|
piscesbobbie posted:amazing! My sister's beagle was bitten by a dog and ended up with tubes coming out of her back to drain the infection! Chickens must be tough and immune from dog bite/mouth bacteria? Dogs have a lot less bacteria and that in their mouths than humans do. Their saliva has mild antibacterial properties but at the same time doesn't have the enzymes in it to break down food that ours does, it's really just a lubricant that helps them eat as quickly as possible, so food doesn't linger in their mouths and cause bacteria like it does in ours. I found a disgusting experiment a long time ago where they left two bits of meat in jars of spit, one in a jar of human and one in a jar of dog. The dog spit basically just preserved the meat while the human spit dissolved it. Luckily for you, I can't find that link! If you're bitten by a dog then you're probably ok as long as you wash and keep an eye on it. Get bitten by a human? Be ready for a course of good antibiotics. Edit: Oh god, top of the page. With that. Have a picture of a sebright. 
|
#
?
Sep 11, 2014 09:30
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 25, 2024 21:40 |
|
|
Welp, that Sebright is adorable and now I want one. Pretty sure at least one of the younger two chickens has started laying now, because we're getting two brown eggs and one green one some days. Other days, just one brown and one green from the older two ladies. They have started to come together as a flock finally, and are delightful to watch in the yard. :3  Edit: Also they like to chase the cat, who does not approve of birds that are bigger than she is. 
Faerunner fucked around with this message at 11:12 on Sep 11, 2014 |
|
#
?
Sep 11, 2014 11:10
|
|
|
My lacey girls found our old burn pit and realized it's an AWESOME place for dust baths:  She REALLY did not want to get out of the ash pile!
|
|
#
?
Sep 11, 2014 22:34
|
|
|
PIP PIP PIP and Faerunner - your chickens are just gorgeous! dang...I'm jealous! Thanks for sharing the photos 
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2014 00:20
|
|
|
fork bomb posted:Post new pics of the chickens you still have. My grumpy hens  Trapped.     This is a Pheasant that I didn't have the heart to kill about 6 or 7 years ago and the kids have named "Blue". He hangs around the hens most of the time but he is able to fly out of the coup. Fine with me if he buggers off forever because he is noisy, especially if he thinks that his hens are in danger. He wont let humans approach him though, quite skittish.
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2014 00:26
|
|
|
With any luck, that pheasant will die of natural causes. Then you can have it mounted and tell people how great you are at hunting birds.
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2014 01:58
|
|
|
Displeased Moo Cow: Thanks for posting the photos! I really like the second-to-last image of the hen posing in front of the wall. That's a very handsome peasant. I'd put up with his noise just because he's pretty. At least he tries to protect the hens! Nice batch of Red Stars. They look really healthy for ex-battery hens.
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2014 02:12
|
|
|
chicken dump in honour of two new hens      
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2014 03:20
|
|
|
Nettle Soup posted:
Oh God, that hen is judging me and finding me wanting. She's like the reincarnation of my second grade teacher. I'm jealous of all these pictures of pretty chickens with feathers, most of mine don't have many right now...especially Bug. I'll have to get some pics of her tomorrow, she's doing a hard molt and looks like a worn-out scrub brush.
|
|
#
?
Sep 13, 2014 04:03
|
|
|
Pip, THAT LACING.  Yes please VS! We want to see bottle-brush hens! Ken, your new girls are lovely! What are their names? And another chicken photodump! It's fall and fall means pumpkins, and I had a conveniently chicken-sized scallop (patty-pan) squash, so to celebrate being off night shift (three weeks of overnight inventory prep, auaaagh) and because the girls were bored as hell, I gave 'em some fun. And took pictures!  Bok? Bok! Bok bok!  Consensus? Edible!     Myrcella Photobombs!  Whhhrrrrt?  Ellaria is ready for her close-up :3 Faerunner fucked around with this message at 20:25 on Sep 13, 2014 |
|
#
?
Sep 13, 2014 20:22
|
|
|
WOW Faerunner and Thatbastardken, gorgeous chickens! Thank you for sharing your photos. edit: I have never seen a squash like that! Interesting shape!
|
|
#
?
Sep 13, 2014 22:21
|
|
|
My silly chickens haven't figured out the concept of treats... I put some pears in the run and they pecked at them a few times and gave me a "WTF?" look. Tomatoes are a non-event. They didn't even go for scrambled eggs! They're mad about scratch, though, and are avid spider hunters, so who knows. Silly ladies!
|
|
#
?
