Egg laying and feathering problems

Layer mash? What's the calcium percentage?
Cut out everything but the mash.....layer mash is meant to be the sole ration.
BOSS has some decent protein but also a lot of fat.

Save the herbs and spices for when ready to cook them. Stick to a good basic ration and plain water while they are living.

Not sure of the % of calcium so I give them oyster shells sometimes. Also Kale. Gave them a whole bunch of herbs yesterday, including parsley. Also dusted them for mites but I don't think that is the problem. Thanks for your reply.
 
Not sure of the % of calcium so I give them oyster shells sometimes. Also Kale. Gave them a whole bunch of herbs yesterday, including parsley. Also dusted them for mites but I don't think that is the problem. Thanks for your reply.
Look on the tag sewn into the bottom of feed bag for ingredients and nutrition percentages.

Quit with all the herbs...go back to the basics.
Save the herbs and spices for when ready to cook them. Stick to a good basic ration and plain water while they are living.
Despite the popularity and supposed miraculous benefits cited all over the place, they could be doing harm by interfering with nutrition uptake and/or creating confusing symptoms.


What exactly did you dust them with?
I don't dust birds unless I see bugs......

Have you checked them over real well for mites and/or lice?

Google images of lice/mites and their eggs before the inspection so you'll know what you're looking for.

Part the feathers right down to the skin around vent, head/neck and under wings.

Best done well after dark with a strong flashlight/headlight, easier to 'catch' bird and also to check for the mites that live in structure and only come out at night to feed off roosting birds.

Wipe a white paper towel along the underside of roost to look for red smears(smashed well fed mites).
 
YES! It has been cold, and now another snow is heading our way later in the week. We have some nasty ice patches around us. My car slid down the driveway today when I went to the store. I thought I was going to end up by the trees!
I will be going in to Ellsworth soon and will get a big bag of mealworms there. In the meantime I have read that pumpkin seeds are also good. I can get them in Hannaford in town tomorrow if I can find them without salt in the bulk food section.
I am glad your chickens are doing so well. If you like custard, that is a good way to use some up.
Thanks for getting back to me and keep in touch.
Regards,
Oma
Can I suggest chubbymealworms. I got 60 lbs last fall. Halloween coupon. 60lbs for $298 free shipping. 4 15 lbs bags. Boy, do they ever smell good. Like a good beef stew.If they weren't worms/bugs I might try them. 3.5 months of feeding them to 4 chickens and I still have about 2 lbs left in the 1st bag. They are in heavy duty plastic bags with a zip lock so they stay fresh. They are from China I have to admit but IMHO they are good. Birds love them. And chubby mealworms is almost ready to bring out American grown mealworms. Of Course more $$$. I'm hoping they don't get rid of Chinese one's. At that price I paid $4.96/lb. And I get points redeemable for $$ coupons on another purchase. Sign up for their rewards. Save some money. Look closely at their options because some lessor amount are cheaper per lb. Good luck. We are supposed to get plowable snow on Wed. according to WABI... IDK reminds me of a good ole fashioned Maine winter from when I was a kid.
 
One of my Golden Comets 34 months old started to molt last November and finished her molt in January. She laid no eggs during the molt and didn't start laying till February. About a month after molt.
I feed a Non-Medicated Starter-Grower 18% or a All-Flock/Flock Raiser Crumbles 20%.
I offer them Oyster Shells and Poultry Grit, each in separate containers.
I give them a treat of Scratch Grains once daily, twice if temps stay below 28F early afternoon.
I provide light at 5 am year round.
Temps have been below zero F several times this winter. I have a heated base to keep water from freezing, but do not provide heat for the chickens.
I give them a flake of Alfalfa hay once or twice a week.
My 2 Golden Comets that are laying gave me 9 eggs last week.
I don't give them kitchen or table scraps, only an occasional fruit like an apple or grapes that are bruised or past its prime but not rotten or moldy.
Most of what my chickens eat is a complete Poultry feed 18 to 20% Protein.
Water is very important for egg production. Eggs are mostly water. GC
 
Thanks for the tip!!! I will check out the chubby mealworms for sure. Yes, we are expecting 3 to 5 inches again here on the coast on Wed. night.
I remember one year back in the 80s when we had 3 snowstorms in a row and then a windstorm. The plows could not keep Rte 3 clear going off the island (Mt. Desert Island) because of the wind so they closed us off from the mainland for a day.
Another year when my daughters were small (they are now early 50s), we had such a storm that my hubby and the girls built a 7 ft high snowman!
I don't mind the snow but I hate the arctic winds and the ice. I am 80 y.o. and don't need to be taking a fall. Right now i am looking forward to Spring and planting my veggie garden. I have my Burpee catalog handy.
I need to work on that too. I just moved here last May.
 
Where did you live before? We lived in NJ until 14 years ago when we retired here to Bar Harbor. However, my hubby has been coming here since 1947. His uncle built the house in 1956. I started coming in 1959. We inherited the house from his uncle. One of my daughters and her family lives here on MDI on the other side of the island. My other daughter and her family have a farm in NJ. I have 2 granddaughters in NJ, and twin boy/girl grandchildren here in Maine. We love it here. Our house is just outside of the main part of town so it is quiet.
I can't wait to get back to the gardening! LOL. In the meantime, I have given my chickens all kinds of herbs, kale, pumpkin seeds today for the first time. This a.m. I made them a pan of quick oats w/dry milk and water because it was so cold. It was 7 deg with a wind chill of -7. I have a red heat lamp in the coop and their waterer is set on an electric heating pan so it is always what i call a "cool lukewarm" temp. I just wish they would lay more eggs!
 
