Recent content by QChickieMama

  1. QChickieMama

    pink belly? no feathers on the abdomen of 5yo hen

    I've not noticed any other health issues for these girls. I put DE in their food 2x/year, and in their nest bedding as well, for deworming. Too much protein is curious. I'll research this idea. Thanks.
  2. QChickieMama

    pink belly? no feathers on the abdomen of 5yo hen

    One good rooster and 5 hens live in this pen. It's 12x12x12. I have 5 pens of chickens, so I haven' t spent much time noticing what this girl is doing.
  3. QChickieMama

    pink belly? no feathers on the abdomen of 5yo hen

    I was incorrect in title of post: they're 2yo, not 5yo. They look old! Here's a sideways photo. Molted last fall, late. But now they kinda look askew all the time. For what it's worth, our well water is high mineral water.
  4. QChickieMama

    males and females of same age developing at different rates?

    Fascinating. The pen right next to the youngsters' pen has a good ol' rooster but I never thought he could've helped the situation. Still glad to be rid of the juvenile boys. Not needed.
  5. QChickieMama

    pink belly? no feathers on the abdomen of 5yo hen

    I give them oyster shell free choice and Layena layer feed. They get to free range 5 hrs/day. Despite good feed, someone is laying soft shelled eggs...
  6. QChickieMama

    pink belly? no feathers on the abdomen of 5yo hen

    Two of my cream leg bars are 2yo and their low bellies look distended with no feather coverage. Their combs are floppy over on one side. They look so disheveled. They're laying maybe once per week. What is this? Should I cull them or are they missing some nutrient?
  7. QChickieMama

    males and females of same age developing at different rates?

    I have 20 new chickens hatched 3/15/25, 3 males, 17 females. The roosters came of age and crowed a few weeks ago. However, the females in the same pen are not ready to be mounted. They're looking like adults but they're still pullets. Is this normal? I'm curious. The males were so aggressive...
  8. QChickieMama

    teaching chicks to go back in and roost at night?

    Ok. I've had them in their pen for about 2 weeks. That's why I was surprised that they tried to roost in the other adult pen. Silly goons.
  9. QChickieMama

    teaching chicks to go back in and roost at night?

    I have 8-week-old chicks in their own 10x10 pen. I've started letting them free-range in the late afternoons, but their instinct to go back home to roost isn't working very well. They go in to another next-door 10x10 pen where the adults are all roosting, or they just wander around in the grass...
  10. QChickieMama

    a farm-based Christmas gift

    Over the last 4 years, I've compiled 52 devotional reflections on the farm into a book called Strength in the Seasons. I imagine many of you awesome chicken friends here would enjoy reading this 250-page beautiful book full of watercolor art and engaging farm stories. nanavinar.com is the...
  11. QChickieMama

    My cover crop is thriving in random spots in the garden

    I planted daikon radish and mustard greens over my whole garden about 6 weeks ago. It's lush and beautiful in some spots, and small and pale in some spots. What amendments could I apply this fall/winter for a healthy spring garden? The thriving spots are where I buried dead chickens (ha! It's...
  12. QChickieMama

    Would a brick floor in the coop be a good idea?

    Good idea but predatory tunnelers haven't been a problem.
  13. QChickieMama

    Would a brick floor in the coop be a good idea?

    I've had this coop with a dirt floor for 12 years. I've tried the deep litter method of toss stuff in there and never clean it. The rain comes in on the sides and makes it stink. The birds haven't been great about getting the mice at all. They do like to take dust baths on dry days. I think...
  14. QChickieMama

    Would a brick floor in the coop be a good idea?

    I have an empty 12x12 chain-link coop right now, so I'm re-roofing it and trying to dig out the mouse underworld. Also trapping the mice. Ugh. Anyway, I have a pile of leftover bricks. Would they make a decent flooring? Has anyone done this and regretted it? Perhaps the mice would create a new...
  15. QChickieMama

    A question about culling

    Her liver was beautiful! And enjoyed by my dogs. One interesting thing to note: none of my girls went broody this summer. I was disappointed. I will call my feed store and see what the protein % is in their layer feed.
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