NY chicken lover!!!!

[Henicillin]

She's beautiful! I'm down to two silkies now thanks to a particularly murderous hawk, but they're nowhere near that fluffy!

Just thought I'd pop into the thread while waiting out this storm- I find myself browsing these forums more and more lately and figured I should maybe post something! Hello!

Hi from East Nassau! We're sort of neighbors. County neighbors. Yeah, that's the ticket.

I have eight inches of snow or so here. The chooks are disgusted, but the ducks don't care - they're out "swimming" in it.

 

[rancher hicks]

Rancher - & anyone else with suggestions.
I have a mixed layer flock. I need to figure out how to tell if the older girls are laying & if so how many eggs/week. Any ideas how to do this ? I don't have the space to seperate them , nor trap nest them. I don't want to sound "cold" but if the girls are not earning their keep............................. they have to go.

I haven't read ahead so I don't know if someone else has answered this, but. A couple of ideas. One you can buy cheap colored zip ties and use colors to distinguish one year from another. Etc. white for 2011 and blue for 2012.

The method of checking if a hen is laying is to pick her up and check her "pelvic bones". These are near her vent/butt. Measure her bones by putting two fingers side by side and if the width of her bones is that wide, it's determined she is laying. If they are not that wide than she most likely is not. Perhaps resting but you would know that.

Keep in mind folks that everyone has their favorites and if you like her and she's not laying, keep her. It's been a long time since I got Frenchy and I don't know when she last laid an egg, but I don't care. She is however sitting on eggs and I don't really care if she hatches them or not. I love her.

Commerical farms practice what is called " All IN / All Out. After a period of time they dump the whole flock and bring in a whole new flock. This works well with hybrids since their quality laying time is more predictable. They may lay a few eggs after that period but not enough to warrant the commercial egg farmer from feeding her. This is why hybrids are sometimes referred to as "terminal birds".

My point, if you are keeping chickens for just eggs and have no problem with falling in love with them, then hybrids are fine. On the other hand if you're like me and occasionally one will steal your heart, you'd do better with pure breeds since their laying time is the same amount of eggs as a hybrid but over a longer period of time.

Hope this isn't to much information, I know it's more than you asked for.

Rancher

 

[cracrzy4chicks]

I haven't read ahead so I don't know if someone else has answered this, but. A couple of ideas. One you can buy cheap colored zip ties and use colors to distinguish one year from another. Etc. white for 2011 and blue for 2012.

The method of checking if a hen is laying is to pick her up and check her "pelvic bones". These are near her vent/butt. Measure her bones by putting two fingers side by side and if the width of her bones is that wide, it's determined she is laying. If they are not that wide than she most likely is not. Perhaps resting but you would know that.

Keep in mind folks that everyone has their favorites and if you like her and she's not laying, keep her. It's been a long time since I got Frenchy and I don't know when she last laid an egg, but I don't care. She is however sitting on eggs and I don't really care if she hatches them or not. I love her.

Commerical farms practice what is called " All IN / All Out. After a period of time they dump the whole flock and bring in a whole new flock. This works well with hybrids since their quality laying time is more predictable. They may lay a few eggs after that period but not enough to warrant the commercial egg farmer from feeding her. This is why hybrids are sometimes referred to as "terminal birds".

My point, if you are keeping chickens for just eggs and have no problem with falling in love with them, then hybrids are fine. On the other hand if you're like me and occasionally one will steal your heart, you'd do better with pure breeds since their laying time is the same amount of eggs as a hybrid but over a longer period of time.

Hope this isn't to much information, I know it's more than you asked for.

Rancher

Thanks Rancher......................... I definetly have my favs................ and they will stay. I will be checking the girls " pelvic bones ". I have some production hybrids that are older, those are the ones I'm trying to determine if they are laying. I also have 5 Light Brahmas that will be 2 next month. They are non-hatchery, I'm not sure how long they will lay. I'm still a newbie and am learning new stuff every day

This is my hobby.......so All in -All out is NOT an option.......................I love my girls <3

Thanks for the advice Juanita

 

[marquisella]

Quote: Pick up each hen & look at her vent. If it is pink & moist, she is laying. If its white & dry, she is not laying!

