Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[Chaos18]

I'm sure I'll have another broody soon. I think my 3 girls are going to be constantly cycling. Will let you know!
Probably just need a few more weeks. Are there wattles and combs reddening up? That usually means eggs are coming soon.

Out of the 6 girls about half have red faces, while the others are still fairly pale.

Just patience!

What are you feeding them? Do you have supplemental light? What breed of chicken? Do you have golf balls or ceramic eggs in the boxes for encouragement? Are there any signs of reddening wattles and combs or nesting boxes looking "messed up"?
The anticipation is killer, but they will lay soon!

They are fed a healthy diet of whatever they can catch in the yard supplemented by Purina Flock Raiser (I think that's the name). Golf balls and fake eggs are in the nesting buckets. I think they have been visited the last couple days because they aren't arranged as nicely as I had them.

2-3 of them have red faces but have been that way for an eternity (it seems like it at least). No supplemental light besides what the good Lord thinks they should have this time of year and yes the anticipation is killing me.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Most of my runs are covered so I've moved feed into the runs and have tarped most of the sides. My layers are in a hoop coop, which used to have just one tarp covering most of the top but sides open, with the rain coming in sideways, this wasn't working. These birds were all soaked through this morning and I was determined to find a way to keep them dry. They've also been sleeping on the bare ground, I guess the roosts we put up were not to their liking, so I made new wider and longer roosts for them today and physically moved them onto the new roosts tonight after dark.

I know this is an eye soar that makes my husband cringe, but I'm thrilled with their new dry digs, I think you all can appreciate it.

Penelope is still alive. She eats and drinks and walks like a penguin still. She can't make it back into the coop at night. I put her back in at night. She still hasn't laid that dang egg!

I had a busy weekend. We built tanks to put our koi and tilapia in for the winter. The weather got cold real quick this week, down to 44 on Friday. Today we moved everyone inside. My asthma is killing me and I was having a hard time trying to keep up with everyone.
One of my koi. The only one I was able to get a somewhat good picture of. Fish are so hard to get good pictures of.


The koi tank. Its about 750 gallons


The tilapa tank about 450 gallons.

 

[fisherlady]

Out of the 6 girls about half have red faces, while the others are still fairly pale.

They are fed a healthy diet of whatever they can catch in the yard supplemented by Purina Flock Raiser (I think that's the name). Golf balls and fake eggs are in the nesting buckets. I think they have been visited the last couple days because they aren't arranged as nicely as I had them.

2-3 of them have red faces but have been that way for an eternity (it seems like it at least). No supplemental light besides what the good Lord thinks they should have this time of year and yes the anticipation is killing me.

At their age you can also put out a dish/feeder with crushed oyster shells or some similar type of calcium supplement....just allow them to choose if they want it or not. They will use it as needed....I don't know how they know but they do.
I usually have mine on a 'layer' type feed after 18 weeks or so, but everyone feeds differently based on their own theories and research.

 

[emorems0]

Hope everyone makes it through the night ok. As for the nest boxes, do you have any pullets who may be getting ready to come into lay? I've noticed that when some of my girls start exploring the nest boxes, they can really tear them up and make messes out of them.

That could be... My Delaware is the only one of the new/younger chickens that I haven't seen in a nest box yet. That group hatched mid March, so I just assumed they were all laying by now. Delaware are slower to mature though, right, so that would make sense.

I haven't done a head count yet, but I did not see a mess of feathers out there this morning. As long as the owl didn't pay a visit last night we should be good.

 

[Chaos18]

At their age you can also put out a dish/feeder with crushed oyster shells or some similar type of calcium supplement....just allow them to choose if they want it or not. They will use it as needed....I don't know how they know but they do.
I usually have mine on a 'layer' type feed after 18 weeks or so, but everyone feeds differently based on their own theories and research.

I've got a rooster and a tom turkey I have to feed as well so that's why I don't use a layer feed. Although I'm in the process of getting together an oyster shell feeder for all the girls.

 

[fisherlady]

I've got a rooster and a tom turkey I have to feed as well so that's why I don't use a layer feed. Although I'm in the process of getting together an oyster shell feeder for all the girls.

our roosters eat the layer feed but I have no idea on turkey nutrition needs or things to avoid with them other than turkey get a higher protein feed than chicks normally do. Mixed flocks can definitely complicate feeding.

 

[stake]

I've got a rooster and a tom turkey I have to feed as well so that's why I don't use a layer feed. Although I'm in the process of getting together an oyster shell feeder for all the girls.

humm, I thave three Roo's who all eat layer....and are perfectly healthy....what deficiencies have you encountered???

 

[Chaos18]

our roosters eat the layer feed but I have no idea on turkey nutrition needs or things to avoid with them other than turkey get a higher protein feed than chicks normally do. Mixed flocks can definitely cis made tomplicate feeding.

Yes turkeys require different protein feed and having chickens and turkeys on a budget can complicate things a little.

humm, I thave three Roo's who all eat layer....and are perfectly healthy....what deficiencies have you encountered???

I've read on BYC (cause I don't get my chicken info anywhere else) that to much calcium in a roo's diet can be hard on his kidneys. Whether or not thats true or not i dont know. I also have a pair of turkeys to feed, so thats why I feed everybody Purina Flock Raiser (because the feed is made to be able to feed to turkeys and chickens) and i didnt want to have to buy two or three different feeds. i will be offering oyster shell on the side for anybody that wants it.

 

[dheltzel]

I've read on BYC (cause I don't get my chicken info anywhere else) that to much calcium in a roo's diet can be hard on his kidneys. Whether or not thats true or not i dont know. I also have a pair of turkeys to feed, so thats why I feed everybody Purina Flock Raiser (because the feed is made to be able to feed to turkeys and chickens) and i didnt want to have to buy two or three different feeds. i will be offering oyster shell on the side for anybody that wants it.

This seems to be the consensus, that roos (or hens that are not laying) fed layer feed will develop kidney problems. I suppose that as many surplus roos as we have around, many people don't worry too much about that, but from what I've read it is something to consider.

I use a 22% breeder pellet for my turkeys, with oyster shell available free choice. I use the same for my breeding pens, and an 18% layer for the pens that I'm just using for eating eggs. Those pens have roos, but I choose to feed them the layer anyway. I can also get a 16% grower that I may look into for maintenance to save some money.

 

[BullChick]

Personally, I gave my turkeys layer feed when they were old enough. It's what I read to give them. Of course, that was my breeding stock. BBW and the Bourbons I was butchering got the extra protein to fatten them up.

I want to say, "I LOVE YOU, KAREN! I LOVE YOU, KAREN! I LOVE YOU, KAREN...!!!" I have a ton of flashlights (don't we all?) and all but two are without batteries (again, common). The two with batteries are MIA. When I sold my flocks a year ago, I put them somewhere, and can't figure out where (ditto with my brooder lamps... Which I think I just remembered where they are!!). Anyway!! Fisherlady and her DH brought me my current flock months ago, and she dropped her mini Mag light. Lucky me, I have been grabbing it before going out most nights. I was walking down by the coops, and turned around to find a skunk about four feet away from me.

Without a flashlight, I would have walked right up to it! Fortunately, I got away, and the dog was up by the house.