Last spring I let my hens out to scratch around the yard while I was weeding the garden, and this older lady from two streets over walked up and said I was basically asking for a hawk to grab them. She kept going on about how her birds stay in a locked run 24/7 because she read one blog post about predators. I asked her if she'd ever watched a flock just do their thing, dust bathe and chase bugs, and she admitted she hadn't in years. I told her my birds have been out daily for 3 seasons and I've lost exactly one to a raccoon, while she's had three die from heat stress in that same run. She didn't have much to say after that, but I still wonder if I was too blunt. Anyone else had a run-in with a coop-purist neighbor who thinks free-ranging is reckless?
Back when I first started keeping hens in 2019 I was lucky to get a dozen a week from the same number of birds, but after switching to a fermented feed and adding a second roost last March, I hit 42 eggs in seven days and had to start giving them to my neighbors, has anyone else seen that kind of jump from just a couple of small changes?
Last Tuesday I walked out to find my heat lamp cord melted halfway through, right where it draped over the roost bar from the night before. I switched to a $14 outlet timer that kills power during the warmest part of the day, and it's been two weeks with zero hot spots. Has anyone else caught a cord issue like this, or am I just lucky it didn't burn the whole flock?
Stopped by a small place outside Des Moines last weekend and their coop had zero smell, even with 30 birds packed in. They just layer straw and let it compost inside all season, no mucking out. Has anyone else tried this and does it really hold up through a wet winter?
She told me last spring that a clove of garlic in the drinker would help with respiratory issues, I figured it was old wives' tale stuff but three of my hens had that rattly breathing and after two weeks on garlic water they cleared right up, so has anyone else tried this or was it just coincidence timing?
I was cleaning out the garage last weekend and came across a Murray McMurray catalog from three years ago. Back then, I paid about $15 for a dozen hatching eggs and thought that was steep. Now I see the same breeds going for $30 or more, if you can even find them in stock. My neighbor started raising chickens just last month and she was shocked at what feed costs compared to what I told her I used to pay. It makes me wonder how many new folks are getting into this hobby when the startup costs keep climbing. Has anyone else noticed their local feed store prices doubling over the last couple years?
Everyone says free-ranging is the dream, but I tried it for 7 days straight back in April and lost two hens to a hawk that came out of nowhere near the oak tree by my fence. Plus, they scratched up every single flower bed I spent March planting, and my neighbor Mrs. Davis cornered me about them pooping on her patio. Has anyone else had a free-range week that went totally sideways, or am I just doing something wrong with my setup?
Spent $300 on hardware cloth and buried it 2 feet deep after a raccoon dug under my old setup last spring, but yesterday I watched a rat squeeze through a gap the size of my thumb where the mesh didn't quite meet at the corner. How do you guys seal those awkward joints between panels without making it impossible to ever take apart?
I was at Tractor Supply outside Topeka last weekend grabbing oyster shells, and I saw they had a whole end cap of chicken feed with peppermint oil added. The label said it was supposed to keep rodents away. I asked the clerk if anyone actually buys it and he just shrugged. Has anyone here tried that stuff or is it just a gimmick?
Tbh I see way too many folks dumping antibiotics into the water every time a hen sneezes. Last month my neighbor treated her entire flock of 12 for 'respiratory issues' and it turned out to be dust from stale bedding. I only use meds if a vet actually diagnoses something after a crop check or fecal test. Overdoing it just breeds resistant bugs and wastes money on stuff like Tylan or Corid that you don't need. Has anyone else seen this happen or am I the only one who thinks we're treating chickens like they're made of glass?
I have 8 hens in a small suburban setup near Cleveland and they were always looking a little rough, especially during molt. After about 3 months of just letting them scratch in the dirt, I finally built a dedicated dust bath area in a corner of the run. I used a shallow plastic tub filled with a mix of sand, wood ash, and a little diatomaceous earth. Within two weeks I could see the difference, their feathers got cleaner and they stopped picking at each other so much. Has anyone else noticed their chickens using a dust bath more if you put a little roof over it to keep it dry?
