The Middle Tennessee Thread

[BethanyS]

I would not use seven dust. reg dirt or sand with hand full of DE or untreated wood ash added should be fine. our girls dust bath under our cedar tree iv yet to have any mite or lice on my girls

 

[DMRippy]

Just want to toss this out there.... it is VERY dangerous to use heat with older birds. If the electricity should go out or the light should blow at night for some reason.... YOUR WHOLE FLOCK COULD DIE! They are ill equipped to handle the cold if they are not allowed to get the right feathers to grow in. Chickens can easily handle the cold we have here. They can handle the cold up north where it is regularly in the teens or subzero.

I don't put any birds outside that can't take the cold without heat. Only my young birds have heat in the shop. I wean them off of the lights in the shop and then move them outside. I have to get quite a few outside this week while it is warm so they can get used to roosting in the coop.

 

[DMRippy]

Question from the novice : I read that I should provide my chickens with a dust bath
Do I achuieve this by putting a pan down and putting sven dust in it for them to lay in or should it be something else in the pan and how often should his be provided? I used to have some racing pigeons and I always put a pan of water down for them to bathe in and tey loved it. do chickens like water baths also?
Sam in Conroe Tx

I don't make a dust bath for my chickens. I let them find the spot and then I can add DE, ashes (I get them from Whitt's BBQ) and sevin.

 

[Lots A Cluckin]

Just want to toss this out there.... it is VERY dangerous to use heat with older birds. If the electricity should go out or the light should blow at night for some reason.... YOUR WHOLE FLOCK COULD DIE! They are ill equipped to handle the cold if they are not allowed to get the right feathers to grow in. Chickens can easily handle the cold we have here. They can handle the cold up north where it is regularly in the teens or subzero.

I don't put any birds outside that can't take the cold without heat. Only my young birds have heat in the shop. I wean them off of the lights in the shop and then move them outside. I have to get quite a few outside this week while it is warm so they can get used to roosting in the coop.

well I have silkies that like to stand out in the rain and they get soaked to the skin I would rather not have them dead either so I have to have some source of heat for them.

Plus my birds area apparently laying better than anyone else's so I must be doing something right.

 

[DMRippy]

I am getting about 2+ doz eggs a day with no light on most from 38 that are laying. So I am doing something right too.

I know silkies are a different story, and need heat from the little I have read. I guess I should just assume EVERYONE has silkies

it seems that way any who.... I don't and don't plan to every keep them....

 

[Lots A Cluckin]

I am getting about 2+ doz eggs a day with no light on most from 38 that are laying. So I am doing something right too.

I know silkies are a different story, and need heat from the little I have read. I guess I should just assume EVERYONE has silkies

it seems that way any who.... I don't and don't plan to every keep them....

wow that is great! yep silkies are more work that your average chicken...but I dont plan on having them much longer as I m selling all of my birds except my trio of Black English Orpingtons and I am going to start breeding them in the spring and start adding new colors I am first going to add some nice BBS chicks this spring and hope to add several other colors (chocolate, buff, white, lavender..and more!)

 

[BMaverick]

I know this time of year a lot of the hens quit laying regularly, I have an EE that hasnt laid in at least 2 1/2 weeks. I know cause shes my only EE. All the others are laying sporadicly, usually 3 or 4 eggs a week. I looked her over today nothing wrong that I can see. ( Chicken butts look funny.) Is it normal for one to just quit. She's young not even a year old. She was the first to lay in my flock of 7. If you can call 7 a flock ?

We are getting 7 to 9 eggs a day from only 13 birds. One day the production dropped to 3 due to the extreme overnight cold last week.

Per the other post, we have not added a heat lamp nor intend to. We did however enclosed the coop against the cold winds. A simple lawn solar lamp gives off a night light glow. This helps with the egg production. Birds like light. The winter daylight hours are few. One other benefit is to have a water feeder that has a warmer. Water that is around 62F all year long proves to be a sweet spot to keep egg production going. It's warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Also, depending on the bird, straw may not be the answer for nesting to get eggs. Hay has indeed been the choice. Hay is easier to clean out of the coop boxes too vs. straw. It gathers up so much better to scoop out vs the straw.

Just a few lessons learned 2 cent helps we have found

 

[Cinny]

I know this time of year a lot of the hens quit laying regularly, I have an EE that hasnt laid in at least 2 1/2 weeks. I know cause shes my only EE. All the others are laying sporadicly, usually 3 or 4 eggs a week. I looked her over today nothing wrong that I can see. ( Chicken butts look funny.) Is it normal for one to just quit. She's young not even a year old. She was the first to lay in my flock of 7. If you can call 7 a flock ?

I have 2 under a year old that use to lay and haven't since mid fall....and one the same age who still lays everyday....and one about 2 months younger who has never laid although she is of age. The vet told me it all has to do with the short days and to not worry about they all react differently and they will start again in the spring.

 

[ebinion]

In the Cross Plains/Portland/White House area I know of only one. That's still a long haul of a drive for you to get there. There is another further near Russelville, KY. Other than that, try a Amish or Mennonite community. It is getting harder to find non-GMO feed these days.

Hi, I'm looking for organic food also and I am near Portland. can you tell me where you can get it near Portland

thanks

 

[Leah21]

Quote:

Question from the novice : I read that I should provide my chickens with a dust bath
Do I achuieve this by putting a pan down and putting sven dust in it for them to lay in or should it be something else in the pan and how often should his be provided? I used to have some racing pigeons and I always put a pan of water down for them to bathe in and tey loved it. do chickens like water baths also?
Sam in Conroe Tx

I have a covered run and I add sand, peat and DE to the dirt - and I keep it loose and tilled in there. My girls just can plop down anywhere and go to town

I love this picture of a dust bath (found here on byc: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-coop-aka-tashmahal-sp ) I would recommend a cover for it to keep it dry.