New chicken

[cj7495dzya]

Hi guys it's been a few since I posted so here goes I am a California girl who just started this chicken business in August. I decided to get 2 chickens so I went to buy them and found out it was a law here in Arkansas that you had to buy 6 so I bought 6 and I lost one and I fell in love with these 5 that by the end of August I went and bought 6 RIRS and now I have 11 girls and they are a trip. In March I plan on going and getting 6 more. How often should I give them treats. I have been giving them a cup of cracked corn every other day and they like that. I just start with the banana peels. I get about 6 to 7 eggs a day but it's been cold today going to 50 degrees. Well my friends that's what's been happening here in chicken town until later have a great day.

 

[azygous]

Well, congratulations on being a very successful victim of chicken math. Yes, we all agree chickens get into your heart very quickly and efficiently.

I suggest you back off the scratch grain to no more than twice a week and try to figure out an amount to toss where each chicken won't be getting more than a tablespoon.

Too much scratch will result in obese hens and that can affect laying and increase the chances of reproductive issues, as well as fatty liver.

You can offer greens once or twice a week or grated carrot or occasional meal worms. Just keep all treats to a minimum.

 

[Folly's place]

Chickens are so worth it!
You are overdoing the cracked corn a bit; think about having potato chips! So delicious, but limited amounts are best. My flock of thirty gets about a cup of scratch (mostly corn) a couple times each week at most. So yummy, but too much will unbalance their diet.
If you are feeding a layer feed, it's fine tuned towards small breed hens who lay lots of eggs and live in confinement, and eat nothing else.
Egg production drops in winter because there are fewer hours of daylight. Chickens need about sixteen hours of light per day to keep up good production. Pullets will lay pretty well that first winter, but not many hens will without extra lighting, and then they will molt and stop laying eggs at various times too.
Producing many eggs per year, as most of our birds do, is very hard work metabolically, and their diet really matters to support this effort.
Mary

 

[aart]

Chickens need about sixteen hours of light per day to keep up good production.

Them's factory numbers........not many places in the world get 16 hours of daylight for more than a few weeks near summer solstice.

 

[Folly's place]

That's true, and a reason that we have drops in production in winter. Also stress, which includes hot spells in summer, and cold snaps in winter. Or any other stress...
Mary