I let my birds out for 2 hours last Tuesday and a red-tailed hawk dropped in and took out my best layer and two pullets before I even got the back door open, and everyone in my local chicken group acts like free-ranging is the only humane way to keep birds but I'll take my fenced run and predator insurance every time now, has anyone else had a predator wipe out a flock that fast?
Was out back last weekend and heard my neighbor telling someone she gives her hens yogurt that's past the sell by date. Said they go crazy for it and she's done it for years with no issues. I always thought dairy was risky for chickens but now I'm wondering if I'm being too careful. Has anyone else tried feeding their flock stuff like that?
I was spending like $25 a bag on premium layer feed and my hens didn't seem any healthier. So I tried fermenting their feed last month after watching a YouTube video. All you do is add water and let it sit for 2-3 days until it gets bubbly. It cost me nothing extra since I already had a bucket and the feed goes twice as far now. My ladies are laying bigger eggs and the smell is way less gross in the coop. Anyone else tried fermenting and seen a difference in egg size?
I was cleaning out my shed last weekend and found an old paper feed bag from 2015. Now everything comes in those thick plastic woven bags that I can never seem to repurpose. Back then I used the paper bags to line my nesting boxes and start my compost pile. Anyone else miss the old packaging or have you found a good use for these new plastic ones?
Bought this fancy heated water bowl from the farm supply store back in November, rated for down to -20 degrees. First real freeze last week and the thing cracked right down the middle, water all over the run. Anyone found a cheap reliable way to keep the water from freezing that actually works?
So last month I read about fermenting chicken feed to boost probiotics and save on feed costs. Mixed up a batch of layer pellets with water and apple cider vinegar, let it sit for 3 days in a bucket. First morning I gave it to the girls they went completely nuts. Peggy started stumbling sideways, Bertha kept falling asleep standing up. I panicked thinking I poisoned them. Called my buddy who's been raising birds for 20 years and he laughed. Said the fermentation can go too long in warm weather and produce alcohol. These idiots were actually buzzed on fermented grain. Had to dump the whole bucket and start over with a shorter soak time. Anyone else accidentally get their flock tipsy?
So I was up at 2am last night trying to figure out why one of my hens keeps pecking her own eggs (still no clue btw), and I clicked a link about chicken evolution. Next thing I know I'm reading that chickens are directly related to the T-Rex through a bunch of fossil studies. I mean I knew birds came from dinosaurs but somehow seeing it written out for my little flock of 6 just hit me different. Has anyone else gone down this weird science path and found something wild about their birds?
Lost a small coop near Norfolk to a heat lamp short. That sparked a debate here: heat lamps versus heated pads for winter. I switched to pads after that, but my neighbor says lamps are fine with proper guards. What do you all do for winter warmth?
It happened last Tuesday night. I got home late from a job site and was just so tired I guess I didn't push the latch all the way down on the coop door. Came out Wednesday morning and found feathers everywhere and four of my girls gone. The raccoon got in through a gap I didn't even know was there near the nesting box. I spent the whole day reinforcing the whole run with hardware cloth and a double latch system. Ended up burying the remains of the one hen I found under the apple tree out back. Has anyone else lost birds to a predator because of one dumb mistake? What did you do to make sure it never happened again?
My rooster's comb went from pale to bright red in just 10 days. Has anyone else seen that big of a change from just a splash of vinegar?
A neighbor lost a hen to egg binding because her box was 3 feet off the ground and the drop was too steep. I keep mine at 18 inches max with a little lip on the edge, and I haven't had a single issue in 2 years. Has anyone else seen problems from tall boxes?
I stopped by Hoover's Hatchery in Iowa and most of the pullets had dirty vents and some were coughing. Everyone talks about ordering chicks online like it's fine but after seeing how crowded they keep them I'm sticking to my local breeder who raises them in smaller batches. Anyone else had bad luck with hatchery birds?
Went to Wilson's Feed & Grain this morning for some layer pellets and they had a whole display of those 'chicken diaper' things. $18 for a pack of 3. Who is actually putting diapers on their chickens and why would you buy them at a feed store of all places? Am I missing something here?