building paradise for the birds

[preciouskitty]

Your "patrollers" are precious, BTW! My Rottie is getting too old to do much protecting..but he sure doesn't mind the girls coming to sit with him on the porch!

I'm only getting 1-3 eggs/day from 10 layers..though, looks like molt is ending & some combs are starting to redden up...now if the youngsters that are almost 7 months old would just start earning THEIR keep....

 

[birdman55]

just did the egg count 29 eggs in one day from 45 hens and three roosters....we cracked some eggs open and they were all fertile so in the next couple of days i will be bringing some in for incubation...out to work

 

[dan26552]

just did the egg count 29 eggs in one day from 45 hens and three roosters....we cracked some eggs open and they were all fertile so in the next couple of days i will be bringing some in for incubation...out to work

That's cool that's more than me I have 0 eggs from seven 8 month old pullets..

 

[birdman55]

lay will lay..there just not ready yet...give it time...and boom YOULL WALK IN AN THERE WILL BE AN EGG...you can encourage them to lay by adding a fake egg in there...or one you get from the store...6 dozen eggs sitting in the fridge....what to do with all these eggs...it gets to the point sometimes when our fridge is half full or more with eggs...

 

[aart]

just did the egg count 29 eggs in one day from 45 hens and three roosters....we cracked some eggs open and they were all fertile so in the next couple of days i will be bringing some in for incubation...out to work

Are you using supplemental lighting?
How old are layers?

 

[dan26552]

lay will lay..there just not ready yet...give it time...and boom YOULL WALK IN AN THERE WILL BE AN EGG...you can encourage them to lay by adding a fake egg in there...or one you get from the store...6 dozen eggs sitting in the fridge....what to do with all these eggs...it gets to the point sometimes when our fridge is half full or more with eggs...

Well I don't know how they were reared as baby's.. But I'am seeming signs that some are getting ready

 

[chickiebaby1]

Sounds like me on the eggs. I get roughly a dozen or so a day from 16 girls. I feel thats pretty good considering the weather. And I do use Christmas lights in one of my coops where most of the girls are. I think I am going to start scrambling the eggs up and feeding them back to them when it gets a little colder for extra protein.
By the way birdman I am in love with your pheasants. I might have to add some to my flock in the spring. DO they mix ok with your chickens?

 

[birdman55]

Sounds like me on the eggs. I get roughly a dozen or so a day from 16 girls. I feel thats pretty good considering the weather. And I do use Christmas lights in one of my coops where most of the girls are. I think I am going to start scrambling the eggs up and feeding them back to them when it gets a little colder for extra protein.
By the way birdman I am in love with your pheasants. I might have to add some to my flock in the spring. DO they mix ok with your chickens?

I wouldn't recommend putting them with chickens...chickens carry a lot of nasty stuff that they are more resistant to however I have seen people have them together...however be careful the chickens and pheasants can breed....ive seen it myself...plus you need a top for the pheasants....they are not free range birds...

Are you using supplemental lighting?
How old are layers?

I have little over one year olds that consist of last years chicks and they are about 50percent of the flock...I only like them to be this old and not really any older..seems to me like when they get older they get a bit smaller then what they normally should be..so we butcher then normally after a year...I was told that they loose their good laying abilities and they get quite tough when you eat them after a year as well..iv noticed a decrease in egg production when they get this age as well ....and the other 50 percent are from this years hatch not sure how old they are but my guess in may junish If I would guess.....

well here are some pics of the progress...got one door completely hung and it seems like the frames are not level so when I level them this spring I will have to fix a couple of things...but all Is going well so far....alittle snow as you can see but I was born for the cold...so on we go to the next door...keep watching and stay tuned....

 

[tntchix]

Lookin good!

 

[dan26552]

Lookin good!

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