Backyard Chickens?

Gelcoater said:
So the color of the egg is determined by the type of bird rather than its diet?
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Yep, some people even pick their hens by the egg color. I thought that was odd. When we got our hens, hubby went to the feed store to get them. I couldn't go for some reason. He calls and asked what color eggs do I want? I don't care! I asked why he wanted to know and he told me the guy at the store says everybody picks their hens by egg color. I told him to find somebody else to help him cause he probably couldn't tell if it was a rooster or not.

MyBuddy said:
Yea, that's a lot!
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It is! It is not normal for hens to lay that many. But I keep my hens very happy and happy hens lay more eggs. ;)


Dobs4ever said:
With the cooler weather I am seeing more feathers laying around too.
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WOW! already? I haven't seen any signs yet. I get everything I need to change over their diet tomorrow. So out early in the morning to give the coop a good cleaning and install the new feeders with molt diet, spread some DE and some fresh new hay. All the while the dogs will be in and the chickens out doing some bug patrol.
 
paintinsthegame said:
Yep, some people even pick their hens by the egg color. I thought that was odd. When we got our hens, hubby went to the feed store to get them. I couldn't go for some reason. He calls and asked what color eggs do I want? I don't care! I asked why he wanted to know and he told me the guy at the store says everybody picks their hens by egg color. I told him to find somebody else to help him cause he probably couldn't tell if it was a rooster or not.




It is! It is not normal for hens to lay that many. But I keep my hens very happy and happy hens lay more eggs. ;)





WOW! already? I haven't seen any signs yet. I get everything I need to change over their diet tomorrow. So out early in the morning to give the coop a good cleaning and install the new feeders with molt diet, spread some DE and some fresh new hay. All the while the dogs will be in and the chickens out doing some bug patrol.
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Out of curiosity what changes in diet are needed for molt season?
For that matter,what is considered a "normal" diet for them to be healthy and productive?
 
Gelcoater said:
Out of curiosity what changes in diet are needed for molt season?
For that matter,what is considered a "normal" diet for them to be healthy and productive?
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Feathers are made of something like 85% protein. During molt the chickens are using everything they have to make more feathers. So it makes it easier on the them to increase their protein intake. I usually change their feed from layer feed to a feed that is made for meat chickens, meaning the ones that are raised to eat, not lay. I give black oil sunflower seeds, low sodium canned tuna in oil. I also cut their grit consumption to about 10% so they get more protein. Last year when I tried a molt diet, it went faster and egg production just slowed, didn't stop. This explains it better than I can.
The Molting Process in Chickens
 
I have two projects I want to complete this year - getting lighting to the coop and a movable pen area to rotate them around to fresh grassy areas. I am now looking at Nigerian dwarf goats - That requires some major fencing but it would save me a ton on mowing the back 5 acres!!!
 
They really are not that hard. But like all things I think there is a learning curve. If you start with baby chicks they are very fragile til they get their full feathers. Then you can't add them to the regular flock til they are about 3 months old and almost as big as the other chickens or they can peck them to death. So far I have not had a major problem adding new chickens into my flock. I did send a rooster to the stew pot last year because he plucked all the feathers off the back of a couple of my hens. They were pretty sad looking and I don't think they would have made it through the winter without there feathers.
 
Quick update on my hens. :)
The oldest hens are now 4 years old. They are still laying GREAT!
I have done a ton of research and tried lots of things to keep them laying all year. This winter was our most successful to date.
In the past couple of years we have added the molt diet in the fall and lighting in the coup and both have helped tremendously. While the laying does slow in the short days, the lighting has helped fool them.
We had a great weekend and Drake is on crate rest till the stitches come out so the hens got to do lots of exploring in the backyard. That extra exercise must have triggered something because we got quite a few extra eggs this weekend.
Now I can't wait to move so I can increase my flock. :)
 
Sounds wonderful, Genny! How many are there again? And how many eggs would you say you get a week? or day?
 
