HI ALL,
Ok here ya go -
We just got 6 chickens 2wks ago... a 9 mo silkie (she's sassy), a 9 mo polish, a 5 mo jersey giant, and three 5 mo brahmas.
The silkie and polish are laying - yeah! The jersey and brahmas have not started yet.
Last weekend, we added 4 RIRsex to the coop, they are about 9 months. We are loving the chickens and are so glad we made the decision. We have a good size 4x6 coop and a 9x12 run. we have not had them free range yet as we wanted them to get used to their new home.
OKAY, questions...in the week since we have gotten the 4 RIR we have gotten 3 brown eggs. Is their egg production lower because they are stressed about a new situation? Also, in the past week I have found a few yoke messes with a soft shell (brown) in the boxes or coop. I don;t know if these are RIRs or the 5 mo olds (new layers). I am a little paranoid that they have tasted these a little and may start eating the eggs. Since we have had them, we have given them layer crumbles, cracked corn, food scraps (breads, lettuce, fruit scraps) and some meal worms. I just bought some pellets and once the crumbles run out, i will be feeding them the pellets. Any insights, advice, suggestions, or do/don'ts?
Also, one of the RIR (Eva) is pecking the front breast of another RIR (Perdy). She did not come to our house like this and i have not witnessed any other chickens pecking at Perdy. All the feathers are gone from about a one inch area. Mites do not seem to be a culprit. Not sure what to think of this.
One more, i had read that putting some D Earth sprinkled in the coop can help with moisture, mites, and coop maintenance. i also read that you could add it to their feed. (is that right?) I bought the bag, it seemed to only talk about pest control around your house or garden. It was labeled "Insect Dust D.....Earth" from St. Gabriel Labortories. Is this the correct stuff to use?
Thanks so much for tolerating my newbie questions.
*********************
Mamaof10hens
Ok here ya go -
We just got 6 chickens 2wks ago... a 9 mo silkie (she's sassy), a 9 mo polish, a 5 mo jersey giant, and three 5 mo brahmas.
The silkie and polish are laying - yeah! The jersey and brahmas have not started yet.
Last weekend, we added 4 RIRsex to the coop, they are about 9 months. We are loving the chickens and are so glad we made the decision. We have a good size 4x6 coop and a 9x12 run. we have not had them free range yet as we wanted them to get used to their new home.
OKAY, questions...in the week since we have gotten the 4 RIR we have gotten 3 brown eggs. Is their egg production lower because they are stressed about a new situation? Also, in the past week I have found a few yoke messes with a soft shell (brown) in the boxes or coop. I don;t know if these are RIRs or the 5 mo olds (new layers). I am a little paranoid that they have tasted these a little and may start eating the eggs. Since we have had them, we have given them layer crumbles, cracked corn, food scraps (breads, lettuce, fruit scraps) and some meal worms. I just bought some pellets and once the crumbles run out, i will be feeding them the pellets. Any insights, advice, suggestions, or do/don'ts?
Also, one of the RIR (Eva) is pecking the front breast of another RIR (Perdy). She did not come to our house like this and i have not witnessed any other chickens pecking at Perdy. All the feathers are gone from about a one inch area. Mites do not seem to be a culprit. Not sure what to think of this.
One more, i had read that putting some D Earth sprinkled in the coop can help with moisture, mites, and coop maintenance. i also read that you could add it to their feed. (is that right?) I bought the bag, it seemed to only talk about pest control around your house or garden. It was labeled "Insect Dust D.....Earth" from St. Gabriel Labortories. Is this the correct stuff to use?
Thanks so much for tolerating my newbie questions.
*********************
Mamaof10hens
