Author Archives: HomeDabbler

• Pecking Order is a Thing. Here’s How to Handle It.

  Posted at 8:00 am by HomeDabbler, on June 23, 2020

  

  Photo by Berend de Kort from Pexels

  Do some of your chickens push the others around? Do you have one or two that dominate the rest? Do you have trouble getting your big chickens to accept newer birds to the flock?

  It’s pecking order.

  That’s a Real Thing?!

  You’ve heard the phrase. It comes from the chicken yard, and it’s a thing.

  Chickens, like people, live in hierarchies. Fact is, some of your birds are going to rise to the top and some are going to be relegated to the bottom. This is typically just fine. However, sometimes those at the top will bully those at the bottom.

  Those at the top of the order should not cause physical harm to others or deprive them of food (which can happen). A little posturing is fine, but when it comes to truly hurting each other, you have to stop it.

  Here’s how.

  Reset the Order

  Did you know that your current pecking order doesn’t have to stay that way?

  Chicken behavior can be remarkably easy to change. Unlike mammals (dog and cats), chickens have primitive brains and are a bit like robots. They can be programmed. Change the program, change the behavior (I wrote a whole post on it).

  Step 1: Remove the Offending Chicken(s)

  As long as the bullies “rule the roost” (another popular term from chicken life), they will be bullies. But you can use the primitive chicken brain against itself.

  First, remove those at the top of the pecking order from the flock and put them in a separate location.

  I prefer a broody breaker. Don’t have a broody breaker? You need one. I wrote an article on that too. You can also use your nursery.

  Give them food, water, and nesting. Make them comfortable, but don’t let them near the other birds.

  Step 2: Wait

  This is the hard part. Most chicken raisers don’t like to see their birds locked up, even mean ones. But it is necessary if you want to reset the pecking order. Separate the bullies from the general flock for at least three days.

  While the dominant birds are away, something interesting will happen. The remaining birds will reset the pecking order. They will choose a new leader, often a bird that was near the bottom of the old order. Don’t know why, but it works.

  Step 3: Reintroduce the Bully Birds

  After a few days, simply take the birds out of lock down and put them back into general population. No special care required. They are now the “new birds” and should fall in under the new boss.

  Once the pecking order is reestablished, it usually doesn’t go back to the old way. Sometimes, but rarely. And usually, the new king or queen of the flock is nicer. Again, don’t know why, it just works.

  Rinse and Repeat as Necessary

  Things will usually stay peaceful for quite a while after the reset. However, if the birds at the top of the new pecking order get mean, repeat the process again until things calm down.

  We’ve never had to do it more than once at a time.

  Kevin

  P.S. – If you want more chicken articles, visit my Chicken page.

  

  Posted in Chickens | 0 Comments | Tagged chicken coop, chicken raising, Chickens

• 2″x 4″ Welded Wire: What It’s Good For and What It’s Not

  Posted at 8:00 am by HomeDabbler, on May 25, 2020

  

  One of the first things you realize when you start gardening or raising chickens is there are tons of wire fencing options.

  One of the most common and versatile is 2″x 4″ welded wire fencing (sometimes called hardware cloth).

  I love the stuff. But over the years, I’ve learned what it is good for and what it’s not. Here’s the rundown.

  What It’s Good For

  Low Security Fencing

  Want to keep rabbits, dogs, and chickens out of your garden? Use 2 x 4 welded wire.

  I say low security because this is for situations where an animal will encounter the fence and not try to actively dismantle, destroy, or jump over it. They’ll hit the barrier and walk away.

  That is not true of all animals (see below).

  Trellises

  I LOVE 2 x 4 for trellises of all kinds. I’ve used it for decorative vine-covered dividers and for cucumbers to climb on. Nothing like a roll of 2 x 4 for a trellis.

  Tip: If you’re making a trellis in an outdoor living space like a courtyard, I recommend the vinyl-coated type. It’s fancier.

  

  

  

  Protecting Plants

  Welded wire also makes nifty protection to keep tender plants safe from vicious weed trimmers (there is actually a little blueberry bush growing in there).

  

  What Welded Wire is Not Good For

  High Security Fencing

  Welded wire fencing really has only one weakness. If you need to keep the really nasty animals out – raccoons primarily – do not use welded wire.