MyBuddy said:
Sounds wonderful, Genny! How many are there again? And how many eggs would you say you get a week? or day?
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Based on the average for hens, this is outstanding! Hens usually drop off in the laying department at about 2 years old. I have 2 hens that are 4 and one that is 1 years old..
This winter I got about 10 eggs a week. That doesn't sound like a lot, but with 2 old hens and short days, it's fantastic. We'll see what they do once the days warm up and get longer.
I was pretty opposed to having chicken in the first place, it was all hubby's idea. Now I can say that I'm glad I caved. They are really fun little creatures.
As a kid, my grandparents lived on a farm and they had chickens. OMG, they were mean little critters that didn't want to give up their eggs. Mine just lay them in the hot spot and leave them, so it's not hard at all to get the eggs. They are actually pretty fun to have. They are very curious and love to stay stimulated. It's fun to watch them figure out the games I think of for them.
 
I got some chickens when we lived in florida a few years back and got SOOO much info from a website call Backyard Chickens, excellent for the beginner...I live in Michigan now and have 4 ISA Browns...hybrids, and they are LAYING MACHINES!!! (got them from tractor supply)They lay everyday haven't slowed down this winter either and they have no light/ heat source and are doing great!! I think the BEST INVESTMENT is a HEATED WATER BOWL. My husband built my coop, they have an outside area and an inside area as well as two laying boxes, has worked out great. Good luck, hope you each alot of eggs, I have to give them out to my neighbors...we can't keep up!
 
The hazards of backyard chickens video is sooo TRUE...I started with a couple and ended up with over 30 some ducks and a goat...hehehe
 
GennyB said:
Show him this thread. ;)
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Great idea! ;)
WiglWerm said:
I started with a couple and ended up with over 30 some ducks and a goat...hehehe
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Haha, I'll bet! Another thing our daughter in law would like........a goat for goats milk. :D Our son in NOT convinced! He said for all the trouble of 'do it yourself' he says go to a health food store and buy it! They have their hands full with kids (children! lol ) but I suspect as the years go by and kids are in school, this just might come to be. :fingersx:
 
I have been arguing for chickens since we bought our house... How much space would you suggest 1 or 2 chickens need? His argument is thatched loose a good portion of the yard to fence off for them, as we live on a main road and if they aren't fenced and would wander into the road and cause an accident, were held accountable.
 
MischasMomma said:
How much space would you suggest 1 or 2 chickens need? His argument is thatched loose a good portion of the yard to fence off for them, as we live on a main road and if they aren't fenced and would wander into the road and cause an accident, were held accountable.
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You need about 4 square feet per bird
 
MischasMomma said:
I have been arguing for chickens since we bought our house... How much space would you suggest 1 or 2 chickens need? His argument is thatched loose a good portion of the yard to fence off for them, as we live on a main road and if they aren't fenced and would wander into the road and cause an accident, were held accountable.
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You have options that can make it work for you. In our situation, our backyard is a 1/2 acre that is fenced. We keep the hens in a coup for the most part. My routine is I let Drake out in the morning. We usually work on some training or fetch for awhile. Then Drake goes inside for some rest before breakfast. I go collect eggs, feed and water the hens and clean the coup. I let the hens out to roam the yard.Then back inside where I put a sign on the back door that says no dogs, hens are out. The hens run around scratching for bugs, eating grass and having themselves a good time. Later in the afternoon I go put them back in the coup so Drake can have the backyard for some excerise.
If I were you, I would look into a chicken tractor. You can buy one or make one yourself. It's like a mobile pen. You can put the hens in there and move it all over the yard. The hens get to get out and control the bug population and be protected from predators, should be perfect for you.
 
GennyB said:
If I were you, I would look into a chicken tractor. You can buy one or make one yourself. It's like a mobile pen. You can put the hens in there and move it all over the yard. The hens get to get out and control the bug population and be protected from predators, should be perfect for you.
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I've seen that somewhere (was it earlier in this thread?) and I think Genny is right. You should look into that! :D
 
That sounds awesome!! We have a half acre too, but got an invisible fence for the dogs because the view is so beautiful we changed our minds about fencing the yard in... He definitely won't go for it for chickens if he changed his mind for the dogs... I'll definitely look into that though and present him with all my info before bringing chickens up again!
 
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