Newbie with a few questions....

What the heck kinda lights are you talking about...
web site please......

http://www.niteguard.com/

I was skeptical at first, but now that I have had them since September, and no attacks (we lost a bunch of guineas to skunks before I got these), I feel like they are really working.

I've ordered from them before...
put in in my fav's
gunna order some this weekend
Thank you

I think I'm going to order some more to keep the deer away from my garden, too.

Ok....I know, I know....I've been MIA. When all the bad weather came rolling through, I jumped on another project. Ya gotta have 17 projects going at once, right?
Well after reading all the posts...you've got me scared to death about these 'chicken snakes'! I am pertrified of snakes......and Charlene....the last thing I want to do is to pick one up!
And mites and lice? What? OMG....

And the water? What about the water? I have well water...is that ok?

And Granny (oh how I miss my Granny).....about the trap door in the floor for the ramp....
(I do have a question for you about you cutting a hole in the floor of the house so they can go up into it. How are you going to fasten it once they have gone into it at night? You have to realize that unwanted critters can also get in there if it isn't fastened up.) I don't know how to make it blue with a box around it...lol
I didn't think I would have to close it up at night as the whole pen/coop/run is/will be fenced/wired in and I plan on putting netting over the outside area. I WILL take a pic today as I have to set the posts like I said I was a week ago.

But when the torrential wind and rain came through, it might have been a blessing in disguise....I went outside to scope the situation and or damage and noticed I had standing water, right in the middle of the run. will this be a problem? Also, the entire run area, as well as 'up underneath the coop', there is a lot of sand, as this used to be a playhouse with a sandbox under it and around it. Someone told me that was a good thing b/c chcickens liked sand to scratch around in....but there's no grass. Is that a problem?
Ok....enough new questions until I can get you guys some pics. Oh...one more. It seems to be a quesiton that everyone is avoiding and I'm wondering if it's b/c I'm not going to like the answer.... (how can they all know that I'm a sensitive person?)

How long will my hens lay eggs? I know they have to go through a molting stage and I'm assuming they don't lay during that period...I mean I won't wouldn't be doing much of anything if I was losing all my hair and skin...except hide...lol. But how long does the molting last and how soon afterward do they start laying again? And how long do chickens live? When can I expect to have to get more to keep up my egg production for selling?
Whew....I hope you can find all the questions in all of this rattling and I really appreciate everyone's input and help. (I bet Shoe is glad he's not raising chickens or his dmail would be FULL of questions! If it wasn't for him....I would have never gotten through my first garden crop!)
Ok ladies (and roos maybe)....let me have it! Give it too me...straight up...I can handle it!
Ping

PS This pull-along/ mobile unit, i think you refer to as a tractor?....seems like something I might need to check into down the road. I'll tell you what...I'll take pics of my entire backyard to give you an idea of what I have planned in this crazy but ingenius at times, brain of mine. You guys may see something or think of something that could make this all come together more easily or even make it more fun....!
I can't wait to be on your side of the fence, so to speak, when I can offer suggestions and advice to other newbies!

Sand is fine, they would wipe out the grass in a matter of weeks anyway. You won't need to lock them in if the pen is connected, I don't. The standing water will be a problem with mud, but you can probably dig a trench to reroute the water around your pen.

Chickens will lay for about 3 to 4 years. The first year is nearly an egg a day, the next is every other or so, then it's down hill till you only get the ocasional egg, when the weather is nice, if they feel like it or...not.
I add a few fresh hens to my flock every year and make soup out of the oldest.

In all the years I have had chickens, I have only found a snake in there once. We both screamed and went opposite directions. I never saw him again.

Relax. Chickens are thankfully, pretty hardy and forgiving. You'll learn as you go.

Howdy, Ping!

Just to freak you out!... I've been raising chickens for 25 years or so (and that doesn't count my boyhood years!). Also sell eggs at the mkt, which sounds like you want to do, eh?

I'll have to get back to you on some of those answers. Meanwhile, the Folks in this forum are avid "birders" also and will certainly chime in with great advice, information, and solutions. DGer's are the best!

