Bonnie Jo
In the Brooder
- Jul 18, 2015
- 10
- 0
- 24
Hello, I have seven hens and one rooster and I am about to purchase three more hens for my flock. I have been raising chickens for less than a year and for the most part I have been successful. I LOVE my ladeis and my gentleman. I also have a couple of dogs a herd of 5 goats and a cat.
Now I'll get to the frustrated part of my introduction. I recently went on the first vacation in three years. I found someone responsible (I thought) to watch my property, Two of my most trusted neighbors who are grown adults. I walked them through and showed them exactly how to feed and water my chickens. I called and checked with them to see how everything was going on my small farm.
When I came back my chickens were STARVING!!! Upon further investigation I realized there was food in the water dish that was rotting and no food in their feeder at all. Luckily I have 2 water dishes so they had water otherwise I'm sure they would be dead. I have been back for over a week now and they still have not started producing. My guess is they went without food for a week! GRRRRR!!!!! I'm never leaving again!
Now I think I have a bigger problem because I have a broody hen and the eggs (I marked them when I got back) under her have started disappearing. I don't think I have critters getting in and snatching them considering the hens are fine, but I do think they are getting eaten by the flock. I don't know who the perpetrator is. Is it likely they have all resorted to eating eggs in order to survive??? Are my hens ruined??? I have them on oyster shell, they have plenty of egg layer food and I'm adding cat food to up their protein and a few table scraps here and there...
What should I do next? Should I continue to wait to see if they return to normal? How should I deal with the broody hen and her eggs? Do I leave them and watch them continue to disappear? I've read up on the golf ball trick and filling the egg with mustard or dish soap or food coloring etc. Do any of you have any suggestions? Have you ever faced this in your flock? I am currently working on getting a second coop, but for now I only have one.
Please, HELP me.
Bonnie Jo
Now I'll get to the frustrated part of my introduction. I recently went on the first vacation in three years. I found someone responsible (I thought) to watch my property, Two of my most trusted neighbors who are grown adults. I walked them through and showed them exactly how to feed and water my chickens. I called and checked with them to see how everything was going on my small farm.
When I came back my chickens were STARVING!!! Upon further investigation I realized there was food in the water dish that was rotting and no food in their feeder at all. Luckily I have 2 water dishes so they had water otherwise I'm sure they would be dead. I have been back for over a week now and they still have not started producing. My guess is they went without food for a week! GRRRRR!!!!! I'm never leaving again!
Now I think I have a bigger problem because I have a broody hen and the eggs (I marked them when I got back) under her have started disappearing. I don't think I have critters getting in and snatching them considering the hens are fine, but I do think they are getting eaten by the flock. I don't know who the perpetrator is. Is it likely they have all resorted to eating eggs in order to survive??? Are my hens ruined??? I have them on oyster shell, they have plenty of egg layer food and I'm adding cat food to up their protein and a few table scraps here and there...
What should I do next? Should I continue to wait to see if they return to normal? How should I deal with the broody hen and her eggs? Do I leave them and watch them continue to disappear? I've read up on the golf ball trick and filling the egg with mustard or dish soap or food coloring etc. Do any of you have any suggestions? Have you ever faced this in your flock? I am currently working on getting a second coop, but for now I only have one.
Please, HELP me.
Bonnie Jo