NY chicken lover!!!!

[Glasshen]

The Do Not Call list used to work pretty well with a brand new number, but you have to keep re registering. I ask people if they know I am on the dnc list. They play ignorant, but I say don't call again. Some of the charitable callers say they are not bound by that. So I ask if since I have requested people not call, yet they have chosen to do so if that was likely to encourage me to contribute to their cause? But the best is caller ID. I just dont answer.

I am sorry about the poor injured bird. Would a little vitamins in her water help?

Flock raiser is 20 percent, my birds have nice soft feathers, but laying is weird. About a week and a half ago I got 7 eggs one day, then 4 the next, now two or three. The pullets are starting...the oldest of this years bunch, but some days I don't get anything from them. And I saw Earl and Mama in the secluded corner of the coop conspiring to teach the young girls to lay there. And they have, all except the once time I put Phoebe in the box.

 

[marquisella]

Quote:
Heres an old farmers trick....feed them a head of cabbage. I've tried it and it does help. But lights is the real solution to winter laying. Higher protein will help with the feather regrowth. I have used manna pro as well. anything that is almost pure protein works the best. I also like gamebird starter. It can have 28% protein. I normally feed a 20% protein feed so it doesn't take as much to up it as a normal 16% protein will.

 

[Tab's chicken obsession]

Morning
Had to stop home again to change clothes on my little one, now off to school with her.

 

[LuvMyChicks1491]

Okay need some advice too...I have a hen that is laying shell less eggs. I feed Agway layer food that I get from our local Coop. They have oyster shell stuff available all the time and I feed them all of our egg shells. I think it might be my youngest maran. She is the age that she should start laying so it could be her. How long will it take for her to get straighten around? I'm still getting decent egg numbers from the other girls. About 5-7 each day out of 9 hens. I have a bantam D'uccle that is 26wks. I'm hoping that she will start soon too. Is there anything else I can do to help with the eggs that don't have a shell?

 

[SunnysideupstateNY]

Thought I would share some pictures of my new coop! Last night was the first night I felt like I might actually get it done before the snow starts to fly. The goal with this coop was to make it as cheap as possible, so far the most expensive part has been the screws and the linoleum flooring from a leftovers bin at a local store, I wasn't going to waste my time with the peel and stick tiles again. Aaaand, if you go in Lowes and see damaged ondura roofing they will give you 50% off. I lucked out and got 3/4" plywood and used 2x6's and pallets from a recycling place for free.

The coop!
Looking in before it was whitewashed

The GIANT nest box.



The run, still under construction, but getting there! It looks more interesting in person. We have a lot of trees so I have been using the limbs from what hubby has thinned to use as the frame, then I'll wrap and bury wire around it. Next year I'll let nasturtium and morning glory grow up it.

 

[marquisella]

Anyone give their chickens tomatoes ?
Mine love them ..I gave them some grape tomatoes ..I was bending down ...One chicken grabbed one ..it popped & sprayed me in the face .
I felt something on my ear this eve ...it was a tomato seed LOL

Red tomatoes....anything red they will try to eat. My first year with free range chickens, I had tomatoes in the garden. I was letting them ripen, so didn't pick any, then on day they discovered them, and by the next day all were gone....After that, I fenced the garden in.

 

[Lynzi777]

Well it seems as though Stella, my lavender Orp IS going thru a molt. Opened the coop up this morning to let them out, took a peek inside to see how messy they had made it already after cleaning it yesterday and there were a TON of her feathers in there! She came out, shook herself off, and another 6 or so loose feathers fell to the ground. LOL Still doesn't explain the lack of eggs from the buff Orp. :-/ I know some have mentioned light might be the issue but these are two hens that remained in their coop all winter long last year/beginning this year and layed an egg every single day. And when I'm getting an egg every day or every other from BR, it makes me feel like something else is lacking other than light. Heading out again today, maybe I'll stop at TS or CM and see if they have that feed that helps with the molting.

 

[armorfirelady]

Okay need some advice too...I have a hen that is laying shell less eggs. I feed Agway layer food that I get from our local Coop. They have oyster shell stuff available all the time and I feed them all of our egg shells. I think it might be my youngest maran. She is the age that she should start laying so it could be her. How long will it take for her to get straighten around? I'm still getting decent egg numbers from the other girls. About 5-7 each day out of 9 hens. I have a bantam D'uccle that is 26wks. I'm hoping that she will start soon too. Is there anything else I can do to help with the eggs that don't have a shell?

If they are just starting to lay its not unusual to get shell less or soft eggs. How many have you gotten? Over what period of time? Maybe there is more than one trying to lay? Just keep an eye on them. Between the layer feed & oyster shell they have access to enough calcium. Its just their system trying to get used to laying eggs.

Thought I would share some pictures of my new coop! Last night was the first night I felt like I might actually get it done before the snow starts to fly. The goal with this coop was to make it as cheap as possible, so far the most expensive part has been the screws and the linoleum flooring from a leftovers bin at a local store, I wasn't going to waste my time with the peel and stick tiles again. Aaaand, if you go in Lowes and see damaged ondura roofing they will give you 50% off. I lucked out and got 3/4" plywood and used 2x6's and pallets from a recycling place for free.
The run, still under construction, but getting there! It looks more interesting in person. We have a lot of trees so I have been using the limbs from what hubby has thinned to use as the frame, then I'll wrap and bury wire around it. Next year I'll let nasturtium and morning glory grow up it.

The coop looks great but the run is AWESOME .......great idea to repurpose the trees

Well it seems as though Stella, my lavender Orp IS going thru a molt. Opened the coop up this morning to let them out, took a peek inside to see how messy they had made it already after cleaning it yesterday and there were a TON of her feathers in there! She came out, shook herself off, and another 6 or so loose feathers fell to the ground. LOL Still doesn't explain the lack of eggs from the buff Orp. :-/ I know some have mentioned light might be the issue but these are two hens that remained in their coop all winter long last year/beginning this year and layed an egg every single day. And when I'm getting an egg every day or every other from BR, it makes me feel like something else is lacking other than light. Heading out again today, maybe I'll stop at TS or CM and see if they have that feed that helps with the molting.

I have 8 hens. 2 are not laying age yet. I did average 3-4 a day normally with just my 4 oldest. With 2 of the pullets laying I average 3 a day or 19 a week. It seems 2 other big girls are going thru a minor moult & red is just finishing up hers..... just waiting for the tail feathers to come in. Fluff sticking out in spots & missing tail feathers clued me in. Plus the coop looks like a pillow fight goes on daily. I am guessing they stopped laying since the numbers are so low. I don't really worry about it. Its their bodies natural reaction to moulting. They laid all last winter so I know they will this year as well. They are just taking a break

And they don't seem to complain about the extra meat protein either lol

 

[Gramma Chick]

Has anyone seen this ? too funny

 

[Lynzi777]

Gramma - that's a cool video. Funny too.

Well I didn't have to travel too far for my feather fixer! Tully Harware had it! No sure how the girls feel about the pellets....guess we'll see how much they've eaten when I take a walk up there later.