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As long as the coop isn’t drafty they will be just fine.

How old is the hen? She should go through a molt at some point and the feathers should come back. If it starts getting cold and nothing has grown back, a saddle would help.

Don’t do poison. The cats paws can probably reach right inside of the cages and kill them. Would it be worth it to you to wrap the sachets in hardware cloth with 1/2 in gaps?

Don’t think that your coop isn’t predator proof. Tracks mean that they are interested in it. I’ve seen raccoons on top of the coop and run many many times over the last few years. This doesn’t mean you have to buy anything extra. Just make sure you periodically go over possible weak spots...

Definitely a raccoon. They’re ingenious little devils. My coop and run had been seemingly predator price for several years now and a few weeks back I found a chicken killed at night. I found where they got in and sealed it up, but two days later they tore open some chicken wire. I decided to...

I buy Super Lay 22 by Tucker Milling company for 18.50 for a 50 pound bag from our local feed store. The price has come up from about 2 years ago when it was 15$ but still way under what tractor supply has anything for. I’ve thought about getting the cheaper stuff he carries, but my birds seem...

Roost level where it won’t get pooped on.

You seem to Have a lot of the knowledge a lot of us wish we had before we started. Since you are still in the planning stage. Let me give you something to consider. One large coop and two separate runs on opposite sides. A coop that can be separated has worked very well for me. It has made...

It sounds like you’ve got it all figured out. I’ve known people that kept turkeys very successfully with a minimal coops well. They’re pretty cold hardy. Whenever I get new chicks, I set up a brooder on the back porch. I recently tried two turkeys to have for thanksgiving, but a snake killed...

Composting is as hard as you want it to be. First, pick the setup that will work for you. A pile, a bin, a prefab mixable composter, or a stall type(pile but cleaner). If you are already planning to “age” it over winter or through a season or two then a pile would be easiest. Get an area...

It says on the site that they are a mix of Araucana and white leghorn. They only show hens in the pictures. So I’m guessing that the roosters favor the leghorn side of the genes.

They tend to spread out when it’s hot and huddle when it’s cold. And if there’s a limited amount of roost space it can encourage fighting. I have at least double the recommended roosting space and at some point or another, every bit of it was used at different times.

I have had Brahmas, speckled Sussex, Rhode Island reds, silver laces wyandottes, and mixes of most of them. But my Easter eggers I got last year are by far the sweetest chickens I’ve ever experienced. My white EE, Hannah is especially sweet. I pick her up and perch her on my arm to do coop...

Sapphire gems are egg laying machines. I have a few and their eggs are massive. It’s takes a bit once their system starts working, they themselves have to put on some weight and such. Give it some time, I’m sure they’ll get much bigger. Mine all ended up laying 4-6 eggs a week and every one of...

Yes but a little no. A Cornish cross can be raised and live longer than expected. But their genes almost guarantee a short life compared to others. BUT, that’s the Cornish cross hydrid we buy just for butchering. That generation specifically has hybrid vigor and they are the pinnacle of the...

A small door is easy enough to cut. Measure out about 18in high and 12 wide and drill a hole in the top corner so you can get a saw blade in it and just cut it out. If you’re careful, you can use the piece you cut out as your door, by attaching hinges. Or, if you have a Habitat for Humanity...

Looks like you have two different early layers. All of my hens waited until well past 20 weeks to start laying. They look to be decent sized eggs too. Congrats. I’m not sure WHICH hen laid it but definitely not the same one.

I wish I could take him but I’m in Alabama. But I hope posting here will keep the thread active. Good luck finding a home for him. He’s a very handsome devil.

The waddles and comb are signs. But the blue circled area is telling as well. These are saddle feathers. Where hens have a smooth transition to their tail, roosters will have these saddle feathers that lay to the side to accentuate the tail feathers.

I vote on keeping the rooster. It can possibly bring some difficulties, but definitely worth it for the possibility of chicks. And flocks are happier with a rooster.