  This is especially true of chicken runs. The welded wire will work at first, but over time (usually a couple years) the welds will break and that will let the bad guys in. It takes only one broken weld for a raccoon to slither in and kill your chickens.

  So what fencing should you use for a secure chicken coop? Chain link and nothing else. It’s so important I did a whole video on it.

  Bottom Line

  2″x 4″ welded wire fencing is great stuff. You should have a roll of it around your house at all times. Just don’t use it to protect animals from wily night crawlers like raccoons.

  Kevin

  

  Posted in Chickens, Gardening, Yard & Garden | 0 Comments | Tagged chicken wire, fencing, welded wire fencing, wire fencing

• Large Breed Chickens vs. Bantams: Which is Right for You?

  Posted at 8:00 am by HomeDabbler, on May 20, 2020

  

  There are hundreds of chicken breeds, but only two large categories.

  “Large breed” chickens are what most people think of when they think “chicken.”

  “Bantam” chickens—aka banties—are essentially miniature chickens, much smaller than large breeds.

  They have some commonalities and many differences.

  So which type is better? That’s up to you, depending on what you want from your flock. To help you decide, here’s a run down of the pros and cons of each.

  Size

  Large breeds are, well, large. Most breeds top out at 4-7 lbs. Some popular breeds include Rhode Island Reds, Barred Plymouth Rocks, and my favorite, Buff Orpingtons. This means they eat more than banties, so the feed cost is a little higher.

  Banties are at least half as small as the normal large breed, some as small as a pigeon. They don’t eat as much so you’ll save on the feed bill.

  Because of their smaller size, you’ll probably need smaller openings in the wire of your run so your banties don’t slip out. The smaller the openings, the more the wire will cost.

  Size also matters if you plan to butcher your chickens for meat. Only large breeds will do for this. Don’t bother with banties when it comes to meat. By the way, I wrote an article about what I learned butchering my own chickens.

  Eggs

  Large breeds lay the eggs you are used to, like in the grocery. While large breed eggs vary in size, you can make a two-egg omelet out of them and not go hungry.

  Banty eggs are tiny. It takes about three of their eggs to equal one large breed. Tiny omelets.

  Temperament

  Like any animal, chicken temperaments are all over the board. However, in my experience, large breeds tend to be more docile and compliant (Except roosters. They’re all mean.)

  Bantams are less domesticated than large breeds, which means they are more wild. When I kept banties, they wanted to sleep in the trees, they jumped the fence, and I’ve never seen chickens fight more or more savagely.

  Appearance

  While there are some ornate large breeds, bantams steal the show when it comes to variety and beauty. If you want weird and wacky chickens to look at, try some banties.

  What kind do you prefer, HomeDabbler?

  You may have guessed, but I’m a large breed guy all the way. I want docile, well-behaved birds that lay big eggs. We definitely went through our banty phase, but grew out of it.

  I know chicken raisers who only have banties. Like I said, it depends on what you want out of your flock (here’s an article to help you decide).

  Either way, I recommend you try both at first to see what suits you. If you need more chicken help, read the articles on my Chicken page. If you have questions, either comment on this post or message me anytime through the HomeDabbler Facebook page.

  Mostly, have fun!

  Kevin

  

   

   

  Posted in Chickens | 0 Comments | Tagged backyard chickens, bantam chickens, Chickens

• Why Drought is Good for Your Lawn

  Posted at 8:00 am by HomeDabbler, on May 14, 2020

  

  You are over watering your grass. Yes you are.

  If you are reading this, you are wondering why I say drought is good for grass. That’s because you’ve been taught that your lawn will die if it is not watered like the end of the world.

  You have been misled.

  Your grass needs drought. Yes it does.

  Here are some benefits of letting your yard dry out regularly and some guidelines to follow so you don’t go too far.

  Benefits

  Healthier Roots

  Plants are opportunists. They take food and water where they can get it and won’t expend extra energy if they don’t have to.

  If you water your grass too often (like every day here in the South), it will never dig roots into the soil to find water. It will lay its roots on top of the soil because it knows more water is coming the next day.

