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Post by brownrexx on Feb 8, 2015 11:36:53 GMT -5
Maybe I'll spread some straw over the snow in their outside pen. I had not thought of that and yesterday when we did our cleaning, they just looked at the snow and wouldn't step outside.
How many hens do you have now GD? We have 15.
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Post by ncgarden on Feb 8, 2015 15:24:51 GMT -5
Latitude - I use a chopped forage in my hen house, after trying about every other substance known to man. Smells nice, absorbs well, the ladies love to scratch in it. Once a week I clean out the stuff under the roosts and put fresh down. I like it, the ladies love it (and god knows I spend an absurd amount of time in the hen house). Deep litter smells bad! Brownrexx - this southern weather must agree with the ladies. My flock of 15 is doing a dozen eggs a day!!
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Post by breezygardener on Feb 8, 2015 15:34:37 GMT -5
What absolutely lovely, happy, & healthy-looking ladies!!!
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Post by brownrexx on Feb 8, 2015 15:35:19 GMT -5
NC, so glad to see you back. I have missed chatting with you about chickens and bees. You have a lot to catch up on.
I see that you now have a beautiful coop with some really nice roosts. I keep a plastic pan under my roost and it collects all of the nighttime droppings for easy removal to the compost pile. It's one of those things that people use to push under their beds for storage and it is on wheels. I put wire on top to let the droppings through but keep the hens from standing in it!
I also have a Barred Rock hen and her name is Rocky!
We have a whole Forum on this site for animals so you can catch us up on your doings with sheep and other critters.
Welcome back, I hope you like it here!
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Post by binnylou on Feb 8, 2015 15:50:31 GMT -5
Welcome back..I've missed your posts.
You folks with your chicken pictures are creating chicken envy!
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Post by ncgarden on Feb 8, 2015 18:44:16 GMT -5
I am pretty sure I will not get more horses. I doubt I will get more sheep. Jury is still out on bees. But I hope to never live without chickens ever again! Brownrexx - this year, the hens are helping prep for the garden. I had 10 bales of hay that were too old and dusty for the horses. But, I would not dare put directly into the garden as mulch because then it grows...well...hay. So I spread it out in our chicken run (which is covered), and the ladies have been scratching through it, burrowing, and hopefully removing all of the seed heads! Of course, they still prefer to be out and about, but I think it has really improved their lock-down time.
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Post by brownrexx on Feb 8, 2015 18:49:04 GMT -5
That's a fabulous outdoor pen. You really went all out for your girls.
Do you still have the bees? Tell us more on the bee thread when you get a chance.
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Post by gardendmpls on Feb 8, 2015 21:12:46 GMT -5
I have thirteen hens and a rooster (who needs to go before my neighbor turns me in). Five of the hens are six month old pullets just coming into lay. The two barred rock are three years old. Friday there were 8 eggs, yesterday 6 and today 7. Two of the young Australorpes will be going to a youth program's garden soon. Attachment Deleted
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Post by brownrexx on Feb 9, 2015 10:14:47 GMT -5
I have a Black Copper Maran rooster so we'll probably be raising more chicks this spring. I also have 14 hens but am only getting 2 or 3 eggs per day. One day I had 6 but that was the maximum.
2 of my hens are about 4-5 years old and are Bantams. They are such cute little hens but they are just pets and don't lay anymore.
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Post by ncgarden on Feb 9, 2015 13:40:29 GMT -5
I messed around with roosters in last year's flock. I cannot adequately describe how much I hated them - well, not so much them but how badly the Big Man On Campus treated the poultry loves of my life. He was a gorgeous guy, and I loved the crowing, but the day he bloodied my favorite hen was the day he "left the building" so to speak. If it's any consolation, we did not eat him.... The late, great Thyme before we went to the Dark Side
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Post by OregonRed on Feb 9, 2015 14:20:29 GMT -5
gosh, that is gorgeous - the chicken run. I make "enclosure" for my "indoor" cats when I have cats - usually attached to the house via a window. yours reminds me of that. I miss having cats :~(
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Post by brownrexx on Feb 9, 2015 16:17:42 GMT -5
Here's my guy. We have had some roosters that were really mean and they "left the building" too but this guy is really gentle. He definitely likes to "have his way" with the ladies but he has never bloodies anyone and anyway I think that they like him!
I don't know if it's the particular breed or just his particular personality but he is really a nice guy and watches over "his" flock whenever they are free ranging and that is the main reason we wanted a rooster. He has saved our girls from hawks quite a few times. He sounds the alarm and they run under the bushes.
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Post by binnylou on Feb 9, 2015 16:24:29 GMT -5
He's a beauty, brown. So WAS yours, ncgarden.
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Post by OregonRed on Feb 9, 2015 17:29:25 GMT -5
yah, I have friend that has chickens too, she keeps a rooster on purpose too, to keep the girls safe. she never mentioned about them being mean to the girls tho... cant remember if she removes the due claw... or whatever that's called
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Post by gardendmpls on Feb 10, 2015 23:30:38 GMT -5
It's called a spur. Attachment DeletedWe had one rooster who was really vicious- earned himself the name Psycho. He was donated to someone who needed a good meal. The one we have now is a lot nicer, and has to take pecks from the older hens. My neighbor was pretty nasty the other day about crowing. He also doesn't like dogs, people talking outside and probably loud breathing. I'm tempted to complain about the noise from his tools in his garage, but it doesn't really bother me and I am not into the retaliation stuff. I just agreed with him that the rooster has to go, and will be giving him to a student's mother soon.
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