Minnesota!

[duluthralphie]

Thanks for the info! How large to you recommend the vents to be? I'm guessing I'll have 8-10 hens once I can tell the sex of all my chicks.

I have no idea on that, I just guess on mine and go "so big by so big" should do it. unless I need a door for Bert then I go a little bigger.

 

[lalaland]

I still am having problems with my chickens. I have 5 chickens at 7 mos old and I still only get zero to two eggs a day. Today I got another with no shell. I feed them a organic high protein grower food with extra oyster shell in the food and plain oyster shell on the side too. Any Ideas?

It could easily be the photo, but their combs do not look bright red to me, which is a sign of maturity. 22 weeks is average point of lay, but it is just an average.

Do you know which ones are laying? You can look at their vents and sometimes tell, and there is the two finger trick....try reading this: http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/4aj/4aj07po/4aj07po.PDF

I guess I would give it a month more and then I would switch out the feed just in case. Sometimes the formula is wrong...I think Dandilioness even mentioned a whole batch of feed produced that was insufficient in something and left flocks not laying....But I am betting that by June you will have more eggs.

 

[The BlanchRanch]

Thanks Lalaland. That seems to be the consensus. I must have the their age wrong.... They were half grown when I got them. I really hope they pick it up.
I haven't looked at the video yet. But it sounds like I may be a bit to much of a naive city boy for the finger test.

 

[The BlanchRanch]

That was great information, Lalaland. Thanks!!!
This will be a big help.

 

[Cluckies]

I do heat my coop when it gets 0 or below. I use a cozy legs radiant flat panel heater from target online. http://www.target.com/p/cozy-legs-r...357#prodSlot=medium_1_1&term=cozy+legs+heater It works for me as my henhouse is pretty small (4x6)

I wasn't going to heat, but due to all the moisture this winter, I also had some frostbit combs (buff orp and golden comet), could not get it dry enough when it was 80 percent humidity outside, so added the heat. Plus, it just pretty much took the edge off, so when it was -24 outside, it was around 0 degrees inside the henhouse. 24 below is brutal, even for chickens. If the electricity went out, as my henhouse is insulated it would hold the heat for awhile, and I don't think that going from 0 to -24 would kill them. I think it is just easier on them to not have to try and use the extra energy to stay warm when it is that cold. Now, I would not recommend heating to say 50 or anything like that when it is -24 out, that would kill them if the electricity went out. but putting on some heat to heat it up to 0-10 degrees F, I think is fine. Just to take the bitter edge off.

Goose seems be better, maybe 80-90 percent herself. I threw her out with the other girls tonight, kept an eye on the situation, I didn't want to put her out there yet as I'm not sure she is strong enough to stand up to them, but the longer I wait the worse it will get. She seems to be holding her own. I need to keep an eye on the situation and make sure she is still gaining strength out there. poor little girl

she has been through alot in the last few days!

 

[Cluckies]

I've been getting a rubber egg (or very thin shelled egg from my EE since January) that is why I wormed all of them. then this one turned up sick, I was wondering if it was related, but a on another thread they told me, no, the safeguard I used is one of the safest wormers on the market, that she may have coccidiosis (sp) so I treated for that. seemed to work, so that is likely what she had. they guy at ramsey feed said since she responded so well that is probably what she had.

bye the way Ralphie, the guy at ramsey feed said he has a cure for blackhead if you ever are unlucky enough to get that. The cure it is experimental, but he got blackhead in his whole flock 2 years ago and it cleared them all up in a few days. He said he had a lady use this also on a chicken that was on deaths door and cured her as well, I think it was called Tylan? or something like that. thought it was interesting.

 

[lalaland]

Thanks Lalaland. That seems to be the consensus. I must have the their age wrong.... They were half grown when I got them. I really hope they pick it up.
I haven't looked at the video yet. But it sounds like I may be a bit to much of a naive city boy for the finger test.

lol, thankfully the finger test is all external! And its good to get your hens used to you handling them - a good practice is to try to give the hens a good look at least once a week. And a good look means pick them up, check their feathers for mites, feel their keel bone, check the vent area - takes just seconds and it helps - first to learn what "normal" is and second, to catch problems before they have gotten too far to do much about it.

on the roost is a good time to do this. I'm a big fan of those headlamps people use for camping....or the ones that attach to your ballcap. That way it keeps the coop dark in case you have lights in it, keeping the flock calm, and it lets you actually see whats up. Course now we actually have daylight when I'm home, its easy to do the check at dusk without the lamp.

 

[lalaland]

Ralphie, if my flock wasn't typhoid mary I'ld lend you some broodies.

I have 4 right now, and three are super determined. They Last night I Took them out of their nests as soon as I got home from work, and they just lay pancaked out on the grass where I set them. Takes them 15 minutes before they decide maybe they aren't on a nest, and they start to puff up like strutting turkeys and growl alot.

At roost time, I had to lock then out of Their half of the coop, where they nest on shelves.Lots of mayhem with hens wanting in their normal side of the coop, but I'll be darned if I don't have to break these girls out of their broodiness before they spend a month not laying and starving themselves.

Next year, I'm going to either get a rooster or fertile eggs and let them hatch out again. they are just to fun to watch, and the mama's sure teach them to forage.

 

[duluthralphie]

OK BYC hates me, I had my responses typed and it said I already submitted them! So here I go again.

