Recent content by Ridgerunner

  1. 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...
  2. 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...
  3. 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...
  4. Ridgerunner

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

    Yes. All parts are subject to rigor mortis.
  5. 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.
  6. 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...
  7. 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...
  8. 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...
  9. 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...
  10. 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...
  11. 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...
  12. 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...
  13. Ridgerunner

    Good Chick Breeds?

    Sounds like you are getting them from a feed store, not ordering them from a hatchery. As you mention, they can sell out fast. I'd chat with the people at the feed store. Try to find out when a shipment is coming in so you can be there. See if they can tell you which chicks will be in that...
  14. Ridgerunner

    What’s your chick set up?

    My 3 ft x 6 ft brooder was in the coop. It was elevated about 2 ft and had a 1/2" hardware cloth floor so poop would fall through. I had plastic bins underneath to make it easy to manage the poop. In colder weather I put a piece of plywood inside so they had a solid floor to sleep on so they...
  15. Ridgerunner

    Roosters behaviour.

    :thumbsup I believe both nature and nurture have an effect. Like NatJ, most of the ones I raise are fine. But occasionally I can get one that is human aggressive. Those were hatched from eggs from the same flock and raised with the others. Each one has its own personality. I remember a...
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