Montana

[Adalida]

Good info wamtazlady. Mine are molting right now, I'll try the Feather Fixer. I think mostly they're sad that they can't free range. We've got a foot of snow now and I shoveled paths for them, but they don't like it. Some will follow the path to the porch and I'll carry the others across the snow to the porch. They enjoy their dirt baths under there, and I'll throw them some scratch, but I think they're bored with it. Before the snow hit, they used to roam over a really big area for several hours- go into the garden and eat bugs and veggies, go check out the horse pasture and look for grain and the salt block, dig around under the trees, take dirt baths in the back yard. Now they're limited to under the porch as the only snow-less place, and they don't seem as happy as they used to be.

 

[wamtazlady]

If you could put a little straw along those paths you shoveled, they might be encouraged to use the paths.

 

[cicknmama]

I need help lol, so I have 11 hens and one roo, I had been getting eggs galore but all the sudden boom non, since the days started getting shorter I put a light on during night so the would continue laying, this worked last winter but they just won't lay now, they get fresh food and water everyday and lots of scratch in the mornings they also have unlimited supply of oyster shells haha, any ideas? The coop is heated

Look at the other post on scratch ratios. I increase my hens protein during the winter months with Calf Manna and also give warm oatmeal with cayenne pepper in the mornings.I gave them a 4 month break while some were molting and just started lighting the coop. I turn the lighting back 15 minutes every few days in the morning hours only. They are now at 12 hours of light each day and today I got 6 eggs as opposed to none or one every other day. I also noticed their eggs are very heavy and thick shelled. And feathers look amazing. First time using the calf manna, seems to be working very well.

 

[Adalida]

Interesting about the calf manna. I have it on hand for my horse, but never thought to give it to the chickens! I'm going to try that.

 

[cicknmama]

Interesting about the calf manna. I have it on hand for my horse, but never thought to give it to the chickens! I'm going to try that.

I did the research and the company recommends 1tablespoon per chicken. Its working great. I have 3 year olds laying like spring chickens now. They have been on it since November.

 

[DuginMT]

Haven't posted in awhile, but my boys and I are starting an exciting new project soon - hatching out our own chicks! Picked up a Little Giant Deluxe incubator at Big R today. It holds 41 eggs, and we plan to start collecting eggs in about a week, and then for the next nine days or so and then start them in the incubator for an early March hatch. Our flock is doing fine, getting about 5 eggs per day now. Our rooster is an EE, and the rest of the flock except for one EE are brown egg layers. Will most of the eggs from the new chicks (assuming we are successful in hatching out a few females) be blue or green because of the EE roo?

 

[karlamaria]

Man that sounds awesome, I just need to do this also ! I'm looking for leghorns, they are the best layers ever for us ! I just might go looking today for an incubator, great idea!

 

[karlamaria]

Well, since I was on last I have gotten the wireless camera up, and I'm so pleased! I can see who is laying and when, and I can see the at night ! The camera is called Vimtag, and I can watch my chickens from anywhere through a smart phone or my iPad. It's been awesome !

 

[DuginMT]

Congrats Karla, for getting your wireless webcam up! Those are nice clear images! What fun to spy on the chicks! So what do you think the color of our future eggs will be, with an EE roo and a mixed flock of mostly brown egg layers? Is there enough Araucana in most EE roos to pass along the blue egg gene? We will start to stash eggs for incubation starting tomorrow!

 

[SwanRidge]

Hello all, checking in from the Columbia Falls area. I am expecting up to 25 Icelandic (Viking) chicks in late June from Whipoorwill Farm in WI. I have had several different breeds before and love chicken keeping. Looking very forward to having them again after a year without.