  Problem is, this makes weak grass. Pretty soon, usually in the heat of summer, you won’t be able to water it enough because the roots do not have the protection the cooler soil provides a few inches down.

  The first sign of stress and your grass will croak.

  Letting your grass dry out some (see guidelines below) between waterings trains it to dig deep roots. This means your grass will be more resilient and hold on to water longer, which means it needs even less water.

  Regular drought = healthier roots = tougher grass = happy lawn owner.

  Less Fungus

  Certain turf grasses are more susceptible to fungus than others, but they can all get it (read my post on the pros and cons of 4 Southern turf grasses).

  Guess the number one cause of fungus.

  A constantly wet yard is asking for fungus problems. Dry spells defend against fungus while making your grass stronger. Win-win.

  Lower Cost

  It goes like this: You over water your grass. It gets weak so you fertilize more ($). You then “water it in,” i.e. water too much and wash the fertilizer down the street (which causes eutrophication, gross).

  Oh no, the grass looks weak again. Fertilize more. Water more. And so on.

  You are unintentionally wasting money, making weak grass, and mucking up the waterways.

  Now try this: Provide periodic drought. Your grass gets stronger, which means less need for fertilizer and water. More money in your wallet and less down the drain, literally.

  Grass is a plant like any other. It did not evolve to be watered every day. Over watering is, ironically, unnatural.

  Guidelines

  I don’t want your grass to die. Everything in moderation. There are some rules of thumb when it comes to providing drought.

  When to Water

  Here is what experts at the University of Florida recommend (they really know grass):

  “Water your lawn only when 30 to 50 percent of it shows at least one of the three wilt signs.”

  What are the signs?

  1. Folding leaf blades
  2. Blue-gray color
  3. Footprints remaining in the grass (I did a video on this one)

  **Notice, they didn’t say to water when one square foot of your lawn shows these symptoms. You should only water when 30 to 50 percent of your lawn shows at least one symptom.

  It will take self control to watch your lawn wither a little, but trust the experts.

  How Much to Water

  Conventional wisdom says to water a little each day for healthy grass. Like so often with conventional wisdom, the opposite is true.

  Rule of thumb: Water less often but more when you do.

  How much should you water? Again, from the experts at UF:

  “When you do water, apply 1/2–3/4 inches. For sandier soils, which do not hold water well, the 3/4-inch rate may be necessary. For heavier clay soils in North Florida and the panhandle, the 1/2-inch rate may be sufficient. The idea is to get water to your grass’s roots without drowning your grass or creating run-off (excess water that your grass cannot absorb).”

  But how do you know when you’ve watered 1/2-3/4 inches? Use tuna cans, of course. Read this article on the technique for measuring watering depth.

  Feel the Rhythm?

  Bottom line, you are trying to be more in sync with the natural rhythms of, well, nature.

  Unless you live in a rain forest, your environment does not get rain every day. Plants are used to cycles of rain and drought, including grass.

  Healthy drought makes your lawn stronger.

  Kevin

  P.S. – Bonus Tip

  Do not cut your grass too low. Can’t say this enough. It stresses out your lawn and weakens it. It’s so important, I wrote a whole post about it.

   

   

  Posted in Yard & Garden | 0 Comments | Tagged grass, landscaping, lawn, lawn care, lawn watering

• 3 Things Chicks Need That Big Chickens Don’t

  Posted at 8:00 am by HomeDabbler, on May 10, 2020

  

  Baby chicks are not just miniature adult chickens. They have special needs.

  Chicks need water and a place to dust dust bathe just like grown chickens, but here are three things your chicks need that your biggies don’t.

  1. Starter Crumbles

  Babies of all species have different nutritional needs than adults, including chickens.

  There are feeds designed especially for chicks. They are called starter crumbles (or starter grower).

  Crumbles are just that, little giblets of dry food. But starter crumbles are not just crushed layer pellets (what you feed adults). Crumbles have the right mix of protein and other nutrients to help your babies grow.

  Keep your chicks on crumbles for at least three months, usually about four.

  We like the Nutrena brand.

  PS – Give your babies ONLY their starter crumbles. No kitchen scraps until they are adults.

