Recent content by ZedikerStation

Playground mulch (hardwood chips) works well. You can get it at most landscape supply places. The key is at least 6 inches deep. It will stay for a winter or a bit longer in a run that is not covered. If there is a bit of a slope, a few 6 inch logs will prevent most of it from getting kicked...

Wild animals have evolved over millions of years. I believe that thinking a hawk can't tell the difference between a chicken and a crow is wishful thinking at best. Let's not forget how far away a hawk can spot a mouse in a field. I'm not a hawk, but I suspect a hawk would rather "deal" with a...

I agree with @texsuze on the insulation, but for the heat not the cold. Chickens do much better in the cold than in the heat. An option to cover insulation on the walls is cheap sheets stapled over it. They can't/and don't even try to mess with it. It also doesn't trap any moisture/condensation...

True... we like to monitor the intake of calcium, so the bowl gives me a good idea of what is ingested as opposed to what get burried in the run.

We go with the up-cycled dog bowls. Grit in one, Oyster in the other.

We used this this year. It worked really well.... However....It was Spring and we didn't have -20 to deal with...

This nest was found up in a cherry tree, 4 feet off the ground. Don't just look down!! This guy was probably a frequent visitor until he got hung up on the electric...

The bottom Girt, is showing signs of water. If that is water marks, that might cause a bit too much humidity in the cold months causing frost bite. You want dry...

The other "down-side" to artificial light is it can affect their molting. Molt is driven by season and usually occurs in the fall when the hours of sunlight decrease. That's "a" reason hens take a vacation from laying eggs and redirect their energy to feather regrowth. It takes a lot of protein...

We experimented with artificial light a few years ago. It resulted in egg production all winter. We decided it was more hassle than it was worth, so we haven't done it since. They need 14 hours of light per day to lay an egg (generally speaking). It needs to stay at 14 hours/day. Going from 9...

Back in the late 70's, when I was in the 4-H, we raised 300 "Capons" a year. The local Cooperative Extension would "Caponize" the chicks for the kids. (This doesn't happen anymore because there are now "meat birds" that get "fat and lazy" without it.) They were very docile birds. Wasn't a...

Have you considered light? Daylight stimulates the reproductive cycle of egg layers, increasing production when exposed to more light. Hens typically produce more eggs in the spring and summer months because of the longer exposure to sunlight throughout the day. I have found that it comes on...

I've noticed when the Blue Jay's start making racket in the trees, the hens look for cover. I've never seen a hawk when they are squawking, but the hens take notice. Scare crows work for about 30 days, and that's with moving it every 2 to 3 days. They figure it out pretty quick.

A hawk scared these girls earlier in the day by trying to get in the covered run. On days like that they've trained themselves to stay close to their protection... - Enclosed run, best advice. -Dog that tries to sprout wings if a hawk flies over, good second!

If you put them far enough back, they will swallow! If you just put it in the front, most likely she will drop it!