NY chicken lover!!!!

[Glasshen]

There is oyster shell in a PVC pipe pipe feeder, so they can have as much calcium as they want. I think it is just a lesson in patience, and I can't control everything.

 

[boskelli1571]

Mine are laying minimally. I get maybe 3 eggs/day from the 'newbies'. The old girls are completely shut down at the moment, they are now 4 yo.

 

[Kinmera]

morning everyone ..i have been noticing a few of my girls are getting their butts picked at and my one girl is down to the skin ..i started to use the pick no more product and was wondering if any of you have used it before and what results you had with it ..

I use pick no more any time my birds start getting picked at and have had very good results with it every time.

 

[LuvMyChicks1491]

I finally gave up and put some lights up in my chicken coop. If I was lucky I was getting 1 egg from my girls, most days I wasn't getting any. I have 2 young girls that just started to lay this fall, but stopped. The rest of my girls are almost 2. I have had them on for a week now and this morning when I went out I had 2 eggs.

Very happy. Hopefully it will continue. My ducks have backed off some too. I get 1-2 eggs from them. which I don't mind. My 2 sizzle girls should start soon. My 2 young roo's are going to find their way to the freezer sometime in the next few weeks. They got into a squabble again the other day. Their time is up.

Sounds like my little Lottie is going to be a drake.

I was hoping that he was a she, but he is getting a little raspy quack. I hope that I'm wrong but I don't think so...Does anyone want a crested blue magpie drake? I didn't really want crested, but if Lottie was a girl I would keep her, but I really don't want a crested drake.

DH is warming more up to the idea of me getting some turkeys this spring. I'm so excited. We got talking about building them their own coop. He asked me what I was going to do if I find that I don't like the turkeys...I told him that I would have to suck it up till they were big enough to put in the freezer...Then turn the turkey coop into a chicken coop!

 

[Anuthatch]

Hi,

Just curious if any long time owners of egg layers think this fall is any different in production than other years. I've had a couple people tell me that they've never had their chickens stop laying so early and so drastically.

I broke down and put in a light when my 1 egg from 6 hens went down to zero. My hens are all new in 2014 but expected at least 2-3 eggs a day by now. I didn't think I'd be buying eggs in late November but that's what I had to do.

 

[Beer can]

We got our chicks end of May. Just started getting a third egg out of eight hens. Thinking of putting a light on over their water to keep it thawed out somewhat, and maybe get more laying action.

 

[Gramma Chick]

There is oyster shell in a PVC pipe pipe feeder, so they can have as much calcium as they want. I think it is just a lesson in patience, and I can't control everything.

What ? you cant ? I found they just scattered it everywhere when I gave them free choice ...Thats why I added it to the ferment ...then I know they are getting it .

Mine are laying minimally. I get maybe 3 eggs/day from the 'newbies'. The old girls are completely shut down at the moment, they are now 4 yo.

At 4 years they may be out of eggs

 

[boskelli1571]

What ? you cant ? I found they just scattered it everywhere when I gave them free choice ...Thats why I added it to the ferment ...then I know they are getting it .
At 4 years they may be out of eggs

hoping it's not so Gramma - I don't really want to run a retirement home, nor do I care to cull..........sigh

. Still, they have been good to me, so I guess they get to freeload as a reward!

 

[Glasshen]

Well, if they scatter it, they can jolly well hunt through the deep litter we are building up. They love a snack before bed, so I toss some feed on the litter at the end of the day, everyone rushes in to gather as much of the treat as possible. Then I can lock them up on my schedule, not theirs. Score one for control. It is a bit unhygienic, but they love it and pick through on their own, so they might as well fluff it up for me.

I have never had so few eggs, and I have more birds than ever...more tooth grinding.

 

[Gramma Chick]

Well, if they scatter it, they can jolly well hunt through the deep litter we are building up. They love a snack before bed, so I toss some feed on the litter at the end of the day, everyone rushes in to gather as much of the treat as possible. Then I can lock them up on my schedule, not theirs. Score one for control. It is a bit unhygienic, but they love it and pick through on their own, so they might as well fluff it up for me.

I have never had so few eggs, and I have more birds than ever...more tooth grinding.

I do the same thing for treats when I want them in ...or if it is snowy outside ...besides it helps me if they work for their keep
..less work I have to do in the coop if they stir up the deep litter .
Their chickens - chickens arent hygienic...Dont want to be ...
I read some where they need that bacteria from icky things to help process their food
I dont think chickens are smart enough to know they need calcium .
Mine wont peck it out of the litter ..it gets ignored ..Who wants a little stone when they can find a piece of scratch ?

If you did add some to the ferment ? if you get more eggs that would be a bonus ..right ?
I had a period in the summer where they werent laying & adding it to the ferment .. it helped them get over it .
Remember adding water dilutes the calcium

I was just reading if you have mites you will get less eggs also...
http://scoopfromthecoop.nutrenaworld.com/mite-prevention-for-your-flock/
Of course they want to sell their feed also