Where did you live before? We lived in NJ until 14 years ago when we retired here to Bar Harbor. However, my hubby has been coming here since 1947. His uncle built the house in 1956. I started coming in 1959. We inherited the house from his uncle. One of my daughters and her family lives here on MDI on the other side of the island. My other daughter and her family have a farm in NJ. I have 2 granddaughters in NJ, and twin boy/girl grandchildren here in Maine. We love it here. Our house is just outside of the main part of town so it is quiet.
I can't wait to get back to the gardening! LOL. In the meantime, I have given my chickens all kinds of herbs, kale, pumpkin seeds today for the first time. This a.m. I made them a pan of quick oats w/dry milk and water because it was so cold. It was 7 deg with a wind chill of -7. I have a red heat lamp in the coop and their waterer is set on an electric heating pan so it is always what i call a "cool lukewarm" temp. I just wish they would lay more eggs!
I'm a Mainah through and through. I was born here 67 years ago. In a couple of weeks it'll be 68. I lived in BOOB before. Now don't get all huffy. That's Beautiful Old Orchard Beach. LOL. Had a condo there not right on the beach but I could smell it. Got tired of all the rules and regs. Couldn't shake a rug out the window. Now I shake the rug outside just because I can. No matter if it needs it or not. And they never would fix anything unless you hounded them and maybe not even then. I have two boys in MD. One was in the Corps for 9 years. Special Intell. Civilian contractor. He's listening. KWIM. I was born about 20 miles from where I live now. I love this state and it's people. I will probably pass away 20 miles from where I was born. RN and I traveled for 6 1/2 years, worked in 12 different states during that time. One year I had 6 income tax returns. 4 for the 4 states I worked in, 1 for Maine and a federal tax return. Worked as far away as Cali. Now I'm retired and I love it. Love my babies too.
 
WOW! We have even more in common! I am a retired RN also! I worked in oncology in NJ and NY State.
I know of but have not been to BOOB. I think my husband has though with his family before I met him. He is an only child. Age 83. I am 80.
I know what you mean about Mainahs! The people here really care about each other - no so in NJ where we lived. My daughter up here is a Physical Therapist. They decided to move here 14 years ago to give their children a better life instead of the drug-filled materialistic world in NJ. The twins are now freshmen in college (boy at UMO, girl at Lasell in Newton, MA). Both are studying healthcare. Grandson has a goal of orthopedic doctor, granddaughter - master's degree in PT, Kinesiology and such. Life has been wonderful here. I have a sister (10 years younger) in Goleta, CA. She is a retired nurse also.
I found the Chubby Worms on Amazon for $27.55 for 5 lbs and free shipping. They will arrive around Feb 25. I am really happy about that and THANK YOU SO MUCH to telling me.
You're welcome. Some places can be very expensive. Wait til you see the nice bags they come in. Did you sign up for points. I think I have like $10 for my next order. You don't have to use the points Save them up for a big order. Hope your girls like them. When I used to drive down to MD to see my boys I would ALWAYS see a car on fire on the Jersey Turnpike. LOL. I worked ONC for awhile. I was orthopedic certified also at one time. But my favorite is Hemodialysis. My mother died at 37 from renal failure brought on by SLE and don't ask me to spell it out. LOL. Lupus for lay people. I was 3 years old. So every time I took care of a troublesome pt ( who I actually loved because their life on HD really sucks) I would just pretend I was taking care of my mother. That made it bearable. I always got the patients no one else could deal with. But that was ok.
 
WOW! We have even more in common! I am a retired RN also! I worked in oncology in NJ and NY State.
I know of but have not been to BOOB. I think my husband has though with his family before I met him. He is an only child. Age 83. I am 80.
I know what you mean about Mainahs! The people here really care about each other - no so in NJ where we lived. My daughter up here is a Physical Therapist. They decided to move here 14 years ago to give their children a better life instead of the drug-filled materialistic world in NJ. The twins are now freshmen in college (boy at UMO, girl at Lasell in Newton, MA). Both are studying healthcare. Grandson has a goal of orthopedic doctor, granddaughter - master's degree in PT, Kinesiology and such. Life has been wonderful here. I have a sister (10 years younger) in Goleta, CA. She is a retired nurse also.
I found the Chubby Worms on Amazon for $27.55 for 5 lbs and free shipping. They will arrive around Feb 25. I am really happy about that and THANK YOU SO MUCH to telling me.

By the way, what breed of chickens do you have?
 
WOW! We have even more in common! I am a retired RN also! I worked in oncology in NJ and NY State.
I know of but have not been to BOOB. I think my husband has though with his family before I met him. He is an only child. Age 83. I am 80.
I know what you mean about Mainahs! The people here really care about each other - no so in NJ where we lived. My daughter up here is a Physical Therapist. They decided to move here 14 years ago to give their children a better life instead of the drug-filled materialistic world in NJ. The twins are now freshmen in college (boy at UMO, girl at Lasell in Newton, MA). Both are studying healthcare. Grandson has a goal of orthopedic doctor, granddaughter - master's degree in PT, Kinesiology and such. Life has been wonderful here. I have a sister (10 years younger) in Goleta, CA. She is a retired nurse also.
I found the Chubby Worms on Amazon for $27.55 for 5 lbs and free shipping. They will arrive around Feb 25. I am really happy about that and THANK YOU SO MUCH to telling me.

What breed of chickens do you have?
 

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