<sigh> Freeloaders

[3goodeggs]

Don't let the smell fear.

 

[Dixiedoodle]

I do know how you feel!!

I have 11 hens. Seven are brown egg layers and they waited until they were between 25-28 weeks old to lay a single egg.... I have four colored egg layers (I use the words "egg layers" 'loosely'

) they are 35-37 weeks old and I have yet to see a single egg from them!! I have a game camera in the coop--and they don't even visit the nest box.....

They get: Layena, fresh water (refreshed twice a day), permium birdseed with oats, nuts, berries etc fed as a treats, they have 3 suet cages of fresh , organic, mixed greens picked each morning for them, they get about 20$ worth of crickets every week, they get dried mealworms for treats twice a week, they get free choice oyster shell and grit... they get to free range every day for at least two hours....Some days it's 5-7hrs...

And now dh has asked "how long I am going to wait for them to lay"! I guess, I need to take the cookbooks to read when I am sitting in the wet cold weather so----I can protect them!!! I think I have one that's "1000 Ways To Cook Chicken"--now where did I put that one??????

 

[Tala]

Quote:
Reduce the treats! Especially birdseed. Layena is barely enough protein and I bet you're diluting it too much.
If they won't eat their pellets, lock em in the coop with nothing but Layena and water and they'll eat it when they get hungry enough.

 

[MonkeyZero]

I'd threaten lol
There is a belief in our WHOLE family that when a tree us not bearing fruit, you threaten to cut it down.
Then, sooner or later it fruits! Never tried it here, but my family member told me.

 

[crtrlovr]

This is such a funny thread... BTDT, it wasn't funny at the time; it was rather frustrating, but how well I remember the feeling...

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Give 'em some "hog finisher". Mine go nuts over the stuff and the eggs are coming every day even though it is turning cold.

I put out a good sized feeder full every day. They feeder is empty and the poultry grain is half full at bed time.

Since i started to feed this ( I do it only in the winter months along with a small feeder of game bird) they are happy and bouncing off the barn walls.

It helps with the molting process and gives them energy for keeping them selves warm.

I use to just give game bird, but this is a lot cheaper.

The Guinea fowl have even started eating it. I will let you all know how they fair on it.

 

[neuchicontheblock]

I have an idea!! I'll try GUILT! I'll show them my unemployment check stub and talk about the economic challeges we all are facing (notice I say "we"?) and see if they get the point. Right now, the roosters are on the wheelbarrow outside the kitchen window taunting me.
I don't know if this is gonna work or not........

 

[neuchicontheblock]

If there exists no possibility of failure, then victory is meaningless.
Quote:

 

[3goodeggs]

Quote:
OH! We do that! It works! But then you become the kitchen drudge processing all of the fruit.
SO THAT MEANS...you'll end up with enough eggs for a good egg fight. Just don't let the girls see you. If they can carry an egg under their wing, I bet they can throw one too!

 

[gsim]

What breeds and exact ages?