South Carolina

[gvilledh]

Quote:
How old are your girls? You should move them over to layer crumbles/pellets at 16 weeks or so of age. You can mix the layer with the chick starter to begin with if you want to but usually they eat the layer really well. Whenever you start them on the layer, you can offer oyster shell free choice and they will eat it when they need it.

Sorry - I just saw that your pullets are 20 weeks old. You really need to have them on layer if you want them to start laying as early as possible. They need that nutrition now.

I was thinking they might. I have been wanting to ask for a while, but got too busy to be on here, and too scatterbrained to think of it before that! It was on my list of questions for Amy when we were going to visit her, but the rain messed us up terribly that week. Nothing like three days of rain during a vacation week! Guess I will be buying feed sometime this week...

 

[dixiebeast]

Had 3 more hatch last night...moved them to the brooder at 3am when I had 2 soaking wet from getting in the bowl of water( had a rag in it so no one can drown) but I think that caused the humidity to spike plus they were ALL acting frantic all the time. They are now resting peacefully under a warm lamp and I have 2 pips...The cochin pip is old though and I see no signs of movement

but the BLRW has its beak out breathing...4 more have done nothing

I hope I made the right decision moving the chicks...I was going to leave them but when I took them out the humidity came down to 71% with those wet babies out(they were dry...i saw them in the dish) and humity didnt go below 79% while I had it cracked getting them!!

Maybe the rest will hatch today...will let yall know after work!!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Quote:
I leave them on starter until they start laying. The most nutrition is in starter and layer is a lower value food. I usually mix my layer and starter together to give my birds the best nutrition possible and I have oyster shell out all the time. I seem to have layers and chicks in every pen and free ranging, as well. I have never seen the point of switching them completely to layer as the birds I have seen living on it always seem to look and perform worse than mine. However, I also feed black oil sunflower seed, flax and barley or rolled oats, too. Mine usually have a variety of foods to help with nutrition.
I have a chickie girl that started laying at 17 weeks. As much as I like to have the eggs, she was still a baby to me. I like it better when my Jersey Giant girls start laying at an older age and continue to give me eggs on up in years. I have Partridge Rocks that are going on 6 that are still laying. The sooner they start laying eggs the sooner they quit laying in life.

Anyhow, you will see the quality of my birds in person when you come visit, not just from the photos on my website.
I am not saying anyone else doesn't have gorgeous birds and what they are feeding does not work for them but a variety of foods are so much better for chickens than just one thing and you letting them out to free range is a big help. I don't think there is a much better single thing you can do for your chickens (above a dry coop in winter) than letting them free range at least a few hours every day. I know many others on here agree.

I think Jackie buys the best brand of food I have seen. It looks yummy enough for me to eat! She can tell you more about it. I believe she said they are going to sell it in Travelers Rest soon.

Oh, yeah, the brand of cleanser she gave me that is so wonderful is the Kleen Green Naturally product. They have several kinds I believe but it is chemical free and I love using anything natural. I have cleaned my brooders with it, sprayed the roosts, cleaned my hatchers etc. I think it works as well as Oxine but it isn't labeled to kill all that Oxine does. I still have enjoyed using it and it has done what I needed and wanted it to.
Next, I strip out the Silkie/Cochin shed, spray it down and put down fresh shavings. What a job! But my garden next year will be lush.

 

[Jackie B.]

Quote:
I got lots of Cochins!

I am sure somebody will be laying when you all come up!

The BLRW are laying pretty good. They are the Jerry Foley birds and have the most beautiful lacing.

Fred is the Mille Fleur Cochin breeding. His photo is on my MFC page on my website. He is actually the first roo in the pictures because he is my foundation roo I got over 2 years ago. Jackie saw his long spurs today and I explained how I was going to take them off. He can grow some good ones but he had one caught in his fence and was hanging, unhappily, up side down. That's what he gets for fighting all the roos that wander by!
But as of this afternoon, we are down another 14. Yum, yum! Jackie missed that action by a few hours.

