Recent content by Chickmagnet36

A word of caution from experience: Hawks are smart, very persistent, and they WILL return. They learn your routine and eventually figure out when your birds are vulnerable, then they strike. I would not let your guard down. Good luck to all...

It may have been a hawk. They attack in the daytime and do not typically carry off their prey. They are also very persistent, once they know there is food available, they WILL return.

I've gotten some from my red sex-links.

Not sure, time will tell. I can say that my 6 mixed reds are still producing 5-6 eggs / day, even with the shorter daylight hours and colder temps here in Ma, and I do not use artificial light or heat in my setup. Good luck.

They are still young, mine did the same thing at that age, but they got used to the day / night routine after a few days. I found that adding a light just prolongs the process, but do whatever works best for your situation.

They look much younger, more like ten weeks? Below is a pic of one of my pullets at 11 weeks, she started laying around the 20 week mark.

He loks kind of like a red sex-link, but I'm not an expert by any means.

That's what I do, but keep in mind, I have a secure, covered run for them.

They should be fine especially if they are in a draft free environment. Besides, if you give them a heat source (most likely electrical), then what happens when you lose power? The sudden drop in temperature will shock them. They will be better off adaping to the cold temps naturally, rather...

If it were me, I would set up one of those game cameras to try and catch your thief on film, if that is not feasible, then I would at least put a padlock on the coop access door(s).

I've used Dumor since my chicks were 1 day old. They are now 6 1/2 months old and doing well. I am getting 6 eggs / day from 6 pullets, and they seem quite healthy and active. I do supplement with healthy treats on occasion, but the feed is the major component of their diet. I would say that it...

1. Watermelon 2. Scratch 3. Broccoli 4. Tomatoes 5. Meal worms

They say a chicken will lay eggs the same color as their earlobes. My six pullets are all red sex-links, so all of my eggs are brown, but if you have different colored birds / eggs you might be able to match them by color.

I would get layer feed (pellets or crumbles) and mix it gradually with the remainder of grower feed. This allows for a smooth transition to the layer feed. This method worked well for my flock.

O.K., good. i just realized that your question was geared more towards grit than treats. See the info below, it is directly from the manufacturer of the chick grit I used for my chicks: Feed Manna ProChick Grit to young birds beginning at two weeks of age. Monitor intake of Chick Grit for the...