Recent content by Karen K

  1. K

    A Recovery Story

    The first picture was her second day in the house. Later on, when she started to show signs she was finally ready, we made a nesting box for her. She also likes to sit beside us, either watching the computer or tv. Yesterday, my husband let the other chickens out into the front yard and left...
  2. K

    A Recovery Story

    We raised 9 chicks last April (2021) 2 Barnevelders, 3 Novagens, 2 Blue Australorps and 2 easter eggers. They were 3 days old when we got them. One of the Novagens, Tiger Lily always used to be the first to explore and do everything. As she grew, we noticed the other chicks/chickens always...
  3. K

    What Breed of Chickens Do You Have?

    2 Barnevelders (14 weeks) 3 Blue Australorps (1 is 14 months and 2 are 14 weeks) 4 Easter Eggers (2 14 weeks, 2 are young 8 week old roosters) 3 Novagens (13 weeks) 1 Turken/Black Copper Marans cross (8 weeks) (The 8 week old chickens were from fertile eggs that were given to us for our...
  4. K

    How to Keep Chickens Cool in Upcoming Heat Wave?

    I live in Oregon City. At our house we had a high of 115. We had a misting unit spraying around our chicken coop area which has a carport-like frame and tarp to protect it from the elements (so in the winter it keeps in dry, in the summer it's shady). Our chickens are allowed to free-range our...
  5. K

    Official BYC Poll: How Do You Keep Your Coop Smelling Fresh?

    I use sand and keep the coop dry. I clean it out every morning when I let the chickens out.
  6. K

    Chicken sometimes lays 2 eggs a day, one hard and one soft

    I'm wondering if she was egg bound. When Lavender died, our blue Australorp, my husband did a necropsy. We found 4 soft eggs, a broken yoke and a hard egg (that somehow got sent back up the pipe and was in the wrong area). She'd become egg bound. By the time the yolk had broken it was too late...
  7. K

    Official BYC Poll: How Do You Chicken-Proof Your Garden?

    I take my chickens with me when I'm gardening, but they do get to free-range in the backyard, so they even do 'weeding' without me in my flowerbeds. There are a few plants I have wire cages around. There are some plants I find mashed down because they think they make a swell place to 'bed down.'
  8. K

    Official BYC Poll: What Are The Top Causes of Death in Your Backyard Flock?

    I've only had chickens for a year, but I had one die of coccidiosis when it was 6 weeks old, the others 5 were fine. At about 11 months old I lost one to becoming egg-bound.
  9. K

    Chicken sometimes lays 2 eggs a day, one hard and one soft

    My chickens have had crushed oyster shell available since even before they started laying eggs. I never saw my australorp use it though my brahmas did. My australorp, on the other hand, did find some ancient egg shells in our compost and I saw her eat that. Ever since I have made crushed...
  10. K

    Chicken sometimes lays 2 eggs a day, one hard and one soft

    Nope, I do not cook my Kale, though we have 3 different varieties and they seem to prefer some varieties over others. When we let out chickens out into the garden, they always make a bee line to the kale plants. My husband started growing extra because they were stripping them bare. Also...
  11. K

    Chicken sometimes lays 2 eggs a day, one hard and one soft

    I have heard you want to avoid spinach because it can interfere with vitamin d and calcium uptake. I think I'd also heard that garlic can do the same. Our chickens like Kale which has Calcium. I had also read somewhere that consistently laying soft eggs can lead to becoming egg bound and that is...
  12. K

    Store bought coop... I know, bad idea.. too late

    I agree, live mealworms are great. You can order them online pretty inexpensive compared to getting them at a pet store. Mealworms are why my chicks love me and think I'm the momma hen.
  13. K

    Chicken sometimes lays 2 eggs a day, one hard and one soft

    We use purina layena, and peck and scratch for laying hens. They have probiotics in their water and can get oyster shell whenever they want it. She isn't even a year old yet. She's not laying right now because she's gone broody. I was able to get some egg shells from the kitchen where I...
  14. K

    Chicken sometimes lays 2 eggs a day, one hard and one soft

    I started giving them caltrate with vitamin D. We got one hard egg and then again a soft one, only this time my 2 hens both did it. Then my australorp turned broody and doesn't want to leave the nest. Now she hasn't laid an egg at all today, which doesn't worry me, with her being broody, but I...
  15. K

    Chicken sometimes lays 2 eggs a day, one hard and one soft

    I didn't think to take pictures. But they weren't misshapen. One had a regular shell, the other just the membrane. However, when she first started laying eggs, they were light brown. I had heard that the color of a chickens egg lightens as the hen ages. Now her eggs are more tan to cream than...
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