Keeping Chickens Newsletter
Keeping Chickens Newsletter
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December 2014
Hi Welcome to my Keeping Chickens Newsletter. Thanks to everyone who has sent in their keeping chickens tips, stories and photos etc. - as usual, if you have anything chicken related (tips, photos, stories, questions, coops etc.) you'd like to share in future issues of the newsletter or blog posts then just email
[email protected] and I will do my best to answer / include them.
Best Wishes Gina
Published December 2014 by www.Self-Sufficient-Life.com
Keeping Chickens Newsletter
Subscriber Letters George : Thanks for your wonderful newsletter, look forward to reading it every month. Looking for some answers on my 2 Easter eggers that stopped laying eggs. We recently moved from Houston to Texas hill country. We put our 9 chickens in a large box with food and water and it was a quick 3 hour trip. We released them into their new home which they seemed to love. It is a totally enclosed 12x16 ft area. When there, we let them out to free range. Since the move, our two 1 year old Araucana's stopped laying and now it's going on 3 months. They were giving us 5 eggs a week each before this, yet seem perfectly healthy right now. Not sure if there is anything I can do to get them laying again, miss our blue eggs. Any suggestions ! My Reply : The stress from the initial move would be a likely cause for them to have stopped laying, but if they have settled in and are healthy I would have expected them to normally begin laying again within a month of that happening. One possibility may be that they are laying the eggs somewhere hidden. Additionally the move may be coincidental - this time of year with the reduction in daylight hours and cooler temperatures and molts can cause a natural break in egg laying in a lot of hens although a few breeds can carry on regardless and pullets in their first year are not affected as badly as older ones. If it was time of year related then adding a light in the coop to extend the daylight hours might help (although probably not if they are molting), otherwise left naturally it may not be until the spring that they get back into it. Other than that, the usual things to look at for in otherwise healthy hens would be lice, mites and worms, and their feed - giving them a layers feed if they are not already on one, and if they get lots of treats/scratch etc perhaps cutting back on those to see if that makes a difference. John : I don’t know how to start this letter since I am heartbroken. I have lived at my current address for 3 years and have never had any type of problems with pest until last night. Sometime between 3 -4 in the morning I had a bear come through kill all my rabbits and killed several of my chickens. The worst part about this is that I feel horrible that my “girls” had to endure this horrible tragedy. He opened the cages and those that he could not open he crushed and then started to stretch and pull through the bars. I called the Park Ranger and he said that even though that is rare that it could happen bears are omnivores and will take advantage of a free meal. Is there anything that can be done to deter and ward off bears? I almost feel like getting rid of all my animals because I don’t want to come out another morning and find feathers and corpse strummed over the ground.
Published December 2014 by www.Self-Sufficient-Life.com
Keeping Chickens Newsletter
My Reply : I’m so sorry to hear that, how horrible for you. There have been a couple of subscriber experiences with a bear and the different ways it got access, but none as devastating as that and nothing that really says too much about good ways of keeping them away. http://www.self-sufficient-life.com/Oct072o958/keepingchickens_oct07_page18.htm and http://www.keepingchickensnewsletter.com/Newsletter/June2011/keepingchickensv2_pg11.htm
also a mention at the beginning here : http://www.keepingchickensnewsletter.com/Newsletter/dec13/keepingchickens_page10.htm
I’m sure there have been other more recent mentions but I can’t find them at the moment. I think someone said there were sonar/light deterrents for bears as well but I don’t know how effective those are.
Gary : My Cream Legbars bred 2014 April. Victorian farmer, Scotland.
Published December 2014 by www.Self-Sufficient-Life.com
Keeping Chickens Newsletter
Jim : One of my girls checking out her new digs! Thank you so much for all the time that you put forth every month for our enjoyment! It's a real joy reading about our funny feathered friends ... Jim
Louise : Just replying to two different people in this newsletter. First one: I would not give tuna to my chooks as tuna is very high in mercury which will find its way into the eggs and into your system, not to mention, that you will get a build-up in your chooks and cause health issues with them. The flax seed is fine BUT it must be freshly ground up each day and given to the chooks in their feed or it will just pass through the system and do nothing, the same as it does in humans. The outer casing of the flax seed being designed to withstand stomach acids of animals, passes through in the poop and then starts growing. Second one: In regards to red spider mite, here in Australia we get this little critter and so our chook houses are usually converted garden sheds constructed of metal which allows you to clean them out better and doesn’t give the little blighters a hiding place. My mother had a timber construction covered in fibro and of course they loved it. I found this out when I tried to grow orchids in it after Mum had given up on the chooks. Louise, Cranebrook, Australia.
