2018 Newbie Chat!

[Anna Ranieri]

Our girls are in an old horse stall and there was a wooden manger in it that I planned to use for a nest box. I put a "roof" over it. Then I put a roost on the opposite wall. Well, for a while they slept in the manger, then moved to the "roof" of it. Then I put a 2x4 on brackets about a foot away from the wall that they could get on from the "roof". It didn't take long for them to decide to move to that. At first one or two would move from one level to next, then they all would. They now have a regular jungle gym in there with boards and ramps at all different levels. They go to the highest one now to sleep but I just let them figure it all out on their own, in their own time. BTW, they use the manger for the nest box as I intended (just put a ceramic egg in there and they are all good). I did learn that I needed to have a light on early in the morning in the winter because they started laying eggs on the floor. I finally figured out that when they went down in the morning, they couldn't see good to get up into the manger/nest box. I put a string of LED Christmas lights (5 watts) in there on a timer and they went back to using the box.

What a great idea - we have an outside light which if turned on shines into their coop, thinking I can leave it on during the winter if needs be - thank you for the tip

 

[Cbarr00]

Found two more today. Pretty sure the second layer is Dak and I know for sure one Lil Taco laying.
View attachment 1497571

My husband made breakfast today and said the larger egg in this picture was a double yolker! It reminded of a post I saw the other day where someone successfully incubated and hatched twins!

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Oh you are very welcome!
I forgot about blocking the nest boxes.
I had to do that for a while until they were close to laying.
When they get close to laying (red combs and wattles) open up the nest boxes and put dummy eggs in there.
You can use ceramic, wood, golf balls, even those plastic Easter eggs can work.
This is to allow them to check the nest boxes out and seeing the dummy eggs helps them know it’s a safe place to lay.

Hi, I wonder if you would mind giving me your advice/opinion on another matter? My hens don't dust bath and they never have although they have an abundance of areas they could use - when they were living in doors with us I provided them with a tray which they never used, I picked them up and placed them on the dirt - didn't work. Outside we dug them their own area to use but other than scratching for bugs, nothing. We are in the process of relaying a patio, where we have lifted the old slabs, there is an abundance of dirt mixed with sand so we have held off from laying the new slabs, hoping they might use that area, but so far they only scratching it for worms/bugs - there have been pigeons dust bathing in it and I'd hoped hens would copy but so far nothing. My worry is that because there are no other chickens, they have no one to learn from, they were incubator hatched and kept with all other duck and chicken hatching's in a brooder, then we bought them age 3/5 weeks so they have never met nor seen any other chickens, which I wonder if is why they don't do a lot of the usual chicken stuff. If you have any suggestions/ideas on how to get them to dust bath, I would much appreciate your advice

 

[BBZZZZTT]

Hi, I wonder if you would mind giving me your advice/opinion on another matter? My hens don't dust bath and they never have although they have an abundance of areas they could use - when they were living in doors with us I provided them with a tray which they never used, I picked them up and placed them on the dirt - didn't work. Outside we dug them their own area to use but other than scratching for bugs, nothing. We are in the process of relaying a patio, where we have lifted the old slabs, there is an abundance of dirt mixed with sand so we have held off from laying the new slabs, hoping they might use that area, but so far they only scratching it for worms/bugs - there have been pigeons dust bathing in it and I'd hoped hens would copy but so far nothing. My worry is that because there are no other chickens, they have no one to learn from, they were incubator hatched and kept with all other duck and chicken hatching's in a brooder, then we bought them age 3/5 weeks so they have never met nor seen any other chickens, which I wonder if is why they don't do a lot of the usual chicken stuff. If you have any suggestions/ideas on how to get them to dust bath, I would much appreciate your advice

Huh, good question. Any chance they've been doing it when you're not watching? I don't see mine dust bathing often but I see the remnants of it.

Mine started doing it on their own, no other chickens around here!
The one that ended up being a rooster started before all the rest, he was rolling around in the brooder shavings when they were still half-feathered.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Huh, good question. Any chance they've been doing it when you're not watching? I don't see mine dust bathing often but I see the remnants of it.

Mine started doing it on their own, no other chickens around here!
The one that ended up being a rooster started before all the rest, he was rolling around in the brooder shavings when they were still half-feathered.

