Michigan

[sj3364]

I don't think my rooster is going about this correctly.

His buddy and brooder mate started squatting last week but he just ignores her. He also ignores Amy, my one laying hen.

He is totally infatuated with the 2 BOs who, I'm convinced, will never lay. They don't squat, and one still even has a pale pink comb, though they are 37 weeks old. They want nothing to do with him and don't want to come off their roosts in the morning because he chases them all around the yard. He grumbles and dances for them, and they just run away.

I'm sure the other 2 would squat for him if he approached them, but he has no interest. I guess he likes his girls hard to get. Though these are so hard to get he hasn't succeeded in getting them after weeks of chasing them around.

 

[Farmerboy16]

Mom 2em All- Glad that you found a home for that roo!

I brought home 150 FREE pie pumpkins from work!

Besides raising dairy cows, my boss grows lots of pumpkins, and Indian corn for decorations to sell. I will be giving my chickens and peafowl 3 pumpkins every other day, all winter.

 

[NovaAman]

OMG! I have a hen that will not come out of the coop unless I make her, and then she heads for the safety of the garage. I have a glw who will not go into the coop at night, but stays in with the silkies at night now. Even though Roger will threaten her... Note, threaten, but not hurt. She moves faster than him. LOL. There was some sort of comotion in the coop last nite or this morning, half the light cover is down... AND when I say down, I mean on the ground! Not the floor of the coop, but in the under run! Yeah.

I am still trying to find someone who butchers. I gotta give my girls some peace of mind. I don't have the money to build another coop right now. I just paid for heating fuel. YAY! Warmth! LOL. And I think I'd rather eat them than feed them all winter while they terrorize my hens. SO, if anyone know's a butcher around Holland, please tell me who. I haven't been able to catch my neighbor, he told me before there was one down the road from us, but... I don't know who...

 

[NovaAman]

Quote:
That is lucky!

 

[RaZ]

Quote:
I only have 6 hens but they usually give me 4 eggs a day. Three so far today, but 2 of the girls are afternoon layers. Tuesday I only got 2 but I chalked it up to being so dark all day. Besides they deserve a break. They also didn't get treats on Monday so that might have been a factor.

Speaking of food, I had been giving them pellets because the TSC by me was out of "grumble" but the hens don't seem to care for the pellet form. I noticed they ate less but still found enough to forage for in the yard. Now the ground is getting more frozen so the worms and bugs are gone. Luckily, they had "grumbles" so the chicks are happier now. And they got a head of cabbage to play with. Hopefully that will help keep egg production consistant.

 

[babigyrl22]

I got a whopping 3 eggs from the girls yesterday.

I know their eating, especially the little ones....sheesh. It's like they can't get enough to eat. If I can get out of home before it's dark, I will let them out to forage in the yard for the last bit of the night. Its probably because they are just hanging out in the coop all day instead of playing in the run...that and the really gloomy days.

 

[Chickmate]

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OK, are we saying having a red heat lamp on all night will not interfere with their sleep? I've been worried about keeping one on the last few weeks and how it would affect them. I am hoping to keep the temp in the coop just above "when hell freezes over" so Joe's comb doesn't get frostbitten and to keep them a little more comfortable (actually for my own peace of mind that they are not freezing to death). We're saying a red lamp is OK?

I let mine out to free range around 9:00 a.m. and they put themselves to roost around 4:45 p.m. I am still consistently getting between 9-11 eggs per day from 13 hens. My ISAs each lay an egg EVERY day; my two BR's take turns giving me an egg a day, sometimes two; my two FBCMs also take turns and many days both lay. I'm getting 4 or 5 EE eggs out of 7 hens.

 

[chicken grandma]

I have had a heat lamp on for a couple months because of my younger chickens. My one mature hen has been laying nearly every day for all that time. I have been reading your posts about hens not laying and then I go out and hug my d'ucccle who is a heavy layer.
Also, my hens are not going through a ton of feed. I am feeding a higher protein feed than lay crumbles and I am keeping oyster shell from the pet store out all the time.
I feel good about having the red heat lamp on over night because I sleep better, the hens are relaxed, the hens go in and out of the coop pop door all day long and eat as normal.
This is working very well for me.

 

[RBahmer]

I also have a red heat lamp on my young ones and they are feathered out. As chicken grandma says it is only for my own comfort. I can sleep at night knowing they are not cold.

 

[RaZ]

From what I've read, the red light does not interrupt the sleep cycle.

In my coop, the red heat lamp is lower than the sleeping roosts and several feet away. They can roost closer to the heat if they wanted to but they don't want to.

I'm not going to worry too much about the cold, all of them were outside at the crack of dawn and it was only 22 degrees.

I bought oyster shell at TSC a while back; it was $6.99 for a 5 pound bag or $8.99 for a 50 pound bag. I think 50 pounds is going to last a good long time.