The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[SallyinIndiana]

Any natural methods or things to feed to help my hens keep laying even when they are rotated from one pen to another. Lighting stayed the same. The amount of yard they got increased, but coop space decreased as I moved 3 hens to a breeding coop with 1 rooster.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Any natural methods or things to feed to help my hens keep laying even when they are rotated from one pen to another. Lighting stayed the same. The amount of yard they got increased, but coop space decreased as I moved 3 hens to a breeding coop with 1 rooster.

I might not lay an egg either if I had to share my husband w/2 other women

Seriously, though, I saw that you had asked about cayenne before.

I am wondering what everyone thinks about cayenne as an enticement to egg-laying in winter. Is that an "old wives tale" or does it work?

 

[Allysha1990]

I might not lay an egg either if I had to share my husband w/2 other women

Seriously, though, I saw that you had asked about cayenne before.

I am wondering what everyone thinks about cayenne as an enticement to egg-laying in winter. Is that an "old wives tale" or does it work?

I don't know if it is true, but if you sprinkled cayenne on my tongue I'd be laying eggs too! Haha

 

[armorfirelady]

Quote: I use cayenne once a month or so to deter worms. I used it a week or two ago a couple days in a row and my girls didnt lay anymore eggs

 

[Scott H]

Oprah's having a bad hair day......

 

[Leahs Mom]

Oprah's having a bad hair day......

Indeed

 

[armorfirelady]

Quote: Reminds me of my Lucy when she started molting. Poor girls...

 

[Scott H]

I hope she has her head under a wing. ..
9.5dg here this morning.

 

[armorfirelady]

I hope she has her head under a wing. ..
9.5dg here this morning.

Luckily her feathers have started to come in. If the temps are in the high 20s or below the girls stay in the coop. Can't say I blame them. I put new litter in those days and they happily dig thru the leaves and pine needles for goodies.

Thankfully the temps have been milder lately so they have been out eating the rest of the cover crop left and digging for bugs.

 

[lalaland]

Reminds me of my Lucy when she started molting. Poor girls...

she has that "i'm not happy" look that molting hens have. poor baby.

Luckily her feathers have started to come in. If the temps are in the high 20s or below the girls stay in the coop. Can't say I blame them. I put new litter in those days and they happily dig thru the leaves and pine needles for goodies.

Thankfully the temps have been milder lately so they have been out eating the rest of the cover crop left and digging for bugs.

I take it you keep feed and water inside? this is the third day in a row I've had to shoo the girls out of the coop. Once they get outside, they are totally fine.


here they are under the front end of the coop. You can see the haybales in the back - to be replaced next winter by scavanged storm windows so it is more light.

and here is the other end of the coop so you can see they have more room to use. This is also a good shot of angelina (icelandic) non existent comb - Although you might think that spot is bone, it is all healed up. I don't know if she hatched this way - maybe someone "helped" her out of the egg because she is blind in one eye and has a bum wing too. Seaquist is with her...


supposed to get 8 more inches today. Not sure what I will do about tomorrow - leave for work at 4:30 am and by the time it gets light out hours later, there will be snow on the chicken ramp and no one will go out. Do I accept the inevitable and put feed and water in the coop? Or do I let them be? Monday of this week they were still inside the coop at 2 pm because there was snow on the ramp and all around.....