Montana

[karlamaria]

I have a question if anybody knows the answer. Ok I have 14 chickens all together one Roo who is a good hubby to his flock. He finds food, he spotted an eagle the other day and pushed his flock into the coop and made racket until my husband went out to see what was going on he put the dog and both cats on alert so they helped him protect the coop. We seperated 5 girls from the big coop because their feathers were just not comming in(they do have aprons on) they are also the anti social birds of the bunch an want nothing to do with the other birds. Well Lewis is getting waking up in the morning and coming out if the coop an he has taken on running after the hens to mate. He is really rough with them now. Then as the day goes on he tames down and becomes the loving hubby again. My question is first is this normal? Second is this because winter in coming? Then my girls used to lay about 10 eggs a day now I am getting maybe 3 or 4? Is there something going on that maybe I am missing? Something going on in the coop? Plus I noticed when we do somthing to the coop my rooster pouts. I threw straw in there and he pouted and wanted to sleep in the shed. Please help!

less eggs is because the winter hours and more darkness then light. They lay less in the winter time, they need more light if you want more eggs. About 4/6 hours more light your rooster is in need of some down time I think. Put him by him self, so your girls can get a rest and grow back the feathers. Unless your going to raise chicks, you do not need fertile eggs right? So if you put him in his own pen he can take a break and your girls can get a break to. No hen wants a cock on her every time she moves lol.

 

[3BirdGirlz]

Hi! Glad I found this thread I'm in Great Falls. I grew up with hatchery chickens, but now I've got my own place and I shipped eggs from some good breeders so I could get nicer chickens. I love bantams, and they are easier for my daughters to handle. I'm hoping to show some this next year from eggs I've hatched. We'll see how they turn out. I have silver laced and millie fleur Cochin bantams, BLR Wyandotte bantams, and some quail Antwerp Belgians. We also have peafowl and a pair of call ducks. I'm loving my flock

 

[Mrsfoote]

So it will be my first winter here in Laurel with the chickens and turkeys how do you guys prepare for winter. I have a converted Horse stall coop with 11 birds and 2 turkeys.

 

[3BirdGirlz]

So it will be my first winter here in Laurel with the chickens and turkeys how do you guys prepare for winter. I have a converted Horse stall coop with 11 birds and 2 turkeys. 

I put straw in the coop. Also make sure its draft free. I use rubber bowls for water as its easy to get ice out of them. I have a heated roost for the birds that turns on automatically when its below freezing. My coop/shed is insulated so it stays pretty mild inside...only freezes when it gets well below zero.
Other than that, not much. Birds do pretty good in winter.

 

[Mrsfoote]

So straw is okay. I heard it can cause mites. I was going to go to shiptons to get some hay but if straw is okay then its obviously cheaper.

 

[popsicle]

I don't do anything special for the birds besides make sure they have access to water. I moved here from someplace significantly colder.

 

[3BirdGirlz]

So straw is okay. I heard it can cause mites. I was going to go to shiptons to get some hay but if straw is okay then its obviously cheaper. 

I've never heard much what bedding is good or bad....I just use what my grandparents and parents have used for years. I clean my coop regularly and mites have never been an issue with straw. I think any bedding is probably fine. I've also used my horse hay when I didn't have straw. I think some people use wood shavings.

 

[Mrsfoote]

I should take a picture of my set up tomorrow. As I just put my birds to bed. Like I said its a big converted Horse stall with a connected run. I want to say it has 16 nest boxes. Mind you I only have 11 birds lol. The floor has stall mats covered in shavings and I bought 5 bales of Timothy/Grass mix bales and set them up in the drafty areas and made little areas for them to snuggle. So I don't think it will be a problem at all.

 

[FlySammyJ]

So straw is okay. I heard it can cause mites. I was going to go to shiptons to get some hay but if straw is okay then its obviously cheaper.

Hay will attract more mice because it has grass seeds in it, which they like to eat.

 

[Mrsfoote]

I have an arsenal of fat barn cats....the only mice I ever see are dead ones