thank you at TheChookPatch for taking the time to reply with suggestions, while you must have a lot on your plate at the moment.
Hope all resolves well. Good luck for the future
Wow - so many informative posts since I was last on - more time in front of the computer, with more chook issues, now that winter is here.
BTW I think I've worked out that my gals need more protein since their moult.
Thanks for the tip on potatoes and Bran! I wouldn't have thought of bran -...
I have a friend who has 3 hens - 1 Indian Game???? - she's a long legged thing but lays well
the other two are RIR bantams - one of them has Never laid! They're fed well and free range most days. :)
thank you MyHaven for reply and the other link :)
I haven't seen a papery thin eggshell for years either and then only 1.
Both girls went into moult at end of summer then one came back on the lay and doing well - 1 egg most days - strong shell
The other one has been laying an egg about every 3...
thanks tillyita
my hens are in a large area, too big for them to deal with all the grass, but I take your point about the quality of the grass - that I'm not sure of.
They also have access to all the sun that shines on any given day, although over the past 6 -8 months, we've had a lot of cloud...
hello MyHaven, thanks for reply -
yes they do get shell grit - it's mixed in with their organic feed and they roam around their yard all day. I will try drying and crushing some of their own shells and give back to them.
What i don't understand is why from two hens, same age, same conditions...
hi everyone, a question for those more experienced than I.
Of my 5 hens only two are laying at the moment (the two youngest, of course) -
the problem is that although one is back to laying well - 1 egg most days, the second one is laying occasionally
and her eggs have very soft shells which...
I agree - I love watching my chooks and hearing their soft cackle as they roam around the yard. Natural shade is, no doubt, the best. How did they go with the ice cubes in the water??
I do that for my dog but she doesn't seem to like them? I'm sure your gals and mine are much relieved for the...
Hi lilliychick - apart from a good supply of fresh water, preferably sitting in the shade, do your girls get any shade from shrubs or trees.
I have found that shade from natural greenery is far and away much more cooling than tin roofs, shadecloth etc.
If they don't have access to shrubs maybe...
Hi there in Texas my husband was also reluctant to get chooks, till a neighbours hen hatched some and he gave them to us.
We live on a standard quarter acre house block, my gals have the bottom half of our backyard - which I fenced off with dog wire and star pickets, and softened with a few...
My lovely Rhode Island Red just dropped dead one day after only one day of looking a bit off :(
she was 5 yrs old but I don't think it was age that took her??
I have read that some chooks can last well beyond that too - would depend, with some, on how flighty/easily stressed they are as well as...