Colorado

[wsmith]

Just a quick update:
Its been crazy busy lately. We are set to process extra cockerels and turkeys on either the 2nd or 9th of November. The hens that hadn't molted yet are now is full naked molt, and should be ashamed of how they look... LOL
As soon as all our extra chickens are gone, I expect a visit from the NPIP folks, and then the flock will settle in for the winter. We are already setting up the pairings for next spring, and hope to have more chicks than we know what to do with. At least thats the plan. The more we hatch out, the better choices to keep and more to sell and process.

 

[SabaiFarms]

Thank you BYC for bringing us together with our newest family member.

Picked him up last night. He seems pretty comfortable already.

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

Thank you BYC for bringing us together with our newest family member.

Picked him up last night. He seems pretty comfortable already.

That's so sweet!!

Welcome to BYC and the Colorado thread all the new peeps!!

I just wanted to give this tip to anyone on here with chickens going through a molt right now: Nutrena Feather Fixer feed (available @ Big R) works great. We got some for our ladies, and they are recovering faster than ever.

 

[Pozees]

Thank you BYC for bringing us together with our newest family member.

Picked him up last night. He seems pretty comfortable already.

Awww!!!

 

[Chick N Mama]

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/11/make-cookie-tin-waterer-heater-under-10.html

Hey all, I know some freezing weather is coming soon - has anyone made these water warmers? If not, how do you keep the water from freezing?

 

[Pozees]

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/11/make-cookie-tin-waterer-heater-under-10.html

Hey all, I know some freezing weather is coming soon - has anyone made these water warmers? If not, how do you keep the water from freezing?

I broke down and bought the heated waterers from Big R. They come on automatically when it's 35 degrees or colder. They are expensive ($32 each) and a gigantic pain in the neck to fill and flip back over, but the peace of mind is worth it.

 

[trochefarm]

Welcome to all the newbies!
I just culled some hens so my production is down by choice. My blue and green layers are still going ok though.
I have three welsummers that are 6 1/2 months old and just now getting red combs.. No eggs as of yet though. I wonder if they will lay now or wait until spring? Has anyone had hens almost a year old before they lay? I don't supplement light, so I might have very few eggs this winter.

I have never had soft egg shells and suddenly I have someone laying a soft shelled egg. They have oyster shells available, and everyone else has really hard shells. I am thinking I missed one who should have been culled. I can't figure out who is laying the soft shell! Everyone looks and feels healthy, to me at least. What should I be looking for in a soft shell egg layer?

maggiemo, I often have new layers who start out laying soft shelled eggs. Do you know for sure your 6 1/2 month olds aren't laying? My most recent new layers didn't want to touch to oyster shells at first (for some reason), but they're all laying hard shells now.

I still have my two youngest that aren't laying yet, and I was wondering the same thing as you....will they just wait until next spring? They're only a bit over 5 months old, though.

Last year I had supplemental light through the winter, but I'm thinking I might just give them a rest this year. We'll see what happens.

Lots of newbies! Welcome, all! This forum is full of the most awesome people. Lots of great advice and support.

 

[maggiemo]

maggiemo, I often have new layers who start out laying soft shelled eggs. Do you know for sure your 6 1/2 month olds aren't laying? My most recent new layers didn't want to touch to oyster shells at first (for some reason), but they're all laying hard shells now.

I still have my two youngest that aren't laying yet, and I was wondering the same thing as you....will they just wait until next spring? They're only a bit over 5 months old, though.

Last year I had supplemental light through the winter, but I'm thinking I might just give them a rest this year. We'll see what happens.

Lots of newbies! Welcome, all! This forum is full of the most awesome people. Lots of great advice and support.

I am almost sure my soft shelled egg layer is an 18 month old BR. I have two BR and I am trying to figure out which one it is.
I am almost positive my 6 1/2 month old welsummers aren't laying yet. One is starting to get a red comb the other two aren't red, but are testing out the nest boxes. They have been sleeping in the nest boxes too, but in the last couple weeks they have moved to the roost with the big girls. This is all behavior I have seen before, just before they start to lay. It is just so late and getting darker earlier, so I wonder if they will just wait.
I am not supplementing light this year. I did last year and I hated to look out on really cold mornings and see the girls in the lite run and coop just standing around in a daze. I'll let them sleep in this year and see how that goes.
Back to the soft shell egg layer. If I can figure out for sure who it is, should I cull her? She has access to oyster shells and everyone else is laying just fine. I just culled 6 others for various reasons. I thought I got the soft shell layer, but boy was I bummed to find a soft shell egg two days after I culled the others.
I guess my question is, should I assume that there is something wrong with this hen if she is the only one laying soft shelled eggs?

