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If you like to use hay, try grass hay.

What is their egg output in the longer light months? It's not really fair to expect eggs in winter, unless you are modifying their environment (like putting them under lights). What breeds do you have (i.e., if you are concerned with egg output, are you buying breeds with high egg output?). I...

Very cool! Roses are incredibly addictive, and surprisingly easy to grow (I have NO idea about growing them in PA, but you can google a ton of info about them and I learned a lot on rose forums). They are very hardy - biggest concerns are ensuring they get enough water, but have good drainage...

I have yet to have a rooster in with my hens. The last (2nd) flock I started this April, I bought 17 day old pullets from a local feed store (chicken math - 8-10 was goal) . I felt that certainly I'd get at least one or two cockerels, but hatchery did a great job sexing, and I got all pullets...

My first flock of 6 born during the month of May kept laying through their first winter. With my second flock of 17 born in April of this year, I'm getting from 6 - 8 eggs per day right now, and some are starting to molt. I know they are healthy - I figure mother nature knows better than I.

Compost, absolutely! I have 150 rose bushes (rose math is every bit as much of a "thing" as chicken math! - started out with 3 bushes 10 years ago!) - composted chicken poop is gold to me.

"What is everyone else doing to help their flock lay during the winter months?" Absolutely nothing.

I'm on my second flock (17) of chickens, and I still feel like such a neophyte. With as much as I've read (more opinions, less scientific) on optimal protein content for laying hens, I'm still confused. Up until recently I fed straight purina layena (16% protein), but I've started mixing it...

You guys have way more motivation than I. I just paid $16 for a 25 lb purina flock block that'll last me months as I just put it in their pen for a few hours, a couple times a week. But your blocks look fabulous!!!

For those of you feeding eggshells, aren't you afraid of the correlation to them starting to eat their own eggs?

After doing a bunch of reading on feeding fermented feed to chickens, I decided to try it out. My issue is consistency in available temps. My house (and available places to do this) seems too cold in winter, and way too hot in summer. I'm also not able to only give it to them for 30 min at a...

Great post, Mimi13. For those of us who have only had one, or a few of a specific breed of chicken, it's tempting (self included) to give breed-personality feedback, but there is SO much variance between individuals. My two Australorps too, had ho-hum personalities (but were super egg...

PC&D - I love your Sicilian Buttercup - that and the Creme Legbars are must-try's for me ... someday. 3-5 chickens... ha - first thing would be I'd fall victim to chicken math! my first choice would be to include at least one Speckled Sussex. To me they definitely qualify as "sexy", they are...

I do not "regret" eating animals, but I do feel guilt in eating animals when I know they've been likely treated horribly prior to them being converted to food. I wish I could raise my own, but I have found that I just can't eat an animal that I've seen alive - I tried with a catfish I caught...

What is your cleaning regimen? I never smell ammonia or anything that smells like cat pee in my coup of 17 hens.

Thanks for starting this thread. I didn't very hard yet, but I have 17 hens, and the two of us eat very few eggs (they are pets). I called our county food bank and got the following reply: "Unfortunately we cannot take eggs that aren’t USDA inspected with appropriate packaging and expire/best...

My very first chicken was a game rooster I rescued from a cock-fighting ring. I started taking him on a leash and walking him around the property, and the first time he dropped to the ground, and laid over on his side I about had a panic attack. I first thought he just dropped dead. Then I...

In my first 6 hens, I had 2 barred rocks, 2 buff orpingtons and 2 australorps. The BRs were absolute sweet-hearts, and my favorite of the group. In my 2nd flock of 17, I have one BR (only one left when I got them). She is a ruffian! She is the flock lead, and quite the character. Fortunately she...

I'm into my 2nd flock - 17 hens, that I got as 2 day chicks mid April. Some are 4-5 day a week layers, the Brahmas and Cochins, less. At my peak in early October - I was getting 13-16 a day - presuming this will be the ultimate peak. Now I'm getting 9-10 a day. I'd be happy to share eggs with...

It looks great! I also built on an addition in my coop - about 2 months ago. They have yet to use it, and cram themselves into the little space that was really meant to be temporary for them when they were chicks.