Michigan

[Juise]

Fingers crossed for those hatches...

I have a question about feed, if you guys don't mind. Our young chickens are around 3 to 3 1/2 months old now, possibly 4 months, and have thus far been on chick starter. We planned to switch them to flock raiser after that since we will be integrating them with our older birds, and that way all can have the same feed since they will all be eating it anyway. (With calcium supplements available to the big girls.)

Here's the thing, though. Our feed store doesn't keep the organic flock raiser in stock, and so I had put in an order for it. Well, I called to check on that earlier this week, and somehow the order had gotten misplaced and not put through. They put it through then, but they told me it will probably be a week or two before it gets here. I ran out of the chick starter feed today.

Do you think it would be safe to give the young birds layer mash for a week or two, or do I need to buy another bag of chick starter? They only carry 50 pound bags, and it has taken us this 3 months to go through it, I don't know what I would do with it all once they are integrated, which I am not waiting another few months to do. It's kind of pricey, so if you think they can get by for the time being on layer mash until the flock raiser gets in, that would be great. I don't want to endanger them, though.

Thanks!

 

[BobBry]

One of my friends is looking into getting laying hens... I am not sure what size bird/eggs she is looking for yet...
Will you do me a favor and list your favorite laying breeds and what sized eggs you get? Please and thank you!

Our chickens came from Farmerboy in April of 2011, before his first flock calamity. Two buff orphs are good layers, amiable to other hens and very friendly to us and follow me around the yard "helping" when I weed or scratch around in the soil or leaves. Black Australorp, until about a month ago, did not seek me out but didn't run away much either. A good layer. Speckled Sussix is the best layer and most likely to be first at my feet. She is head hen too. Cuckoo Marins is top on the totem pole (that's lowest social standing) lays the darkest most pointy eggs . I don't count or weigh the eggs. I must be careful not to step on all or any of them now as I garden since all of them are under foot unless fenced away.

 

[Olive Hill]

Just give them some layer feed. It's not going to hurt them.

 

[un-named543]

Hi, I hope everyone is fine. Iive been away around 12 days and have 1840 plus posts to read; not gonna happen. I will backtrack a bit here and see what is going on

 

[NovaAman]

I was going to say, give them the layer, and mix in some more scraps in their daily pickings...

Well, babigyrl just came and rid me of my excess eggs. Yup.. they are heavy. At least people over her way want to eat em. LOL. I was bragging about my fence work, well not really bragging, but bragging, that Rotten Ruby couldnt get out now. Would you believe, that little twit found a new escape? I have not a single freaking idea how she did it. I really do not. I swear I should just get a hot wire and let her nose get zapped a few times and she'll rethink the escaping. I wouldn't have know she was gone if the young roos hadn't sounded the alarm. I am off to Lowes after I walk the fence and see what I can see. rotten dang dog should just shoot her but and put her out of my misery but i like the dang dog so i guess i will just have to keep her. but boy could i strangle her rotten puggley neck.

 

[Nigellas]

Today is day 20 and mama chicken was out of her box for a few minutes so I peeked in on the eggs. It looks like one has a small pip and another has a crack (The front one). Is lockdown a big deal when you have an actual hen versus an incubator? I'm worried her getting off today might have been harmful to the babies...?

 

[NovaAman]

Hi, I hope everyone is fine. Iive been away around 12 days and have 1840 plus posts to read; not gonna happen. I will backtrack a bit here and see what is going on

the short and the tall of it....

RaZ is still putting up with crap head neighbor. Olive relocated her geese. Also pigs to Farmerboy. Juise is pregnant. I mean she's not pregnant, but its fun to say she is. Sarah finally is out of her hated job. Fife is back. um... Hold on there is more... Mom can't stop hatching uggos. Now she has other hatching uggos too. Plenty of chicks hatching, some chick losses. New dogs, passed dogs... Pullets turning into cockerels, poison ivy (Olive's family). Lots of new members to the thread, kimmie needs a coop name, new coops, refurbished coops... lets see... what else... Ah, head aches, back aches, colds, pneumonia... A few more weeks till Daron gets his final answers for his experiment, we are all pulling for him on that... Oh yeah, Olive broke her toe while knocking up a pig... lets see... I think that is the jist of it all.

 

[NovaAman]

Today is day 20 and mama chicken was out of her box for a few minutes so I peeked in on the eggs. It looks like one has a small pip and another has a crack (The front one). Is lockdown a big deal when you have an actual hen versus an incubator? I'm worried her getting off today might have been harmful to the babies...?

Their fine.

 

[Opa]

Today is day 20 and mama chicken was out of her box for a few minutes so I peeked in on the eggs. It looks like one has a small pip and another has a crack (The front one). Is lockdown a big deal when you have an actual hen versus an incubator? I'm worried her getting off today might have been harmful to the babies...?

You have to have a little faith in old Mother Nature. While it does happen that a hen is absent too long or in some cases abandons her nest it is extremely rare.

 

[Ferrret]

For all the highway noise, thunder and heavy rain, I can't tell if I heard a tornado siren or not. I can barely hear the thing on a clear day, I don't think anyone in this subdivision can hear it well.

I really hope this storm is just that and there isn't some whirlwind on it's way. I don't see any weather reports saying tornado, just severe storm warnings.