Recent content by Happily Retired

Update.....Yesterday I harvested 31 eggs which was a accumulation of about 4 or 5 days. So looking back, I THINK that the problem was low calcium. A week or so after they went on strike, I noticed that their oyster shell container was low, not empty, just low so I filled it up. Two days later...

Thank you for offering these suggestions! There has not been any lighting changes other than what is naturally occurring due to seasonal changes. Right now we are getting about 11 hrs of sunlight per day. If have looked all over for hidden nests to no avail. The hens are confined to the coop...

Thank for your thoughts! They finished their soft molts about the time their production increased to 3 to 4 eggs per day.

Both the coop and the run are 64 sf. They have access to both areas 24 hrs per day.

I have 8 Barred Rock hens all just under 2 yrs old which just quit laying eggs. All last year up until December they were laying 7 to 8 eggs per day. Over the winter the production dropped to 1 to 2 eggs per day and then about a month ago I was getting 3 to 4 eggs per day. Then like a light...

Congratulations!!! I know how it feels when you get your first egg. All the hard work is finally paying off. May this one hen will be the kick start the rest of your flock needs. I too have Barred Rocks and they have produced well for me. Up to our ears in eggs.

I am in need of some guidance. I have 8 Barred Rock Hens which are 18 months old and are coming up on 1 year of laying. When they became of laying age I used the Tractor Supply layer feed which they loved. I have a homemade bucket feeder for the dry feed. About 6 or 8 months ago I switched...

Greetings and Salutations from the Texas Hill Country!! I ordered 12 barred rock chicks back in May 2022 one of which was to have been a rooster. I lost 3 of chicks so I am down to nine. They are now 28 weeks old and I am getting 7 to 8 eggs a day which tells me that I probably do not have a...

There are several U Tube videos on this topic Search for "Aggressive Roosters" and several will be listed. My take is that you put the rooster in a submissive hold much like with the hens as they "assume the position" and press down hard enough to let him know who is boss. Repeat over several...

This AM I went out to feed/water the flock and collect the eggs. Let them out of the coop and went back to get the one egg out of the corner of the coop, No sooner done then here comes the laying hen looking for her egg. She came in the coop, went straight to where she laid the egg and...

Finally, after 23 weeks 5 days (But who's counting?) the girls have blessed me with 3 eggs! I guess the recipe for chicken soup that I posted in their coop had an impact.

I have a coop very similar to what you are planning. My floor is plywood with peel and stick linoleum tiles. I did this for ease cleaning as well as protection of the plywood. With the litter covering the linoleum the issue of the hens pecking at it has not been an issue for me. Occasionally...

Don't feel alone. My Barred Rocks are pushing 21 weeks and still nothing. Some YouTuber had eggs from his BRs at 16 weeks. I plan on posting a recipe for "Homemade Chicken Soup" in their coop as an incentive!

Thanks one and all for your feedback. They still haven't eaten much of it at all so I caved and mixed it with water and they are now working on their second big bowl. So maybe it has something to do with the texture or the hardness of the pellet fragments. Or most probably they are terribly...

While wisteria can be a beautiful plant/vine be cautious where you plant it. "All parts of the wisteria plant contain substances called lectin and wisterin, which are toxic to pets, livestock, and humans. These toxins can cause anything from nausea and diarrhea to death if consumed in large...