Maine

[Jazor]

...

For the past 2 weeks I have been repeatedly finding one egg a day on the floor. It is not always the same kind of bird's egg, either... some days it's a golden comet egg, others a buff orpington. I think the barred rocks are staying in the boxes. Any advice on how to entice them into the boxes again? I have 4 boxes for 6 birds. They only use 3 of the 4. ...

I also have an egg every couple days that's on the floor, or just outside in their run. I swear they just get a kick out of making me go fetch the eggs. We put wooden eggs in our boxes because they were eating eggs. It was a 100% instant cure for that, by the way. Having the wooden eggs in there certainly helped though. I had a couple golf balls in there before, and would get frequent ground-laying episodes. Since wooden eggs, it's 99% in the boxes. Worth a try.

Far as boxes go, we've got 6 boxes for 17 birds; however, one is a silkie who probably needs a box close to the ground. I just don't have on in there, because I'm pretty sure it's easier to pick up one tiny egg from the ground than it will be to collect 16 eggs a day from yet another box that they will squawk about. They use all 6 of the boxes, but there are three favorites that get the most eggs and the most amount of squawking over whose turn it is.

 

[lazy gardener]

I also have a girl who loves to jump in the nest and cuddle with the eggs. So far as I can tell, she is not laying, and has not layed since last fall. She'll be the first cull this fall for me.

 

[lazy gardener]

I also have a girl who loves to jump in the nest and cuddle with the eggs. So far as I can tell, she is not laying, and has not layed since last fall. She'll be the first cull this fall for me.

 

[lazy gardener]

I scored a pair of old worn out snow skis at the Winterport Mall this weekend. My poor husband doesn't even ask any more... He just shakes his head and says, "Chickens, right?"

They'll be screwed onto the bottom of the new tractor, and i'll use a pair of old lawn mower wheels (an other mall find) on the opposite end to make it into a "push-me-pull-you"

 

[IZZYBELLA]

Thanks for the advice. I'll have to pick up some wooden eggs and try it.

LG - love the skis on a tractor idea!

 

[Jazor]

Have a coworker who's never incubated/hatched, but would like to. Anyone have some DIY guides, quality how-to, or plans, ....or anything? He'd build all his own stuff (he's handy) and do all the work. Mostly a family project for his kids to have "their own" chickens.

Ideas?

 

[lazy gardener]

I'd turn him loose on the BYC site. Is he wanting to build an incubator? How many chickens would he like to end up with? Incubator warehouse has good prices on thermostats, and there are some good plans with video tutorials for DIY incubators. (check out Rush Lane) Have him check out Henderson's chicken breed chart... if he's likely to be particular about what breeds he has. Even if he doesn't care, it's good to have a little knowledge before going to the feed store to pickup chicks. If he doesn't care what kind of chickens he ends up with, he can p/u eggs at the farmers market, or perhaps get some from you if you still have a rooster. What breeds do you have again? Any solid dark roo over a barred hen will give you a sex linked chick.

 

[Jazor]

I'd turn him loose on the BYC site. Is he wanting to build an incubator? How many chickens would he like to end up with? Incubator warehouse has good prices on thermostats, and there are some good plans with video tutorials for DIY incubators. (check out Rush Lane) Have him check out Henderson's chicken breed chart... if he's likely to be particular about what breeds he has. Even if he doesn't care, it's good to have a little knowledge before going to the feed store to pickup chicks. If he doesn't care what kind of chickens he ends up with, he can p/u eggs at the farmers market, or perhaps get some from you if you still have a rooster. What breeds do you have again? Any solid dark roo over a barred hen will give you a sex linked chick.

He's already got a flock. Just wants to hatch some out for a family project to get more chicks.

Ideas?

 

[quailtrail]

I scored a pair of old worn out snow skis at the Winterport Mall this weekend. My poor husband doesn't even ask any more... He just shakes his head and says, "Chickens, right?"

They'll be screwed onto the bottom of the new tractor, and i'll use a pair of old lawn mower wheels (an other mall find) on the opposite end to make it into a "push-me-pull-you"

WOW!!!1 What a great idea!!!

 

[chickengirl987]

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