Recent content by Fortune

I will let you know when I'm done re-fencing, and getting a higher protein mix going. I really don't think its their food since I'm mixing it myself. I tend to believe its the rat issue. Creeped even me out the first time I went into the coop at midnight and saw them all scurrying and...

I did see it also comes in 23 guage and why I mentioned it should be 19. I'm told they can chew threw the 23 guage.

I pick up their food and lock it up in a metal can by 6pm...they get to scrounge till morning so rats or any other interested wildlife won't find anything. Please don't use poison...if you don't bury the poisoned rat right after it dies and something else eats it you introduce poison into the...

I have never used sorghum....don't even know what it is.

ratinator works great...if you have mice, you'll have rats...rats are a bigger issue...I'm having to rewire my entire coop with hardware cloth due to rats. I've trapped and killed over 30 so far that I then drown but they never slow down. Its amazing how many wild rats there are. Creepy but...

What do you feed them with? I was mixing my own feed and then switched to an all organic non GMO mixed grain and sine I did that they've all quit laying. What is the best feed? Their first yr I mixed whole oats, corn, flax, green peas, sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, and all was well. This...

I'm back and here is an article on reasons they'll stop laying... https://www.chickensandmore.com/chicken-stopped-laying-eggs/#4_Dehydration I think for mine it could be one of three reasons. Its horridly hot and humid here in SE FL right now, I have a rat issue at night, and I switched...

I'm having a no egg laying issue too. I have two Jersey Giants, two Welsummers and one Buff Orpington. Three got broody, then got over it, thought it could be mites or lice but not the case, and now all quit laying. They are fine health wise so I can't figure it out. I have a rodent issue at...

Once they get broody and then they get over it, how long before they’ll start laying again? I was getting 5 eggs a day and then all but one out of the 5 got broody and now I’m only getting eggs from one! Also, when you have them in chicken jail, how do you know if they’re over it or not...

Thanks!

Thanks. Now to deal with Dx lice/mites...one is losing feathers like crazy and none are laying eggs.

actually I think I have both problems at the same time.

I'll have to keep a diary of how my girls react. I have three now that won't leave the box so should I put them in jail together or separate? I don't have three crates so I'd have to rig something up with hardware cloth and 2x4s.

How do you know when she's broken? Mine are going in and out of broodiness with it only getting worse. Only one is laying eggs! I kick them out but didn't know about crating so they can't nest. Mine just nest in the sand if they have to. How do you crate multiple birds? One at a time?

I'm going through something similar with my girls and their about 14 months as well. Today I found an egg under my blue jersey who laid outside and when I took it from her she followed me. I laid it down to feed the others and she moved it back to her spot about 3 ft away! She was trying to...