All hens slow down at around 2 years of age. Its totally up to you if you want to cull a hen that is not laying. If you don't want to eat it, there are people who will take chickens for free that don't mind the occasional egg.

 

[Tough Old Bird]

Well if you want we can blame you for it ! LOL It is coming down here too .
You asked about chickens dust bathing ..This is the side of our deck we throw potted plants there ..
Guess what I found Lucky doing today ? Another hen wanted to get in there with him ..He wouldnt let her ..gave her a peck! Its ALL MINE ! I will add some pics tomorrow

We got about 9" of snow here, near Otisco Lake. It's over the boots, so wet pants. Hey, at least the sun is shining (more or less)!

Lucky the rooster got lucky to find area to dust this time of year!! I always love to see pic's, so post when you can.


TOB

 

[Tough Old Bird]

Julia on her eggs. I think that we may have come to an understanding.

Julia looks very peaceful, or perhaps she's concentrating very hard on her eggs! So sweet!

TOB

 

[Tough Old Bird]

Just thought I'd pop into the thread while waiting out this storm- I find myself browsing these forums more and more lately and figured I should maybe post something! Hello!

Hi Kit-Kat! The more the merrier, I say.

TOB

 

[Adoravachick]

She's beautiful! I'm down to two silkies now thanks to a particularly murderous hawk, but they're nowhere near that fluffy!

Just thought I'd pop into the thread while waiting out this storm- I find myself browsing these forums more and more lately and figured I should maybe post something! Hello!

I tried this.....................................only thing I got was hens with lovely colored butts

Adora, could you explain how to do this. I tried it, but didn't get color on the eggs. Wouldn't think that I was doing it wrong, but...................................

I would recommend using a dropper of somekind, instead of straight out of the food coloring bottle. The first time I use the coloring on the hen, I actually insert the the dropper just inside to vent to place the color. Be sure to fully color the outside of the vent, as well. Smear it all around. I am able to go 3 days without needing to re-color. The hen will poo out the majority of the color, but it does leave just enough to deposit the color on the egg. Even just a single spot on the egg is enough. I generally color hens at night or before 1pm. My hens like to lay between 1-1:30, cooky little things. Hope this helps.

She's beautiful! I'm down to two silkies now thanks to a particularly murderous hawk, but they're nowhere near that fluffy!

Just thought I'd pop into the thread while waiting out this storm- I find myself browsing these forums more and more lately and figured I should maybe post something! Hello!

Thanks! She's a sweetie, not prickly like some. Welcome! We are always happy to have newcomers.

 

[cracrzy4chicks]

I would recommend using a dropper of somekind, instead of straight out of the food coloring bottle. The first time I use the coloring on the hen, I actually insert the the dropper just inside to vent to place the color. Be sure to fully color the outside of the vent, as well. Smear it all around. I am able to go 3 days without needing to re-color. The hen will poo out the majority of the color, but it does leave just enough to deposit the color on the egg. Even just a single spot on the egg is enough. I generally color hens at night or before 1pm. My hens like to lay between 1-1:30, cooky little things. Hope this helps.

Thanks! She's a sweetie, not prickly like some. Welcome! We are always happy to have newcomers.

Thanks...............I'll try again.

 

[Adoravachick]

Julia looks very peaceful, or perhaps she's concentrating very hard on her eggs! So sweet!

TOB

I candled the eggs that she is sitting on right now, they don't have any growth. I am thinking that they got too cold while she was making up her mind on whether or not she wanted to set. It's fine by me, I have 4 or 5 extra eggs from Isabel that didn't fit in the incubator, I'll put those under her tonight. She's good hen.