  See the little crumbly food? That’s chick starter.

  2. Heat Lamp

  Especially when the nights are cool. Baby chicks, if left with their mother, stay cuddled in her down feathers most of the time.

  They want to stifle. Ideally, they want to be about 95 degrees all the time.

  Your babies need heat, so put a heat lamp in their nursery. A cheap 250 red bulb will do.

  Heat lamp tip – If your chicks constantly huddle under the heat lamp, they are too cold. Get the temperature up. If they spread out, scratching and pecking naturally, they are just right.

  If they huddle in a corner away from the heat lamp, they are too hot. Raise the lamp some to cool it down.

  Give them the lamp until about three weeks old or the nights warm up.

  

  A cheap 250 watt red bulb makes a great heat lamp.

  3. Isolation

  You cannot throw your chicks into general population too soon. The older chickens will pick on the babies and can injure them.

  Your chicks need their own space for the first few months, until they are big enough to fend for themselves. However, I recommend that you put your nursery close to where the older birds are so they can all hear each other and acclimate.

  We usually transition ours into the larger flock between three and four months old.

  

  See the babies in their special nursery? Close to the adults but safely isolated.

  Give ’em a Good Start

  Chickens are super easy to raise. Babies have just a few more considerations. They are not hard to do but they are important.

  If you have trouble, comment on this post of message me through my Facebook page.

  Kevin

  Here are a few more articles I wrote about raising chicks:

  • 4 Solid Reasons to Buy Chicks Instead of Hatching Them
  • Got Spring Chickens? Here’s How to Care For Them
  • Chicken Pickin’: How to Choose the Breed For You

  

  Posted in Chickens | 0 Comments | Tagged baby chicks, chicken coop, chicken feed, Chickens

• 3 Easy Ways to Attract Songbirds to Your Yard

  Posted at 8:00 am by HomeDabbler, on May 5, 2020

  

  Birds are like people – if you meet their needs, they like you and want to hang out.

  Provide these three bird-friendly elements in your yard and prepare for the morning serenades.

  Food

  There are three easy, cheap kinds of food that will attract songbirds.

  Bird Seed

  Obvious, I know, but you have to provide seed strategically. Birds are territorial and some species are actually enemies.

  To keep them all happy and singing in your yard, give them multiple feeders (two or three will do) in different parts of your property. Then the birds that don’t get along can eat and have their space.

  Don’t over think the seed. Get the cheapest stuff you can find. The birds won’t care.

  

  Birds love bird seed. Get the cheapest stuff you can find.

  Nectar

  This is for hummingbirds and the like. Buy a nectar feeder (Tractor Supply has some cool ones) and mix the sugar solution yourself. Smithsonian has a simple recipe.

  DO NOT ADD RED DYE. Just sugar water.

  Hummingbirds are very territorial. I recommend providing at least two feeders as far apart as you can get them. Don’t want to provoke hummingbird fights.

  

  Nothing like seeing one of these little stunners at the feeder. Photo by Chris F on Pexels.com

  Suet

  Suet is gross but birds love it. Suet is bird seed in congealed beef fat (told you). It is especially important in winter, when birds need extra fat to stay warm.

  Yes, birds can digest beef fat, thank you.

  Again, Tractor Supply has a variety  They don’t pay me for these endorsements, but I wish they would. Tell your friends.

  

  Suet (bird seed in congealed beef fat) is disgusting but song birds dig it.

  Bonus: Peanut Butter

  If you can’t get over the idea of hanging hunks of beef tallow around your yard, good old peanut butter will do the trick. We like the Jif all-natural variety.

  Habitat

  Proper habitat is the single best, and easiest, way to attract songbirds. Strangely, the modern yard is engineered to repel them.

  That’s because we are obsessed with finely manicured lawns with huge swaths of sterile grass and a strict hedge along the front of the house.

  While this may satisfy your yearning for a Downton Abbey-esque severe British garden, birds hate it.

  Many, if not most, birds do not nest in trees. They live in bushes and thickets, tangles of mix-mashed undergrowth where they can hide from larger predators like hawks, ospreys, and feral cats. You have to give this to them.

  

  Most birds want a shaggy bush or thicket to live and nest in. Give them habitat and they will come.

