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Post by datgirl on Apr 14, 2023 7:29:08 GMT -5
That's what we get from our chickens. Brown and green.
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Post by gardendmpls on Apr 14, 2023 9:41:55 GMT -5
Green eggs are usually from a hybrid cross of a blue egg layer with a brown egg layer. The exception is the Isbar, a variety which was developed to lay green eggs without being a hybrid. I have all colors, but my favorite is from the Welsummer chickens. The eggs are brown speckled with darker brown spots. Very pretty.
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Post by desertwoman on Jul 20, 2023 19:40:39 GMT -5
Our closest neighbor has had chickens for the past year+. She lets her chickens out to free range and they love our property: shade and lots of nibbles.Never having raised chickens I don't really know what they find appealing here but assuming they are eating grasses, weeds and maybe insects? I figure we're probably getting a little manure left behind.
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Post by gardendmpls on Jul 20, 2023 21:22:01 GMT -5
assuming they are eating grasses, weeds and maybe insects All of the above. They are omnivores and also eat worms, slugs, snails, frogs and even mice.
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Post by datgirl on Sept 10, 2023 8:44:06 GMT -5
Our two Guinea hens are gone. Sometimes they would fly up into the trees to roost and wouldn't come down when we were locking up the pen at night. This time I guess they were caught by some animal. We have a lot of fox and raccoons in the area that might have found them. Either that or they have wandered into somebodies yard and stayed there. It's a lot quieter around here for sure.
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Post by gardendmpls on Sept 10, 2023 23:59:15 GMT -5
When I read about people experimenting with owning guinea hens, most accounts end with either "they wandered off" or "they disappeared". Don't seem to be many long term relationships. They don't appear to take well to domestication.
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Post by datgirl on Sept 12, 2023 15:56:59 GMT -5
Well, one showed up today. They are bullies. I'm sure the hens were glad they were gone. Now they only have one to deal with, unless the other one shows up too. Believe me, we did not buy these. A neighbor owned these two, and when he passed away, we were asked if we would take them along with the miniature rooster. The only good thing about them was they made a lot of noise when anything or anyone approached. Kind of a built in alarm system.
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Post by desertwoman on Sept 25, 2023 10:04:26 GMT -5
OK here's my dilemma....our closest neighbor has had chickens now for 1 1/2 to 2 years. They started letting them free range, widely and unattended, this past spring. We love having them in our outer yard and they especially love hanging out under our fruit trees. We get the pleasure of chickens wandering about without having the responsibility for their care. We even get some free eggs now and then as a thank you for tolerating them-not a hard thing for us except.... they also like to hangout under our carport, which has a dirt floor. The chicken poop has become an issue. It's a minefield walking to my car door!, until it gets raked up. They have been conscientious neighbors and want to take responsibility, sending their 10 year old son to do the raking. That's great, but still- we are dealing with the minefield at different times.
So my question is... is there a way to deter chickens from a certain area? Fencing won't work, since we both drive in and out of the carport regularly. We have a sprinkler on a motion detector at the strawberry patch , which works well there, but wouldn't want the cars getting sprayed as we come and go. So I keep wondering if chickens can be trained to stay away from the carport or if there is a smell that would be repelling to them and not offensive to us. I saw that certain spices can be used. Have any of you had success with that? Or something else?
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Post by breezygardener on Sept 25, 2023 16:25:28 GMT -5
I raised chickens for many years, & alas I think you're out of luck. Apart from fencing, I never found anything that would deter chickens from frequenting an area they enjoyed frequenting.
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Post by datgirl on Sept 26, 2023 8:10:46 GMT -5
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Post by gardendmpls on Sept 26, 2023 18:42:49 GMT -5
Maybe cover the area with sand or another drying substance (wood bedding pellets for horses) to keep the poo from sticking to your feet. Another idea would be to surface it with patio blocks, bricks, stones, gravel or some other hard surface. They like digging in the dirt. They are not too fond of standing on gravel or the like.
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Post by centralilrookie on Sept 28, 2023 21:22:29 GMT -5
We got a new bunch of 10 chicks this spring and they started laying in the last month. All lay brown eggs but one who gives cute little green jems! Go girls go!!
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Post by gardendmpls on Sept 28, 2023 22:54:03 GMT -5
Put in two orders for chicks, 35 total. Most of my chickens are well over 4 years old and except for 8-9 younger ones and a few favorites, they will be going to a neighbor who delights in the taste of older chickens. Last time I raised chicks in the basement bar area (in many homes from the 50's), I didn't have cats. Today I bought some good mesh to keep the cats out of the area. Since they will be winter raised, they can't go out until fully feathered in December. They should all be laying by March/April. I will be selling some, as many in this area have chickens but are nervous about raising them.
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Post by desertwoman on Sept 28, 2023 23:14:51 GMT -5
They are not too fond of standing on gravel or the like. Ha! remind these girls, please. They seem to not mind .We have a graveled circle driveway and under the carport is base coarse (hard packed dirt with varied sized gravel pieces. But mostly it looks like dirt). They love it there. And though not nearly as bad as under the carport they seem not to mind the gravel driveway . There's poop there too ,but not nearly as much. I suspected there wasn't much to be done to deter them. But a woman can hope. I read that they don't like the smell of citrus peels so I'm thinking I will try sprinkling some cut up pieces along the entry to the carport. Good excuse to eat a bunch of oranges in the next few days.
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Post by breezygardener on Sept 29, 2023 13:14:07 GMT -5
I read that they don't like the smell of citrus peels so I'm thinking I will try sprinkling some cut up pieces along the entry to the carport. Chickens love to eat the flesh of oranges, & don't mind the peels at all, although they won't eat them. I don't think adding peels to your carport is going to do anything at all.
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