Re: Microfiber sheets

In article <Xns9AC491CD79323enigmaempirenet@xxxxxxxxxxxx>,
enigma <enigma@xxxxxxxx> wrote:

Phaedrine Stonebridge <alas@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
news:alas-1CD82D.10081721062008@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
:

A dozen... wow. That hen was busy! And here I thought
maybe my husband was thinking of a misplaced darning egg.

i have 18 hens that are currently laying, so finding a nest
with a dozen isn't unusual. they like to use the same nests.
if i remember what my grandpa told me about the wooden eggs
(or milk glass ones if you were rich), it was that you put one
into a new nest box so the hen thinks another hen used that
spot, which means it's a nice nest. i don't think hens are
that stupid. either it's a good nest box & they'll use it or
there's some reason they don't like it & no matter how make
fake eggs they see in it they still won't use it.

;) Do they keep closer to the nests in the winter? Do
they go outside at all in the winter? Or are you in a
year-round warm climate? Do you need a vet who can deal
with chickens or do they stay pretty healthy? Please
excuse me if I am bothering you with all these (off-topic)
questions but I'm just so interested (and ignorant). How I
wish I'd asked my grandmother about keeping chickens. :(

i live in NH, so how much they go out in the winter really
depends on the weather. last winter we got a lot of snow, so
they didn't go out too much. i did shovel out a bit of an
outside yard for them though, & a bit of a path so they could
at least get out to the driveway for a bit of air & exercise.
on very cold (sub-zero) days, or very windy days below
freezing i keep them shut in though, as they can get frostbite
on their combs & wattles. they don't really like walking in
snow over an inch or so deep (or hard rain in the summer
either).
chickens are pretty easy. i worm mine occaisionally, & keep
an eye on them for lice & mites (which they can get from wild
birds). right now i'm battling leg mites. those are really
hard to get rid of, at least organically. i can keep them
under control by dipping their legs & feet in baby oil every
7-10 days (at night, after they've settled to sleep is
easiest). i keep telling them the baby oil will make their
legs soft & sexy, but they aren't buying it ;)
i do have a vet that deals with chickens, but i have heard
that they are hard to find.
lee

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my many questions. I
really do appreciate it. I am hoping to convince my husband to let me
have a few chickens.

Phae
--
"The tree of Liberty must be refreshed from time to time
with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
-- Thomas Jefferson
.

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