NY chicken lover!!!!

[bakingintherain]

Look what came in today all healthy and plump

 

[rancher hicks]

Boarder collie loves rabbit poop seems to help his breath last two months his been on carrot, apple, papaya (natural dewormier) kick hasn't been touching the poo. Now if could keep sheltie out of the cat pain.
We've been in our house 14 years, pretty sure we're boarding on being hoarders and now that we're in forties our parents demanded we get all our childhood stuff out of their houses-).

My kids still have stuff here and they've been gone for years. I hate to throw it out.

DW has loads of back issues of Victoria magazines. I can't get her to throw them away.

But I have my stuff too.

 

[rancher hicks]

Ugh, just found out that I have an egg eater! I've been getting 1/2 my normal egg amount, thought maybe with the hens free ranging that they have a stash somewhere. Nope walked in on a hen eating an egg.

Has anyone successfully broken a hen of her egg eating habits? Or should I cull her? I'm particularly annoyed, she's a young replacement hen that I hatched out...maybe 7 or 8 months old.

Here's my advice. Others may disagree.

1. Nest boxes should be dark and small. Not much room to do anymore than get in and lay an egg. No hen gab fests, just do their business and go. While I do have hens that cram in with their sisters, nest boxes should only have enough room for one.

2.Chickens don't see well in the dark so a dimly lit or dark nest boxes can help. While the rule is one nest box per 5 hens, I've found that more is better. They may not use some but n a pinch they will.

3. I keep unfinished wooden eggs in the boxes. And I've been known to leave couple laying around. Chickens aren't as stupid as we think. They can learn pecking an egg hurts.

4. When I find a broken egg in the nest box it might be due to soft shelled eggs. I have a hen who insists on laying hers on the floor and those darn ducks go crazy when I go into the coop. I'm surprised they haven't broken it by now.

5. I add some oyster shell grit to the pellets to ensure harder eggs shells. Soft shelled eggs can break and invite an eating fest. Also soft shelled eggs can lead to internal laying. So if you find eggs are soft add some oyster shell immediately. I keep it on hand 24/7. You can add the dust to their water or feed, but be sure to add some to their feed.

6. Collect eggs often. I don't bother those in the nest at the time of collection but any hen empty nest with eggs get collected. Move slow and deliberate. Talk to your chickens. They know your voice.

You may not need to know all this information but I hope some of it helps. It may just be a one time thing with her so don't wring her neck to soon.

I wish you well,

Rancher

 

[marquisella]

Quote: You probably won't, but you'll know what they are laying, just have to go for a walk each day...LOL

Do your KC ducks lay well? I'm still looking for them...I don't know why, my Cayugas fly out of the electricnet. They say they can't fly, liars!

 

[marquisella]

Quote: put golf balls in the nest & up the protein. When they try to peck the golf balls, it hurts.

 

[boskelli1571]

LOL! Ours, too. And one of ours is a sloppy kisser. Blech!



Question for everyone. At what age do you introduce your chicks in with the main flock? And how do you go about doing so?

When mine are about 10 weeks, I have enough space to cordon off an area of the coop so they can see, not touch. I leave the chicks in this area for about 3-4 days, then remove the barrier late evening when everyone has settled for the night. I think as long as the chicks are large enough to make a fuss and they have somewhere to escape to, things generally go well. I watch for signs of vicious bullying, blood letting etc. but so far

this hasn't occurred. At present, when the weather co-operates, I have the little ones penned outside, so the big girls can check them out without any nastiness.

 

[marquisella]

Quote:

 

[ag29ande]

put golf balls in the nest & up the protein. When they try to peck the golf balls, it hurts.

They've got golf balls in there nesting boxes already. I had a couple ladies not getting with the picture and were laying on the ground...placed golf balls in the nest boxes, fixed that problem.

They have free access to oyster shell, so it shouldn't be a calcium thing. I'll give her a few more days...but I really think this hasn't been a one time thing.

I'm thinking of trying the mustard and food coloring method. I'll see if that breaks her nasty habit.

 

[Sweetpea3829]

Thanks, guys!

Another question...

Have any of you ever had a chick that seemed to be on death's door for days and then recovered?

One of the TSC Sebrights has been poorly for days. Wobbly when it stands, weak, sleeps most of the time. It's breathing heavily, and holding its wings out away from its body. Almost like its too hot, but every time I move it to the cooler side of the brood box, it wobbles itself back to the warm corner. It did have pasty butt, but that's cleared up and its pooping easily now (as evidenced this morning when it pooped on me). I've taken it out of the brood box twice, expecting it to take its last breaths, only to have it just keep on fighting! It cuddles up with me and just keeps on going.

This has been going on for three days, at least. I've given it a bit of yogurt, which it ate off of my finger. I've been feeding her water with a pipette, and she is eating chick feed when I put some on a flat dish in front of her.

I'm not expecting her to live, but can't seem to cull her. Any ideas?

And most important, is this something my other chicks could catch from her? Nobody else seems sick.

 

[Lynzi777]

You probably won't, but you'll know what they are laying, just have to go for a walk each day...LOL

Do your KC ducks lay well? I'm still looking for them...I don't know why, my Cayugas fly out of the electricnet.  They say they can't fly, liars! 

I only have a hen and drake but yea she lays an egg a day...until they went missing. And they fly well too. She flies the run everyday, she's very determined to get what she wants.