Sep 13, 2014 23:20
|
|
|
Hello Chicken Thread! I have been doing more proofreading of olde timey documents archived by Trove, an Australian government library service. Basically, a computer scans in old documents - newspapers, magazines, etc - and tries turning what it reads into text. Unfortunately, computers are still very bad at reading human writing, whether handwritten or typed, so eventually real humans have to come in and fix it up. (If you have ever done a reCAPTCHA to verify that you are not a robot, you have helped digitise scanned texts and make them more searchable.) One of the things I like to focus on is the terrible, terrible jokes section of an 1860s newspaper from Queensland, Australia, the Best Of which I then post in the Auspol thread. I also keep an eye out for chicken-related articles - and that is just what I have today! Enjoy this article about lovely chickens, I found it quite amusing. (I've added a few paragraph breaks because they hadn't invented the enter key in 1866.) MY POULTRY YARD. AMONG my various sorts and kinds, I had one little golden-laced Hamburg hen, of so elegant a form, so beautifully complexioned, and of such sweet, engaging manners, that I called her Lady Mary, after a certain lovely and beloved young friend. Lady Mary made herself the favorite, whether I would or not. She was always the first to see me coming; she did not fuss herself; or gobble eagerly after food, but flew on to a rail; as I passed that rail, she flew into my hand. From it she daintily helped herself out of the tin of food. During the whole process of feeding, she remained on my hand or shoulder, looking down on the greedy crowd below with lofty disdain. Had she any grievance to communicate to me, she flew upon my hat, and made onslaughts on it. I thus understood the water was not fit for her to drink, or that some one had been daring to use her nest, or that she had serious thoughts of laying an egg. She was immensly fussy about her nest, going in and out of it, peering at me, as if I was perfectly aware of all her wants. In her nest I had put a little gallene egg, by way of a nest egg, thinking the size of it would be about the size of her own egg. Not a bit of it. In her various trials of all the nests about, she had come upon one with an addled turkey-egg in it, by way of nest-egg. I understood as well as possible, that though Lady Mary's nest was made of chopped straw, unlike all the others, and though I had put a grating so that few but herself could get into it, she never would be satisfied or lay an egg comfortably, until she had the addled turkey-egg substituted for the gallene's egg. Readers, have you not often met a friend similarly whimsical, with everything in the world but one little trifle, the possession of a neighbor? Lady Mary was immensly delighted when she had the turkey's egg given her. In hen language she chuckled over it for hours, and diligently laid a tiny little egg by it, almost every other day. My other "historical" fowl was also a hen. A heavy short-legged stupid-looking creature, with a little Polish blood in her veins; for she had a shabby-looking top-not of feathers on her head, that never would arrange itself straight. Like an old dowager, who thinks the family diamonds will make amends for the dyed satin gown, this old hen fancied her top-knot was a patent of nobility, and she strutted about as if queen of the yard. She reminded me very much of an old great-aunt of mine, whose head-gear was the one worry of her own life, and the life of those near her. She thought of what she should put on her head the moment she got up in the morning; and the wonder, if it had kept straight all day (which it never did), occupied her the last thing at night. I had a mind to call my old hen Aunt Deb, but the likeness was too striking, so I christened her Juno. She was a stupid creature, and plumped her first egg down in the yard; but I must do her the justice to say, that when once shown a nest, she pertinaciously kept it ever after, no matter what state it might be in. Between Lady Mary and Juno there was no love lost; the former always "shied" her, as it were, just as if some old farmer's wife was being too familiar with a young princess. Not that there was much feeling of any kind in poor old Juno's breast. She appeared to me solely occupied in the thought of her topknot. She seemed always trying to gaze up at this wonderful structure, so that she was always the last to get any food, to be on her perch, to do anything. She hid eggs with praiseworthy industry, and she sat upon than like a model mother. In fact, it appeared to me that she was always sitting. When I returned home after three weeks' absence (I usually indulged myself by not getting up the first morning or so), I went down after breakfast to inspect my poultry, and hear of their welfare. I was not surprised that no Lady Mary met me. Three weeks of disappointment in a hennish mind would naturally tend