Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[gladahmae]

Glad, you may need a game cam to watch what's going on. Sure sounds wrong.

That would be an option. I'm just kind of hoping they haven't gotten the clue the spring is here, but if they don't pick up in the next week or so I will probably put one of the trail cameras in one of the coops.

x2! Are they outside ranging during the day? Maybe a nest hidden out there? If they are in the coop/ run all the time, could there be hidden eggshells behind something? Mary

only one pen can range outside, and not all of them hop the fence to do so. hidden nests haven't been a problem in the past with the exception of a broody who layed a clutch of eggs in a spare coop for a week and a half and then sat on them. There are no places for them to hide eggs in the coops.



I'm honestly almost to the point where I am thinking about getting rid of all of them (with the exception of the 2 oldest hens that have "earned" their place) and starting over. I'm not sure I can get my husband on-board with that though since with our luck, we would be feeding birds for a full year before getting eggs (assuming we started with chicks again)

 

[aart]

Quote: Might be god to lock em up for a week or two, reestablish laying in coop nests ..and start culling to make room for a new batch of chicks.
How old are all your birds?

I didn't use lights this winter, production was pathetic, even the pullets either didn't start laying or stopped and molted.
Some of the older birds, done with molting, started laying again before solstice...only to stop again afer a week or so.
Finally started ramping up the light a bit toward the end of January.....took about a month and then BOOM lots of eggs!

 

[gladahmae]

About 3/4 of them were bought last spring.... mostly ISAs, a pair of BRs, a RIR, and one JG. There are a few 2-year-old ISAs, and a few that are hatched out EE mutts, a few 3-year-olds, and one 4-year-old buff who would follow us into the house if we let her. I don't really feel like age is a HUGE contributing factor because we just have so many that are just ONE year old. But who knows. I need it to warm up some more so I can do a full coop clean-out and I'm probably going to re-configure my main coop because they have just gotten too much in the habit of roosting in the nest boxes. (My husband can't wait.

)

ETA: the coop with most of the younger birds had light all winter start at 3am every day.

 

[aart]

About 3/4 of them were bought last spring.... mostly ISAs, a pair of BRs, a RIR, and one JG. There are a few 2-year-old ISAs, and a few that are hatched out EE mutts, a few 3-year-olds, and one 4-year-old buff who would follow us into the house if we let her. I don't really feel like age is a HUGE contributing factor because we just have so many that are just ONE year old. But who knows. I need it to warm up some more so I can do a full coop clean-out and I'm probably going to re-configure my main coop because they have just gotten too much in the habit of roosting in the nest boxes. (My husband can't wait.

)

ETA: the coop with most of the younger birds had light all winter start at 3am every day.

I had birds lay all one winter with lights, then molt in spring. SMH.
Hard to accept that, most of the time, eggs are a seasonal food.

 

[GardenJen77]

Hello!

I just joined BYC, and am so excited. I have a flock of 2 year old Black Australorps, which we received last year as a "hand-me-down" from friends who thought they had bought Jersey Giants. BIG LET DOWN for them, as they thought the chickens were simply runts. Win win for us!

This year we are raising up 16 chicks, 15 pullets and 1 cockrel, of Golden Laced Wyandottes.


We are located in Central MI and are really looking forward to getting our babies outside and watching them grow into beautiful hens, and little Bob Bob, growing up into a handsome Robert. (He's 2 weeks younger than the pullets, due to an ordering mishap )


Jen

 

[1muttsfan]

Hi Jen, wecome to BYC and the Michigan thread . Check out my signature line for the link to chickenstock, our annual spring get together.

 

[1muttsfan]

Glad, you can check to see if hens are currently laying

http://blog.mcmurrayhatchery.com/#article/5830

Also, Sumi's article in the Learning Center is a good checklist to run through
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/why-are-my-hens-not-laying

 

[aart]

Glad, you can check to see if hens are currently laying

http://blog.mcmurrayhatchery.com/#article/5830

Also, Sumi's article in the Learning Center is a good checklist to run through
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/why-are-my-hens-not-laying

Butt check:
Vent Appearance:
Dry, tight, and smaller - usually not laying.
Moist, wide, and larger - usually laying.

Pelvic Points, feel for the 2 bony points(pelvic bones - F on illustration) on either side of vent:
Less than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means not laying.
More than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means laying.
(Distance is relative with chickens size and humans finger size.)

 

[gladahmae]

Guess I'm going to go grope some chickens tonight then!

In other news....

there are 6 EEs, 5 Silver Laced Wyandottes, 2 Buff Orps, and 2 Light Brahmas. Some of the EEs are getting a new home this evening though....picked those up for a facebook-group-friend.


Anyone near my area want a couple of ducks? Year old this month. One KC, one Rouen. Ducks, I have discovered, are not my thing.

 

[aart]

Guess I'm going to go grope some chickens tonight then!

In other news....


there are 6 EEs, 5 Silver Laced Wyandottes, 2 Buff Orps, and 2 Light Brahmas. Some of the EEs are getting a new home this evening though....picked those up for a facebook-group-friend.


Anyone near my area want a couple of ducks? Year old this month. One KC, one Rouen. Ducks, I have discovered, are not my thing.

HAHAHAHA!! That didn't take long!!!!