Maine

[suzMEchicks]

now I have to look up Eden style gardening! Was going to put in a patch of lasagna style gardening to see how that works.

 

[mlowen]

Marsh hay would be a good way to mulch the garden without introducing any weed seed to the garden!  I'd be very excited about getting some of this, but... am working on converting my garden to Back to Eden style.  

ML:  What color eggs you getting?  Yes, they are pretty girls.  I have 8 full grown BSL and 2 juveniles.  My pioneer crosses are turning out to be very pretty also.  Red with honey highlights, black streaking in the hackles.  Brown or olive eggs.  My EE x RCBL are giving me blue or cream colored eggs.   I'm really having a hard time sorting out who's laying what, but... my egg basket is very pretty.  This gene pool is doing exactly what I expected it to do.  That the first generation were all sexable based on feather or leg/comb color was a bonus!  Don't know if I'll be so lucky with the F2 generation.

All three are laying light tourquoise eggs. They vary from more to less green.

 

[buckabucka]

I have one big nipple waterer and it hasn't frozen so far but I wondered if there was any heating coil that could be put in there for the winter? Does the dog water dish get filled with the pine shavings? It sits on the floor or ground right?

You could put a heating coil in the nipple waterer and keep it liquid, but the nipples will eventually freeze up with the temperatures we have here. When mine froze the other day, I poured hot water into the bucket, but it took quite a bit of force for me to free up the frozen nipples.
I set the heated dog dish up on cinder blocks. It stays pretty clean that way.

 

[diana507]

So as everyone knows in here this is my first year with chickens. I went out this morning and found 2 of my 12 isa browns with bare butts! Any insight???

 

[superchemicalgirl]

How old are they? My thoughts:
1. Molting? If they're > 1 year old
2. Worms or other parasites
3. ? is the area swollen = internal laying

 

[mlowen]

So as everyone knows in here this is my first year with chickens. I went out this morning and found 2 of my 12 isa browns with bare butts! Any insight???

4. (maybe) My leghorns are notorious feather-eaters. I usually have bare-bottomed hens on the lower end of the pecking order. They also have missing back and head feathers from time to time. Since they only grow out after a molt, they look pretty scruffy for much of the year. You may have one (or more) feather pickers. I've tried increasing protein (they get chopped liver in winter, when bugs are unavailable and plain whole milk yogurt) but still those feathers must be yummy.

 

[ashandvine]

So as everyone knows in here this is my first year with chickens. I went out this morning and found 2 of my 12 isa browns with bare butts! Any insight???

Check for parasites first. If the area is red this is another give away. They may have had crusty/poo crusted feathers which irritated them and now they are bare. Treat with Ivermectin and maybe give them a little blukote till it grows back in.

 

[buckabucka]

I was going to suggest a feather picker also, just because I've had them before. I had mixed results with increasing protein and letting them free-range. One hen (leghorn) had to wear pinless peepers. I try not to use the peepers until I've exhausted other options, but if you ever want some I have a ton of them here! I would be happy to share. I got a little exasperated last spring with feather pickers and bought a 100 (or some outrageous number) because I got free shipping that way.

 

[buckabucka]

Hi ashandvine!

 

[diana507]

How old are they? My thoughts:
1. Molting? If they're > 1 year old
2. Worms or other parasites
3. ? is the area swollen = internal laying

They are around 6 months. Started laying end of july. I am gonna check them for mites and lice. They are not swollen. They are on a roll laying eggs. Been 12/12 all month except 3 days.