to forgetfulness. "Well, Judith, how many eggs?" "Three undred and highty-two, mem." "Any hens sitting?" "'Deed, mam, there's old Juno at it agin, and deed o' goodness, mem, if Lady Mary bean't sitting too." "Is she indeed? That is the first time I ever knew her to do so." "True for you, mem. It were all along a missing you. She took to sitting immediate." "Then her time is nearly up?" "'Deed, mem, as she wore that fond of big eggs, I did give her duck-eggs." "Then you were very silly. And I suppose Juno has hen eggs?" "'Deed hev she, mem." "Well, couldn't you see that a little thing like Lady Mary could only cover a few eggs, and ought to have had small ones; while old Juno can keep warm almost as many as a turkey, and could have taken fifteen duck-eggs? Besides, Lady Mary never sat before, and a month of it will sicken her." "'Deed, mem, it's amazin'; I didn't see that." I spoke to Lady Mary, who condescended to come out and inform me, after her fashion, that she thought it high time that she should bring up a family. But evidently she was heartily sick of sitting, and I was obliged to keep the grating over her nest until the eggs chipped. Madame Juno was sitting awkwardly on her eggs, facing up at her topknot, evidently equally indifferent to my attentions or Judith's; either was the same to her. In due time, both hatched out, and were put out in the orchard under two coops not far from each other, with wired grass runs for the young ones. Lady Mary was intensely delighted with her downy little lumps of fluff at first. But when nature asserted her rights, and they began to paddle about, into the water and out, over the food and in it, sprinkling it about, and eating it in an extraordinary fashion, I shall never forget her dismay. Had not the mother instinct been irrepressible, I doubt if she would have permitted the little damp dirty things to go and dry themselves warm under her. As it was, all her mother pride was gone. She would not eat, she would not cluck, she seemed almost broken-hearted; and, as if to put the climax to her woes, she had a full view of Madame Juno clucking sonorously to eleven of the prettiest, brightest, sweetest little dainty chickens ever seen—which, by-the-by, in her perpetual gazing at her beloved top-knot, she was always treading upon. "Oh, Judith," said I, "how sorry I am that Lady Mary has not those pretty chickens, and Juno the ducks! Ducks can always take care of themselves, and old Juno is so stupid, she will tread those chickens to death." "'Deed, mem, 'tis a pity. Lady Mary don't seem to stomach the ducklings at all." "She will never sit again, you will see," said I. I coaxed her, and petted her, and did all I could to soothe her feelings, even going so far as to let her out next day for a little run. She did not go far, but kept close to Juno's coop. Juno was let out in a day or two after, fortunately by myself, so that I witnessed what followed. The moment old Juno stalked forth, blundering over her brood as she did it, Lady Mary flew upon her. She buffeted her, and, as if aware of her weakness, pecked at her topknot; she hustled her, drove her, and at last sent her flying, half blind, and wholly stupid, into her (Lady Mary's) coop, whither the little ducks had fled, in dire terror at their foster-mother's behaviour. She watched for a few moments. I gently closed the coop, making Juno and the ducks prisoners, when, on hearing the little plaintive chirp of the startled chickens, Lady Mary gave a loud and joyous chirrup, to which they quickly responded, and collecting them all round her, clucking and chirrupping until she almost lost her balance, little Lady Mary carried the whole brood to the other end of the orchard. Then, it was impossible to say which was the happier, the proud little mother, or the eager busy chirping little chicks. As for Madam Juno, she remained stunned and mystified for some time. At last, feeling little timid soft things creeping under her, she obeyed her instincts, and squatted over them. Then she and her newly-acquired children all had a good doze; and to this minute it is mine and Judith's belief that she does not know her children were ever changed. —"A Dish of Poultry" in All the Year Round. e: Here is the first post of terrible jokes. CROWS EVERYWHERE fucked around with this message at 09:28 on Sep 14, 2014 |
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2014 09:25
|
|
|
So. New possible parentage development with Striker's kid. (Unfortunately Striker herself vanished a week ago with no trace.) Previously, due to the five toes and slight leg fuzz, I thought that Tetrazzini was the dad, since he was the only virile Silkie rooster we had. But as you can see, But we don't have a black Silkie roos- aw, poo poo. Hemingway. But he was born on Easter. That's 20 April. The egg that this chick came from was laid on about 1 Aug. Is it possible that he got virile that quickly? I thought it took them longer to get bangin'. 