I do heat my coop when it gets 0 or below. I use a cozy legs radiant flat panel heater from target online. http://www.target.com/p/cozy-legs-r...357#prodSlot=medium_1_1&term=cozy+legs+heater It works for me as my henhouse is pretty small (4x6)

I wasn't going to heat, but due to all the moisture this winter, I also had some frostbit combs (buff orp and golden comet), could not get it dry enough when it was 80 percent humidity outside, so added the heat. Plus, it just pretty much took the edge off, so when it was -24 outside, it was around 0 degrees inside the henhouse. 24 below is brutal, even for chickens. If the electricity went out, as my henhouse is insulated it would hold the heat for awhile, and I don't think that going from 0 to -24 would kill them. I think it is just easier on them to not have to try and use the extra energy to stay warm when it is that cold. Now, I would not recommend heating to say 50 or anything like that when it is -24 out, that would kill them if the electricity went out. but putting on some heat to heat it up to 0-10 degrees F, I think is fine. Just to take the bitter edge off.

Goose seems be better, maybe 80-90 percent herself. I threw her out with the other girls tonight, kept an eye on the situation, I didn't want to put her out there yet as I'm not sure she is strong enough to stand up to them, but the longer I wait the worse it will get. She seems to be holding her own. I need to keep an eye on the situation and make sure she is still gaining strength out there. poor little girl

she has been through alot in the last few days!

I am glad goose is better, best of luck to her.

I do not insulate my coops, I am afraid it will retain too much moisture. I find it amazing how we can all do things differently and the chickens still survive. The worse thing about winter to me is frozen eggs. Even the frostbitten combs do not really bother me, much, as I do not show and have no intentions of showing. I should not say I do not show, I love showing them to people that come here. The few friends and family we get here seem to really enjoy watching the birds.

I've been getting a rubber egg (or very thin shelled egg from my EE since January) that is why I wormed all of them. then this one turned up sick, I was wondering if it was related, but a on another thread they told me, no, the safeguard I used is one of the safest wormers on the market, that she may have coccidiosis (sp) so I treated for that. seemed to work, so that is likely what she had. they guy at ramsey feed said since she responded so well that is probably what she had.

bye the way Ralphie, the guy at ramsey feed said he has a cure for blackhead if you ever are unlucky enough to get that. The cure it is experimental, but he got blackhead in his whole flock 2 years ago and it cleared them all up in a few days. He said he had a lady use this also on a chicken that was on deaths door and cured her as well, I think it was called Tylan? or something like that. thought it was interesting.

I get a rubber egg once in a great while, it has been a month or two since my last one. I did get a double yolk turkey egg a few weeks ago, WOW did it make a big omelet and was it ever thick, I had never eaten a turkey egg before. It made a great omelet.

I will try to remember the Tylan or whatever thing, or that Ramsey feed knows a cure. I doubt I will be able too as that would be my second thing I learned today, and you al know my rule on learning two things on the same day. At my age brain cells are limited and I do not want to use them all up. I have 10 or 20 pounds of ground Cayenne pepper on hand and jugs of ACV in case of an infection of blackhead. With this cool wet weather I have thought about feeding it ,but I doubt a week of cool wet weather would bring it on, on this sand. I am too lazy and enjoying my coffee too much to go look at what size the package of pepper is.

lol, thankfully the finger test is all external! And its good to get your hens used to you handling them - a good practice is to try to give the hens a good look at least once a week. And a good look means pick them up, check their feathers for mites, feel their keel bone, check the vent area - takes just seconds and it helps - first to learn what "normal" is and second, to catch problems before they have gotten too far to do much about it.

on the roost is a good time to do this. I'm a big fan of those headlamps people use for camping....or the ones that attach to your ballcap. That way it keeps the coop dark in case you have lights in it, keeping the flock calm, and it lets you actually see whats up. Course now we actually have daylight when I'm home, its easy to do the check at dusk without the lamp.

I think you should have mentioned to external part earlier, I was picturing that poor naïve city boy sitting in Hennepin County Lock up for chicken molesting. We all know what big liars and drama queens hens can be. Yesterday I had one that was making a scene when I tried to take eggs out from under her, she pecked at me, Squawked or screamed, then started yelling rape when I picked her out of the nest box. She refused to be quiet, If I lived in a city I would be in jail now, I am sure. I was completely innocent of everything she accused me of.

Ralphie, if my flock wasn't typhoid mary I'ld lend you some broodies.

I have 4 right now, and three are super determined. They Last night I Took them out of their nests as soon as I got home from work, and they just lay pancaked out on the grass where I set them. Takes them 15 minutes before they decide maybe they aren't on a nest, and they start to puff up like strutting turkeys and growl alot.

At roost time, I had to lock then out of Their half of the coop, where they nest on shelves.Lots of mayhem with hens wanting in their normal side of the coop, but I'll be darned if I don't have to break these girls out of their broodiness before they spend a month not laying and starving themselves.

Next year, I'm going to either get a rooster or fertile eggs and let them hatch out again. they are just to fun to watch, and the mama's sure teach them to forage.

I am working on having broodies! I plan to make sure each Cochin has a dozen eggs. If they go broody after I leave for Florida, I have instructed my DW to make sure they have a dozen eggs under them. in this order:

Cochin eggs
Creamette eggs
Bert Eggs.

She (DW) is a little ticked about having to reach into/under a broody and count or add eggs. She is such a city girl. She will be the last woman I marry from the 7 county metro area!



I can get you some fertile eggs if you want, With Ole around I doubt there is an unfertile eggs within a mile of here.

 

[nordicacres]

I think you should have mentioned to external part earlier, I was picturing that poor naïve city boy sitting in Hennepin County Lock up for chicken molesting.  We all know what big liars and drama queens hens can be. Yesterday I had one that was making a scene when I tried to take eggs out from under her, she pecked at me, Squawked or screamed, then started yelling rape when I picked her out of the nest box. She refused to be quiet, If I lived in a city I would be in jail now, I am sure. I was completely innocent of everything she accused me of.

Ralphie, my DH works for MSOP (MN Sex Offender Program). I will let him know to expect you and that he should advocate for you (the wrongfully accused). Sadly there are clients there who like chickens