I will be following this thread for replies, since we have the same issue. My Buff Orpington is the same age and was laying well up until a week or so ago, then she stopped. Maybe it is the feed? We did change the brand of lay pellets so could that be it?
She is the only young bird I have...
Thanks all. Oh my Gosh, Michael, that all sounds beyond me. I don't have any of the items you mention on hand! I better get her to the Avian vet. It sounds though like you think it's very treatable which is great. I did notice that her comb and face are red for the first time in a while so...
I have a 5.5 year old Black Sex link. Until about 3 days ago, she seemed to be perfectly fine. Then on Monday morning, I went to feed and water my hens and I saw she was sitting on the perch in the hen house (instead of running out to the run for treats like usual). I stroked her and she spoke...
Welcome to my coop page!
About us: I decided to keep chickens because I wanted to produce more of my own food. My sister lives in Portland, where many people keep chickens, and got the idea planted in my head. I'm so glad I listened to her! I have four girls now: a Barred Rock, a Rhode Island...
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Yes, this is the one I was eyeing! I think I will go ahead and order it. Should be just enough room on the inside of the doors for me to hang that.
Trish: That is so dang simple and yet...why didn't I think if that! Awesome!
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Good idea on the pan! What is poultry dust?
I thought about the occasional short "exercise" time and started to do that but dang, even in one hour they made SUCH a mess, and dug up my newly planted dymondia! I have two toddlers so I really need to keep the poop down.
I swear, I am DONE with my feeder and waterer. The chickens are constantly kicking shavings into them and making a mess. There is no room to hang them from the ceiling. I have been eying a wall-mounted stainless steel version I found online and I'm wondering if its worth the money?
So, here's the backstory. When I first got chickens, we would let them free-range in our yard. They clearly loved it, but they were just SO messy. Poop everywhere and I couldn't keep them out of my vegetable beds. They were just murder on all the plants, and they would kick the dirt down off...
I have four chickens, all a little over a year old. They've been laying like champs for the past year, and layed all through last winter. One of them started molting a few weeks ago, so I've not been expecting her to lay. Her feathers have grown back in, but her comb is still very small.
But...
Grrrrr!!! I am *thiiiiiiiiiiiiiis* close to having roast chicken for dinner tonight.
I have four girls that have a WHOLE yard to roam in, with all sorts grass and plants and bugs, and what do they make a beeline for? My two little raised vegetable beds.
So I put some plastic fencing up all...
Nifty, that was pretty unusual and all I can think is that they all REALLY had to lay. :-D
Most of the time they seem to prefer two of the three boxes, but I do find eggs in all three.
Okto: the run is 3 x 8, and then there is another 20 sq feet of space under the henhouse.
They also get at least an hour in the morning and between 3-4 hours in the evening to roam around the yard.
Thanks all! I'm really happy with it!
LynneP: Yes, the whole run is encased in hardware cloth. The tarp is just to provide shade and keep it dry (the sprinklers hit it a bit).
Dilly: the henhouse is 4 x 5 x 5. You can't see it in the photo, but one whole side has two doors that open outward...
I am just shocked at the amount of damage my four girls are doing to my yard. They dig huge holes on the hillside (which is only lightly planted) and I cannot keep them out of my raised beds, even with 3.5 foot high green plastic fencing (they just walked right up the sides and hopped over!)
If...