I have 4 rainbows that are about 12 weeks old.. I am afraid I have 2 roosters as they have larger combs and a bit of a beard, the other two do not.. is it possible to tell at this age??
over all my chickens have slowed down with the winter... I have light for 14hrs and heat when it's really cold.. but my 2 americauna totally stopped, now eggs for about two weeks now.. they will be 2 years old in May.. any ideas as to why they stopped?? and any hits to get them laying again??
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probably 24 by 50... they are out of the coop when I have home.. so mostly weekends and evenings.. although with the time change they don't always get out at night...
thanks all of you for your replys... I don't think the alpaca fiber is the problem with getting less eggs.. I found two smashed today.. They have access to oyster shell.. I don't find eggs with cracks.. the ones I find are totally smashed. I think I will try some carpet or cardboard. Shaving...
I am having an issue with cracked or smashed eggs in the next boxes.. I have tried shaving, straw and grass clippings.. the chickens push that out.. .Now i have alpaca fiber (from the first shearing.. apparently not good for making yarn).. any way, since I did that, they have really slowed down...
my chicken run is preditor proof.. so far anyway.. so they are locked in the run at night...not in the coop.. unless it's really cold, sometimes then I will lock them in
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If they free range in a variety of forages, they may be finding enough out there to keep their load down. You could get a fecal done. See if your vet will do one on a poop sample you bring him; many will, for $10 or $20. Or you could just worm them and see if your feed consumption...
I live in Minnesota.. get's dang cold in the winter.. I did not heat my coop last year and don't plan on it this winter either.. I just have a pretty thick base of shaving on the floor and they do just fine...
mine will come running for meal worms.. I started letting them out just an hour or so b/4 dusk.. would call them and give them meal worm.. gradually increased the time out.. now they come running when I call them..