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2014 21:41
|
|
|
So Megatron somehow managed to get into our neighbor's backyard even though she's molting and doesn't have a full set of flight feathers. I don't know why she did that as she's never tried to jump over the fence ever since we got her as one of the baby strays. fortunately the neighbor's dog was locked so nothing happened to her, and we found out only because the neighbor caught her and brought her to us. I have all the hens locked in the coop now and have been spraying them every 1-2 hours with the hose as it's really hot today, but I wonder why Mega decided the house next door is so appealing  .
|
|
#
?
Sep 15, 2014 01:26
|
|
|
Faerunner posted:Ken, your new girls are lovely! What are their names? The little red one is Cuddles, because she is super affectionate and wants to be picked up. The white one is Nimbus, because she's cloud-like in many ways - white, fluffy, likes to be on top of things. Integration is a slow process, the established hens are Not Pleased about the newcomers. I find myself spending a lot of time in the run playing rooster to discourage bullying. thatbastardken fucked around with this message at 02:47 on Sep 15, 2014 |
|
#
?
Sep 15, 2014 02:44
|
|
|
Pictures of my unhappy worn-out scrub brushes on legs... What the heck, Bug is the most horrifying, we'll start with her--although she's been working hard on preening in those new feather nubs and isn't as stubbly as she was yesterday:    Rambo, not to be outdone, is also powermolting.  Most of the chickens are molting, the coop and run look like I could knit myself 5 new chickens. Oh, and Pumpkin sez hai...  Her Leghorn silly head doodad is coming along nicely. She isn't molting and looks lovely!
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2014 04:12
|
|
|
That is some serious molting going on.  A couple random shots from yesterday. Hemingway is very nearly the spitting image of his father, other than the comb and the rebellious teenager mullet. And the five toes of course.  Dumpling lording over the flock.  This is something I haven't noticed much on account of his leg/foot feathering, but holy poo poo his spurs are huge. 
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2014 19:22
|
|
|
[quote="Velvet Sparrow" post="434997310"] Pictures of my unhappy worn-out scrub brushes on legs... Jeez VS. Bug... is that normal, I mean, it looks pretty bad to me. Poor girl and oh Rambo, I hope they get their new feathers quickly! Gotta love those Leghorn floppy combs THE RAT - your boys are just gorgeous. WOW! Thanks for sharing the pictures everyone! Got my HMKFP stuff today - hooray!
|
|
#
?
Sep 18, 2014 00:38
|
|
|
want a rooster but zoning laws say no they are so fierce and fabulous
|
|
#
?
Sep 18, 2014 05:19
|
|
|
piscesbobbie posted:[quote="Velvet Sparrow" post="434997310"] Bug is doing a hard molt (some molts aren't that extreme) but yes, it's normal. She'll be in great shape for winter. We've upped their protein a bit to help them along and are being careful not to handle them when they are in this condition. We've had a few nights with temps dipping down into the low 40's, it's FINALLY triggering the regrowing of feathers in some of the girls that had been previously lost a bunch due to over-roostering in Spring. I went out tonight and the entire yard is covered in feathers.  Also, today I caught Frosty standing out behind the chicken coop practicing his crow, he looked ambarrassed when I walked around the corner and caught him.
|
|
#
?
Sep 18, 2014 11:05
|
|
|
Photo posted by Redditor Corrikopat of their pet rooster: a tolbunt frizzled Polish rooster named 'Captain Jack.' IMO, this is the most ridiculous and fantastic rooster that I have ever seen! 
|
|
#
?
Sep 20, 2014 00:43
|
|
|
Inveigle posted:Photo posted by Redditor Corrikopat of their pet rooster: a tolbunt frizzled Polish rooster named 'Captain Jack.' That looks like some kind of Chicken Khan.
|
|
#
?
Sep 20, 2014 13:57
|
|
|
Velvet Sparrow posted:Pictures of my unhappy worn-out scrub brushes on legs...  Pumpkin looks darling and if you do decide to knit yourself a few more chickens please let us know so we can admire them! Bug, on the other hand, is in fact horrifying and I'm sorry for her. On the other hand, molting is amusing to those of us who don't have to go through it! Inveigle, I showed that rooster to my husband and he said: "That's not a rooster. That's not even a chicken." Frizzles are so weird. I like his coloring, though! Oh, and Rat, I would steal Hemingway if I were allowed to have another chicken. SO PRETTY. So working overnights is done and I'm back on day shift but I've been forgetting to check the coop daily for eggs. Skipped a day, went out to look (and tidy up the run, because the girls are messy when they're bored). Nothing in the nest box...  Let's check the coop floor!   Welp. I guess they're all laying now. I -just- extended the nest boxes, too. Faerunner fucked around with this message at 14:10 on Sep 20, 2014 |
|
#
?
