idea what age. The other Ancona chick I purchased that day has no comb at all yet. Do I have a roo here?

Hey, folks. First off, I'm not worried about nighttime predators because my husband is a highly experienced carpenter who knows how to build and maintain a secure coop and run. I have raised larger, dual-purpose hens before in the city with a nice fence all around the yard. Now I'm out in the...

I just got my first chicks, 4 brown Leghorn, 2 Ancona, 1 blue Hamburg, 1 EE. All small LF breeds, not bantams. About how much will they weigh at one month, two months, three months? I'm probably going to need to expand my brooder, just need to know when and how much.

Outhouse made of old fence panels and old shipping container. I don't have any pics of the actual toilet, but picture a large box made of plywood with a toilet seat installed on the top. The whole top flips up on a hinge, and beneath it there's a bug screen resting on top of the plastic storage...