ro ro much better second time around

[Kiki]

i quess i misunderstood the question-----i thought it was about setting up coup to not have to do daily feed n watering ----- what i did i got 2 55 gal soda concentrate plastic barrels and set them on their side and ran plasic pipe to coup and installed 8 chicken water cups --- also got a 55gal plastic screw top barrel and put 3in 90degree elbows in it to set about 1/2 to 1 inch from bottom----this will hold about 8 bags of feed i have yet too fill completely but i use layering to fill it i put in laying pellets 3-4 bags 1 bag of scratch 1 bag of corn and 1/2 bag of black oil sunflower seeds ----- this last months and is sealed by elbow being so close to bottom & the feed to stop animals from crawling into the barrel --and the water feeds the cups for 3-4 months [must be hight than cups for total capacity to be available even tho pipe is buried to coup the barrels are high enough to empty and only lower pipe will not flow to cups once barrels are empty ------- i do still soak about a half scoop of laying pellets and feed it to chickens the next day to make feed last longer as the soaked feed has swollen and takes les to fill the birds but there are days i do not do this and they just feed out of the feeder and what ever they scratch in the run [i do give them about a third of a scoop on occasion of scratch with some sunflower seed in it] usually when i coolect eggs to get them to other end of run because i have a couple that insist on laying under the coup [its about 3ft 6in of the groun 8x8ft]and run is about 25ftx 8ft plus the size of inside of coup ----- i have 33 hens and 2 roosters ----- they are very sexually active ---- recieveved chicks april 1st of 2021 ------ loosing a couple eggs a day by peckers so next project is roll-a-way nesting boxes fun fun fun

Chickens start eating eggs because they aren't getting a balanced diet to begin with.
Stop mixing corn, seeds and scratch with the layer feed. You aren't feeding your birds a balanced diet by mixing treats with the balanced layer feed.

 

[rjohns39]

Hi and welcome to BYC We're so happy you've decided to join us

 

[Grandmas Coop]

 

[chrissynemetz]

Welcome to BYC! I'm so sorry about your losses.

 

[416bigbore]

Hello and welcome to BYC, You found an Amazing Poultry Community to be a part of with many great knowledgeable members, who are more then willing to jump in and help you along your journey with any questions you may have.

Better luck this time around.

 

[cmom]

My first thought for a predator would be a bobcat. One killed 14 of my birds one night. After that I put electric wires around my coops and pens and nothing has penetrated though some attempts have been tried and aborted. They probably got zapped by my good and hot wires. I also have good heavy duty netting covering all of my pens. Good luck...