Sep 20, 2014 14:08
|
|
|
I've been meaning to post pics of the flock, but between work, keeping up with the animals, and being nearly 8 months pregnant, things have been a little hectic. My girls have started laying this week. This is what we've gotten from five days and five hens. So we ended up with a LOT of roos out of our 14 straight run chicks. Unfortunately had to make some really hard choices culling down. Our girls are: One golden wyandotte, one barred rock, and three black copper marans (though I think they're all olive egger mutts). Out of the rooboys, we kept the speckled sussex, who is head roo, and the accidental New Hampshire Red that was supposed to be a buff Orpington. Sadly, our buff orp and both our easter eggers turned out to be roos. I'm going to need to go hen shopping next spring and try to get guaranteed pullets, because I really want an EE and an orp. We picked up a silver wyandotte pullet from a friend who ordered too many, so that brings our current flock to eight. I still need to take pics of the flock all grown up. I'll try to do that later today, since we want to modify the run roof and make the coop a little bigger now that we know what our final count is.
|
|
#
?
Sep 20, 2014 16:37
|
|
|
snakecharmer posted:I've been meaning to post pics of the flock, but between work, keeping up with the animals, and being nearly 8 months pregnant, things have been a little hectic. Wow! Look at those lovely, dark eggs from the marans hens. They look like they're made of chocolate.
|
|
#
?
Sep 20, 2014 17:02
|
|
|
snakecharmer posted:I've been meaning to post pics of the flock, but between work, keeping up with the animals, and being nearly 8 months pregnant, things have been a little hectic. Not bad for a first week of laying! Those dark browns are beautiful. And yay, another EE fan! I love the olive eggs my EE lays. They make such a nice contrast to the little brown eggs.
|
|
#
?
Sep 20, 2014 20:46
|
|
|
Faerunner posted:
That's hilarious. You might try placing curtains over the front of the boxes to give them more of a hidey-hole quality, hens love that. My curtains have a split up the middle so the hens can come and go without any trouble. I've never seen a nest of bark chips before, do they like it or is it too butt-pokey? Maybe sprinkle a thin layer of straw or hay in there, hens love to fuss around with their nests arranging them, putting nesting material on their backs, etc.
|
|
#
?
Sep 20, 2014 20:48
|
|
|
VS, yeah, I laughed so hard I had to sit down. My husband didn't see what was so funny! I'm currently out of straw/hay; the only place I know off the top of my head that sells it is my workplace and it's highway robbery buying straw from them (seriously, $7/bale this year!). The girls don't seem to mind the pine chips (they're very fine), and last time they had hay/straw in the boxes they kicked it out, threw it around on the floor and then nested in the corner on the chips anyway. I'll definitely be upgrading the front of the boxes with higher ledges to keep the chips/straw in, curtains, and more straw soon because as the nights get colder the straw will be more insulating for their big fluffy behinds. Silly needy chickens...
|
|
#
?
Sep 20, 2014 22:21
|
|
|
Photo dump time! Let's start with the boys. This is Stan, the Sussex head roo. He was just Stanley, but his favorite game is to challenge and charge me (and then back down when I face his challenge). He's such a warlike little thing that I rechristened him Stannis.   And since I had to rename Rose anyway since "she" had the poor grace to grow up to be a rooster, this is Renley the accidental NH Red, looking regal:  Game of Coops! (I'm so sorry.)And now onto the ladies: Dolores, the Gold Laced Wyandotte. Always the last into the run. If anyone has to be chased and rounded up, it's Dolores. Always Dolores.  The three marans are Phil (Phyllis) with the black neck and the pea comb:  Prudence the Angry, with the nicest comb of the three:  And Reggie (Regina), the Derp. She has the most red on her neck, and also the most hosed up comb imaginable and it's adorable:  The barred rock, Gloria, is photobombing Reggie. She apparently does not like cameras, because every shot of just her I tried to get is blurry, so I gave up. I'm pretty sure she's head hen--she's always running with the boys and is first out of the gate both when I let them out of the run, and when they see me coming with the treat bucket. And Gladys, the now 10-week-old Silver Wyandotte pullet we just picked up:  She's still a hideous teenager. 
|
|
#
?
