Chickens

Details: Written by Mark Valencia; Published: 09 May 2016

What is better a chicken tractor or a static pen/run when keeping backyard chickens? This article will help you decide.

Details: Written by Mark Valencia; Published: 09 September 2015

If you keep chickens and you don't have a holding or isolation pen then you MUST make one! Here's why...

Details: Written by Mark Valencia; Published: 27 August 2015

Are chicken treadle feeders any good or are they a waste of money?

Mark Valencia — Hi Vitina, and thank you so much for visiting my blog and your kind words! Regarding your squirrels eating from the gravity chicken feeder, a treadle feeder might actually work because to open the lid there needs to be a certain weight and if the squirrels are under a kg (few pounds) in weight/size......

Vitina Tiso — Hi, I started reading your blog while searching for information on Dragon fruit and found it so helpful that I decided to search your chicken info too. Regarding feeders, I have a big problem with ground squirrels raiding my gravity feeder. A treadle feeder woul help that problem. I wonder if you ......

Details: Written by Mark Valencia; Published: 23 July 2015

This article (including video) explains how to easily make your own DIY chicken or duck poultry feeder out of any container!

Mark Valencia — Hi Erika, I'm really happy you took the time to share your modifications to my chicken bin feeder design adapting it to chicks. Time is valuable and when there's lots of birds to feed it can be a pain to constantly top up the feeder so a bulk feeder like this (which is also not messy) can be a real ......

Erika Arndt — Mark, this feeder is GREAT. Have 27 1 month old Buff Orpington chicks, still eating out of a chick feeder, which I was filling 3 times a day. Made a chick version of your feeder, hole starts 4" off the ground, and is roughly 4" square, 3 holes in a 5 gallon bucket. When they outgrow it I will make a......

Mark Valencia — Here's a pic from the inside of the DIY bin feeder...

Details: Written by Mark Valencia; Published: 22 May 2015

Here's the straight truth about how to treat chickens and other poultry for mites and lice.

Rob — Mark.... there is scientific literature out there following research into DE and its use in poultry for control of external parasites and it has been proven to be successful. But as all treatments, it should be used in moderation and combined with several strategies, particularly in a preventative f......

Mark Valencia — Hi Patrick, I so much appreciate you giving us your experience on DE - that was a very informative and interesting comment you wrote. I must admit I wished there was something that worked on mites and lice, which was completely natural, organic, and harmless to the environment and initially I invest......

Mark Valencia — Thank you Erika!...

Details: Written by Mark Valencia; Published: 11 May 2015

So is the new improved Dine-a-Chook chicken feeder really worth buying?

Mark Valencia — That's good to know Colin, thank you for commenting! Please consider writing a review in our Reviews Section. Cheers http://www.selfsufficientme.com/product-reviews/poultry-equipment/poultry-feeders-reveiws/pvc-feeders/dine-a-chook-chicken-feeder-pvc......

Colin — We purchased two of the new design dine-a-chook feeders - we have 4 birds so a bit of an over kill. We used to have well over 20 doves / pidgeons hanging around the food bowls. We installed these two weeks ago and the doves are gone - we get a tiny amount of spillage now - you can hardly see any wa......

Mark Valencia — Hi Lin, thanks heaps for commenting and giving us your thoughts on this feeder as it's very helpful to those who are considering buying one for their flock....

Details: Written by Mark Valencia; Published: 04 May 2015

chicken eating sorghum seed head plant 620

Sorghum is a very easy plant to grow in the backyard and harvest for its grain but is it worth it?

Mark Valencia — Hi Vireya, thanks for commenting! You may have to do a bit of searching around but there are brands of chicken feed that are sorghum free to perhaps buy instead. Cheers ...

Vireya — Thanks for this. We have some commercial chook food which contains sorghum, and the chooks will not eat it unless there is absolutely nothing else to eat (and maybe not even then...). So I'd like to find a food that doesn't contain it, as it is a waste of money to buy something that the chooks just ......

Mark Valencia — Thanks for your input Eric! I have also used soy meal mixed into my chicken and quail feed perhaps it could help with the intake of sorghum... Cheers...

Details: Written by Mark Valencia; Published: 17 December 2014

catching chicken

Here's a HEAP of different ways to catch a chicken!

Mark Valencia — Never thought of that one! But a hose sounds feasible and is another way to catch a chicken! Thank you ...

Feefifofum — I use a hose to coral my hens into their run or into a corner where I can catch them. It's surprizingly easy and effective....

Mark — Hi Jo, pretend you're a rooster YES that's # 16 Good one!!!! Cheers ...

Details: Written by Mark Valencia; Published: 05 November 2014

Put a roof over your chicken pen or lose your birds and eggs to predators!

Mark — Shade cloth is good yes on a nicely angled pen keep the sun and predators out! Kookaburras will attack large snakes and goannas chasing them away it's a funny sight! Love the wildlife (just not in my chicken pen) LOL. Cheers ...

Kate — Thanks for the tip, we might have to look and covering ours too. What about shade cloth. One thing we have learnt is the wild birds really make a racket when a predictor is around....

Mark Valencia — Hi Debbie, thanks for your advice on the copper netting as a roof for my chicken coop to keep predators out I had not realised such a product was available! I can't get it here http://bit.ly/1EpXGWn from Amazon unfortunately being in Oz but I will try and find some locally. Cheers ......