Speaking of mice. Just 2 nights ago I turned on the lights to the outdoor living room space and a mouse went scurrying off the porch! We put mouse poison out. Never saw one on any of our porches or decks before.
Chicken/egg question
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Yesterday the wife found a snake in the chicken coop. She called me up to see if it was a rattlesnake. It wasn't. Just a baby bull snake. I relocated it out to the garden.
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Exciting chicken day...... I went to coop and saw too many feathers. Followed the trail and they went under the pool deck to the back yard, under the porch, around back of house and down the drive. I knew the chicken had to be dead. Saw a feather that looks like a hawk so that explains the chasing.
Started counting chickens and I notice a hen that is bald down her neck and back. The funny part is that the tried to pick up my biggest, heaviest hen.
She fought a losing battle because she could not pick her up. Idiot hawk. There were 17 other hens that weighed a lot less.
Started counting chickens and I notice a hen that is bald down her neck and back. The funny part is that the tried to pick up my biggest, heaviest hen.
She fought a losing battle because she could not pick her up. Idiot hawk. There were 17 other hens that weighed a lot less.
Put some Nustock on her and she will be good in a couple of days! The stuff is like magic!
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Four, maybe five foxes spotted about 100 yards down road. Had neighbors dog surrounded until she drove up and opened the car door and the dog ran into car.
I have 4 ladies refusing to get back into run so that's a good meal for the foxes.
I have 4 ladies refusing to get back into run so that's a good meal for the foxes.
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Is there a Darwin award for chickens?
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A neighbor went into woods searching, but never found a den or any other clues. We have lots of rock formations and fallen logs on the Corps property. We aren't allowed to clear any fallen trees.
Larry found 6 dead mice and 3 full grown, big size rats dead in chicken pen today...went back later and another dead rat...my son n I went back edge of dark and found another dead mouse...that's12 total today! I put the poison out 3 nights ago....just now kicking in apparently...dries them out from the inside...
Son n I found what appears to be nest under the first chicken roost building...I put more poison waay underneath there tonight, and again along outside perimeters of the pen area....
We did throw away over a dozen eggs collected today due to the hens were picking/eating at 3 of the dead rats....I'm afraid to eat the eggs...
Disgusting!
Son n I found what appears to be nest under the first chicken roost building...I put more poison waay underneath there tonight, and again along outside perimeters of the pen area....
We did throw away over a dozen eggs collected today due to the hens were picking/eating at 3 of the dead rats....I'm afraid to eat the eggs...
Disgusting!
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I decided to put the young ladies in the big coop tonight. Why is there always one that won't cooperate? I chased, poked, grabbed, stood in the rain etc and finally got them all inside. I'll go down early and open the door so they don't start pecking.
We still haven't butchered the extra boys. I just haven't found the time. Right now they are getting along still.
My favorite hen is starting to only lay once every other day. She gets to live out her life, though. I love that little sweetie. She has started jumping ontk onto the goats backs and riding them around.
My favorite hen is starting to only lay once every other day. She gets to live out her life, though. I love that little sweetie. She has started jumping ontk onto the goats backs and riding them around.
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This year we tried Ginger Broilers for meat chickens. They don't grow as fast as the Cornish X, but dont have the leg problems and don't die as much either. The GB's do much better at our elevation. We only lost 1 of the Ginger Broilers this summer. Put one on the rotisserie the other day and the taste is at least as good as the Cornish X. I think we'll stick with raising the Ginger Broilers.
I think we're going to buy the equipment and start processing the chickens our self next year.
I think we're going to buy the equipment and start processing the chickens our self next year.
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What equipment do you need, Arctic Dude? I can do a half dz in the afternoon by myself. My materials are: paracord to hang the foot noose from the rafter of the barn, my knife (a scalpel type with extra blade), and a cutting glove on my left hand so I don't cut my finger open again. Oh, and something to take the head and feet off...was using an axe, but it needs to be sharpened, so I'm using my big garden cutters.
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The main things we want to get: scalder, plucker and killing cones. On the west side of the fur shed I'm going to extend the deck to 8×20 feet long. And put in a sink and an L shape counter top. Plus I'll put up a frame to hold the killing cones.
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That's pretty fancy stuff!
