Howdy folks. We have 4 hens, 3 are barred rocks and 1 mixed breed. All were very good layers (about 5 eggs a week each) until around May of this year. They all four quit laying about the same time that they went through a medium molt. We made sure that their food had a good protein content...
Thanks for mentioning Tucker Millings. I have been looking for an Alabama source, and they sell their feed at a local Pigley Wigley store here in Dothan.
The most accurate method I know of for Barred Rocks is to look at their feet. Males will have solid yellow feet, females will have yellow feet with thin dark stripes going down each toe.
Howdy folks,
A friend of ours gifted us two pullets, both are supposed to be Light Brahma and Buff Orpington mix, one pullet and one cockerel. The roo is white with the typical black/gray hackles. BUT, he does not show any feathering on his feet or legs. Is it common for this mix to not have...
The chickens waterer is outside the coop, so no worries about "making coffee". I'm pretty sure that it was the PDZ and then the pine shavings making the dust, since I'm the one that was scooping everyday. Hard to get that one mixed up.
Instead of a 2x4 roosting board, you might want to consider a 2x3 board. You can get them at Home Depot or Lowe's, and they're usually a little cheaper. The 2x3 gives them plenty of perching space, and it's usually easier for them to grip the slightly thinner board when roosting.
Our coop is 3 ft by 5 ft for 6 Barred Rock Hens. They only go in the coop to lay eggs and sleep, so the size is just right. We've had chickens for 10 years now, and have always used Sweet PDZ in the bottom of the raised coop. Daily cleanup of last nights poop is a snap every day. BUT, the...
I think your best bet is to find another chicken mate for Gladys. A gentle, docile breed such as another Buff Orp or maybe a barred rock should work out fine. As long as your birds don't have to fight for space or food, they should do OK together after a short get-to-know period.
By the way...
We have 8 hens. 2 are mixed breeds, and 6 are Barred Rocks. Unlike my previous batch of PBR's, 4 of these 6 are almost identical and very difficult to tell apart visually. We used colored zip ties on the right leg of each to tell them apart at a glance. Put them on loose enough to not bind...
We have 8 hens that we have raised from scratch that are now laying. They are about 22 weeks old and doing well. They are still in the early stages of laying, putting out mostly small to medium sized eggs, with a few large ones here and there. I thought for sure that all of my birds were...
We have our girls "bell trained". We have a small bell near the coop. We throw down just a little bit of scratch, then ring the bell. They quickly learned that the bell means "treats!", so they run toward the sound of the bell. Only took about 3 or 4 training sessions. Start by throwing...
We run nothing but straight PDZ in the floor of our coop. It clumps the poop sort of like kitty litter does, but not quite as well. The good thing is that it makes daily morning cleanup a breeze, and it keeps down any ammonia smell and we have no flies or bugs anywhere near the coop. Our coop...
Thanks for all the welcomes, everybody. The chicks moved outside last weekend. Other than two nights hovering around 40 for the lows, temps have been mild and the girls are really enjoying their bigger coop. This weekend I'll take off the plexiglass covering the front door of the coop so...
Greetings, everyone!
My wife and I are starting our third batch of chickens, but we haven't had any in several years. We currently have 6 Plymouth Barred Rocks, 1 Black Autrolorp, and 1 brown chick that we really aren't sure of its heritage yet. They are all just turning 6 weeks old and are...