Search results for query: *

Suncatcher and Ashdoes have it pretty well summed up :) This is your flock and no one else's. If you reach the point where *you* feel he is too difficult or dangerous, that's when you consider culling. What a person tolerates in his or her flock is up to the individual keeper. Keep in mind...

First of all, excellent story, and so right, way cheaper to test! I can only imagine how awful you felt wondering if you were going to have to cull your flock. I saw Sarah a few months ago and mentioned one of the groups I follow was having a lengthy discussion about MG (Mycoplasma...

DK, yes, that seems reasonable to me - be warned, though, there may be some sellers with "layers" for way less - last weekend at Elizabeth there was a man selling what looked to me like older hens for $4 each - he had so many crammed into each cage I felt awful for the birds. All looked like...

LOL I know what you mean, our walls are still beige too, one of these days we'll paint them :) There are many well-meaning folks here who consider any flock that's ever had any infection or infestation as voodoo. They may have been lucky so far - or they may not even know their birds are...

I have wild birds here all the time too, and I have no desire to raise my birds in a bubble, so I just have to deal with what's here and work toward resistant flocks. I thought I was at least free of worry about coccidiosis, but the wetter weather this year proved me wrong on that. It's always...

Ashdoes, sorry to read of your trials, it's very difficult to deal with. It sounds as if they don't know whether it was Marek's yet, and I would think by now they would know that, but the Marek's discussion is useful. I have read more papers on Marek's than I can even count. One frustrating...

Greetings all, sorry I have been absent so long. It has been a busy and challenging summer! I hope all are well and hope to be visiting more often. If anyone is looking for chicks I have some Silkies and Ameraucana/EE, and I plan to attend the swap at the Elizabeth Big R this coming Sunday...

Oh if they're day 24 then they aren't going to hatch, sorry, I thought it wasn't quite that far. That's too bad, but at least you have 2 beautiful chicks for her to raise and it looks like they're both pullets!

If she's off the nest she likely won't go back, so the other eggs are not going to hatch. If they are still moving you can try putting them in an incubator if you have one, but if it's past Day 21 and they aren't pipped, they probably weren't going to hatch anyway. Bummer.

Why do you think you would lose hard work? Chickens tolerate cold temperatures pretty well, there's no reason you can't grow them probably right through Thanksgiving if you wanted.

I'm with Katie, can't wait to see what you end up with!

As a rule pullets begin laying between the ages of 20 and 26 weeks, but for every rule there are dozens of rulebreakers! Silkies can be right on time or really late. I've spoken to some people whose pullets didn't lay until they were almost a year old - but I've also known people with EEs who...

Cedar is bad for birds, try to switch over to pine as soon as possible, although not right now as the other eggs are in the process of hatching (hopefully) - and congrats on the hatching! DP meat birds - I have 5 Good Shepherd Barred Rock cockerels that will be 3 months old the 19th, and I'd...

Well said corancher. I agree we've allowed price and convenience to trump quality and safety as well as compassion. Every aspect of keeping poultry and other livestock, and growing fruits and vegetables, are affected. Where once federal and local government encouraged families to keep...

Neato! Can't wait to see him! @Percheron chick, how did you make out with you keets?

I should have also said, if you are just taking the keets from the hens, it's probably also best done at dusk or later to minimize stress to the hens.

Agree with Ashdoes, Mtn Margie, et al, on the broody hen on eggs, leave her be with food and water within reach from where she is sitting, put them on a block of wood or in a shallow pan so they don't soak the bedding if the water spills, and don't make her get up and move. I ruined a hatch...

In the meantime you might consider some Sweet PDZ, shavings, and/or straw in the run - that's what I had to do twice this year when we were deluged with rain and the runs were a stinky, soggy mess. I put down the PDZ, then some shavings, then some straw. Now the waterers load up with straw...

For some reason I can't see any of suncatcher's pics, but I'm sure all are lovely :) trstur sorry about your hen, but glad the Pugs turned up! Mtn Margie I can't wait to hear the conclusion of the Meaties! What kind of quail are you setting? Do they incubate fewer days than chickens?

Wow #4 here, Marcia, how sad for you and your neighbor. I have never dealt with a bear attack, although neighbors not so very far away have.