It is unlikely they have done so without us seeing because we don't leave them unattended, there is always one of us (usually me) out with them while they free range which usually is for the whole day. We put them in their run if we are unable to be out with them. Their run floor is grass and the few areas which are dirt patches are often wet from the ducks splashing in their pool. The eldest chicken (16 wks old) did dig a whole in the dirt patches a couple of times to sit in on really hot days but she didn't flick it over herself nor roll in it, I was hoping she would but the ducks disturbed her by sticking their beaks in the hole she made, to get the bugs/worms she had unearthed by digging it, so she got up and went foraging instead - hasn't dug any holes since. I've been watching videos of people making dust baths out of ash, Diatomaceous Earth, sand and dirt, in boxes or kitty litter trays, do you think it might tempt them to bath if I make one for them?

 

[llombardo]

Prince can't decide between the girls, so he parks himself in the middle between the two groups

 

[Kat2141]

Hi, I wonder if you would mind giving me your advice/opinion on another matter? My hens don't dust bath and they never have although they have an abundance of areas they could use - when they were living in doors with us I provided them with a tray which they never used, I picked them up and placed them on the dirt - didn't work. Outside we dug them their own area to use but other than scratching for bugs, nothing. We are in the process of relaying a patio, where we have lifted the old slabs, there is an abundance of dirt mixed with sand so we have held off from laying the new slabs, hoping they might use that area, but so far they only scratching it for worms/bugs - there have been pigeons dust bathing in it and I'd hoped hens would copy but so far nothing. My worry is that because there are no other chickens, they have no one to learn from, they were incubator hatched and kept with all other duck and chicken hatching's in a brooder, then we bought them age 3/5 weeks so they have never met nor seen any other chickens, which I wonder if is why they don't do a lot of the usual chicken stuff. If you have any suggestions/ideas on how to get them to dust bath, I would much appreciate your advice

Hi Anna, I'm no expert but we got our girls last year and they were only a couple days old. We also had no other chickens. Not all of them are crazy about doing the dust bath. Two love it - they dig holes everywhere, more so when they free range - not in their run so much. The rest aren't as into it; a couple rarely, if ever, do. It may just be a matter of their likes and dislikes. I'm not sure how crucial it is to their health. I do know that I put a box with dirt in it for them when they were 6-8 months old - nothing! Nobody even set foot in it. They do tend to do it more when it is really hot - I'm thinking the dirt is cooler where they dig. Also, i noticed that when they dig, they tend to dig more alongside walls or 4x4 posts... good luck with yours. I'm sure they'll be fine.

 

[llombardo]

All of mine enjoy dust baths. I got them a sandbox and they use it daily. What are you using? I put peat moss in there.

Here are the two boys. They kick it all over the place so they use the box and the surrounding area.

 

[PNW_Peepers]

We made the hard decision to cull one of our laying hens today.
A few weeks back my subfloor collapsed and one of our barred rocks broke her leg, after making a splint and working relentlessly to heal her, she just couldn’t recover. Last night she couldn’t roost and was acting lethargic, this morning we culled her and to freezer camp she went. She dressed at a meek 2lbs after all was said and done. All of these eggs were found while butchering. What an amazing learning experience, & what a blessing to provide organic, free range meat to our freezer for winter.
Ooooh and on a positive note, I currently have zero broody hens today!

 

[CannedMonster]

Hi, I wonder if you would mind giving me your advice/opinion on another matter? My hens don't dust bath and they never have although they have an abundance of areas they could use - when they were living in doors with us I provided them with a tray which they never used, I picked them up and placed them on the dirt - didn't work. Outside we dug them their own area to use but other than scratching for bugs, nothing. We are in the process of relaying a patio, where we have lifted the old slabs, there is an abundance of dirt mixed with sand so we have held off from laying the new slabs, hoping they might use that area, but so far they only scratching it for worms/bugs - there have been pigeons dust bathing in it and I'd hoped hens would copy but so far nothing. My worry is that because there are no other chickens, they have no one to learn from, they were incubator hatched and kept with all other duck and chicken hatching's in a brooder, then we bought them age 3/5 weeks so they have never met nor seen any other chickens, which I wonder if is why they don't do a lot of the usual chicken stuff. If you have any suggestions/ideas on how to get them to dust bath, I would much appreciate your advice

Hi Anna!
Sorry I didn’t respond to you sooner.
I think some of the other peeps have given you excellent advice on the dust bathing...or lack thereof.
Mine would dust bathe even as very young chicks.
It seems more of an instinctual thing than a learned thing to me.
I think maybe your birds just haven’t had the urge much yet.
I’m sure they will eventually.
Just keep a few spots available to them and hopefully they’ll be enjoying that dirt.
Do you have any plans to house the ducks separately?
I know they can be kept together but ducks are often a lot wetter and muddier than chickens tend to be.