Sep 22, 2014 02:10
|
|
|
Your chickens are awesome and your naming scheme is hilarious. Well done!
|
|
#
?
Sep 22, 2014 04:33
|
|
|
snakecharmer posted:Photo dump time! Hahaha, I'm not the only one! (My Buff Orp is Myrcella, and my Australorp is Ellaria). If I got a rooster I'd be naming him Oberyn. 
|
|
#
?
Sep 22, 2014 16:56
|
|
|
AHAHAHA, we're getting dense smoke again from several huge California wildfires, just like last year. Our AQI right now is 197, 'Very Unhealthy'. Don't worry, if I have to bring the chickens into the house again I'll get pictures and start the webcam. *sigh*  Meanwhile, I got me a new pair of chickens! Bantam Cochins, whee!  http://jackshenhouse.blogspot.com/2014/09/mushroom-and-olive.html Velvet Sparrow fucked around with this message at 20:30 on Sep 23, 2014 |
|
#
?
Sep 23, 2014 02:44
|
|
|
Velvet Sparrow posted:AHAHAHA, we're getting dense smoke again from several huge California wildfires, just like last year. Our AQI right now is 197, 'Very Unhealthy'. At this point, maybe you should consider building an addition to the house for the chickens...
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2014 06:53
|
|
|
Vaga42Bond posted:At this point, maybe you should consider building an addition to the house for the chickens... With their own A/C or air filtration system! And treat dispensers!
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2014 07:01
|
|
|
So I'm starting to think of winter. I'm originally from NY so I'm not worried about anything except the waterer. We're in upstate MD right by the PA border, and last winter was pretty rough (record snowfalls, panicked southerners, it was fun). So I'm trying to gauge what the best solution is. Does anyone have any experience with one of these heated metal base thingies? http://www.amazon.com/Farm-Innovators-Poultry-HP-125-125-Watt/dp/B000HHQDPM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411605983&sr=8-1&keywords=poultry+base The fire hazard warning is clear that it's designed for galvanized waterers, but I greatly dislike the galvanized ones. I'm wondering if it's reasonably safe to use with a plastic waterer. There are Amazon comments saying people have had no problems with doing it. I'm slightly worried it might melt the plastic enough to cause a leak and cause water damage to the heater. My husband is concerned it will run too long or too hot and burn the heating element out because it's not conducting along a metal waterer like it's designed. It will be in the run, not the coop, and it will be reasonably protected from the elements because of the run roof. I'm not worried about burning down the coop and setting the chickens on fire, but I don't know if it's going to be $50 wasted because I didn't just buy and fight with the stupid galvanized can.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2014 02:33
|
|
|
snakecharmer posted:The fire hazard warning is clear that it's designed for galvanized waterers, but I greatly dislike the galvanized ones. I'm wondering if it's reasonably safe to use with a plastic waterer. There are Amazon comments saying people have had no problems with doing it. I'm slightly worried it might melt the plastic enough to cause a leak and cause water damage to the heater. My husband is concerned it will run too long or too hot and burn the heating element out because it's not conducting along a metal waterer like it's designed. I'm gonna agree with your husband here. Sorry! Maybe buy a smaller galvanized waterer for the winter if you find them annoying?
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2014 04:04
|
|
|
snakecharmer posted:So I'm starting to think of winter. I'm originally from NY so I'm not worried about anything except the waterer. We're in upstate MD right by the PA border, and last winter was pretty rough (record snowfalls, panicked southerners, it was fun). So I'm trying to gauge what the best solution is. My chickens HATE our galvinized waterer--I bought a fancy self-filling one years ago--and won't drink from it. We also live in an area now where the water freezes in winter, and to top it off we have to turn off the outside water in winter, which means no garden hose. We use a couple of the big heavy-duty black rubber feeding tubs for water normally, since the chickens love to stand in them to cool off in warm weather. They are easy to clean, and survive being frozen just fine. Luckily I have a 15 year old daughter to haul a bucket of warm water out to the waterers every morning to fill them in winter. We may live it up and get a heated waterer this winter though and see how it goes, because hauling buckets of water SUCKS.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2014 08:43
|
|
|
Have you considered making a pond and watching outraged chickens slide across it in winter?
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2014 09:10
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 25, 2024 21:40 |
|
|
 Confused rescue chickens! Can't wait to see them in the grass for the first time in their short miserable lives tomorrow morning.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2014 22:25
|
|
