The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

On the egg laying/molting issue..
It depends on the age of the birds whether they will do a molt right now or not. But it is natural thing for their bodies to rest during the winter with the cycle of the seasons. I know some folks use light, but my thought is that it is healthier for them to have that natural break and to be restored an strengthened.

I don't worry a whole lot about egg production during this time of year. I'm really happy when I do get eggs, but I don't get concerned about production until around March. If things don't pick up by then I start to try to figure out if there are any health issues - of if it's time to replace the older girls with new layers.

I also think that not being able to range as much makes a difference in egg production. They're not getting the insect protein that they can during spring/summer/fall, and their body adjusts to that change. Makes sense in nature.

 

[Allysha1990]

On the egg laying/molting issue..
It depends on the age of the birds whether they will do a molt right now or not. But it is natural thing for their bodies to rest during the winter with the cycle of the seasons. I know some folks use light, but my thought is that it is healthier for them to have that natural break and to be restored an strengthened.

I don't worry a whole lot about egg production during this time of year. I'm really happy when I do get eggs, but I don't get concerned about production until around March. If things don't pick up by then I start to try to figure out if there are any health issues - of if it's time to replace the older girls with new layers.

I also think that not being able to range as much makes a difference in egg production. They're not getting the insect protein that they can during spring/summer/fall, and their body adjusts to that change. Makes sense in nature.

Good info We gave them a light on a timer more to give them light during the day rather than have them sit in the dark.

 

[wantedman66]

On the egg laying/molting issue..
It depends on the age of the birds whether they will do a molt right now or not.  But it is natural thing for their bodies to rest during the winter with the cycle of the seasons.  I know some folks use light, but my thought is that it is healthier for them to have that natural break and to be restored an strengthened. 

I don't worry a whole lot about egg production during this time of year.  I'm really happy when I do get eggs, but I don't get concerned about production until around March.  If things don't pick up by then I start to try to figure out if there are any health issues - of if it's time to replace the older girls with new layers.

I also think that not being able to range as much makes a difference in egg production.  They're not getting the insect protein that they can during spring/summer/fall, and their body adjusts to that change.  Makes sense in nature.

Yes I feel the same way and also believe it has to do with age breed and molting,out of about 35chicken being different ages and breeds I'm only getting 4-6 a day but im fine with that because I know when spring comes ile end up with 1-2 dz a day so I'm not worried.

 

[ki4got]

Quote:
fox and coyote can and will climb if given enough incentive...

 

[CoopChick719]

Thoughts and advice, please.
Any ideas on how I can be sure the one pullet in particular - and her sister - get their share of the regular feed?

I have a similar situation. After adding 5 RIR pullets to the flock, my 2 Sizzles & 2 bantam Cochins (the original girls) have been chased away from feeders. They won't even come off the roost until all the big ones are let out in the morning. Do I feel bad? Yes, I do. I've started closing the pop door and feeding them in the coop. I always fill the feeders in the run first so the big girls will be preoccupied when the popdoor closes. So the smaller girls get about 30 minutes to eat their fill before I have to open the pop door so eggs can be laid and I go get ready for work.

Interesting thing I found out. These 2 (Miss Sweden is the primary one I'm talking about and then there is Miss Black) Can both squeeze through the bars into the little kiddos area. I've had to shoo them out of there a couple of times. Of course, when they go in, all the little ones run out! (Sounds like the cat in the hat or something...)

LM, I've been thinking about making a safe area for my 4 smaller girls so they can eat in peace and get out into the pen. I'm not sure they've been leaving the coop without being chased back in. How big is the spacing between the bars in your safe area?

I haven't posted a whole lot of new pictures on this thread in a while, as I do most of that from my Facebook Farm Page now, but had to share this girl. I think she is really something

She is a beauty, aoxa!!


I have a ventilation question. My coop is 8' x 12'. I have two 6"x6" vents in each gable end--North & South. I have 2 sliding windows--a 2'x2' in the South end & a 2'x3' in the North end. Both windows are higher than the roost. Are the vents enough ventilation or should I leave one or both of the windows open and how much--a crack, halfway, wide open? Our night time temps have been in the mid 20's lately but can get into the negative digits throughout the winter.

 

[delisha]

Quote:
It has nothing to do with *want*. it has to do with with sexual maturity. All pullets lay when they are sexually mature. Not a day sooner.

If they are not laying they usually are not given layer pellets. Layer pellets are for sexually mature birds who have grown up and need additional calcium to make eggs. If a bird is not making eggs..like males and chicks..the additional calcium can be damaging and cause health issues. I am using words like *can* and *should* because people do put chicks on adult food and they do just fine *sometimes*.

My AM's do not start laying until they are at least 8 months old. Orpingtons and Wyandottes..6-8 months old. My Cornish crosses and leghorns start sooner. All breeds lay at different times because they are genetically engineered to start laying later and longer or earlier and shorter. Egg layers, dual purpose, and meat breeds all lay differently. All varieties lay a different amount of eggs. My leghorns, cornish, rocks lay 6 eggs a week. My Wyandottes, RIR and Orpingtons are 4-5 a week and my AM are 3-4 a week. I have a little silkie girl who lays 6 eggs a week.

Gabled vents are good and crack that north window if it is predator safe.

 

[Allysha1990]

It has nothing to do with *want*. it has to do with with sexual maturity. All pullets lay when they are sexually mature. Not a day sooner.

If they are not laying they usually are not given layer pellets. Layer pellets are for sexually mature birds who have grown up and need additional calcium to make eggs. If a bird is not making eggs..like males and chicks..the additional calcium can be damaging and cause health issues. I am using words like *can* and *should* because people do put chicks on adult food and they do just fine *sometimes*.

They are 33 week old Speckled Sussex. I feed them layer pellets because the only feed I can get around here is layer pellets or chick grower, so I figured the layer pellets would be better than the grower as they are pretty much full grown now, plus the chick grower has medication in it and I don't want to feed it to them.

 

[CoopChick719]

Gabled vents are good and crack that north window if it is predator safe.

Thanks del! The north window is predator safe (inside & out) but my prevailing winds in winter are usually N or NW. I've been cracking the south one.

 

[aoxa]

I'm getting a whole boatload of eggs now. The Pennies have started. Some are not ready yet, so they aren't all laying. I'm averaging around 20 a day including the silkies.

One of my NNs keeps jumping the dutch doors and laying her egg in the hallway on the concrete floor

 

[lalaland]

Wind chill tomorrow is supposed to be -20....they don't stay in the coop...when the door opens out they go. We'll see what happens tomorrow. If I was home (I leave for work @ 3:00AM) i would lock them in. I guess they have a choice.

I hate having to leave for work in the dark. This morning I left the coop door shut - 30 below zero windchills and high is below zero too. Then all the way to work I worried that I should have opened the coop door! geesh.

I'm getting a whole boatload of eggs now. The Pennies have started. Some are not ready yet, so they aren't all laying. I'm averaging around 20 a day including the silkies.

One of my NNs keeps jumping the dutch doors and laying her egg in the hallway on the concrete floor

lucky girl! I've gotten a total of 3 pullet eggs from Princess, one of the sulmtalers - but there might be more that I haven't found. Sulmtaler thread people say the breed doesn't like to lay in nests!