Lots of questions!

[Nan Brinsko]

I am new to chickens and have some questions, from which I have already received numerous different answers!
I have a Bed and Breakfast- Inn on Tyger Meadow and a guest told me about this site, so I am getter smarter! I want to go Farm to Table and this will help me to do that.
We had two Rhode Island reds - one died and we have two barred rock.
First question- How on earth do you tell if a hen may be a rooster?!?
Two different answers to this from different people- one says she is and one says no!
Second- How do you get them to lay eggs? We have been feeding them since May and nothing! They were a couple months old when we bought them.
Third- What kind of scraps can they eat? Is any food, fruit or veggies- harmful? If they eat their egg shells will they eat their own eggs?
Fourth- How cold is too cold? I read 25 posts on lights last night. Rhode Island Red may have died from upper respiratory infection. I want to know if she can die from a sore throat!
Fifth-What animals will eat them? We have coons, possums, bears, etc. Thx for any help!

 

[Kiki]

Welcome to Backyardchickens.com aka BYC!
We are glad you joined our flock.
Jump right in am make yourself at home.
Can you post pictures of them? (To determine the sex)
If they are male they will never lay an egg.
Read this about proper feeding:
http://articles.extension.org/pages/69065/feeding-chickens-for-egg-production
Any hungry animal will eat them.

This video will help you learn how to navigate this site:

 

[Kiki]

Fwiw...Chickens don't get soar thoughts.
They get diseases.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

Some will go away on their own.
Some need antibiotics.
Some just plain kill the bird.

 

[AllenK RGV]

I am new to chickens and have some questions, from which I have already received numerous different answers!
I have a Bed and Breakfast- Inn on Tyger Meadow and a guest told me about this site, so I am getter smarter! I want to go Farm to Table and this will help me to do that.
We had two Rhode Island reds - one died and we have two barred rock.
First question- How on earth do you tell if a hen may be a rooster?!?
Two different answers to this from different people- one says she is and one says no!
Second- How do you get them to lay eggs? We have been feeding them since May and nothing! They were a couple months old when we bought them.
Third- What kind of scraps can they eat? Is any food, fruit or veggies- harmful? If they eat their egg shells will they eat their own eggs?
Fourth- How cold is too cold? I read 25 posts on lights last night. Rhode Island Red may have died from upper respiratory infection. I want to know if she can die from a sore throat!
Fifth-What animals will eat them? We have coons, possums, bears, etc. Thx for any help!

First question- How on earth do you tell if a hen may be a rooster?!? that depends on the breed laying eggs is the most definative methodology(definately meant as a joke)

Second- How do you get them to lay eggs? This is like how do I get a woman to ovulate, however, day length or artificial lighting can do the trick too.

Third- What kind of scraps can they eat? Is any food, fruit or veggies- harmful? If they eat their egg shells will they eat their own eggs? If you can eat it they can pretty much eat it plus bugs I personally wouldn't eat myself. Mealworn souffle anyone? So many people feed eggshells automatically and plenty of hatching hens eat them outright wthout resorting to cannibalism.

Fourth- How cold is too cold? If they are fully feathered, put on a jacket and go outside is it too cold for you to be out there for 3 hours? Would be my suggestion, but if they are in a coop most northern keepers don't bother to heat them. If chicken get cold they will share body heat.

In closing welcome to BYC and any points I might have flubbed trust the community to set me straight!!

 

[AllenK RGV]

Missed the animals that can eat them, birds of prey, coyote, cougar, raccoons, possums, bears, weasels, egg eating snakes, neighborhood dogs, dumped dogs, potentially cats, bobcats.
Chicken are pretty low on the food chain totem pole. Some just like reaching through chicken wire and ripping off heads. Some like squeasing into tight spaces for the thrill of the kill. If it has sharp teeth it probably would like to eat your flock.

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. Cockerels/roosters will have pointy hackle and saddle feathers. They will also crow and mate the hens. Supplements should be limited to no more than 10 % of their diet. Many breeds start laying at 20 + weeks some mature and start laying at a much older age. As long as they are kept dry, draft free and well fed and watered, chickens have little problem with cold weather. All of the animals mentioned plus many more including hawks and owls eat chicken.

 

[nminusyplusm]

Second- How do you get them to lay eggs? This is like how do I get a woman to ovulate,

LOL!

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome.
You have found a great place to learn about chickens here at BYC but as with most things there are few straightforward answers and the response will depend on a number of things.
For instance:-

1. Sexing chickens is reliant on characteristics developing in chickens at different ages..... so a 5 week old chick with a red or fleshy pink comb will almost certainly be male.... a pullet's comb will be small and yellow-salmon coloured at that age. At adolescence (which can occur anywhere between 12 weeks and 20) males will develop male specific feathers.... pointed and shiny hackle, saddle and sickle feathers. Hens do not get these. Males will crow of course and this can happen anywhere from the first week as a chick or 25weeks. There are cases of crowing hens. It is not desperately rare but they are almost always hens older than a year, so if it is a young bird crowing, the chances are it's male. Obviously, if it lays an egg, it's definitely female.

