Recent content by smlfarmer

one thing I do is use diatomatious (sp) earth on the chicken feed - it helps keep internal paracites gone and also helps with odor if kept in small area - 25 pound bag at TSC about $13-$15 also can dust in it for mites and other external bugs

my hens all slept on a shelf above the laying boxes from spring to fall and only started using the perch when we turned on the heat for winter and then they perched right under the heater - now they sleep on it all the time

will post next time -

no i have had some of those from another chicken before these are the color of silly putty and you can see the veins that are forming and they have a meaty texture to them - there is no membrane or shell on them -

for the second time in a month one of my girls ( I hope its the same one ) has laid a developing baby with no shell - does anyone else have this happen or know why it would? am going to have to find out for sure but I think its one of my new ones that is just laying but how long would it have to...

ok I have a question to add my 2 year olds molted for the first time this year ( back in late spring ) and still no eggs?

i do let the bedding get deep before I change it - if you have that much moisture you should check your ventilation as chickens breath out a lot of vapor - as far as smell from the birds I have feed mine a little dietamatious earth on their feed and it cuts the smell way back and it is also...

i do let the bedding get deep before I change it - if you have that much moisture you should check your ventilation as chickens breath out a lot of vapor - as far as smell from the birds I have feed mine a little dietamatious earth on their feed and it cuts the smell way back and it is also...

we still use the heat lamp for ours they can get as close or far from it as they want in the winter

yes - we had to do it to one of ours because she kept getting out and she has done fine

my older hens have bigger and paler combs than my new ones

I have always just used the fine pine shavings from tractor supply $5 a bag in my 8 x 4 coop - use about half the bag to start then add more as I need it - my girls free range so they don't stay in much w/ 6-8 birds its not bad last between 3 to 4 weeks

i think she is one that hasn't been laying all summer and so far no new eggs - still don't know how to describe what it looked like but was weird hope they all start laying again

I had 2 mallard runners and they laid everyday by 8 am - sometimes in the pool - the eggs were green and are aprox. 1/3 bigger than a large chicken egg. do not know about other breeds.

I think it was one of my 2 year olds - I do have two new ones from this year one is laying and the other hasn't started yet or is not laying in the coop my 2 year olds have stopped laying all together except for one that lays very thin shelled eggs and I have 10 more that are little and wont...