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Backyard Chickens

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A place to discuss and share the joy and trials of chicken raising! Share your chicken knowledge, photos, coop plans, ask questions, anything chicken related!

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HOMEGROWN Discussions

Sudden Chicken Death? 8 Replies

Just checked on my small flock of silkies and found one dead:( She was still warm no blood or feathers missing. She was only 1 and I haven't changed their food or environment. We have received a lot…Continue

Started by Lizz. Last reply by Cindy on Tuesday.

New summer home for our small flock 2 Replies

I put together a small animal pen 10' x 10' with a shade. We moved our four chickens in, and the first night something climbed the pen and wiggled in. It killed and partially ate one of our hens, so…Continue

Tags: Coop, Chicken

Started by Rick Nichols. Last reply by Rick Nichols on Tuesday.

Banties 1 Reply

Good morning.... Does anyone here know much about Banty breed hens? And yes I know its prob spelled wrong!!! Anywho, we picked up 2 hens that were about 2 days old about 2 months ago and Ive since…Continue

Started by Dawn Mezurek. Last reply by Cindy Jun 8.

Advice needed. I"m not sure what I should do or if I should do anything? 6 Replies

I purchased baby chicks in Feb. and thought I had a rooster with them but we sexed it wrong and so I ended with 15 girls. I Have a mixed flock of both large and bantam (more large)My boyfriends…Continue

Started by Cindy. Last reply by Cindy Jun 8.

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Comment by Nancy on November 14, 2011 at 11:05pm: They can feed whenever and I have had the light in there for the past couple weeks anyway. I wouldn't butcher them. I only butcher the meat birds I ordered with them and they were wonderful. They grew huge and I cooked our first one this past week. Wonderful! Just can't figure these girls out. They are stubborn, I tell ya! They even have a rooster so, I hope, they will have some babies next yr, if they ever lay to begin with. Meredith, I am jealous of your hens productivity right now. Thank you both for your info. Very informative!

Comment by Meredith Cope on November 13, 2011 at 8:28pm: Nancy, I think it would help if you put a light in your hen house. Just turn it on between 6-7 am and turn it off around 9-10pm. We do this, and we've still been getting a good number of eggs.

Also, how are you feeding them? Do you have a hanging feeder that they can eat from free choice, or do you feed them an amount once or twice a day?

We were feeding our hens twice a day, and I noticed that we weren't getting as may eggs as we should have been getting. We bought a free choice hanging feeder, and that has helped significantly! We went from 2-3 eggs a day to 11-13 eggs a day.

Comment by rachel whetzel on November 13, 2011 at 4:59pm: Nancy, I wouldn't waste all your money and time you've put into raising these gals up into butchering. If you want to help them lay now, you can always put a timer and a light in your hen house and lengthen their "daylight" hours up to the 14. I don't artificially light, so I'm not getting eggs right now... but I would consider that over butchering with hens I just got.

Comment by Rachel Hoff on November 12, 2011 at 11:46pm: Though I generally like to give my girls a rest, you could put a light in the coop. Put it on a timer so they have at least 14 hours of light. Might help squeeze some more eggs out of them.

Comment by Nancy on November 12, 2011 at 10:49pm: Thank you for that info. Well, isn't that just great. I hate buying eggs. I have some older hens and only one is laying. They are not older than 2-3 yrs old. Why would they not be laying? I would certainly dispatch them if all I am doing is feeding them. I figured it was the molt but they all look good now. Those 3 should be spitting out some eggs. It has just not been a good Fall for us, I think.

Comment by Nancy on November 12, 2011 at 10:48pm: Thank you for that info. Well, isn't that just great. I hate buying eggs. I have some older hens and only one is laying. They are not older than 2-3 yrs old. Why would they not be laying? I would certainly dispatch them if all I am doing is feeding them. I figured it was the molt but they all look good now. Those 3 should be spitting out some eggs. It has just not been a good Fall for us, I think.

Comment by Nancy on November 12, 2011 at 10:48pm: Thank you for that info. Well, isn't that just great. I hate buying eggs. I have some older hens and only one is laying. They are not older than 2-3 yrs old. Why would they not be laying? I would certainly dispatch them if all I am doing is feeding them. I figured it was the molt but they all look good now. Those 3 should be spitting out some eggs. It has just not been a good Fall for us, I think.

Comment by Nancy on November 12, 2011 at 10:48pm: Thank you for that info. Well, isn't that just great. I hate buying eggs. I have some older hens and only one is laying. They are not older than 2-3 yrs old. Why would they not be laying? I would certainly dispatch them if all I am doing is feeding them. I figured it was the molt but they all look good now. Those 3 should be spitting out some eggs. It has just not been a good Fall for us, I think.

Comment by Nancy on November 12, 2011 at 10:48pm: Thank you for that info. Well, isn't that just great. I hate buying eggs. I have some older hens and only one is laying. They are not older than 2-3 yrs old. Why would they not be laying? I would certainly dispatch them if all I am doing is feeding them. I figured it was the molt but they all look good now. Those 3 should be spitting out some eggs. It has just not been a good Fall for us, I think.

Comment by Nancy on November 12, 2011 at 10:48pm: Thank you for that info. Well, isn't that just great. I hate buying eggs. I have some older hens and only one is laying. They are not older than 2-3 yrs old. Why would they not be laying? I would certainly dispatch them if all I am doing is feeding them. I figured it was the molt but they all look good now. Those 3 should be spitting out some eggs. It has just not been a good Fall for us, I think.