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

[Kassaundra]

Maybe this is one of the stupid questions, But...
How do you know who is laying and who isn't? I have 19 chickens and some of you have many more then that. How can you pick out the one that is barren?
Answers from all are welcome

Well, Bee does it w/ a gloved finger inspection.

 

[Remo]

I have a question for the more experienced chicken people. Does chicks hatched in early spring do better then chicks hatched in late summer(July-Aug). I have had chicken owners tell me that chicks hatched in the later part of the summer don't seem to be as healthy and don't seem to develop into good egg layers like the spring chicks. I would think that the later chicks might not lay as quick because of the winter months but other then that I can't think of why it would make a difference. Thanks for your answers.

 

[loanwizard]

Well, Bee does it w/ a gloved finger inspection.

Gloved? That's not what I heard....

 

[Kassaundra]

Gloved? That's not what I heard....

 

[Kansas Prairie]

Gloved? That's not what I heard....

 

[Fred's Hens]

I have a question for the more experienced chicken people. Does chicks hatched in early spring do better then chicks hatched in late summer(July-Aug). I have had chicken owners tell me that chicks hatched in the later part of the summer don't seem to be as healthy and don't seem to develop into good egg layers like the spring chicks. I would think that the later chicks might not lay as quick because of the winter months but other then that I can't think of why it would make a difference. Thanks for your answers.

Except for the obvious fact that a summer chick struggles to come into POL because of the decreasing daylight of Autumn, I cannot think of one thing else that I've had an issue. I've even raised September hatched chicks and they were just fine too.

I do think that the heat of summer effects a lot of things. Just how frisky is the rooster and how well the hen lays those fertile eggs in the heat of summer is concern. That would be about the only thing. I know a lot of breeders take their breeding pens apart by late May and avoid the summer heat.

 

[therapydoglady]

OK - Old Timers! Bryan brought home some almost grown silkie chicks because I wanted some to set eggs next spring (in case I bomb out with the incubator). I have put them in cages in the back yard because something just didn't look right about them, and I didn't want them around the others until I could give them the once over for lice, mites, or what have you. One little hen kind of "gags"
for lack of a better word. Not exactly a cough. So I caught her up this morning and looked under her wings, around her comb and eyes and legs and vent. No bugs, but she has something growing in the mouth and throat, and even out one nostril. It is yellowish and spongy. At first I thought it was just packed feed because I could clean it out with a q-tip, but on closer inspection, a couple of the others have it too. I'm thinking these birds need to go see their maker, but does anyone have an idea what this might be?

I will be very cautious about cross contamination w/ our other birds, for sure!

Thanks,
Brie

 

[galanie]

Well, Bee does it w/ a gloved finger inspection. 

That sounds SO much worse than it really is! In my mind, a lady is snapping the wrist of a rubber glove.. LOL!

 

[galefrances]

Gloved? That's not what I heard....

Oh my God......haven't laughed so hard in a long time!

 

[Missa Chickabee]

When I was deciding which breed(s) I wanted, I was at first determined to get heritage stock from a breeder, and even found one willing to sell to me. After more thought tho, I reasoned that it would be a waste of good stock and the death of at least a part of a bloodline (maybe not right terminology) to bring good stock into a backyard flock with no intentions of carrying the breed further. Even with a rooster, I would not have had the desire or dedication to selectively breed or improve the line. I had to conceded that others were deserving and qualified than I. I made the decision to just try to get the best hatchery stock I could. It's nice to know, at least, that my thinking process was correct.

When I realized that the BCM roo I bought from a local was of good coloring I started getting into a bit a 'racial purity' attitude (really wrong words I'm sure). It was pedigree-pride. The roo cured me of it. Slowly I started to like my roo and at the same time I learned that Boaz is a "dufus". Knock-kneed and a few other things that knock him out of the race for the BCM beauty contest. So...I'm there, too. I just want them to be healthy providers. And the roo does all the things a good roo should. (He sounded the alarm the day the eagle perused the menu) My girls are BO's & leghorns. (I wonder what the babies are gonna look like.