Backyard Chickens

Comment

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.

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• …
• 13
• Next ›
• Page