Sdwd

[rancher hicks]

Where is everyone? It's freezing cold here so I expect everyone is trying to hybernate? I would too if I could. I'd shut the door with the exceptions of going out to take care of the girls.

My ideal set up with be a walk through to the coops so I didn't have to go outside in the winter ever.

 

[kathyinmo]

I'm here. I have been working. I slept all day today - I was exhausted. Great- now it is nearing midnight and I am wide awake.

Cold here now - only 30. I am in the basement and I just now decided to plug in my little space heater. Monday is not to get above freezing, darn it. Though, the rest of the week is suppose to be 50.

I have to get together 10 pullets for a guy that wants to buy some layers. I hope he doesn't mind waiting a couple days. I'm coooooooold!

 

[rancher hicks]

It rained here last night. I noticed the garage roof is leaking in a new spot. I had thought it had stopped after the new window was installed but it's leaking worse now. I don't know what to do. I don't have enough money for a new roof. The crazy thing is my SIL does roofing. You'd think he'd help but no. Not that they have money either.

Since my older brother passed I have no one to go to for this type of advice. He was ten years older than me and passed 10 years ago at 60.

The girls may be getting back in sync since I came back home. The BM's were going into the back hoop coop to lay due to a squirrel coming in and taking food and eggs. I had put a wooden egg in the nest box and the next day it was gone. I caught the squirrel and dealt with that. Put a new style nest box inside.

I've got some girls laying eggs on the floor of the coop too now. Ugh! Chickens can't just be left alone. They're like other animals that need human attention. DW works so she was just getting up and letting them out before dark and coming home and closing them up after dark. I don't think she collected eggs everyday either. While she was good about letting me go to AL I think it was a bit much of me to go. I won't do that again.

I went job hunting last week. I'm just looking for a part time job.

Set a bunch of mice traps and caught none last night which is good.

Well folks take care and have nice day.

Rancher

 

[cmom]

Come on down to Florida. It has been unusually warm here.

 

[crazyhen]

Its way to warm here for this time of year. It was 63 last night when I went to bed. Well folks, I now have a crowing hen,

yes I'm sure she is a hen. She is a beautiful marans+bl orp pullet that lays a big light chocolate milk colored egg. She started laying in late Sept. I moved her in Nov. 400 miles and she quit laying. Does anyone know how to correct the problem?????? The great migration threw all but three of my hens into stopped mode until spring.

I get one to three eggs a day. My EE never missed a beat. I love that mutt. Gloria Jean

 

[Serrin]

Increase the duration of light and boost the protein content of their food, Gloria Jean. I did that for my girls and not only did they get over their molts that much faster, but they're getting back on track on their egg numbers very quickly now. Almost back to normal.

 

[cmom]

If you can't find high protein poultry feed, I use gamebird feed which is higher protein feed and it works well. I compared the ingredients with high protein poulty feed and it is pretty much the same.

 

[Serrin]

I'm sure there will be someone who will lecture me on this, but.....what the heck....I let my girls have dry cat food.....at 30% protein, ya can't beat it. They gobble it down like there's no tomorrow. And after several years of this practice, I've yet to see them have any problems with it. Besides, it's far less expensive than some of these specialty chicken feeds.

 

[Lacy Blues]

I'm sure there will be someone who will lecture me on this, but.....what the heck....I let my girls have dry cat food.....at 30% protein, ya can't beat it. They gobble it down like there's no tomorrow. And after several years of this practice, I've yet to see them have any problems with it. Besides, it's far less expensive than some of these specialty chicken feeds.

Me too!

 

[crazyhen]

I have them on the game bird feed 22% and the light comes on at 5am. I guess I need it to come on even earlier to off set the early evenings. Several are still in molt too. Three are this yrs chicks and should be laying and were until the move. The maran and marans mix along with a buff orp.
I figure they are getting 12 hrs of good light. I think they may need 14 right? They are getting some fresh greens from the garden a handful of scratch in their run and occ. birdseed into the run also. Spoiled bunch of hens. 12 hens and a roo. Gloria Jean