Help!! First time chicken owner...how what when why??

[The Chicken Lady]

There is another member on BYC who turned a barn space into a coop. Initially, she thought she had made it predator-proof, but it turned out that *something* was finding its way in and killing her birds. There are a lot of sneaky places that things like weasels can find their way into, and weasels can kill your whole flock in a night...they kill for the "fun" of it. You really need to look out for things crawling down from the rafters or coming in through spaces in the barn walls. I don't want to make you paranoid, but this stuff can happen.

(Can anyone remember who the person with the barn coop was...? I was trying to find the related thread but a search is turning up nothing for me).

 

[EliteTempleton]

Quote:

Unless its really HOT outside I wouldn't worry about them going bad quickly. One guy in Florida on a thread about how long eggs last said he goes out and gets them all on the weekends. I wouldn't recommend that route, but I wouldn't worry too much either. The hens provide a bloom around the egg that protects it.

You can read about how eggs can last up to a year here .

Yup, tiny eggs at first, bigger with time.

Indeed 21 days. Do you think that's a short time or a long time? Anyway I wouldn't even let them hatch any until spring because the chicks need the warmth to stay alive, and it's much easier to let nature help you with that than a lamp. It takes them about 10 weeks to feather out and then they are able to handle cool temps on their own.

To keep them from getting sick you can/should add a little apple cider vinegar with 'mother' in it to waters to keep algae and other critters from growing in the water-1 Tablespoon per gallon. It also helps the chickens absorb nutrients, like calcium, easier and aid digestion.

I also add garlic powder to their food, 2 Tablespoons per 50lbs.

Speaking of food, what are you giving them? Sounds like they should be on a layer mix. The important thing to know is that too much calcium under 18 weeks of age(or prior to laying) can damage their kidneys and other internal organs.

If they are going to free range I would not worry too much about grit(as they will find it on their own), but a small(5lb) bag wouldn't be a bad idea to have near the food in a separate dish. Also helpful on stormy days when they don't venture out of the coop.

If they are getting a quality layer mix then they should be getting enough calcium, so don't worry about oyster shell unless you have thin shells or other calcium lacking issues. If they get to be older than 2 or 3 years old, then maybe worry about adding a dish of free choice oyster shells.

I gave my girls a half milk/half feed mix(with a sprinkle of garlic) the other day and they LOVED

it. So if you just want to do that once or twice a week or so if you are worried about their calcium that may work well for you to. I did it because atleast one of them has diarrhea at the moment and I gave them fresh(unpasteurized milk) to coat their intestinal wall and provide a dose of good bacteria to fight off any issues. You can use cultured yogurt if you don't have a supply of fresh milk handy though.

ok I'm done for now...

Edit: Fixed link

 

[bills]

Quote:
Although the dog probably won't want to hear this,

you would be wasting a good edible egg, if you are concerned if it is more than one day old. There is no reason why you can't eat it yourself.

Now if you find an egg that is hiding in the litter, and your not sure of it's age, a simple float test will reveal if it is still fresh enough to eat. Put the egg, or egg's in a small pot of cool water. If the egg floats to the top, toss it. If it sinks to the bottom, eat it. If it hangs half way off the bottom, but dosen't float to the top, then it's still good to use for baking.

Sorry Fido...

 

[petitesphinx]

Hi!

We're in Oneonta.....by Warrior River