Recent content by PoppasGrill

  1. PoppasGrill

    Dirty beddjng

    I would do a deep clean as soon as you can. If there are maggots there already then that area has probably been soaked for a while. As Rosemarythyme stated, try to stay away from chemicals as much as possible if you are keeping the chicks in the brooder.
  2. PoppasGrill

    Do all coops struggle with heat in the summer?

    We have several large coops, 2 enclosed ( Half of our Barn, and an addition lean to enclosed) And 3 open air coops. One is converted from a line of dog kennels. We are in North Florida, so the heat and humidity can be exhausting. We have baby pools set up in shady areas for the girls to cool...
  3. PoppasGrill

    Guineas- What the hell!!

    We’ve got 2 Guineas that were raised with 14 pullets. For some reason the Guineas have started rushing into the middle of their clutch mates , and the other hens, and chasing them aggressively. Tried separating them in their own coop, but as soon as we let them out to free range they go back...
  4. PoppasGrill

    Poll: How often do you check on your chickens in the heat?

    My wife is out in the coops several times a day, cleaning out water bowls and adding fresh, collecting eggs and generally making sure they are well taken care of. We free range our main flock 4-5 days a week
  5. PoppasGrill

    6 day old chick with internally rotated leg

    We were able to use a rubber band, not tight, from one leg to the other , to gently and slowly pull the outward leg in. It took time ( a few weeks) and a close watch on the chick, but she is running around with the big girls now. On another note, it worked on one, but not the other 2. Different...
  6. PoppasGrill

    Will copper in their watered hurt my hens?

    We’ve had coils of copper wire in our hens water containers for better than a year. Only time we “have” to clean out the container is when their dirty little beaks put a lot of dirt in the water, or them scratching around dusts the water. So, almost every day..😁
  7. PoppasGrill

    Why does my hen sit on the nesting box without laying any eggs??

    Can only go from our own experience, we got heavy rains for a few days last week and our Ladies egg count dropped by half. After the rains it got hot/humid and the count stayed low for two days, then picked up again. We have several different breeds and know part of the count is due to low...
  8. PoppasGrill

    Why does my hen sit on the nesting box without laying any eggs??

    You can try putting a fake egg in the nest for incentive. Remember that not all breeds lay everyday. She might just be in a slump. Your idea of just giving her some time might be the best option for now. At her age she might be wanting to but just can’t at this time. Changes in weather and...
  9. PoppasGrill

    Chickens on hiatus??? Please help.

    We’ve noticed that changes in the weather effect our ladies egg production. It usually lasts a few days before picking back up. Also, different breeds don’t all lay the same amount of eggs annually. It’s not timed out and we believe the lower production hens will lay for consecutive days then...
  10. PoppasGrill

    Nesting Box Question

    You can try both, most of our hens won’t lay on wire bottom nesting boxes, some like straw in the box, some like sand. None of ours will lay in a roll away set up, where the eggs roll down out of the nesting area to be collected.
  11. PoppasGrill

    Nesting Box Question

    We had the same issue with our Silkie Roo. He roosted in the nesting box and, if not cleaned daily, the hens wouldn’t lay in it due to him pooing in it. We have a few hens that will roost on top of nest boxes, due to other aggressive hens on the bars or a Roo that she doesn’t want roosting near...
  12. PoppasGrill

    Problems I created by not following good advice with our chickens.. Part 1

    As “the Math” kicked in we started building/adding on and the security of the coops was focused more on bigger predators ( opossums, owls, neighborhood dogs, etc). It really does need to be torn down and a better coop built properly. Laziness on my part. Though the bulk feed is secured, the...
  13. PoppasGrill

    Problems I created by not following good advice with our chickens.. Part 1

    We have a herd of cats, or is it a gaggle?, only 2 go out to the coops. We will get 1-2 mice on the doorstep in the morning, or find it after a week if it crawls under something before it dies. Part of the problem is the cats can’t get in the coops after dark, when the mice are more active, due...
  14. PoppasGrill

    Problems I created by not following good advice with our chickens.. Part 1

    Will start with the most costly, and harder to solve problem… Mice. We have been raising chickens for about 4 years. Had a small issue with mice last year in our barn. Was advised at that time, by Al G. Among others, to control feed and access. Of course, we thought it was under control, put...
  15. PoppasGrill

    What is your ratio of pullets/ cockerels on an incubated/ broody clutch?

    We purchased 8 Sussex chicks a while back, turned out 5 Roos and 3 hens.
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