I know it can be a pain to feed two types of feed but I want to get the older gals on crumbles if I can. It's just an experiment. :fl My plan was to just do grower (the youngsters weren't told enough to get layer) as I always have oyster shell available.
I have fed Scratch & Peck organic (corn and soy free) layer since my 6 year old hens began laying several years ago. My ladies always looked great and our avian vet has deemed them in excellent health every year--even at 6 years of age. They are also STILL laying 4-6 eggs a week this season! I...
I use dry mealworms which are easy to get on-line (Happy Hens Treats is the brand I have used). I also toss a big handful of BOSS (Black Oiled Sunflower Seeds) to them two to three times a week during molting season. For four hens I give them about four -six heaping tablespoons a day of the...
Its probably her crop. They fill their crop during the day (its slightly on the right side of the chest) and then overnight they digest the food and its empty again by morning. So if she is acting normal and the crop empties overnight its normal!
If they eat too many grass clippings they can get a crop impaction so I would not use it for bedding. I also don't think it would be terribly absorbent. I do give my girls a handful of grass clippings for all 4 girls as they enjoy it so much on very rainy days that they don't want to leave their...
Cute chicks!
I too am worried about using only chicken wire instead of 1/2' hardware cloth fastened with screws and washers (some staples can be worked out by a determined raccoon). There will always be predators (coyotes, raccoons, etc.) that will come and fill the territory left behind the...
Our hens love this stuff! Its also healthier to feed them these worms than cat food when they are molting. I don't feed corn or soy so I add a few of these in their rolled oats for scratch. I bought mine on sale this time for only $14.99 too!
Hi. My husband said he stopped adding the cost after awhile as he really was afraid to know how much it cost--ha ha! We used mostly new quality materials but had some roofing tiles left form our home so my hubby guessed $900--1000. We've had it 2 years now and still LOVE IT! It is incredibly...
I used a stuffed animal for them to play on (they mostly cuddled and slept on it), an upside down clay pot which my 2 1/2- 3 week old chicks LOVED to jump up and down on (I plugged the hole to prevent them from catching a leg), different size roosts, and occasional Cheerios. Crickets are a...
Poor girl! That is a lot of cabbage for two chickens! She seems to have over eaten and/or maybe swallowed pieces too large (no teeth so once it gets into their beak it goes down anyway) for her. I would do as you are. Massaging certainly can damage her crop. Just feel it by pressing (not too...
Did you give them vinegar and water that was too hot? No vinegar at this age and hot water can burn their crop which at this age can be fatal--hope that's not it. Room temp water only. After a few weeks a little ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) in the water is OK but only at 1 tablespoon per gallon.
In order for us to help, we need more accurate info. Have you raised chicks before?
Questions:
What are you using for heat? What is the temperature in their brooder? Can they get away from the heat lamp (lamp at one end of the brooder and food and water at the other end)?
What are you using...
They will just drop and sleep but they'll pop back up cheeping if you touch them. They will lay down, fall down or even fall asleep standing up leaning on their beak.
Where did you get them?
Did you gently dip their beak in the water and then show them the chick feed by spreading some near the feeder? They need to drink within 2 days after hatching and most chicks you buy are already 2-3 days of age or more.
What is the temperature in the brooder (95...
Tell us what age they are, when you got them, what type of bedding you are using, if they are too hot or cold,and what they are eating. Also how long you have them and where you got them.
Flock Raiser has 20% protein which is OK for chicks for about 8 weeks or so, but if raising layers I like to slow down the growth spurt to let the reproduction system mature at a slower, more natural rate than 20% protein allows. If layers mature too quickly they are more prone to reproductive...