NY chicken lover!!!!

[rancher hicks]

My chickens can't free range. I do deep litter over gravel- the gravel is too big and the do is too soft to be good grit, so I provide some. They don't need much, but definitely use it

My chickens free range but I take no chances. I dump the grit and try to cover all the bases.

 

[rancher hicks]

Thanks for the birthday wishes everyone! There was, indeed lots of cake. Cheesecake, Boston creme cake, and a caramel custard.
Shodack, you're buying too much oyster shell, and here I am, dying for some. I checked online, and the shipping cost more than the oyster shell itself, and I've got two hens who I've been giving their own eggshells to eat. I've asked the pet store if they carry it, they told me they'd get it this Wednesday. Went in Wednesday, it didn't come, maybe next week.

OH I give my chickens back their egg shells crushed up. I don't waste a thing if I can help it. (Not store bought egg shells if their are store bought eggs in the house)

I once ordered DE and it wasn't to bad. Is that a small bag of oyster shell or a 50# bag?

Walmart carries it I think. Grow Organic $12.99 but I couldn't find out the shipping. E. Fowl $35.05 shipping included.

I ordered the DE because if I added the cost to drive to pick it up, it was easier and cheaper to have it shipped. Gas prices were high then.

Perhaps you can get someone to bring you some. I wonder how much would fit in a Flat rate priority box? 50#'s should last a long time. One site says average flock 6-8 birds several months, but I don't feed it all the time. Just occasionally. I sometimes dump some in the feed too. Maybe a table spoon full.

Too if you buy clams or know of a place that has lots of clam shells you can crush them up too.

 

[Beer can]

Rancher I used to do that with clam shells, smash them up smaller then we had a old blender to chop em up finer. I actually don't give them anything anymore, layer feed should be enough,it has oyster shell in it. When I free ranged them daily I did notice the shells wern't as hard and did give them oyster shell free choice.

 

[Beer can]

@myfivegirls what's your secret to hatching mostly roos? I have looked into it, temp, egg shape, some say it works. Majority says sex is determined at fertilization. IDK... I would like mostly roos.

 

[Gramma Chick]

Devona, happy birthday!!
Well, I just accidentally bought another 50# of oyster shells when I meant to get grit. Second time in a month. I now have 150# of oyster shells and STILL no grit. Lol With four chickens I bet I won't need to buy oyster shells for a couple years...

Can you take it back ?

 

[Gramma Chick]

Lol. Chickens that have outside access get all the 'grit' they need. I've found little stones mostly, small nuts and bolts, choke cherry pits etc in their crops. In Africa ostriches sometimes have diamonds in their crops!!

did you have Guineas that went down to the road ?...pretty sure they went there for the grit ..
My chickens last year keep going out by the road ...almost everyday I had to chase them away ..
then I thought why are they there ?
So I shoveled some of the stuff the street sweeper picks up ...teeny tiny stones..
and put it in front of the coop ..they still go out front ...but they dont go to the road any more ..
Man was that stuff heavy ..

When the street sweeper comes down this year I am going to have them dump it in my driveway....
We just have crush run ? so it should do fine on what we have ...

 

[Gramma Chick]

you're buying too much oyster shell, and here I am, dying for some. I checked online, and the shipping cost more than the oyster shell itself, and I've got two hens who I've been giving their own eggshells to eat. I've asked the pet store if they carry it, they told me they'd get it this Wednesday. Went in

If you are feeding the hens layer ..you really shouldnt need oyster shell

 

[Beer can]

Good memory @Gramma Chick!
Others asked that or suggested that also. They walked down a hundred yard driveway of nothing but dirt and grit to play in the road....I'd like to get some again, hopefully smarter ones. Guineas are awesome birds, beautiful (i had the pearl grey) and make awesome noise.

 

[Sweetpea3829]

Good memory @Gramma Chick !
Others asked that or suggested that also. They walked down a hundred yard driveway of nothing but dirt and grit to play in the road....I'd like to get some again, hopefully smarter ones. Guineas are awesome birds, beautiful (i had the pearl grey) and make awesome noise.

LOL, the very last thing I thought I'd ever read....right here, Beer can!

Our old neighbor had a flock of guineas. Oh man....those things were the most obnoxious birds.

True story...

One day, they were out and about calling up a storm. The neighbor is a couple of acres away, but those guineas wander. Well I let my dogs out to do their business. Heard a guinea squawking away and then some commotion. Called the dogs back in...one comes right in, no problem. The other one shows up a few moments later....mouth FULL of feathers. It was rather comical. Unfortunately, he managed to get ahold of one of those guineas and gave it the what for all. Felt bad about it...but I'll always remember his mouth, ringed with feathers...lol.

 

[myfivegirls]

@Beer can - I don't really have any "secrets" for hatching so many roosters.
I just collect the eggs & incubate them. Often, I try to set ones that are similar shape/egg shell color, as to get the most from the same hen. (That's not possible for everyone, as some hens lay slightly different egg shape, size & color, others are almost identical each day.)
My theory is that for every egg 1 hen lays, it's a 50/50 ratio. But, if you incubate 40 eggs, all from the same day, all different hens - the ratio may be "off balance". Last year, I'd save up eggs for several days, then, compare them & I'd often find ones that were identical or very similar to each other. For example, one group had just one green egg layer, so that was easy. I'd set all of her eggs, and she threw quite a few pullets, less cockerels. Another hen, I only got roosters from her. I've read that it's the hen that determines whether her offspring is a hen or rooster, but again not totally sure if that's accurate or not.
Just observed & tried to do take notes on each hatch, keep good records of the chicks with the wing-bands, etc. I do know my first two hatches under broody hens back in 2012, I just put eggs under the hens that were laid in one day. The ratio for those hatches was 2 Roo to 1 Hen, and 5 R to 2 H. Yet, I just see it as an experiment & even though I'd like to tip the scales toward more pullets, if commercial hatcheries haven't figured out the "secret", I'm not so sure there is one.

As far as the roosters, I've never been able to tell who's who @ such a young age. Usually, I wait until they're 8 - 10 weeks old, but this time it seems to be very obvious.

Warning: PHOTO OVERLOAD!

Quite a few have head-spots, b/c of the barring gene,
and I'd say at least 95% of those with head-spots are roosters.



Some are already bright pink, and it was that
way before I picked them up.


This single comb is much smaller,
and pale yellow

Same chick - see how can't even see comb or wattles
from the side - most likely a pullet.


Even the pea/single comb crosses were pretty easy
Pullet

Cockerel

Cockerel side view

It was also interesting the color difference
in the little cockerels vs the pullets


Very small single comb of a pullet


While sorting them out, I put all the cockerels & pullets in
a separate bin, so I'd make it easier to catch the last ones.

And here's the bin full of cockerels!

vs the "empty" bin of pullets


Warming back up under the hover brooder