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  1. Vickie 51

    Hens laying eggs on roost

    Make sure they have oyster shell to snack on. If you do not have them on layer feed, they should be now since, as chickens get older, they need protein and calcium a little more than usual.. Also, every two or three days try giving then scrambled eggs with eggshell crunched up and mixed in...
  2. Vickie 51

    The girls stopped laying

    I often mix oats with browned ground beef. If I have leftover meat I run it through the food processor for them. They love that! Also you can mix meat with scrambled eggs. I top it with fresh chopped oregano and parsley. They practically do the chicken dance when I give that to them.
  3. Vickie 51

    The girls stopped laying

    While it appeared stress could be a factor, the fact you are thinking molting does have to be considered. Luckily in both cases the "cure" is to increase their protein. They should be getting high protein such as oats, scrambled eggs, meats, etc. You can even buy ready-made chicken treats...
  4. Vickie 51

    The girls stopped laying

    Stres can certainly stop them from laying and often for several weeks. The other thing to consider is if they are hiding eggs elsewhere. Sometimes after incidents like that they find hiding spots so they'll feel safe so you might be just missing where the eggs are.
  5. Vickie 51

    Feeding raw shrimp shells to laying hens

    These days, when you don't always know how food is handled, I lightly cook mine. Then I also snip them into smaller pieces more because I'm scared of a hen swallowing a hunk and it getting lodged in the crop. They really love them.
  6. Vickie 51

    Joe has been beaten by someone

    Oh I am so sorry you lost him. You certainly did everything within your power to help him. It is sad that it seems to have been the actions of a person that cost Joe so dearly. It is a **** shame.
  7. Vickie 51

    Joe has been beaten by someone

    First let me say I am so sorry this happened to Joe. I do suggest the sling as well since that will help with digestion and keeping systems well. I'm sure he's still shocky and it will take a while to recover. I hope he does okay.
  8. Vickie 51

    Chickens, not ducks!

    I have RIR's, Plymouth Barred Rocks and Black Australorp. They are all quite weather tolerant of both heat and cold (I am in NY). You may want to peg the tarp down if you haven't already to minimize being buffeted by strong winds and blowing in rain onto the birds. We also will spread straw...
  9. Vickie 51

    Bully Hens

    A few things, some of which have been mentioned; 1. Chickens need space so please consider how much area you have for the number of birds. The more space, the better off you are. 2. Make sure they have activities. It sounds funny but chickens are bright and do get bored. Try hanging up a...
  10. Vickie 51

    Rhode Island Reds

    There are a few things to consider. Yes, it is winter, cold, with less light which can slow down or stop laying. However, some breeds (RIR INCLUDED) do young molts. My two (9 mos. old) did a minor molt just a bit on the chest and back of the neck and hardly noticeable however that also...
  11. Vickie 51

    Pesky Possums

    Well the problem with the moat was in the cold we're having it kept freezing over and the alligators we're too pleased. Frankly it made me nervous to have the alligators so close to the chickens anyhow. The snipers came in to sit by the fire once the temps dropped below 20 degrees (men of...
  12. Vickie 51

    Pesky Possums

    Our run is 1/2" hardware cloth that goes 12" underground, then flanges out and is reinforced with rebar. That is covered with stone, backfilled with soil and then topped with cement block. The roof if fiberglass panels over chicken wire. The door sits within a frame so there is no gap on the...
  13. Vickie 51

    HELP FOR IZZY!!!

    Where did you get your birds? Most hatcheries vaccinate against mereks. You can check with your hatchery and make sure (one shot only as little ones).
  14. Vickie 51

    Chicken Molting

    Definitely increase the protein. Also try not to handle her a lot since they get sort of sensitive when they molt. Try and reduce her stress level as well.
  15. Vickie 51

    I have one chicken and I am adding another chicken to the mix. Can I add it right away?

    The biggest concern I would have is they should be quarantined to prevent illness, worms, etc. being transmitted from bird to bird. Can you verify that the new bird is completely healthy?
  16. Vickie 51

    What laying hens should I buy

    What I did was decide if I wanted brown, white or pastel eggs and what size eggs I was hoping for. Then I researched which breeds tolerated hot summers and cold winters. Then from there I checked out which breeds were less likely to get broody. Since mine had to be in a run due to predators, I...
  17. Vickie 51

    Depressed or sick duck?

    I also hope your children are feeling a bit better. It's always upsetting for children. Oh, who am I kidding? It's upsetting to all of us. They do seem to crawl inside our hearts to some degree.
  18. Vickie 51

    Depressed or sick duck?

    Oh, that is terrible! I'm so sorry.
  19. Vickie 51

    Feeding chickens

    Mine get freshly mown grass and pulled up friendly weeds. They also enjoy fresh herbs from the garden such as mint, oregano, parsley, basil, thyme and dill as well as lettuces. They enjoy things like marigold flowers or geraniums. Other fruits and veggies such as zucchini, carrot peels...
  20. Vickie 51

    DE Help Please~~~!!!!! Bugs are horrible in the south right now!!!

    We use DE as a preventative measure. The bottom of our coop is a little PDZ mixed with DE tossed with pine shavings. Under the coop where the girls love to dust bathe, we mixed DE in with straw (which also goes in the nesting boxes. Please note if you use DE, it must be food-grade. Also, do...
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