Recent content by ChickenAl

  1. ChickenAl

    Southern NY, Dutchess county and below

    One thing I forgot to mention is that I did bury the chickens that had died. It was in the warmer months, so the ground was not frozen. I think the suggestion of having a Vet take care of it is a good one.
  2. ChickenAl

    Southern NY, Dutchess county and below

    I could be wrong, but it sounds like prolapse. I think that is where the reproductive organs come out. There probably is nothing you could have done to prevent it. I had lost four hens in the past two years and I had not been able to figure out why. Only the last day on two of the hens did they...
  3. ChickenAl

    Southern NY, Dutchess county and below

    That's correct. Hens that are bred for production usually will produce heavily for the first two years then fall off dramatically by the third year. A hen is born with all the eggs it will ever have, and the ones that produce less consistently when young will still produce in older age.
  4. ChickenAl

    Southern NY, Dutchess county and below

    I don't know if I have the energy to raise chickens again. I agree that buying eggs are not the same as having those from your own hens. Hoping there will be a few eggs here and there when the days grow longer.
  5. ChickenAl

    Southern NY, Dutchess county and below

    HiCarolyn, it most likely is the length of daylight. Mine layed through the winter for two years, then they slowed down to summer only. At almost five years old I haven't seen an egg since the end of summer, and those were on a very sporadic basis. Haven't been on here in a while and hope...
  6. ChickenAl

    Southern NY, Dutchess county and below

    Our chickens have done very well with no insulation, heat or any special diet. The important thing to remember is that you have to have ventilation without any drafts. Drafts can be deadly in the winter. Chickens fluff their feathers to keep warm. Kind of like their own down jacket.
  7. ChickenAl

    Southern NY, Dutchess county and below

    Carolyn, I know what you mean. I had to toss up to five eggs per day from the five girls left for two weeks. Now I'm down to three which haven't given an egg in many months. They are going to be four years old next month. Can't expect too much out of them now. They were all great layers even...
  8. ChickenAl

    Southern NY, Dutchess county and below

    Hope you were able to read through all my mispellings. Auto spell is no help!
  9. ChickenAl

    Southern NY, Dutchess county and below

    Hi Carolyn, I let two weeks go by when I used any worming meds on the girls. It does take a while for the meds to be eliminated form their system. You certainly would not want to be having antibiotics with you morning breakfast. Lol. Also, and I know this is obvious, don't feed the eggs back to...
  10. ChickenAl

    Southern NY, Dutchess county and below

    No worries. Those are some awesome pics!
  11. ChickenAl

    Southern NY, Dutchess county and below

    Hi Al, I haven't been on much in the past months. There used to be a large amount of participants, but that has seemed to ebb over the past couple of years. I had started with six hens from Tractor Supply, and am down to three because of some illness I couldn't figure out that took them one at...
  12. ChickenAl

    Southern NY, Dutchess county and below

    Roberta, best of luck in building that five story chicken coop! LOL. Good for you in securing your future by getting out of tax land. It is getting ridiculous to live, let alone retire here. Your chickens will have new digs with plenty of space, and you will have a new house. A lot of positives...
  13. ChickenAl

    Southern NY, Dutchess county and below

    Thank you so much QC. Hope all the fathers have a great day.
  14. ChickenAl

    Southern NY, Dutchess county and below

    Thanks for the kind thoughts. The more I read about it the more I think you are right about prolapse.
  15. ChickenAl

    Southern NY, Dutchess county and below

    Hi everyone, Had our first chicken death today. Found one of our girls upside down with what appeared to be a bloody butt. They all looked fine yesterday and I don't know if it is a contagion or something like a prolapse. Dug a hole and buried her as I once read is suggested to do so as not to...
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