Reviews by slordaz

I had a hen hatch out 4 and get off the nest and didn't get out to check the eggs I had assumed were dead, with mom off them and cold night time temps, but when i picked one up I heard the cheep in the egg, so instead of just tossing them planned out of 4 eggs still in the nest 2 still had live chicks in them one got out on it's own the other had to have help but because I'd waited so long after momma got off the nest with her chicks it was to late to save the mal-positioned chick, luckily you had Butterscotch, my momma hen wasn't having nothing to do with the 2 day late chick she's incubated. so put it in temp brooder by itself, day time temps allowed to take it out for short periods, and it took me a week to get her to accept the late chick, but was more because the other chicks had accepted the lone chick.

Thank you for this review, I may try that with winter coming on, thought is was much more complicated that the way you put it with more benefits for both me and my chickens

Nicely detailed instructions for this beautiful coop. I showed my son as I'm not allowed to touch the power tools says my dad lol. Son asked me if I was crazy as asked him to make it. I may just use the hand tools as instructions were so good for someone not build savvy.

easiest way to hatch eggs, let momma hen do it, gives a good overlook for someone new to chickens on what to expect. One thing I don't do is candle if momma is raising them until she's left the nest with the babies usually within 24 hours, and sometimes there are eggs that for some reason were a little behind. Maybe a chill or she tried to incubate to many at once. I will candle any left in the nest as several times there have been a straggler or 2 that are still viable jsut not ready to hatch, I do have a small incubator that will hold up to 12 egg that is quick to get up if there are some eggs left in next that are still viable, my experience leaving them there she is more likely to harm the other chicks if they hatch out later under her after the others have been out a day. Then you can try to put them under her at night and watch for a bit to see if she accepts or attacks. Be prepared though to brood any that hatch out, usually it's taken me about a week of taking care of the chick and getting it out daily with the other chicks she's raising before she will accept them. Hope this little tidbit helps someone else.

We all feel the loss, and sometimes make mistakes but we just fix issues as found and ask advice when needed. No one way is perfect, we all have to decide what works best for our flocks, we share ideas and each one of us decides what works best for our flocks and us.

I myself do a lot of improvising on items and recycling items that can be reused from brooder to coop, to help keep down cost of them, mine don't like fancy stuff as long as they got a place to roost and lay they are happy campers and a Happy hen produces. Wish this article would have been written before I started and we built them a nice insulated secure coop that they hated and only time you could get them to go into that coop was if they wanted to brood. would have saved a lot of money and work.

that says alot for one that isn't supposed to touch tools, thank you for a great idea to help the baby chicks stay warm while getting them on a more natural sleep pattern

This article is amazing we will at some point or another have losses but what the author states is true, a lot of us do show more compassion to others and our animals than ourselves, and as hands on as most back yard flocks are it hits us big time. It is looking for the positive in a situation we are hurting from in the first place. We as humans keep learning I believe until the day we die theres always something to be learned if you can get past the emotional.

I remember one time when I was a youngster and dad gave me a cow to raise, I saw her as a pet and really excited he thought I was responsible enough to raise her but dad saw her as a food source for leaner times. Well I did a good job she had 2 calves and as a pet I was so connected to her that when she was in trouble I knew even clear out in the barn in the middle of the night in a blizzard. Her calf was breach and she had to have help, well after waking up a irritated dad and him and grandpa went out and checked so I would shut up, then spending the time to help her, the next time I said dad Peachy is in trouble, they just got up and went and helped.

The following year work was slow for both parents so dad made the call to process Peachy and her 2 calves to put food on the table for us kids. Dad was so mad, because I was angry he'd killed my cow and her babies that I had worked so hard to raise and raise right I refused to eat at the house for almost 2 years if it contained meat. I was young and inexperienced and dad forgot to explain that we would possibly be eating that calf he'd given to me to raise assuming I just knew it would be that way.

I love how the author made is pertinant to old school and more organic people in an easy to understand format, you get information from both sides like a well written article discussing a problem offering information on both conventional medicine and alternative medicine. It could save someones chicken if it happened while the stores were closed if they didn't already have stuff on hand to give the chick or chicken a natural head start before they could get what they needed from a vet or farm store.

Just because they are getting older doesn't mean they are not still an integral and valuable part of your flock, so they aren't laying eggs, but they are still teaching and some even will brood though they are not laying anymore, which still actually keeps your egg layers laying while adding new chicks to your flocks, they still love to help you keep the bug population down which to me seems like benefits worth keeping them around until they pass on. Recently locally I have seen people posting they will take your retiring chickens you don't want just for the things mentioned previously.

I was just getting ready to plant some herb boxes for friends I will add some of these out in there area now have a better list, I know for cure they love garlic, cilantro and lettuce . and maybe do couple of trays with chicken wire over top so they can't get all the way down to the roots for winter time as they are super harsh here

gave me something new to try to a young rooster that wasn't seeming to get it, he's finally quit challenging me as he was about ready to get sent to freezer camp due to attitude.

Thank you for this information and also how to best work on changing the local laws if you do not agree with them. Also some adding more food for thought were ideas I hadn't even thought of.

We each have our own journey in learning to keep our flocks happy and protected. Do not be afraid to change something if need be that isn't working for you and your flock, because happy chickens = more eggs even in the cold. a little research and you have eggs without providing extra light or heat source.

Inflecting personal views , comments after the information given frequently makes it harder to want to stay and read, those are best saved for a summary at the end.

While it is a good overview, I disagree with feeding a chicken or rooster raw egg, they are more likely to become egg eaters you cannot break of it and end up culling.

gives a person lots of food for thought and some ideas on improving too

we will all come to this point at sometime some of us sooner than others, but I do agree it's not a matter of not caring about your chickens you make that call when it's time, we invest time, effort and money into our babies and only want the best for them, but sometimes circumstances beyond our control dictate it's time for them to be moved on. When that time comes for me personally I can still be at least a good resource in teaching others about these amazing birds we've come to love and a new generation of keepers are born.