Colorado

[Double Kindness]

I just processed the bresse 24 hours ago.. it needs to rest more anyways

 

[21hens-incharge]

Okay...I'm two weeks into this hen thing. The girls are not free ranging like they used to and im see that a little bantam seems to be being pecked quite a bit. She has signs of missing feathers on her head. Should I be worried? She's definitely lowest in pecking order. Should I be doing something about it? If so what? TIA. I feel so much better knowing you're just a few keystrokes away.

One thing I have done that has helped keep the gals busy in the run without giving a bunch of extra calories is to put hay down. I spread the hay around and they have to search for the scratch. It makes them really have to scratch not just pick it up.
I have 3 bantam cochins in with birds much much larger like SS, Wyandotte and BA. The Wyandottes can be real buggers to the littles. I just try and keep them thinking. It seems to have kept issues down here.
A nice bag of pete moss works wonders on keeping them busy too. Mine love to dig and dust bathe in it.

 

[maggiemo]

I just processed the bresse 24 hours ago.. it needs to rest more anyways

oh, sorry hehe. I thought you had processed others before this.
Can't wait to hear you like it!

 

[Mtn Margie]

Okay...I'm two weeks into this hen thing. The girls are not free ranging like they used to and im see that a little bantam seems to be being pecked quite a bit. She has signs of missing feathers on her head. Should I be worried? She's definitely lowest in pecking order. Should I be doing something about it? If so what? TIA. I feel so much better knowing you're just a few keystrokes away.

You can try hanging a couple of half cabbages in the coop / run or try getting one of those flock blocks or try both. That will give them something else to pick on besides each other.
It might work...

 

[jgoldy2]

Eating your own pets like your roosters is hard, but then you don't want to waste them

 

[Latestarter]

I don't know about most, but my birds are not "pets". I mean I talk to them and pick them up and hold/pet them, but when it's time for them to be dinner <shrug> I hope they will taste as great as they lived

I like chicken.

 

[Latestarter]

On another subject, I'm really perturbed with my BOs... I said once before that I think that THEY think they are turtles... I raked/mixed/re-spread-distributed the litter in the coop earlier this week. I got no eggs from them yesterday, and there were none visible in the litter. I went out after work today and once again, no eggs in the nest boxes and none visible in the litter. There is just no way that could be... so I went into the coop and started moving the litter around in the area where they like to dust bathe... BINGO! By the time I was done, I had ELEVEN eggs! Some were buried up to 6" deep in the litter!!

I might have to remove the litter and have them on a bare wood floor! Grrrrrr!

 

[Ashdoes]

One thing I have done that has helped keep the gals busy in the run without giving a bunch of extra calories is to put hay down. I spread the hay around and they have to search for the scratch. It makes them really have to scratch not just pick it up.
I have 3 bantam cochins in with birds much much larger like SS, Wyandotte and BA. The Wyandottes can be real buggers to the littles. I just try and keep them thinking. It seems to have kept issues down here.
A nice bag of pete moss works wonders on keeping them busy too. Mine love to dig and dust bathe in it.

At the beginning of winter we put down three bales of alfalfa in the run, this keeps them very busy and gives them the added nutrients. In the summer I go with straw or hay, whichever is cheapest. Most days they get BOSS thrown down, so they really get digging. The soil in their run went from hard as a rock dirt, to super soft always moist soil...in 2 1/2 years. It was so hard when we first moved here, that when I dug up a plant that wasn't growing, it's roots were still in the shape of its container. It wasn't able to penetrate the soil around it, even with extra water. Now I have two cherry trees in there, I'm patiently waiting for spring to see if they're alive still.

 

[suncatcher]

Hmm, makes me wonder if mine have hidden their eggs while I thought they were on break these last two months??? I doubt it, mine are fairly good about laying in their nest boxes, usually!

 

[Double Kindness]

I have had the cemani and haffie pullets laying eggs on the floor of their new coop at night, but I just moved them.

The ducks are getting more difficult to put in their coop at night. My drake Elvis is very amorous atm, and my older duck doesn't like his attentions. The little duck Trouble bathes with purpose after he smashes her flat several times a day. She looks at me pleading, can't you do SOMETHING about this?! He totally rolls off of her like a buck does a doe bunny. Hilarious.