Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[aussie pete]

well said bee

 

[ONSTAD1]

A fluff scrubber! Ingenious! You could make it a pocket and slide a heating pad inside the mop, set on low level, with the wire stays in it to keep it arched up and off the chicks...sort of like a heated chick car wash without the water.

Don't know how to make it chuckle to the chicks but we could record a hen doing that, put it on replay and play it for them...sort of like a lulla-bye.

Milgrim did some very famous experiments with cloth monkey mothers. Every psych major in college has to learn about them.

 

[galefrances]

Five to six months is pretty much considered to be the average POL for heritage type layer breeds...give or take a few weeks. I've had some start earlier and some, but not many, start later. I don't even expect eggs until then and am often pleasantly surprised if they start earlier. It's nice but not necessarily a good thing.

If I had any advice for those waiting for their first eggs it would be this: Red combs and wattles, leg color, squatting, etc. aren't always an indication of a hen that is going to lay....an egg in the nest is.

I know in today's world, six months seems like a long time to wait but it gives you time to get your flock sorted out, settled in, the pecking order settled and your health management perfected. By the time they start laying, everything should be running smooth and you can sit back and enjoy those very first eggs as being the next natural step in your flock's life.

When would be a good time to open up the nesting boxes. I've had them closed so they won't get used to sleeping in there, but they've been in the coop now for 11 wks and they know to sleep on the roosts. They're 14 and 12 wks now.

 

[therapydoglady]

WE FINALLY ORDERED OUR LAYING HENS! We've got the nest boxes all re-done so they will be easy to clean, and ordered our laying hen chicks. The brooder is set up and ready, we have a hundred pounds of chick starter (non medicated), feeders, waterers, ACV, heat lamps in place...we're ready. They will be shipped Tuesday, and probably be here Thursday. I'm excited about them. We ordered 25 buff leghorns, and 25 gold sex links for egg production. I also ordered a couple of Large Cochins, and a couple of BO's, and a couple of Black Astrolorps, just to see how they do. That should put us right about spring for egg production, as I understand, and at the beginning of the gardening season, so it ought to be veeeerrrryy interesting. I ought to be an old hand at milking goats by then, too, so they will have lots of whey to help them with their egg production. I know nothing now, but experience is the greatest teacher - or so they say!

The kids are excited about the chicks too, but more excited about BJ's Doms. They are up Dallas way picking them up this weekend. They should be home tonight, and we are ready for them as well. We are going to build a new coop and run for them because BJ doesn't want them to be in with"those old layers" when they are big enough to go in the layer coop with the big yard.

The d'Uccles and Sebrights are all settled in, and Samantha has had an egg for breakfast from her hens every day this week. Old Sore Toe is looking good, and he ought to get to go back with the others in just a couple of days. I filled the split in the roost where he caught his toe with Durham's wood putty. That stuff is great! I think you could fill teeth with it, it gets so hard! Anyway, we won't be catching any more toes in there. What a fluke!

I do have a question tho...I have looked back to where the ACV discussion was most active, but I can't find how much to put in. I have two of the standard 1 gallon plastic waterers. How much ACV per gallon? Just one more time, please. Brie

 

[Maven]

Thanks, Bee! If they don't sort it out in the next couple of days we'll move the roosts when the Mr. gets home.

I got my birds from MMH and ordered all females. So far, only one male has turned up, and he was the 'free mystery chick' that comes with the order - I am really impressed that there weren't more cockrels in the bunch! We are pretty sure he is a Splash blue Andalusia roo and I'm pretty happy about that. What do y'all think - think our guess is right?


So far he is a pretty mellow fellow, and I have been reading the 'flogged by a rooster' thread since it was posted here (thanks to whomever it was - I think Erin or galanie who posted the link to that!

) so I can be sure to try to keep him that way!

 

[Eggcessive]

I think with ACV 1 tablespoonful or 15 ml. would be about average for 1 gallon. Of course some people just eyeball it. I have a small plastic measuring cup tied to my vinegar bottle out by my waterers in the coop.

 

[galanie]

Brie: Technically, a TBSP or two per gallon. In practice, most put a slosh or so in there. Bee said once that she hauled off an put a whole glug in!

 

[gardendufus]

I do have a question tho...I have looked back to where the ACV discussion was most active, but I can't find how much to put in. I have two of the standard 1 gallon plastic waterers. How much ACV per gallon? Just one more time, please. Brie

Not an OT, but as I recall the discussion (early Alzheimer's may cloud my memory) it seemed to center around 1 TBSP (this is what I use) per gal. Altho I think the OTs in their more casual approach to flock managment tend towards the 'a glop or a glug' approach.

ETA: I have tried both measured and 'glug' and the birds seem to like both methds.

 

[armorfirelady]

my pullets did the same thing before they lay. they make a nest and practice. they get comfortable. i saw one with coffee and the morning news paper.
also many pullets will use the same nest box. just think someday soon you will go to the nest box and see 4,5,6 eggs.
i forgot to ask are these birds hatchery stock ? hatchery stock seems to lay earlier than , for lack of a better term, lineage stock.

I got the pullets from a lady nearby. I didnt ask her of they were hatchery stock or not. I know she has roosters and a lot of chickens so I just assumed that they were from eggs she had

 

[Beekissed]

When would be a good time to open up the nesting boxes. I've had them closed so they won't get used to sleeping in there, but they've been in the coop now for 11 wks and they know to sleep on the roosts. They're 14 and 12 wks now.

Any old time is good if the birds are roosting on the roosts. Gives the girls time to discover them, mess around in them, see how they fit their butts, etc. Sometimes a hen just likes to get on the nest to contemplate the mysteries of the universe and not necessarily to lay an egg.