- Apr 23, 2012
- 7
- 0
- 7
I have a few questions for ya's all please. I built a coop last year , and designed it to hold 3 - 5 hens. My neighbor has lots of chickens and said she would lend me 3 of her layers for the summer. I have a roost inside the hen house, but since I've gotten them, none of the three sleep on it. They sleep in the shavings, and there is usually only one or two poops to clean first thing in the morning. The door to the hen house is shut once they go in for the night. In the morning I clean up any mess they make, which is minimal, and they don't sleep in their laying boxes
.
They've been laying their eggs daily since they came to me, but one morning there was yolk on the floor where they slept. I cleaned it up and asked the gal I got the chickens from about it and she said sometimes they form an egg with no shell and they don't know they need to and end up pooping it out. That was a few days ago, and I am not sure who did it.
Once the girls get up and come into the run, I let them have some breakfast, which is the proper feed for them. They also have a dish of the crushed oyster shells, lots of water and a dish of scratch. After a bit they get to come out and wander around.
Yesterday, just before supper, I put the girls back into the run, as it was raining and I had some errands to run. After supper I went out to let them back out so they could go for some bedtime snacks, I see an hard egg on the floor of the outside run. The shell was not smooth like normal, and it was dull. I had read there was no bloom. Regardless...that was a first for me as well.
After their outside run, they put themselves back into the coop and headed up to bed. This morning I let them out at 6 and one of the girls feet and under belly were coated in yolk and shavings.
I clean the hen house every morning when they get up, and there was busted yolk where they slept. I was able to catch her and pick most of it off her feet and some off her feathers.
Should I be adding something else to their food, or getting them some yogurt and oatmeal or cod liver oil?
The girls are fairly friendly, and although they don't let you pick them up, will come up and get a treat. One of the three is a bit skittish, but will still come close enough.
I don't give to many treats, and if I do I try and make it veggies. I've given them some left over cooked oatmeal before and they devoured it.
Is there something else I can do for their odd egg laying habit right now.
And how the heck do I get them to roost at night in their hen house?
Should I make them stay in their run for the day to see if they regulate and get back on track??
Yes, I am new to this, but in my head, I'm giving them everything I think they need in regards to a healthy diet, as well as a safe place to live.
Please feel free to add your 2 cents worth.
.
They've been laying their eggs daily since they came to me, but one morning there was yolk on the floor where they slept. I cleaned it up and asked the gal I got the chickens from about it and she said sometimes they form an egg with no shell and they don't know they need to and end up pooping it out. That was a few days ago, and I am not sure who did it.
Once the girls get up and come into the run, I let them have some breakfast, which is the proper feed for them. They also have a dish of the crushed oyster shells, lots of water and a dish of scratch. After a bit they get to come out and wander around.
Yesterday, just before supper, I put the girls back into the run, as it was raining and I had some errands to run. After supper I went out to let them back out so they could go for some bedtime snacks, I see an hard egg on the floor of the outside run. The shell was not smooth like normal, and it was dull. I had read there was no bloom. Regardless...that was a first for me as well.
After their outside run, they put themselves back into the coop and headed up to bed. This morning I let them out at 6 and one of the girls feet and under belly were coated in yolk and shavings.
I clean the hen house every morning when they get up, and there was busted yolk where they slept. I was able to catch her and pick most of it off her feet and some off her feathers.
Should I be adding something else to their food, or getting them some yogurt and oatmeal or cod liver oil?
The girls are fairly friendly, and although they don't let you pick them up, will come up and get a treat. One of the three is a bit skittish, but will still come close enough.
I don't give to many treats, and if I do I try and make it veggies. I've given them some left over cooked oatmeal before and they devoured it.
Is there something else I can do for their odd egg laying habit right now.
And how the heck do I get them to roost at night in their hen house?
Should I make them stay in their run for the day to see if they regulate and get back on track??
Yes, I am new to this, but in my head, I'm giving them everything I think they need in regards to a healthy diet, as well as a safe place to live.
Please feel free to add your 2 cents worth.