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  1. Ridgerunner

    Need help with integration plan- 5 new youngsters, 2 geriatric hens

    If I read this right, you have 5 juveniles in a 12x12 area in quarantine. They will eventually join 2 adults in a 11x13 coop and a 35x65 run. You should have no concerns at all about having sufficient room. Considering your surgery I'd build a pen inside the coop so they could "look but...
  2. Ridgerunner

    Will hens accept a rooster?

    How old is the male? How old are the girls, are they laying yet? Integrating immature cockerels can be a pain. Pullets' behaviors change when they start laying. Often adding a mature rooster to a flock of laying hens is the easiest kind of integration. He struts in, wows them with his...
  3. Ridgerunner

    Roost

    Perfectly normal. When they get too big for all of them to roost up there the more dominant ones will probably continue to roost up there and the others will find somewhere else to sleep. That will probably be the next rung down but could be somewhere else. They will sort it out. I...
  4. Ridgerunner

    Stalking = bullying, correct?

    You may not expect it but it can happen. I had a 2-week-old chick kill a hatchmate by pecking it on the head. After it killed that one it started on a second chick. That's when I saw what was going on and intervened. I was raising 19 cockerels, all hatchmates about 15 weeks old. Out of...
  5. Ridgerunner

    feeding schedule for baby chicks

    :thumbsup Thanks. I'll bet you are correct. That's why I wanted to read it in context. Nothing wrong with the academic that wrote it but the person that read it probably misinterpreted it. Happens all of the time.
  6. Ridgerunner

    feeding schedule for baby chicks

    Can you please provide a link to that article so I can read it in context. It could be interesting to see what it says.
  7. Ridgerunner

    Wool for nest boxes

    My concern with wool is that it has lanolin. Could that lanolin rub off and coat the eggs? Would it be a problem if it does? Can you remove enough lanolin by washing that it does not coat the eggs. I don't know the answer to this.
  8. Ridgerunner

    Bachelor flock: don't let them see hens

    I agree, you cannot predict what will happen each and every time. Each chicken has its own personality and each flock has its own dynamics. Mine can see the girls where I keep them. Some pullets will occasionally go up to the fence and hang around, wanting to be close to the boys. Most...
  9. Ridgerunner

    Why oh why?

    Were both sets of eggs in the same container during shipping? If not, conditions were not identical. One could have been dropped or set in the sun for a while.
  10. Ridgerunner

    At what point is overkill on permiter run fencing?

    If you are trying to stop mice, rats, snakes, or some smaller weasels you need to use something that will stop them. If you are trying to stop larger animals like big dogs or big raccoons, you need to use something to stop them. Personally I use 2x4 welded wire in some places and hardware...
  11. Ridgerunner

    Incubating chicks question

    I use an automatic turner where the eggs are positioned pointy side down and are slowly rocked back and forth during that stage if incubation. For lockdown I remove the automatic turner and lay them on their sides. Many automatic turners have the eggs laying down and roll them. I've seen...
  12. Ridgerunner

    Leg bands

    What do you hope to achieve with leg bands? That might help guide us to a better suggestion for you. How any chickens do you have? One potential problem with leg bands is that as the leg grows the band can get tight enough to actually cut the foot off. You have to pay attention and curt...
  13. Ridgerunner

    Weird egg

    The standard way to feed a mixed aged flock where only some are laying is to feed them a low calcium feed like Starter, Grower, Flock Raiser, or All-Flock with oyster shell offered on the side. The ones that need the extra calcium for eggshells typically eat enough and the others typically do...
  14. Ridgerunner

    At what point is overkill on permiter run fencing?

    Here is one of those threads showing photos of larger animals tearing hardware cloth that Rosemary mentioned. There are others. Dog Vs. Hardware cloth... | BackYard Chickens - Learn How to Raise Chickens No one fencing material is perfect. Different ones will stop different things. In all...
  15. Ridgerunner

    Chickens fighting over a preferred nesting box

    Are they physically fighting or peacefully pacing and waiting their turn? What does that behavior actually look like? Them all or most wanting to lay in one specific nest is really common. Which nest that is can rotate over time also. I have four nests, two rows of two. One time most may...
  16. Ridgerunner

    Moving chicks from garage to coop area

    In those temperatures I would have started two or three weeks ago. There is no law that says you have to start at any specific time, you will not be fined or imprisoned if you continue to wait, but they can handle going out now. Take them out to the coop/run one morning, lock them in, and...
  17. Ridgerunner

    What's the best way to clean under my raised coop?

    Raise it high enough that you can reach under there. 6 or 8 feet is a pretty long reach. Seal off the open end so they cannot get under there. I understand, that shade is great for them. What will you do if one decides to make a nest in a far corner? What will you do if one is injured or...
  18. Ridgerunner

    Shrink wrapped chicks

    It's been a while since you posted. How are they doing? Before a chick hatches they typically absorb the yolk. A healthy chick can live off of that yolk for over 72 hours so you don't need to be in a rush to do anything. About half of the time when I help a chick it is fine after a while...
  19. Ridgerunner

    Seeking Advice: Young Rooster in Flock with Older Rooster

    I find it beneficial to have a place set up where I can isolate one or more chickens if I need to. That can come in handy with managing a broody hen, for integration, when checking them for mites or lice, or to isolate a sick or injured chicken. Just a way to keep them separated, short term of...
  20. Ridgerunner

    Can I put my chicks in the coop yet?

    I've had broody hens wean their chicks at 3 weeks in those temperatures. The chicks not only manage the temperatures but can make their way with the rest of the flock. I have a lot of room and the broody hen spent three weeks teaching the other chickens to leave her babies alone. That part of...
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