Mites, Lice, or Early Molt?

[meetthebubus]

If they get layer feed it has calcium that's why they aren't eating the shells.

I personally now prefer to give 20% grower feed with calcium on the side I find calcium enriched feed doesn't allow a hen to regulate the intake of calcium as they naturally can do that

my 10 months are still starting their molt, I'm in a warm climate

 

[Moski]

If they get layer feed it has calcium that's why they aren't eating the shells.

I personally now prefer to give 20% grower feed with calcium on the side I find calcium enriched feed doesn't allow a hen to regulate the intake of calcium as they naturally can do that

my 10 months are still starting their molt, I'm in a warm climate

That makes sense. The grower feed has more protein than layer feed?

Winter is starting here so I’m hoping their little necks don’t freeze!

 

[aart]

The grower feed has more protein than layer feed?

Winter is starting here so I’m hoping their little necks don’t freeze!

Depends on the feeds, read the fine print on the tag sewn into the bottom of the bag.

They will be fine in the cold...as long as they are dry and out of the wind.

 

[Moski]

Depends on the feeds, read the fine print on the tag sewn into the bottom of the bag.

They will be fine in the cold...as long as they are dry and out of the wind.

Haha, that’s our next problem. Many of them are now roosting our in the enclosed run up on a roof support beam. We’re putting netting up tomorrow because I’m afraid they’ll freeze in their sleep out there when it gets really cold! we didn’t think they’d try to get up there, or even try to roost outside!

 

[aart]

we didn’t think they’d try to get up there, or even try to roost outside!

Why are they not roosting in their coop...I'm assuming there is a coop?
Dimensions and pics of coop might help solve that issue.

 

[Moski]

Why are they not roosting in their coop...I'm assuming there is a coop?
Dimensions and pics of coop might help solve that issue.

We just built it and moved them from their old coop into this one about a month ago. It’s about 4x8 or maybe 4x10. We moved the 4 little chicks (2months old at the time) in first and kept them in the run during the day while the big chicks were still in their old coop (which was a tractor supply buy— super small!) and had access to the big fenced in area. This butted right up to the enclosed run that the little chicks were in so they could get to know each other but be separated.

Backstory- when the big chicks first got to their little coop they all slept on the floor for a while. I’d go out at night and put them on the roosting bars and they eventually got it. The little chicks did the same thing when we put them in the big coop, but when we moved the big girls in there, the little chicks began roosting way up high in the coop on a roof support beam (we never considered that any of the hens would do that!) and the big girls all slept on the floor or in the nesting boxes. I moved as many big chicks to the roosting bars as I could each night(we had 2x4s with the 4 side up cause I read about that, but have switched them to the 2 side up because they didn’t seem to like it) my ameracaunas started to roost in the run way up high, and most of the big hens started to roost on the roosting bars. Actually tonight, 3 of the 4 little chicks were out with the ameracaunas. I have no idea what’s going on!

 

[aart]

Pics of coop, please, inside and out.
When did all the birds move into bigger coop?

 

[Moski]

Pics of coop, please, inside and out.
When did all the birds move into bigger coop?

They all moved in about a month ago. The littles were in there for a week before the bigs came in. Heres the pic I have. I’ll take pics of the inside tomorrow! Basically everything not painted is the inside part. We have 2 levels roosting bars on one side and one higher roosting bar on the other. The both are about 3 or 4 feet long.

 

[Moski]

Pics of coop, please, inside and out.
When did all the birds move into bigger coop?

This is the inside before we finished it...

Here’s for size reference

 

[Moski]

They all moved in about a month ago. The littles were in there for a week before the bigs came in. Heres the pic I have. I’ll take pics of the inside tomorrow! Basically everything not painted is the inside part. We have 2 levels roosting bars on one side and one higher roosting bar on the other. The both are about 3 or 4 feet long.View attachment 1617047

Pics of coop, please, inside and out.
When did all the birds move into bigger coop?

I went out and took some