Oh yeh, I hear ya on the weather, pretty scary there for a while, eh? (Folks, we've had torrential downpours here, tornadoes, tornado watches/warnings, high wind warnings, etc, all in the past week! Scary!) (At one point it was so windy I think some of my chickens laid the same egg twice!)

Be back later tonite.

Everyone, be well!

Shoe

Well, let's see...I can't say that it wouldn't work. It might very well.

As for how often you need to get new chicks for egg production, it depends on whether they have become pets. I am changing mine every third year. I tried to keep them longer but went from two dozen eggs a day down to 2-3 eggs a day and some days we didn't get any! At the price of feed today, 2-3 eggs a day don't pay for it. So, we changed our flock last spring and culled the old hens last fall. We will do the same next year. The eggs I am putting in the bator this year are for freezer chicks.

Just like everything else in this world there are exceptions to the rules. Being what they are the rule for me is 18 months old, they either go into the stew pot, freezer or to the flea market.
I have a few that are two years old right now though and they keep laying almost an egg a day. I will keep them a bit longer. When the fall comes around they will be on the exit list.
I try not to get attached to them.

I raise a new flock whenever a hen goes broody. I keep those for layers except the roos which go into the freezer. I incubate some for the freezer.

I get a new rooster every year. It is not really necessary, but I just prefer it. I often trade roos with friends, so we each get a new one for the flock.

For eggs and meat, I raise a mixed flock.

I have some show quality bantams I raise to sell their fertile eggs and some chicks.
I have just started to raise the bantams, but I will also get a new roo for them every year and keep a batch of biddies for next years eggs.

I live on 54 acres with nothing around me except pastures and woods. I see plenty of snakes. When we have hogs to raise we put them by the chicken yard and that keeps the snake population down. You should see the torture a hog does to a snake. He will shake the darn thing to death. Guineas will circle a snake and go crazy with their guinea sounds (which are very loud, so as to signal an alarm) they will peck, shake and generally torture a snake also.

If you live in town, you can't have the hogs or guineas, just don't worry about the snakes unless you actually see a problem with them. They are as afraid of you as you are of them. My biggest problem is what I do to myself getting out of their way.

One year I opened the lid to the feed box and there was a snake coiled up on top of the feed. I slammed the lid and tried to back away. I fell down and (being a rather large lady) I couldn't get up fast enough to suit me. Feeling that I had to escape quickly I rolled as fast and furiously as I could. My daughter looked out and saw me and she started laughing so hard she was crying.

Then knowing that I was far away from harm and had a very visible area between me and the snake, I also started laughing.

She came out to help me up and I pulled her down. We both lay on the ground laughing until DH came out and saw us. He just shook his head and said I won't even ask....

We finally managed to get up. I told DH to get the gun and kill the snake. It took him forever to find him. It was 5 ft long and of course was a "harmless" chicken snake. I don't know how he could be harmless, when I nearly killed myself getting out of his way.

Heheheh....laffing big time here, Charlene! Too funny! and probably so cus I've had those moments as well!

Your daughter and you made a great memory that day, eh!?

Love it!

Shoe :>)

Yep, that was a great memory alright. I also changed the feed to an airtight box. No more surprises in there. LOL

Oh, Charlene! I loved your snake story! LOL :oP
Before I got the tight closing feed containers, in my first year
at this place, we had a field mouse problem, with rat snakes
that naturally follow. The Texas rat snake is a poser, meaning
it is colored like a rattler, with fudgy diamonds running the
length of the back. Also, when cornered, they will rattle their
tails against something, like a board or waste can, and really
scare the bejeevers out of you. They are also the most
agressive of our non poisoness, and will bite you in a New York
minute! My son found one and kept it for a short time as a pet,
until it bit him between the eyes- I did not need to say I told
you so, and it was released post haste. They do a very good
job of reminding us that the next one could really be a rattler,
and they pop up when you least expect it. We got busy plugging
holes in the tack room where we store the feed, and got
those tight fitting cans. Needless to say, we have not seen
any in a long time, an ounce of prevention...
(may princess kathy have some of those guineas!)

Does anyone have any guinea eggs yet? I want some to incubate. I will have trades.

Charlene