  The great news is that this means less yard work for you, not more. That’s right, I am giving you permission to let a part of your yard go wild for the birds. Just let it go.

  Seriously, do nothing. Let whatever grows there grow there and in a few years you will have habitat and birds, I promise.

  One of my favorite ways to provide habitat (that still looks trimmed) is with vines on a trellis. In fact, I covered the front wall of my house with trellis and let a muscadine vine go crazy on it.

  In two seasons I had a completely vine-y wall. And guess what? The following winter when the leaves fell off, I found a pigeon nest.

  

  Look! A pretty little pigeon nest in my muscadine vine.

  Habitat is everything. Ask yourself, “What would birds live in in the woods?” Grow that.

  Want to read more on the benefits of providing natural habitat? Read this super article from Smithsonian Magazine.

  Water

  We’ve all seen the cute bird baths in a garden. Get you one. Or a bucket full of rain water. Or a dog bowl. Whatever.

  Just have fresh water for the songbirds to drink and bathe in and they’ll find it.

  But what about mosquitoes?!

  Never fear, there are perfectly safe bacterial insecticides that kill mosquito larvae but are harmless to birds, people, and pets.

  The bacteria is bacillus thuringiensis and it’s pretty remarkable. You can also use it to safely repel bad bugs from your tomatoes and other vegetable plants.

  

  A blue bird in a bath. Don’t you want this in your yard?

  Get Ready for the Concert

  It is so easy to attract songbirds. You mostly have to loosen your yard a little, let it go shaggy in a place or two, and lay out a birdy buffet. If you build it, they will come.

  And you can spend the time you saved not doing yard work enjoying the symphony.

  Kevin

  

   

  Posted in Yard & Garden | 0 Comments | Tagged bird bath, habitat, homedabbler, hummingbirds, songbirds, suet

• Got Spring Chickens? Here’s How to Care for Them

  Posted at 8:03 pm by HomeDabbler, on April 23, 2020

  

  Yay! You got babies. Now what?

  Baby chicks are not just miniature big chickens. They have some of the same needs, but require some stuff that older chickens don’t. Here’s what to give them and what to avoid.

  Give Them

  Heat Lamp

  Chicks, if with their mother, spend a good part of their day underneath her, nestled in her blanket of soft feathers, stifling hot. They like it that way. In fact, for the first couple weeks, they want to stay at about 90 degrees and no draft.

  So, especially if you live in a colder climate, you must provide them a heat source, especially at night. We prefer a red heat lamp bulb. You can get them just about anywhere.

  Rule of thumb: If your chicks are piled on each other for anything other than sleeping (they sleep in piles when they are young), they are cold. If they are scratching and roaming around, not too cold.

  

  Chicks like it hot. A cheap heat bulb does the trick.

  Layer Crumbles

  Chicks have small everything – mouths, throats, and crops. They need small food. It’s called starter crumbles or starter grower, and they eat it about the first 8-12 weeks of life. After that, you can usually move them big kid food, layer pellets.

  Starter crumbles also have the right mix of protein, fat, and nutrients that the chicks need to get a strong start.

  Btw, there are feeders just for babies too.

  Fresh Water

  Should be obvious, but wanted to make sure it was on the list.

  Bedding

  Our favorite is pine shavings, like your gerbil cage.

  Dirt

  Chickens must dust bathe, even little ones. It keeps them clean and itch free. We use an old paint pan filled with sand from the yard. Watch the video below to see ours.

  Security

  Chicks are completely defenseless. You must provide a safe, isolated place for them to spend their first six weeks or so. You even have to protect them from the older chickens.

  You can use a box for the first couple weeks, but they will quickly outgrow it. We built a dedicated nursery addition onto our coop to keep babies.

  Everything wants to eat your chicks – snakes, hawks, dogs, raccoons, foxes, everything. Keep them completely locked down or you will lose them, I promise.

  Pro tip: If there is a hole anywhere in your nursery that you can stick your index finger through, a rat snake can and will get in and eat your chicks. Lock down every nook and cranny.

  Here’s my coop. See the separate nursery? It’s close to the big chickens so they can all get used to each other but protects the babies from the big bullies.

