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Electric. Either wires or netting.

I like to start them in the house so that I can keep an eye on them. I have ten inside right now. They will be going outside when they don't need heat as I have neither broody hen nor electric outlet outside. If you feel confident having your chicks outside, give it a go.

When chickens start laying their eggs are usually smaller that they will be when she stops growing. Your small chick may have been laid by a young chicken who is laying small eggs.

I would look for a couple of grown hens right now. When you leave, they will be a family and won't need the kind of care that chicks do.

Or, you could get jungle fowl.

Rhode Island Reds do not go broody, which seems like something you would want. You might want to look into Icelandic chickens. My neighbor has them and loves them. They don't lay as many eggs as RIR or leghorns, but they do lay in winter. Extremely winter hardy, great foragers. I don't know if...

I would use a solid floor and put something over it. Newspaper, wood chips.

They don't NEED corn in the summer. They use energy to keep warm, which means carbohydrates. Corn is high in carbohydrates. But, I think this really means more to horses and cows who don't wear down coats. I feed corn all year to help balance out their homemade feed. I don't see a problem using...

Can you repel the rodents? They hate mint. "... mint (especially peppermint), catnip, rosemary, sage, lavender, oregano, and basil are the most effective..." While waiting for the plants to grow, you can mix peppermint essential oil and water. Use a spray bottle and spray all around the...

Hummingbirds love it.

If I lived in Washington I would cover the run, and possibly make a French drain next to it.

Sorry for the lousy hatchery. This is why, if buying hatchery chicks I go to TSC or another local farm store. They only put out chicks that are healthy. I also discovered a place about 50 minutes from me. He doesn't ship, but it's close enough to drive to and the chicks are reasonably priced...

I would be worried that the jay would bring her/his fledglings to the coop and you'd have a gang to worry about. How about a cover over the run? How about hanging strips of cloth or plastic over the door? The chickens would learn to walk through it, but the flying jays are unlikely to...

This afternoon I was looking online at TSC and another store for some Cornish X. Nobody has them. But, The Duck N' Coop Hatchery, 45 minutes from me, suddenly has 200 freedom rangers for sale. I drove over, only got lost twice, and picked up 10 rangers for $3 each. If all goes well, I will...

Chickens are herd/flock/school/family animals. Just like a calf, lamb, puppy, kitten, they NEED to be with others. They do not feel safe being all alone, especially a baby. Get a couple more chicks. You need at least 3 together.

Rancid, you presented a good documentary. Love the photos of dust. You can always tell when the furnace comes on in the Fall. Dust mess at every hot air opening. Allergies. This is why, when we built this house, we put in-floor radiant heat instead of a furnace. It is so much cleaner. I also...

In quantity, garlic can be toxic. I use one pinch of garlic granules per bird in the feed. However, mine are Brahma, so you might want to use less. I only do it a couple of times a week.

I agree with the ventilation issue. I would take out that board and put in hardware cloth. Looks like it would not be too steep. If it is, you can use a board on the bottom to raise the bottom edge so they take a step up before being on the ramp.

You have fallen into the pit. There is no return.

She may be in shock. Make little circles around one ear for 30 seconds. Then, with two fingers, stroke each wing from the body to the tip a couple of times.