2. Pullets maturing as the days get shorter are slower to come into lay. That said, at 7 months I would have expected them to be laying by now. Are they penned or free range? If they free range, then they may be laying somewhere other than the nest boxes..... they can be sneaky! Usually their combs will redden up in the week or so before they start laying and they will often investigate the nest boxes and scratch all the bedding out of them. They often become more vocal/chatty and can become more bold/cheeky or even a bit aggressive too.... just like teenagers at the will of their hormones. Checking their pelvic points on a night when they are roosting will help you determine if they are laying yet. The pelvic points are two bony protrusions either side of their vent. One finger width - they are not laying, 2 fingers apart - then start looking for eggs.

3. They can eat almost anything but if you want them to be healthy and lay eggs then the majority of their food should be from a complete feed like layers pellets/crumbles.... there is less waste with pellets but some chickens don't like them. Treating them with a few scraps each day is OK but you need to restrict them. Meat, egg and fish scraps are good as long as they are not too salty. Bread/pasta/rice etc needs to be kept to a minimum even though they will love it. Fruit and veggies are mostly good. If you are giving treats, ensure they have an additional source of calcium like crushed egg shells and no it will not encourage them to eat their own eggs.

4. Chickens have a big fluffy downy coat, so they are well insulated from the cold as long as they have shelter from the wind and rain. Ventilation is more important that heat in the coop as a damp environment will make them feel the cold. Their most vulnerable body part to the cold is their comb and if you live in a cold winter climate, smearing their combs with Petrolium jelly may help. Feet can also suffer frost bite but having wide roost bars will help that because when they roost their toes will be covered by their feathers. If you are talking about heat lamps in the coop, I would advise against it..... too easy for there to be a fire. If you are talking about lights to keep them laying through the winter, I personally don't use them. There are advantages and disadvantages. I am happy for my hens to live in harmony with the seasons. Most people do not realise that eggs are actually seasonal like most other produce. It's just that the season is very long and of course the egg industry keeps hens in artificial conditions to keep them laying year round. I think my girls deserve some time off to recharge their batteries as they are pets as well as food producers.
The "cold" as in low temperatures will not make a chicken sick, but it will feel the cold if it is sick and benefit from being placed somewhere warm as part of it's treatment. If your bird had a respiratory problem it was most likely a virus that caused it, just like viruses cause us to suffer runny noses, sore throats, sneezing etc. A bacterial infection can set in often as a result of a viral infection, but it is not about the temperature outside being cold. I'm sorry to hear you lost a RIR to respiratory problems.
5. As others have said.... most predators.... depending on what you have locally. Don't forget weasels/stoats and mink and of course birds of prey as well the usual large mammals and perhaps even snakes. Rats will attack and eat chicks or sick birds occasionally too..... so you need to take steps to protect your girls or be prepared to lose them.

Good luck with your girls and I hope you see some eggs from them soon.

Regards

Barbara

 

[Lazy Farmer]

First question- How on earth do you tell if a hen may be a rooster?!?

When I hatch and raise my large heritage birds, I have to wait for the Comb development to entertain my curiosity. Then the first scratchy crow seals the deal. I don't worry about sexing them until that point.

Second- How do you get them to lay eggs?

They will start to lay eggs upon maturity. Generally between 5 to 6 months with my experiences.

Third- What kind of scraps can they eat?

I try not to mix up my diet I have my Egg producers on. My particular program consists of Manna Pro Egg Maker crumble & pellet (conventional grain) crushed oyster shell offered on the side as a free will calcium booster because egg laying robs the hen of a lot of calcium during egg producing. And I offer grit on the side to aid with digestion.
Slight amount of greens as well. NO JUNK FOOD. Watermelon is concidered a treat.
I like to buy Alfalfa cubes and place a couple in a cup of water. They will expand and soften fast. I feed them in moderation to my egg layers to acheive a deep dark yoke in my human consumption eggs.

Fourth- How cold is too cold?

We don't experience sub freezing weather where I am located. Although we have dipped into the twenties here and there. My birds tend to put on a thick winter coat prior to the coldest part of our winters. I have countless birds who roost on perches side by side really close together in the winter and spaced apart during the hot summer. That tells me they are warming themselves by huddling together. As long as mine are dry and draft free, I don't worry.

may have died from upper respiratory infection. I want to know if she can die from a sore throat!

Generally you will notice if a bird is ill by it's eating and social habits. If she stays in a corner all alone and not eating, she may have giving you a tell tale sign she needs medical attention. Not to be confused with BROODY (when a hen will not leave a nesting box because she is dedicated to hatch her eggs)

Fifth-What animals will eat them? We have coons, possums, bears, etc. Thx for any help!

Chickens are not only on the menu at the local restaurant, they are real low on the food chain. Almost everything is going to want to get at your chickens. Security is essential and should be top priority along with health care. Free Range is such a pretty thought. But risky. A secure run is more practical. Geographic location is key on what predators are in your area. City has neighborhood dogs and rural has dogs, coon, skunks, opossoms. The country living has the big boys lurking in the shadows. Remember, wild animals don't have the luxury of picking up supper at a drive thru food chain.. If they don't find a meal, they won't survive. They will go to drastic measures to get at your investment. Build it tough and weather proof as well and you will be fine.
BTW:

 

[Nan Brinsko]

Missed the animals that can eat them, birds of prey, coyote, cougar, raccoons, possums, bears, weasels, egg eating snakes, neighborhood dogs, dumped dogs, potentially cats, bobcats.
Chicken are pretty low on the food chain totem pole. Some just like reaching through chicken wire and ripping off heads. Some like squeasing into tight spaces for the thrill of the kill. If it has sharp teeth it probably would like to eat your flock.