INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[browncow15]

Sorry fuzzy pic in my last post.

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[SallyinIndiana]

I think I have a problem... I know that I've heard the girls will slack off laying if temps get too hot or cold so I was expecting a slight drop I'm production, but my nephew said there were 7eggs on Friday, 11 eggs Satuday, only 3 eggs on Sunday, 10 yesterday and only 4 today. The ones I got today were covered with dried yolk and pieces of shells. So either there's a varment in my coop or I've got a very famished egg eater!!! Or possibly one and the same. So how can I find out which, short of staking out the coop 24-7? Any advice y'all?

Options
Video baby monitor much like a game camera, might require a bit of light.

hourly gathering of the eggs

Move all of the laying hens to a tractor and see if the production stays unusual. If there is an egg eating bird it will eat eggs in the new location but maybe another predator like a snake or skunk would take some time to find the eggs.

If the eggs still are getting broken, maybe try 2 separate coops / half the flock. Then if the problem is only in one group, try moving a hen at a time from the troubled group back to the good group. When the problem changes location you have found your egg eating hen or rooster.

It might be a low calcium thing if the shells are breaking easily then almost any hen will eat the broken egg. But that would not follow an every other day pattern.

Lots of feathers could mean the early stages off molt. This would not explain the mess or the every other day of increased production.

Maybe you have a hen trying to go broody and the others are stepping on the eggs in the boxes that the broody is farthest away from. If all of the chickens are fighting for the box on the end with no mama hen some eggs might get stepped on or squished. And once broken it is a free treat.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Chickenfest~ I'd like to thank jchny/Janet for starting this great thread as well as our Chickenfest get-togethers! She and her DH Brad (another Brad, not bradselig lol) worked hard to ensure that we had a location. Thank you to our volunteers including my co-chair CRSelvey/Cheryl who helped with Door Prizes (and her step-daughter, Natalie, who put the festive bags together). Cheryl also contacted a Purdue veterinarian contact who donated ISPA calendars containing biosecurity info. Thank you to barb s/Barb who handled reservations, updates, coordinating grilling, and donated some gifts for the Door Prizes. Barb also worked very hard alongside Minminme, our W. Virginian Hoosier, in setting up the food spread, which was enough to serve a small army. Minminme outdid herself after such a long, hectic drive. SallyinIndiana/Lori also helped organize the food, and everyone assisted each other. Our attendees generously provided delicious food from covered dish favorites to fancy breads (pipd) and other specialty items. Thanks to bradselig and racinchickins for bringing Chicken TV! I thought that the box of at least a dozen 2-day old adorable Silkies that bradselig brought should have been given away as party favors! Instead, amwchicken was the lucky shopper.

I also want to thank @lilmizscareall for getting handling the Tshirt project! Everyone should have theirs by the end of the week.
Thats wonderful news! They really are wonderful lil birds.

Hey everyone, I'm new to BYC but not really new to chickens. I had chickens a while back when I lived in southern Indiana but moved back home to Elkhart and couldn't bring them with. So now after a couple years I have some again. As for the fair here it is amazing. I was in 4H for 9 years showing horses and basically lived at the fairgrounds for the week each year. We're going tomorrow and I'll definitely be checking out the poultry barn. Right now I have 1 EE hen 1 EE rooster 1 golden laced polish hen, a pair of call ducks, and a lavender silkie hen.

Welcome back to keeping poultry, and enjoy our thread

great chicken coop setup and they don't even want it.
http://bloomington.craigslist.org/grd/4576530020.html

all i can say is

 

[SallyinIndiana]

I forgot to ask. Any recommendations for plywood or other material to use for siding our goat shed.

 

[Minminme]

Options

Video baby monitor much like a game camera, might require a bit of light.


hourly gathering of the eggs

Move all of the laying hens to a tractor and see if the production stays unusual.  If there is an egg eating bird it will eat eggs in the new location but maybe another predator like a snake or skunk would take some time to find the eggs. 


If the eggs still are getting broken, maybe try 2 separate coops / half the flock.  Then if the problem is only in one group, try moving a hen at a time from the troubled group back to the good group.  When the problem changes location you have found your egg eating hen or rooster. 


It might be a low calcium thing if the shells are breaking easily then almost any hen will eat the broken egg.  But that would not follow an every other day pattern. 

Lots of feathers could mean the early stages off molt.  This would not explain the mess or the every other day of increased production.


Maybe you have a hen trying to go broody and the others are stepping on the eggs in the boxes that the broody is farthest away from.  If all of the chickens are fighting for the box on the end with no mama hen some eggs might get stepped on or squished.  And once broken it is a free treat.

Thx SallyinIndiana, baby monitor first! Hope I can find one at Salvation Army store or goodwill! Light won't b a problem I have a very bright battery operated on in there I can leave on while monitoring.

ETA: Since I don't own a Chicken tractor that's the simplest solution t start with. BTW the roosters have all bn separated from the flock to give the girls a break and allow rooster raked skin t heal.

 

[raisinemright]

Oh lord, does he know you posted this?

Oh ya I showed him after the fact lol! I don't know what the heck they both are looking at! But I can't get over the faverolle a stance lol

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

My boy cracks me up! Open to anyone's captions lol

I'll start
"I am Faverolle boy!! Prince of the bantams"

Don't worry about the boy, watch out for that killer chicken!
I bet I can fly there faster than you can run! ready...set....GO!

Quote:

I have a goose that does this OFTEN! makes me crazy!

Quote: It would be great meeting you too! we are working on possible dates, and looking at Ideas for locations too.

So I finally got some pics of my guineas heads!

And crselvey reminded me today I haven't posted any pics of my boys in a while so here are my lazy cows!

Moo!

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Both guinea are girls! I love those big brown eyes, hope we have more soon.

 

[raisinemright]

I think I have a problem... I know that I've heard the girls will slack off laying if temps get too hot or cold so I was expecting a slight drop I'm production, but my nephew said there were 7eggs on Friday, 11 eggs Satuday, only 3 eggs on Sunday, 10 yesterday and only 4 today. The ones I got today were covered with dried yolk and pieces of shells. So either there's a varment in my coop or I've got a very famished egg eater!!! Or possibly one and the same. So how can I find out which, short of staking out the coop 24-7? Any advice y'all?

I have a rifle that's just your size you can borrow! Then we can camo you up! Lol I would pay to see you hunt whatever is eating your eggs!!!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I think I have a problem... I know that I've heard the girls will slack off laying if temps get too hot or cold so I was expecting a slight drop I'm production, but my nephew said there were 7eggs on Friday, 11 eggs Satuday, only 3 eggs on Sunday, 10 yesterday and only 4 today. The ones I got today were covered with dried yolk and pieces of shells. So either there's a varment in my coop or I've got a very famished egg eater!!! Or possibly one and the same. So how can I find out which, short of staking out the coop 24-7? Any advice y'all?

What feed do you use, it sometimes is a protein issue. Egg eaters are a real pain! There are several good ideas and threads about it. I tried the mustard inside an egg trick. they didnt touch it. Snakes can get in and eat eggs too.

 

[raisinemright]

I have a rifle that's just your size you can borrow! Then we can camo you up! Lol I would pay to see you hunt whatever is eating your eggs!!!

Sorry my last post was meant for someone else! I got confused for a sec disregard please.