Chicken Newbie

Date sort Score sort
chicnewbie6

chicnewbie6

Hatching
5 Years
Joined
Dec 1, 2014
Messages
9
Reaction score
0
Points
7
Location
Stafford, Virginia
Hey Everyone,

I'm from Stafford Va and just yesterday I purchased 6 hens from my sister. She got them just as chics last spring. I think she thought it would be fun for my young niece and nephew and an easy way to get eggs. Well she was very disappointed when she still hasnt gotten any eggs. Theres a long story to that with poor living conditions, cramped space, hardly never any food or water and lots of stress.

My husband and I spent all weekend building a large coop and run for the new girls. I am very excited about this new adventure. My husband grew up with livestock I did not. So this is my adventure and I want to learn as much as I can so I can do most of the work myself. Not that my husband wont help ( he loves to) But I want to do this.

Thanks!
 
Welcome! Funny that if your sister waited just a little longer, she would get eggs. She already did most of the waiting!
 
Hello there and welcome to BYC!
frow.gif


Yes, stressed sick birds do not do well at laying. Make sure to give them at least 5 square feet per bird in the coop, 10 square feet per bird in the run and get them out to free range every day. This will do wonders for their mental and physical health. And if you have to supervise due to predators, do so. I have to watch my flock as well, but try to get them out for at least 30 mins to an hour a day. They are thrilled just to get out and stretch their wings.

Give all these birds a once over to make sure they don't need any medical attention. You might worm them as well and check for bugs too. Birds kept in over crowded conditions usually have bugs and worms. Both of which will kill them over time.

Good luck with your new flock! If you have any questions along the way, you know where we are. Welcome to our flock!
 
Welcome to BYC! Glad you decided to join our flock. TwoCrows has given you some good advice. With good nutrition and plenty of space in a stress free environment, your hens should be laying again soon. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. What kind of hens did you buy from your sister?
 
All 6 are RIR's. I am very excited and thanks so much for the useful information. Is there anything extra I can put in their water for an added treat? And any scraps I can feed them? Also right now I am use laying crumble feed, Is that ok? Should I be using something else?
 
chicnewbie6 said:
All 6 are RIR's. I am very excited and thanks so much for the useful information.
And any scraps I can feed them? You can feed them many table scraps. Stay away from citrus fruits and strongly flavored foods like onions. Potato peelings usually aren't a great idea, either. Don't feed moldy or spoiled food. Be sure to not feed any more than 10% of the idet in table scraps. Otherwise, they may fill up on those foods and not get enough of an already balanced diet.
Click to expand...
Also right now I am use laying crumble feed, Is that ok? Should I be using something else? This feed is fine, as long as the birds are near or at laying age. The extra calcium will help them when they begin to lay again.
Click to expand...
 
chicnewbie6 said:
All 6 are RIR's. I am very excited and thanks so much for the useful information. Is there anything extra I can put in their water for an added treat? And any scraps I can feed them? Also right now I am use laying crumble feed, Is that ok? Should I be using something else?
Click to expand...

X2 on Wyandottes7's answers to your questions. RIRs are a hardy dependable breed that lays well. You should get lots of eggs from those 6 ladies.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom