North Carolina

[dutchbunny83]

Some diseases, like MG, can be passed from parent to egg. Most can not.

Okay, thanks.
Do you think hatching my own eggs is best, or day old hatchery chicks?
I am afraid if I went with the adult birds even with them being the only ones here so they would be quarantined, they could be carriers of something without ever showing symptoms and I'd be right back where I am now.

 

[NewHomesteader2010]

NH...if you are free-feeding, the only thing I can think of at this point is that they don't like the feed for some reason. I can't imagine thirty birds going through so little feed, even in summer. (20-some birds + 4 + 6 = 30-some. I just added them up.). Certainly not in winter, when there is nothing out there for forage.

My egg market for regular eggs is solid. I have no trouble selling my eggs, and my customers insisted I raise my price to at least $3/doz, so I have. I'm just wondering if there's a different market I could tap. But, I can already sell my 30/dozen/week allowed before having to grade, so I probably shouldn't even think about it. I don't want to go over that amount and have to start grading them. One of the things they like is the variety!

For your extra eggs...you can freeze them for when they aren't laying. No need to sell them at a loss.

Hmm...I'm thinking it might be the feeder, because they will eat it off the ground if I put some down...I just have the typical food "tank" that you hang from the roof of the coop...it's metal, maybe they don't like metal?? Any suggestions on a good feeder that they might like (it's cheaper than trying to find new feed at the moment...LOL)

 

[LukesCityHens]

Okay, thanks.
Do you think hatching my own eggs is best, or day old hatchery chicks?
I am afraid if I went with the adult birds even with them being the only ones here so they would be quarantined, they could be carriers of something without ever showing symptoms and I'd be right back where I am now.

I've got about a million birds of different young ages.....if you're into brahmas.....Not any laying age but from about- unhatched- 3ish months, maybe 4

 

[dutchbunny83]

I've got about a million birds of different young ages.....if you're into brahmas.....Not any laying age but from about- unhatched- 3ish months, maybe 4

Thank you so much for offering, but I think if I have to start all over I want to get lavender orpingtons since I've always wanted them. I also let my chicken obsession get way out of control and at one point including meat birds and chicks we had 60 on the property (we have a max of 10 in city limits) so I think this time I'm going to keep it at 10.

How long do I have to keep birds off the property???

It's going to be a new coop in a new place and I'm not going to let them free range since I'm tired of my patio covered in poop! If I order hatching eggs it will be a week to get here, 3 weeks to hatch, and at least a month in the brooder so I'm looking at 2 months, is that okay?

One more question-- I know you guys said my 2 bunnies and cat couldn't catch the disease from the chickens, but can they carry it? They all share feeders and waterers (no idea why, they all have their own but they like to share and my bunnies like the chicken feed better than theirs). I'm trying to get rid of the bunnies since they're eating my garden, but I'm keeping my cat. Can the cat somehow get the new chickens sick?

 

[ramirezframing]

Good morning fellow NCers! Anyone know of where I might me able to find a maran pullet?

Coop scoop has black coppers and blue coppers but I dont know if she has any extras, besides maybe some chicks. PM her to see

 

[Hollowoakfarm]

I've got about a million birds of different young ages.....if you're into brahmas.....Not any laying age but from about- unhatched- 3ish months, maybe 4

Thank you so much for offering, but I think if I have to start all over I want to get lavender orpingtons since I've always wanted them.  I also let my chicken obsession get way out of control and at one point including meat birds and chicks we had 60 on the property (we have a max of 10 in city limits) so I think this time I'm going to keep it at 10.

How long do I have to keep birds off the property???

It's going to be a new coop in a new place and I'm not going to let them free range since I'm tired of my patio covered in poop!  If I order hatching eggs it will be a week to get here, 3 weeks to hatch, and at least a month in the brooder so I'm looking at 2 months, is that okay?

One more question--  I know you guys said my 2 bunnies and cat couldn't catch the disease from the chickens, but can they carry it?  They all share feeders and waterers (no idea why, they all have their own but they like to share and my bunnies like the chicken feed better than theirs).  I'm trying to get rid of the bunnies since they're eating my garden, but I'm keeping my cat.  Can the cat somehow get the new chickens sick?

I haven't researched down time on diseases, so have nothing to offer on that. But I can tell you the other species ...cats and rabbits...should not be vectors for your chicken diseases. Even the parasites are species specific. Chickens get coccidia, and so do cats, but they are two different species of coccidia and aren't interchangeable.

Aren't critters fun?

 

[Hollowoakfarm]

NH...if you are free-feeding, the only thing I can think of at this point is that they don't like the feed for some reason. I can't imagine thirty birds going through so little feed, even in summer. (20-some birds + 4 + 6 = 30-some. I just added them up.). Certainly not in winter, when there is nothing out there for forage.


My egg market for regular eggs is solid. I have no trouble selling my eggs, and my customers insisted I raise my price to at least $3/doz, so I have. I'm just wondering if there's a different market I could tap. But, I can already sell my 30/dozen/week allowed before having to grade, so I probably shouldn't even think about it. I don't want to go over that amount and have to start grading them. One of the things they like is the variety!


For your extra eggs...you can freeze them for when they aren't laying. No need to sell them at a loss.

Hmm...I'm thinking it might be the feeder, because they will eat it off the ground if I put some down...I just have the typical food "tank" that you hang from the roof of the coop...it's metal, maybe they don't like metal??  Any suggestions on a good feeder that they might like (it's cheaper than trying to find new feed at the moment...LOL)

Hmmmm....possible. Try an open pan to start and see if that helps. There's lots of plans for building feeders on BYC, so you might be able to replace yours with no expense. I've never had any trouble with the metal auto feeders, but who knows? Maybe there's something in your mix that tastes bad if it's near metal? I'm grasping at straws now.....

 

[Hollowoakfarm]

NH...if you are free-feeding, the only thing I can think of at this point is that they don't like the feed for some reason. I can't imagine thirty birds going through so little feed, even in summer. (20-some birds + 4 + 6 = 30-some. I just added them up.). Certainly not in winter, when there is nothing out there for forage.


My egg market for regular eggs is solid. I have no trouble selling my eggs, and my customers insisted I raise my price to at least $3/doz, so I have. I'm just wondering if there's a different market I could tap. But, I can already sell my 30/dozen/week allowed before having to grade, so I probably shouldn't even think about it. I don't want to go over that amount and have to start grading them. One of the things they like is the variety!


For your extra eggs...you can freeze them for when they aren't laying. No need to sell them at a loss.

Hmm...I'm thinking it might be the feeder, because they will eat it off the ground if I put some down...I just have the typical food "tank" that you hang from the roof of the coop...it's metal, maybe they don't like metal??  Any suggestions on a good feeder that they might like (it's cheaper than trying to find new feed at the moment...LOL)

Hmmmm....possible. Try an open pan to start and see if that helps. There's lots of plans for building feeders on BYC, so you might be able to replace yours with no expense. I've never had any trouble with the metal auto feeders, but who knows? Maybe there's something in your mix that tastes bad if it's near metal? I'm grasping at straws now.....

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..... I had to quote myself just to add some more m's to the hmmm.

 

[soupysmomma]

Good morning everyone! I was very interested in the feed discussion. I have always wondered but was never really sure. I felt I probably fed mine too much but it was interesting info all the same.

Well I have decided just to get some more chicks and make an new group of ladies for my rooster that I have been unable to rehome. I just could not bring myself to eliminate him when he is so beautiful and has really done nothing wrong.

I am going to go ahead and make him his own coop and run. Should I divide up the hens that I currently have between him and the other rooster and then add in the pullets as they get older or what advice would you all do?

I know I cannot put him in a run with 2 month olds but what about spliting up the current group of hens?

Thanks in advance for all your help!

Have a great Day!

 

[ramirezframing]

how many hens do you have right now soupysmomma?