 

[Pozees]

I am almost sure my soft shelled egg layer is an 18 month old BR. I have two BR and I am trying to figure out which one it is.
I am almost positive my 6 1/2 month old welsummers aren't laying yet. One is starting to get a red comb the other two aren't red, but are testing out the nest boxes. They have been sleeping in the nest boxes too, but in the last couple weeks they have moved to the roost with the big girls. This is all behavior I have seen before, just before they start to lay. It is just so late and getting darker earlier, so I wonder if they will just wait.
I am not supplementing light this year. I did last year and I hated to look out on really cold mornings and see the girls in the lite run and coop just standing around in a daze. I'll let them sleep in this year and see how that goes.
Back to the soft shell egg layer. If I can figure out for sure who it is, should I cull her? She has access to oyster shells and everyone else is laying just fine. I just culled 6 others for various reasons. I thought I got the soft shell layer, but boy was I bummed to find a soft shell egg two days after I culled the others.
I guess my question is, should I assume that there is something wrong with this hen if she is the only one laying soft shelled eggs?

If it's every egg she lays, yes, you should cull her before she culls herself. Sooner or later she will die from some reproductive malady, and it will be painful for her. That said, it's a good time to check for any other possible problems - and there will be a divergent set of opinions here, but you should still know what you are dealing with.

Check/treat for mites, worm them, make sure you're ready for winter. I have not wormed yet but plan to next weekend after my trip, after Bob showed me the most awful picture of an egg with a worm INSIDE it. Yesterday we treated all the birds for mites after discovering hordes of them on my little white cross-beaked Silkie pullet. She was on death's doorstep last night, and I won't be surprised if she has passed away overnight. She went down FAST - as might be expected from an already-compromised bird - but still very surprising how she went from seeming fine Saturday to huddled and miserable Sunday morning. I gave her some electrolytes and sugar, moistened mashed crumble, and then thought I saw something moving near my finger as I looked under her wings for some sort of infestation, and decided to bathe her and see if I could spot anything. Holy mackerel. Poor thing was teeming with the little bloodsuckers, I don't know how she got them so badly, but we immediately realized if she was that loaded, the other birds must have them as well. I dropped everything and went to Big R, came home with Permethrin powder and liquid - powder for bedding, liquid for spraying birds. I'll wager neither of us has any mites at this point, but we got them all sprayed down. Next time we will try dipping instead. We picked up the birds later on, and on those we were unable to see any mites, we saw the dead (yay!) bodies on their surface feathers - the RIR in particular we never spotted a single living mite, but sure saw the dead ones. I have no idea when or how mites got onto my birds, I have more to learn as I've never dealt with them before, but it is not an exaggeration to read they can kill your birds. Check under wings and around vents, especially if you see your bird scratching.

As far as chemical versus natural treatment, I had no access to wood ash and am about to leave for the week, so I didn't dare take the chance I wouldn't eradicate the bugs on the first shot, but several people have reported success with dust bathing their birds with wood ash. For worming, I've fed ground raw pumpkin seed periodically which is thought to be a natural wormer, and I don't have a specific reason to think my birds have worms, but I have this nagging feeling they could be more robust. Going into winter, it takes all their energy to stay warm some days and many nights, and they cannot afford to share what they consume with parasites. I bought some liquid Safeguard goat wormer, and a box of 1cc syringes, and all the large fowl will get 1/2 cc, Silkies 1/4 cc, and will repeat in 10 days. I might see nothing but some birds really sick of me coming at them with chemicals, which I hate doing, but still feel like it is necessary.

As I said, I expect divergent opinions on this - and in fact we have decided to plant a couple of beds with garlic when I get back, and next year use it to add to their food - it is supposed to be a natural antibiotic and immune system booster. I don't think it can hurt and may help. I can't afford to buy enough to feed it to them from the store, so I'll grow some. I am sure even the el cheapo powder would be better than nothing, and I'll start adding that to any treats they get for now, but I am sure fresh is better.

Off I go this afternoon to AZ - if I don't have a chance to drop in while I'm gone, I hope everyone has a fun and safe week, and enjoy your birds!

 

[maggiemo]

Thanks Pozee for the reply. I thought I should cull whoever is laying the soft shelled eggs but I just can't figure out who is doing it. Thanks for confirming that.
After culling 6 of the known weakest last week the flock looks great. The two birds I suspect is laying the soft shelled egg are barred rocks. I can't catch them laying to see which one it is, or even if it is one of them. They both look great and I can't feel anything weird in any of my birds abdomens or see any problems in the vents.

Your story is scary about the mites! I don't see any mites but every time anyone scratches now I will be paranoid. I will read more about treating for mites and worms now. Thanks.
Have a safe trip Pozee and everyone else have a great week!
mo