  What’s that? You don’t know what a “broody breaker” is? No worries, I wrote a whole post about it.

  

  A protected nursery separate from the big chickens is best.

  A Perch

  All chickens, even little ones, like to perch on things off the ground, even if it is a few inches. I make my baby perches out of old shovel handles.

  

  Chicks love a perch. I make mine out of scrap wood and shovel handles.

  Here’s my nursery set up:

  Do Not Give Them

  A Draft

  No chicken likes a windy draft, but it can be fatal to babies. Remember, they want to stifle under Mamma. You may think they want a fresh breeze, but they don’t.

  Adult Chicken Food

  Just because a chick can get something in her mouth doesn’t mean she should eat it. Keep them on starter crumbles for at least 6 weeks, 8 is better. Then SLOWLY transition them to layer pellets.

  Also no kitchen scraps yet. Just starter crumbles and water.

  Freedom

  They’re defenseless, remember? And don’t think your older chickens will just take to the newcomers and protect them. Many times the opposite is true. The older chickens peck and bully the babies. Lock your chicks down until they can fend for themselves, usually 6-8 weeks.

  Don’t Worry, it Won’t Last Long

  Chicks grow super fast, so they only need coddling a little while. Within two months you can put them in general population with the rest of your flock.

  Way quicker than raising a human. 🙂

  Kevin

  

  Posted in Chickens | 1 Comment

• 3 Home Projects to Use for Homeschooling

  Posted at 7:52 pm by HomeDabbler, on March 25, 2020

  

  School is only boring if you make it that way. There are practical life lessons all around your home that won’t feel like “school” at all. Here are a few projects to do with your kids that are fun and teach important subjects.

  1. Science – Start a Garden

  Doesn’t have to be big, and it doesn’t even have to be outside. Gardening is full of science lessons, including chemistry, biology, measurements, and more. And you can eat the results!

  I suggest you start small, maybe with a container garden on your porch (watch this video I did on the subject). You can also teach the chemistry of gardening with my video on pH (positive hydrogen) and its importance for plants.

  There are lots of gardening lesson plans out there. I found some cool ones at kidsgardening.org.

  

  Gardening kids are happy kids.

  2. Biology – The Chicken Life Cycle

  If you didn’t know, I’m obsessed with chickens and have raised them for 20 years. I have an entire page dedicated to them on this blog.

  Walking through the chicken life cycle, including how an egg gestates and hatches, is one of the most fascinating and educational experiences in life. Ideally, I would recommend you buy an incubator and hatch some eggs yourself.

  Don’t be scared! You can get everything online and you don’t have to keep the chicks once they hatch. Trust me, you have someone like me near you who loves chickens and will take them off your hands. Just put out a Facebook post and watch the chicken people emerge.

  Scholastic has some cool chicken-hatching lesson plans to get you started.

  I recommend Tractor Supply and Murray McMurray Hatchery for supplies.

  

  There’s a chicken growing in there!

  3. Math – Build a Bird House

  This is an oldy-but-goodie. Building even the simplest bird house requires measuring, calculating material, volume, estimation, even calculating the size of the hole in the front. Math, math, math that is fun, fun, fun.

  And there is nothing more fulfilling for anyone than building something with your own hands. It’s what HomeDabbler is dedicated to.

  Lowe’s has plans for beginners. The Spruce has tons more.

  

  Even simple bird houses teach big lessons.

  You Can Do It!

  It’s okay to drop the books for a while and get your (and your kid’s) hands busy. You’ll all be happier and – let’s face – you’ll both learn more.

  Enjoy!

  Kevin

  

  Posted in Chickens, Yard & Garden | 0 Comments | Tagged Chickens, diy home improvement, garden, home improvement, home schooling, lesson plans

• Why Have My Chickens Stopped Laying Eggs?! Probably One of These Reasons

  Posted at 3:46 pm by HomeDabbler, on December 29, 2019

  

  Chickens are sensitive creatures.

  While it’s amazing to have a small egg-producing flock in your backyard, there are several very natural reasons why chickens (hens) stop laying eggs, at least for a while.

  The good news is that most times, they start laying again soon. Here are the most common causes.

