I tried it for a full month and she never gave up, so I had to break her myself with a wire cage. Has anyone actually had that trick work long term?
But my Buff Orpington, Mabel, got a foot injury and needed to stay inside for a week. A friend lent me one, and it actually kept my couch totally clean. Has anyone else had to use these for a real reason?
They said my single small window wasn't enough for 8 hens, and after a hot week last month, I saw what they meant. I added two more screened vents up high and the difference in air flow is night and day. Has anyone else had to fix a ventilation setup after their flock grew?
The plastic latch was a joke, and now I'm back to square one with feed all over the ground. Anyone have a truly raccoon-proof brand they'd swear by?
I was helping my neighbor in Akron move some lumber last fall when I saw his coop had a gap under the door big enough for a raccoon to slip through. He said 'It's been fine for two years, they can't get in,' but I found three of his hens dead just a week later. How often do you all check for gaps in your coop's defenses?
After adding a dedicated 3x3 foot box with a 50/50 mix of sand and wood ash in the corner of the run last spring, we went from treating individual birds every few weeks to not seeing a single case of scaly leg mites in over 8 months.
For two years I thought my 1-inch chicken wire was enough to keep predators out, especially from above. Then last Tuesday I saw a red-tailed hawk land right on top of the run and try to reach through with its talons. The wire held, but it bent easily under its weight, and I realized a bigger, determined bird could rip right in. I immediately swapped it out for half-inch hardware cloth over the whole top, which cost about $80 extra. Has anyone else had a close call that made you upgrade your setup in a hurry?
I used a simple hanging feeder for my flock of 8 hens for about a year. Last month I finally bought a treadle feeder from a local farm store for $85. The difference is crazy, the wild birds and squirrels can't get to it anymore and the girls aren't scattering food everywhere. I'm saving almost a full 50lb bag of feed every three weeks now. Anyone else have a specific change that cut down on waste this much?
Had a real problem with egg eating in my flock of six. Tried the usual stuff, more nest box straw, nothing worked. Saw a tip online about using fake ceramic eggs. Bought a pack of four for about $12. Put them in the boxes, and after a few pecks, the girls gave up. Anyone else try something like this with good results?
He was bragging about how he just tosses new chickens right in with his flock to 'toughen them up'. I lost two hens last fall to what I'm sure was something brought in by a bird I didn't isolate long enough. It took weeks to clear up and cost me over $80 in vet-recommended treatments. What's the shortest quarantine period you all actually stick to?
I bought a solar powered door kit back in April thinking it would be a weekend install, but the motor kept jamming on our uneven track. It took me six different adjustments, a new rail from the hardware store, and finally just building a whole new level frame from scratch to get it working right last week. Anyone else have a 'simple' upgrade that ate up your whole spring?
Back in 2015, I was setting up my first flock in Lansing and faced a real choice: buy a $200 prefab coop or spend a weekend and about $150 in lumber building my own. I went with the kit, thinking it would be easier. It fell apart after two Michigan winters, the thin wood warping and the latch breaking. I ended up rebuilding it myself anyway, but with heavier materials. Anyone else regret their first coop decision and have to start over?
The old one was a nightly buffet for every pest in a 3 mile radius, but the treadle one keeps the feed sealed tight. Anyone else found a game changer for keeping the coop area clean?
For two years I had just a couple of small windows, thinking it was enough to keep drafts off the girls. The vet said my hen's respiratory issue was likely from ammonia buildup in the still winter air. Do you think more airflow is always worth the risk of a slight draft, or was my old method actually safer?
For the last six months I cleaned my coop floor every single morning, scraping out all the old bedding. It took about 15 minutes a day and I went through a $15 bag of pine shavings every week. My neighbor across the street, who has the same number of birds, just adds fresh shavings on top of the old stuff and only does a full clean twice a year. I thought his coop would smell awful, but I went over last weekend and it honestly didn't. My girls' run is dustier and I'm spending more money. The big difference seems to be that his deep litter breaks down and generates heat, which might help in winter too. Has anyone else made this switch and seen better results?
He thought deep bedding was enough, but moisture and bacteria get trapped underneath (I learned that from a vet in Tacoma). Has anyone else had to gently correct a friend's setup for the flock's health?
Last Tuesday, I went out to water the vegetable patch and found my favorite yellow hose in about fifteen pieces. My six hens, led by a very proud looking Barred Rock named Bertha, had decided it was a giant earthworm. They pecked every single coupling apart over what I guess was a very exciting morning. The real kicker was finding the spray nozzle hidden under the coop, like some kind of shiny prize. I had to run to the hardware store in town and spend $35 on a new one, which I now keep on a high hook. Has anyone else had their flock fixate on destroying something totally normal in the yard?
Went out this morning and the 5 gallon plastic base was a solid block of ice. It got down to 15 degrees here in Boise, colder than I expected. I brought the whole thing inside, thawed it in the sink, and then wrapped the base with an old towel and a bungee cord for some insulation. Anyone have a better winter hack that doesn't involve buying a heated base?
She'd been sitting on a pile of golf balls for almost a month, so I had to choose between letting her keep going or moving her to a wire-bottom cage for a few days. I went with the cage move, and after three days she's back out scratching with the flock and eating like normal. Has anyone else had a hen hold a grudge after breaking a brood?
I went to the state fair over the weekend and spent a good while looking at the poultry show barn. What really got me was how many of the fancier coops on display had these automatic doors that open at sunrise and close at dusk. I counted at least six different setups with them. It made me think, because my own coop door is just a simple wooden one I slide open myself every morning. The sales guy for one brand said it 'solves the problem of forgetting to lock them up at night.' I get the appeal, especially in winter when it's dark so early, but I worry about the power going out or the motor failing. Has anyone here actually switched to an automatic door after using a manual one for a long time? Was it worth the money and the extra thing that could break?
That comment in my driveway three days ago has me second-guessing my whole setup, so has anyone here in a suburban area actually had a big predator problem with a secure run?
My three hens were making a huge mess, kicking pine shavings out of the run door every single day. I got tired of sweeping it up, so I cut a strip of that rubber matting you use for truck beds, about 8 inches wide. I nailed it to the floor right inside the doorway, flush with the sill. Now when they scratch, the bedding hits the rubber and just falls back inside. It's been three weeks and the area outside is totally clean. Has anyone else tried something like this, or found a better way to keep the litter in?
I saw it again at my local feed store in Bakersfield last week, a new keeper asking if avocado was a good treat. The pit and skin are toxic to them, folks! I learned this the hard way six months ago when my curious hen, Mabel, got into a compost pile and got sick for two days. It matters because it's a common kitchen scrap that can actually harm your birds. Has anyone else had to gently correct a friend or neighbor on this one?