OH MY...LOL...I am sure Jackie is glad she missed that!! We get our new filly home saturday so we plan on staying home for her first weekend...then we are heading your way...my DH needs some lessons on Roos

I was bummed I missed it! I ened to learn to process properly so I don't hack on my own when it's time to go to the Great Soup Pot in the Sky...

 

[Jackie B.]

Quote:
I leave them on starter until they start laying. The most nutrition is in starter and layer is a lower value food. I usually mix my layer and starter together to give my birds the best nutrition possible and I have oyster shell out all the time. I seem to have layers and chicks in every pen and free ranging, as well. I have never seen the point of switching them completely to layer as the birds I have seen living on it always seem to look and perform worse than mine. However, I also feed black oil sunflower seed, flax and barley or rolled oats, too. Mine usually have a variety of foods to help with nutrition.
I have a chickie girl that started laying at 17 weeks. As much as I like to have the eggs, she was still a baby to me. I like it better when my Jersey Giant girls start laying at an older age and continue to give me eggs on up in years. I have Partridge Rocks that are going on 6 that are still laying. The sooner they start laying eggs the sooner they quit laying in life.

Anyhow, you will see the quality of my birds in person when you come visit, not just from the photos on my website.
I am not saying anyone else doesn't have gorgeous birds and what they are feeding does not work for them but a variety of foods are so much better for chickens than just one thing and you letting them out to free range is a big help. I don't think there is a much better single thing you can do for your chickens (above a dry coop in winter) than letting them free range at least a few hours every day. I know many others on here agree.

I think Jackie buys the best brand of food I have seen. It looks yummy enough for me to eat! She can tell you more about it. I believe she said they are going to sell it in Travelers Rest soon.

Oh, yeah, the brand of cleanser she gave me that is so wonderful is the Kleen Green Naturally product. They have several kinds I believe but it is chemical free and I love using anything natural. I have cleaned my brooders with it, sprayed the roosts, cleaned my hatchers etc. I think it works as well as Oxine but it isn't labeled to kill all that Oxine does. I still have enjoyed using it and it has done what I needed and wanted it to.
Next, I strip out the Silkie/Cochin shed, spray it down and put down fresh shavings. What a job! But my garden next year will be lush.

Yup I think Countryside Organics sells the absolute best feed. I'm working with the owners of Appalachin Organics in Travelers Rest to become a reseller since shipping is very expensive. Once we get that squared away, I'll let y'all know what products will be available for pick up. The closest reseller is in Asheville. Yikes! And I love my Kleen Green!!!!

 

[dixiebeast]

Well came home to 6 fluffy happy chickies in the brooder and 2 in the bator...Jesse's cochin Fred hatched!! And the BLRW!! I still have a couple I am hoping to see some action out of as it is only day 22!!

 

[monkeemakr]

Quote:

ee

So glad for you!!!!

 

[Moonchild]

One of my d'Uccles had dried egg shell and poo on it's little vent and I just spent 20mins trying to soften it and pick it off....Bless it's litttle heart it's so sad but is more active now that it took the BIGGEST poop for a chick the size of a walnut!!! Guess I'll be lookin at chick bums for the next few days....

 

[dixiebeast]

Quote:

ee

So glad for you!!!!

THANKS...One of the 2 eggs I marked as no good but put in the bator anyway is piped and zipping now!! I have 3 others with no action including the other "no good" egg so who knows!!!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Jackie B. :

Yup I think Countryside Organics sells the absolute best feed. I'm working with the owners of Appalachin Organics in Travelers Rest to become a reseller since shipping is very expensive. Once we get that squared away, I'll let y'all know what products will be available for pick up. The closest reseller is in Asheville. Yikes! And I love my Kleen Green!!!!

Can't wait to hear what happens. That will be such a close pick up for you! Wish I could afford it for all my guys and gals.​