I've been very happy with chicks from the only online vendor I've used. I like that they allow to pick single breeds in orders of 4-6 per year (Cackle, for example, must be ordered in the "small town" 3 pack or otherwise has a minimum 3 per breed). I like my flock of 7-9 chickens to all be different breeds for naming, aesthetic, and monitoring purposes.
My oldest hens have reached 2 years old, so not very old. Of those 6, one last summer at age 1.5 I put down because she was standing around drinking rapidly all day for a few days in a row and was only squirting out a yellowish liquid when she was going to the bathroom. This spring at just under 2 years of age one started laying soft eggs (break in your hand) and after 3 weeks of this I sent her to the stew pot. Finally, my Easter egger (so 3rd of the 6) hasn't laid an egg in a couple weeks and I witnessed a bloody soft egg leave her vent 2 nights ago, blood and yolk dripping down her backside and I put her down last night.
I feed Oyster shell free choice year round. I feed Flock Raiser feed. I always have new chicks in development from May to September (not laying) and then with molting in the winter, I figured Flock Raiser + Oyster shell was the way to make sure I dont need to worry about who eats what feed (layer feed vs non layer feed).
Hens are out in the run all day every day and free range the yard a few times a week. They get grit and oyster shell free choice in coop and run. Coop has 4 sq ft per bird and run 10 sq ft per bird. Thanks for any advice. I just see people who have 5-7 year old hens laying and I don't even think my last 2 year old is laying any eggs, unless they changed colors slightly.
My oldest hens have reached 2 years old, so not very old. Of those 6, one last summer at age 1.5 I put down because she was standing around drinking rapidly all day for a few days in a row and was only squirting out a yellowish liquid when she was going to the bathroom. This spring at just under 2 years of age one started laying soft eggs (break in your hand) and after 3 weeks of this I sent her to the stew pot. Finally, my Easter egger (so 3rd of the 6) hasn't laid an egg in a couple weeks and I witnessed a bloody soft egg leave her vent 2 nights ago, blood and yolk dripping down her backside and I put her down last night.
I feed Oyster shell free choice year round. I feed Flock Raiser feed. I always have new chicks in development from May to September (not laying) and then with molting in the winter, I figured Flock Raiser + Oyster shell was the way to make sure I dont need to worry about who eats what feed (layer feed vs non layer feed).
Hens are out in the run all day every day and free range the yard a few times a week. They get grit and oyster shell free choice in coop and run. Coop has 4 sq ft per bird and run 10 sq ft per bird. Thanks for any advice. I just see people who have 5-7 year old hens laying and I don't even think my last 2 year old is laying any eggs, unless they changed colors slightly.
