I have a very small mixed flock of 7 heritage breed hens that are around 8 months old. They have artificial light of around 15-16 hours a day, heated water and a consistant and good feed supply of layer mash. Up until 2 weeks ago they lay around 4-7 eggs a day, but have stopped laying. One...
Ok, so you put in one pound of seed and get 6 poundsof fodder, that part I understand. My question is, does the 6 pounds of fodder have more calories than the orginal one pound of seed it took to make it. I understand it will have more vitamins and minerals, but will it have more calories than...
Can someone who has raised the redbro/redranger meat chickens tell me if you get the large amount of white breast meat that you get from the normal white broiler meat bird. If not, do you still get more meat from there breast than a heritage meat chicken?
Does anyone know a White Plymouth rock breeder that breeds for size and growthiness? I am looking for a good non hatchery birds. The same goes for Speckled Sussex.
Ok, my only white leghorn hen in a mixed flock lay its first and only egg about 2 1/2 months ago. After that she quit laying. I noticed a discharge from her rear and figured it was vent gleet. I gave her medicine and waited 2 1/2 months but she never got better. As all of my chickens are working...
So I am going to be switching to nipple waterer in a 5 gallon bucket. Can someone tell me how to get my chickens to use them? I am afraid they will just die of thirst unless they figure it out.
Ok so I have a coop and run. The run is obviously outside. The coop is bone dry with lots of wood chips. The hens lay there eggs inside the dry coop in there bone dry nest boxes. But every time I collect the eggs they are covered in mud. There is no droppings on the eggs just mud. I have spent...
So my hens just started laying. Besides occasional treats there main food is layer pellets I get at TSC. Does this have enough calcium for egg production. Do I have to supplement with egg shell? Keep in my I didn't ask if I can supplement but I want to know if I have to supplement with egg...
Do roosters breed there hens just in spring or will they breed them year round even in the winter? Will putting the rooster in a lighted coop make him breed his hens in the winter or do they breed them year round, and just more in the spring??
Ok I have 9 chickens and one of them, the white leghorn has a matted looking butt. It looks as if her feathers are wet and matted around her butt. The other nine don't have this. They are all about 5 months old and have never laid an egg except the lehorn. She laid one egg and hasn't laid since...
Ok this is my first winter with chickens. I have a coop and run. In my run I placed a roost just for something for them to play on during the summer. Last night it was 21 degrees here where I live in W.V and they stayed on there outside roost and didn't go inside the coop. And I just checked on...
Ok as my name suggests I am new to keeping chickens, my first flock just now reaching laying age. So I come to BYC web site to dig for tips and such on raising chickens. And one tip I get over and over and over and over is, " you don't want hatchery birds because hatchery birds are breed for egg...
Ok so different hathceries list differnt weights for the chickens. As and example cacklhatchery lists it RIR roosters as 9.5 lbs where as Myer hatchery lists it RIR roosters as 7 lbs. Cackle hatcherys listed weights are way higer than Myers for some reason. Can someone explain why or does cackle...
So I have it narrowed down to 3 different breeds, Plymouth white rock, Delaware or New Hampshire red. I want a breed that will lay 5 eggs a week. Which of the breeds will lay that or will none of them lay 5 eggs a week?
So I will be growing out various breeds of heritage roosters. I will butcher at 20-22 wks. How big should a coop and run be for them. I here with cx that 1 ft is enough. Is this true also with heritage meat chickens as they will be there 20-22 wks? Or is 1ft fine as you are going to butcher them...
I have a NH rooster over a mixed flock of large breed hens, like Delaware, NH, BA and White Rock. I assumed that all the chicks hatched would be large bodied but I read somewhere that a NH over a Delaware gives a red sex link which is around 4-5 lbs max? Is this true, because if it is I may need...
Can anyone suggest a breeder of Delwares, New Hamp reds, White Rocks or Dark Cornish that breeds for meat charcteristics only, and that you personally have experience with.