Those cones in my opinion are more of a pain to get the birds into than they are worth. Bought two of them some years back, but prefer just hanging them like Amish Heart explained. Also, I do that part of the chicken process in the woods. That way I don’t have the blood mess to clean up. We all have our personal ways don’t we? 
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Yes we do. I hang them on the barn overhang, not in the barn, just outside of it, because there's a water hydrant there and the cement on the ground sprays off pretty quick. Barn cats know when I'm butchering...I leave the heads there, and they take off with them.
Oh man, when I finally get to processing my boys, it will have to be a mile away from my hens. I don't want them giving me the side eye, knowing what I did to their boyfriend.
I'm done with the dead rat report (for now!)...but does anyone have a clue why neither of my Americana's are laying for the last 2 weeks? They are not molting. (I do have 2 hens molting but neither is Americana)...no blue or green eggs laid in last 2 weeks anywhere! Americana's seem healthy n happy! They are young and all of a sudden stopped laying 
...no clue why! Any ideas??
...no clue why! Any ideas??
Hens know when to lay eggs . It's a natural process on a natural timer . Some breeds will quit laying in July and not start back until February . But laying varieties usually just take a few weeks off .
The reasons hens stop laying are numerous.
How old are they?
Getting enough light? 14 hours is optimal.
Did you change their food or add to the flock?
Stress causes some hens to stop laying. All those rats might have done it.
Have you wormed them? They might need it if you haven’t.
Have they gone broody?
Ameraucana’s do not lay nearly as many eggs as other breeds. You can expect them not to lay for periods of time.
How old are they?
Getting enough light? 14 hours is optimal.
Did you change their food or add to the flock?
Stress causes some hens to stop laying. All those rats might have done it.
Have you wormed them? They might need it if you haven’t.
Have they gone broody?
Ameraucana’s do not lay nearly as many eggs as other breeds. You can expect them not to lay for periods of time.
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Our three are laying off and on now. Sometimes we get 3 eggs and then only 1 and then none...
I shot 2 rats with the pellet gun and caught another with a spring trap and 2 mice also. Shot a mouse in the coop also. No poison, just balls of flour/sugar and baking soda. The rats get so much gas in their stomachs that they cannot breathe and just die somewhere. Haven't see either in days now.
We have 15 eggs in the incubator and they should hatch in the next 15 days. Getting ready for the next years batch of layers and meat birds. Our 3 layers and rooster are going to our adopted family for their eggs as soon as the little ones are here and start growing big enough to be outside. More than tripling the size of the chicken family.
I shot 2 rats with the pellet gun and caught another with a spring trap and 2 mice also. Shot a mouse in the coop also. No poison, just balls of flour/sugar and baking soda. The rats get so much gas in their stomachs that they cannot breathe and just die somewhere. Haven't see either in days now.
We have 15 eggs in the incubator and they should hatch in the next 15 days. Getting ready for the next years batch of layers and meat birds. Our 3 layers and rooster are going to our adopted family for their eggs as soon as the little ones are here and start growing big enough to be outside. More than tripling the size of the chicken family.
1 of the americanas is very young it's the recent one given to me that was thought to be a rooster we named "tranny" lol...she was laying from day 1..between 6-8 months old now. The other americana is 2+ yrs. Old. All other hen breeds are laying normal except the ones over 5 yrs. Old which I'm not worried about laying. I have 26 total hens, all variety of breeds.
I've got to try the flour/sugar, baking soda balls!
I have questions about deworming. I- believe it or not with my propensity to deworm everyone - have never dewormed my chickens! I don't know why. I was just reading in my chicken health textbook the other day and thinking about hownI have never done it and now you guys are talking about it, so-
What do you guys use? How can you tell it works? Do you see a pretty quick change? Does it take multiple deworming attempts?
So many questions!
What do you guys use? How can you tell it works? Do you see a pretty quick change? Does it take multiple deworming attempts?
So many questions!
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It absolutely works.
There are numerous ways to deworm chickens. Apple Cider Vinegar being one of them. Cucumber and pumpkins seeds work too. Give about a tablespoon to each hen. DE is said to work also. I do put DE mixed in my feed at times.
LOL. Me too! It and DE have other properties to them that assist hens systems.
