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  1. autumn123

    Opinions on best egg layers

    I like all the suggestions I saw for breeds, but excuse me if someone has already said this: The conditions in which the hens live (other than weather) can affect their egg production. Make sure they get good nutrition and plenty of veggie scraps; keep their coop clean and dry; provide adequate...
  2. autumn123

    Squirrels

    Three words: Get a dog! Yes, they do like eggs, but are not as likely to get into the coop. They hate squirrels, and it's mutual. We have had MUCH fewer problems with varmits in general with the dog. Predators smell them, and decide to look elsewhere I guess. We don't let our hens free-range...
  3. autumn123

    Food Scraps?

    I give our chickens just about anything except highly processed generally unhealthy crap (which we don't eat anyway). The only thing they have refused so far is celery of all things. I chopped it up along with the garlic which they love and some leftover salad. Later, everything in the bowl was...
  4. autumn123

    Food Scraps?

    Aw, don't pick grit for them! A bag of grit you can just throw into their run is cheap and will last a LONG time. If they are somewhat confined, you can even put it in their food.
  5. autumn123

    Texas

    We bought a used chicken coop with a little run with a very secure roost/nest box to lock up while they sleep. It is in a 6x8 chain link kennel which I wrapped in plasticware cloth netting attaching it to the chainlink with cable ties. We made an openable roof for the kennel from aluminum poles...
  6. autumn123

    Rain and chickens??

    I probably wouldn't kill one of my hens myself, but once they are no longer laying, I will give it to a church nearby who knows poor homesteaders who will gladly process it for Sunday dinner. I don't have equipment, it's a lot of yucky work, and the ones (even organic) you can buy already done...
  7. autumn123

    Rain and chickens??

    It's good to know it won't harm them, but I don't know if my girls would like it. The coop, run, and small yard are covered during rain so I can keep the litter dry. For now, they only get out of their area in a temporary pen while I work outside 2-3 times per week. There are too many predators...
  8. autumn123

    Food Scraps?

    Well, I don't give them just anything, but (in addition to their regular feed with grit and calcium) they get any plant based scraps, bread crumbles, oatmeal, BOSS. I give them minced garlic almost every day, and probiotics if I suspect any illness. I will pull up little tufts of tall green...
  9. autumn123

    Lost my first little hen!

    The first thing I did was to bathe her in a warm epsom salt bath to get the area completely clean. I fed her yogurt, minced garlic, warm mash, AND I have some probiotic pills that I take, so I started putting 1/2 a capsule in her food. She seemed to perk up at first, but she wouldn't roost or...
  10. autumn123

    Lost my first little hen!

    Aw! She was the first and most prolific layer of the three, a little peach colored egg every day. One other hen had just finished molting, and she started losing feathers and quit laying, so I thought molting but I was wrong. One morning I saw she wasn't walking or acting normal so I separated...
  11. autumn123

    Hen or roo?

    Thanks all. It did turn out to be a rooster - it because more obvious within a couple weeks. I returned him and got a hen for sure and she has worked out fine with the two hens I already had.
  12. autumn123

    Molting

    Thank you. I am checking her out today. She's usually so feisty so I was worried. If mites, I can handle that.
  13. autumn123

    Molting

    One of my little hens (about 12 mos old) is molting, but seems to be having a harder time than the others did. She is acting different - wanting to sit in the nest or litter not on roost at night; less appetite; just sits around, looks weak coming out in the morning. The other hens acted no...
  14. autumn123

    Any suggestions on how to solve our frostbite problem?

    This is my first year with my 3 hens. This super cold weather in the teens and 20's is unusual here in Texas. We have had no problems, hens are doing just fine, acting normal, and laying 1 or 2 eggs most days. Their little coop, downstairs run with hardware cloth and upstairs roost box (wood)...
  15. autumn123

    Why Aren't My Chickens Laying? Here Are Your Answers!

    I have 3 hens. The first one to lay little peach colored eggs right at about 20 weeks is the smallest little white hen, looks to be a cross between Leghorn and some other breed that has leg feathers. First egg was the last week of August and is laying almost every day. The second one, a bigger...
  16. autumn123

    Crowing Hen?

    Similar happened to us. We are new to keeping chickens, but all has gone well. We got 3 small "pullets" form a reputable breeder, but they were still very young and he did say that it's difficult to tell that early. I kept expecting the slightly older and bigger one to start laying in about...
  17. autumn123

    Hey Northerners: What is the absolute coldest air temps your chickens have experienced happily!

    Feel like a northerner since it's so cold in Texas right now. I am taking the advice of all you with cold weather experience and not heating the coop. It has been in the low 20's for about 48 hours now and the next 5-6 nights will be below freezing. My 3 hens have been fine. They are laying...
  18. autumn123

    First Egg Countdown

    I have 3 hens, 2 have been laying for weeks now. The newer, RIR, about 22 wks, nothing yet. Now, it looks like she's molting (not heavy) and the weather has gotten colder and days shorter. When the timing is like this, does the hen wait until the following Spring to start laying, or might she...
  19. autumn123

    Mash, Pellets or Crumbles? Poll!

    I switched to pellets 2 weeks ago, but 2 of the 3 hens don't seem to like them as well. I do see them pecking around in it, but they seem to be losing a bit of weight. The 2 are white mix breed and not a very large kind. The bigger (yet younger) RIR likes pellets fine. The 2 white ones egg...
  20. autumn123

    Curious when your RIR layed first egg

    I have 2 white mixed hens who are both laying almost every day (they are 24+ wks). My younger hen, a RIR, may be 19-20 wks, not laying yet. But she did an interesting thing. When I went out to get eggs and close them up this evening, the RIR was sitting on the other hen's eggs! Could this mean...
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