Recent content by DebFR

One note about water and ducks. Yes, ducks and chickens will both use a nipple waterer, but ducks also need water they can dip their entire bill into to clear their nostrils.

My EEs flew right over my 4' electric POULTRY netting, as did my barred rocks, and just about everyone else, including my enormous black australorp rooster. Poultry netting - ha! They even occasionally flew up to the top of my little gypsy wagon hen house that is 6' tall. When a friend showed us...

Buffs are gorgeous and although mine are not lap chickens, they seem to be among the calmer breeds. I wish mine were like Patti's, but my 2 are frequently broody. Deb

Lots covered here. I will just add - I cannot imagine ever having a yard without chickens! They are fabulous kinetic yard ornaments and are so much fun to watch. I have in my flock the 2 breed you mention and they are among my favorites. The BR are the most amazing foragers, the EE are amazing...

Great article and very helpful comments - thanks to all!

Yes, my long time duck and chicken care friend said - we do all we can, we learn as we go along, and we have to let the past go. Still working on that last part...

Yesterday one of my ducks stuck her head between the wires in the electric poultry netting and ended up dying. It is just such a drag when you go to lengths to protect creatures and then something like this happens. I have poultry netting from Premier - good stuff - and it has kept our chickens...

My husband designed and built this cute little house for my chickens. The long side is actually 2 wide doors that open for easy cleaning. The chickens' door is automatic, located on the opposite long side. They exit their home into a large wooded area that is enclosed with electric poultry...

Here are photos of 2 of my girls in the rain with their shawls/saddles on.

I think my chicken with the bald patch is picking at her own feathers. Her bald patch has gotten bigger since we relocated our rooster and I have seen her preening frequently. Thanks for the suggestion of using a magnifying glass to see if she has some parasites on her skin - I will do that...

Great photos of a colorful flock. You are inspiring me to get out there with the camera.

I totally understand. The first time I saw these chicken 'garments' I thought it was either a joke or done by someone that had a lot of free time on their hands. Then when I got a rooster and his repeated mountings created a bald area on the back of one of my birds, a light went on in my head -...

Will do just as soon as there is a bit of a break in the downpour.

I made and put aprons/shawls on 2 of my chickens last night. Of course they were color coordinated with their feathers... And now today we have the most incredible downpour and the girls are walking around with these wet color coordinated wads of fabric on their backs. In all my reading on this...