  1. Weather Extremes

  I live in North Florida where the summers are brutal. Every August my hens stop laying eggs. The heat is just too much and most of their energy goes to surviving it. Same with cold. If your flock slows or stops laying, check the recent weather.

  Don’t worry, this usually works itself out when the weather moderates.

  2. Shorter Daylight Hours

  This is related to weather. On short winter days, chickens will slow or stop laying. Adding a light to their coop and keeping it lit a couple hours in the evening can help with egg production.

  3. Molting

  Most chickens molt once a year. It’s creepy to watch but perfectly natural. However, hens will not lay during a molt. Their body needs all the nutrients it can get to generate new feathers.

  Btw, here’s an article about molting in case you need it.

  4. Poor (Or Improper) Nutrition

  Not all chicken feed is the same. There are different mixes of protein, minerals, fats, and nutrients depending on what you want for your flock. Bottom line: wrong mix = no eggs.

  Make sure your layers are eating a quality 16% protein layer pellet. Other varieties include chick starter and feed for meat birds. We like the Nutrena brand (no, they don’t pay me, but I wish they would. Pass the word).

  5. Trauma or Shock

  If your birds have had a recent scare or attack—a hawk is menacing them or a raccoon killed one of them—they will typically stop laying for a while. Again, they usually pick back up a few days after the incident.

  6. Disease

  Sick hens won’t lay. Most disease in a small backyard flock can be prevented by purchasing vaccinated chicks from a reputable supplier (Murray McMurray is our favorite), giving them quality food and clean water, and providing plenty of open space.

  Treat the disease and she may start laying again. I say “may” because chickens are pretty fragile when it comes to sickness. Many times they simply don’t recover. Doesn’t mean they won’t though. Fingers crossed.

  7. Age

  This is the only one you can’t fix. A hen’s prime time for laying are her second and third years. After that, her eggs will get progressively smaller until she stops laying altogether.

  Some folks butcher their hens after they stop laying, but we don’t. Our girls are free to convalesce into their twilight years.

  In Conclusion

  If you are serious about having a reliably-laying flock, buy sturdy egg-laying breeds from good dealers and you should be fine for the most part.

  We prefer Buff Orpingtons and Rhode Island Reds.

  Questions? Feel free to message me through the HomeDabbler Facebook Page.

  Kevin

  

  Posted in Chickens | 0 Comments | Tagged backyard chickens, backyard poultry, Chickens, raising chickens

• 3 Tips for Installing Christmas Lights Safely

  Posted at 8:00 am by HomeDabbler, on December 9, 2019

  

  Christmas lights are the best, but they can be dangerous to hang up. Whether you prefer understated and sophisticated (boring) or full-on Clark Griswold, nobody wants you spoiling the season by getting hurt.

  1. Use big honking extension cords

  Don’t use crappy extension cords. And yes, I know you have some in your garage or closet. Those thin, sorry little ones you got at the dollar store last year. Get rid of those.

  Rule of thumb: The thicker the extension cord, the better. For those of you who know electrical lingo, 14 gauge is as thin as you want to go, 12 gauge is ideal. Your house wiring is likely 12 gauge.

  2. Install lights only where they belong

  There are lights made for interior. There are lights made for exterior. There are also interior and exterior. Bottom line, don’t use interior lights outside. It’s an electrical hazard. You can use exterior inside, however.

  Oh, and for outside lights, make sure they are plugged into a circuit with a ground fault interrupter (GFI).

  3. Practice ladder safety

  Ladders can be deadly. Seriously. And you aren’t as sure on a ladder as you might think.

  First, buy a sturdy one (I prefer Werner fiberglass).

  Next, ONLY USE LADDERS ON LEVEL GROUND. And make sure the ground isn’t soft. If even one of the feet of that ladder sinks into the ground a little, you will wobble.

  Last, always have a ladder partner. It’s best if they hold the ladder while you are on it, but at least have them nearby and watching.

  Don’t be the one who makes his family visit him in the hospital for Christmas.

  Happy holidays!
  Kevin

  Also, here I am talking about this on TV:

   

  Posted in Home Repair & Renovation | 0 Comments | Tagged christmas light safety, christmas lights, ladder safety

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