Recent content by Ridgerunner

  1. Ridgerunner

    Is this something that would work? Or just some made up stuff?

    My experience is that you do not get guarantees with living animals. You cannot be sure what would happen. I had a hen fight another broody hen to take her chicks away when she had only been broody for two days. There is no question in my mind that if you had offered her chicks at 2 days of...
  2. Ridgerunner

    When to remove the egg turner in incubator?

    The standard is to go into lockdown after 18 days of incubation. That means stop turning the eggs, position the eggs for hatch, and increase the humidity. You count the days by saying "0" the day you put them in, "1" the following day, and continue until you say "18". A lot of people start...
  3. Ridgerunner

    Has anyone used this incubator?

    I have never used that model. Where are you located? If you modify your profile to show that then the information will always be available. That could come in handy for a lot of things. You say it is made in Australia. I see that one requires 220 Volt input. Is that compatible with your...
  4. Ridgerunner

    8 month old hen not laying

    Yeah, they lay when they lay. I've had pullets start laying at 16 weeks. I've had pullets wait until 9 months to lay their first egg. I've had them start in the long days of summer and some pullets start this time of the year during the shortest days of the year. I understand how frustrating...
  5. Ridgerunner

    Snow Possibly Coming, How Should I Prepare?

    How many chickens do you have? I assume they are older than 5 weeks so you do not need to provide heat. How big is your coop? Is your run protected so snow cannot get in? I'm trying to get an idea of how packed they might be and what you are working with. Chickens often do not like...
  6. Ridgerunner

    Do I need heat lamps?

    What do you think the wild birds that overwinter in Oklahoma do to keep heat in? The Cardinals, Crows, Eagles, Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, Chickadees, Hawks, and such? They use their down, those fluffy bits of feathers near their skin. Chickens also have down. The advantage the wild birds have...
  7. Ridgerunner

    Picture Guide - Fast & Easy Rooster Slaughter - Skinning & Gutting - GRAPHIC and PIC HEAVY

    Yes. All parts are subject to rigor mortis.
  8. Ridgerunner

    Picture Guide - Fast & Easy Rooster Slaughter - Skinning & Gutting - GRAPHIC and PIC HEAVY

    It varies depending on different factors, maybe one day possibly as much as 3 or 4 after it sets up. When the joints wiggle easily it is ready. I put it in the freezer immediately and let it set after it thaws. I generally take it out on a Sunday and cook it on a Thursday.
  9. Ridgerunner

    How cold is too cold

    People say a lot of things on public forums on the internet. I think it is your choice. The above posters have made some good points. The danger from the cold mainly depends on your ventilation and wind protection. Burning your coop down is another possibility. If you can safely add heat...
  10. Ridgerunner

    Black australorps without any green?

    Hi, welcome to the forum! Glad you joined! Some breeders wait until the chickens are 2 years old to determine which ones are worth breeding. That's not just for feather color but other things as well. Feathers can change after a juvenile molt. I've had a single recessive gene express...
  11. Ridgerunner

    Fighting Hens

    They may. Doesn't mean they definitely will but it is possible. Injuries may be serious. So what can you do? 1. Let them fight it out. A definite risk especially as there is already blood. One hen may decide she's had enough and submits. The other may accept her submittal or may continue...
  12. Ridgerunner

    The beginning of Day 23 of chicken eggs

    I consider it a tool in my toolbelt but with any tool it needs to be used correctly. Some people just can't help themselves, they have to try it regardless of possible consequences. So, what are some possible consequences? If the egg has pipped or has cracked the chick can drown. If you get...
  13. Ridgerunner

    Integration: Put the littles with the middles or the middles with the big kids??

    Is the broody hen still raising those chicks? If she hasn't weaned them yet I'd put them all in with the adults and see if she will manage integration for you. Personally I'd have tried that as soon as I was sure she had accepted the chicks. I'd supervise, of course, but you say they have a...
  14. Ridgerunner

    First Incubation - Mixed Dates

    Hi! Welcome to the forum, glad you joined. Don't be too hard on yourself. You haven't done anything worse than a lot of other people. So just treat this as part of the learning curve. I hatch pullet eggs. Sometimes I get great hatch rates, sometimes I don't. I find if I wait until the...
  15. Ridgerunner

    Painting a coop

    Is this a cute tiny coop that might hold heat or a nice walk-in coop with good height? The taller it is the better you can set up good ventilation. Ventilation is important in winter and summer in the Carolinas. Debid's idea of a three sided coop with the fourth side open wire mesh can work...
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