200 Eggs a Year Chicken Care Guide CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS
Published December 2014 by www.Self-Sufficient-Life.com
Keeping Chickens Newsletter
Joanna : Hello Gina, I love your Newsletter, the amazing stories and tips and advice from Chicken lovers everywhere so I thought I would tell you all about my rescue Hens. I am a first time backyard chicken keeper from Hampshire UK. These fabulous creatures have changed my life for the better and I just find them fascinating, they make me laugh every day! I decided to welcome 5 hens from a chicken Rescue Charity in the summer last year, I had prepared everything well in advance and was lucky to find a second hand 'Eglu' + run in great condition and at a reasonable price! When they arrived they looked dreadful but here was my challenge to nurture and love them and watch them flourish to enjoy their retirement - and flourish they did! All of this summer I was getting at least 24 eggs per week, amazing! Thelma, Louise, Bird, Rosa and Oprah have been an inspiration. Sadly I have recently lost Louise but I know she had a wonderful free-range retirement. Here is a picture of Rosa (the poorest hen) when she arrived and several weeks later. These beautiful creatures have changed my life for the better, all in all we have rescued one another! Jo
Published December 2014 by www.Self-Sufficient-Life.com
Keeping Chickens Newsletter
Ray : Hi, I read in the Newsletter about people having concerns about cold weather affecting their chickens. I have 4 (buff) Orpingtons about 20 months old. I chose this breed because I read that they could tolerate the extreme weather we have here in Colorado better than most other breeds. At more than 7200 feet elevation it can get pretty cold, though not as cold as some of the really Northern states and some northern countries so I had to give this some considerable thought because these girls are really dependent on no one else but me. The coop is 4’ wide, 4’ high and 3’ deep and made of ½ inch plywood and is uninsulated and 30” off the ground. With the pitch of the roof and the area of the nesting boxes at the rear, I figure a little less than 50 cubic feet of space is what I would need to heat. I installed 2 light sockets, one on each side and fairly close to the ceiling but well away from the roost. Each is on its own plug and each has a 100 watt light screwed in. The plugs are inserted into a thermostat purchased at a home improvement store that turns on at about 30 degrees and off again at about 34. I can monitor the inside temp with a thermometer inserted through the wall and visible from my back window. When the outside temp is in the low single digits the internal temp is about 35 degrees. As temps change I can either unplug one light or install larger lights to accommodate the situation. For the winter I moved their water up into the coop and made a hard plastic box with 2-60 watt lights under it. The box is 14 x 8 x 5” high and has a sheet of tin for a top. Mounting the 2 lights horizontal keeps the water warm enough and being that I have 2 lights, if one goes out the other is enough to keep the water from freezing until I can get around to replacing the bad one. There was a period last month where I didn’t see any of the girls out of the coop for more than 6 days as the temp was hovering a little below zero day and night. I know this because there was no foot prints in the snow. These 4 girls have given me 697 eggs in the first 11 months of this year and that includes 2-1/2 months of molting where I got only 9 eggs in all that time. So, to all you people who write in with questions or answers or letters, THANK YOU, I have learned so much from all of you. Gina, Thank you, too, for making it possible. Ray near Colorado Springs, CO
Guinea Fowl A Guide To Raising Guineas CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS
Published December 2014 by www.Self-Sufficient-Life.com
Keeping Chickens Newsletter
Mari : Was wondering if anyone else noticed that their chickens eat feathers? I've caught mine eating feathers that were on the ground. Does this mean they are missing something? I've caught mamas eating them too. She's 1.5 years old now the rest are only 3 months. AND I had noticed that my Welsummer Roo didn't walk "normal" he seemed to be jerky when he walked. Last week we found him dead in the corner of the coop. They had pecked him to death. I guess they must have picked up on that he wasn't right? The rest of the birds all act and look good so hoping this was a once time happening. I have recently added the black sunflower seeds and am thinking of raising my own mealies too. I am giving them a good portion of black sunflower seeds 2-3 times a week. I sit in the coop and they eat them out of my hand. That way I can get a good look at the birds and pick them up if I want. I give them food scraps all the time as does my neighbor. So they do get a variety. Currently feeding the youngsters Nutrena grower and mamas gets the Nutrena laying crumbles. I've been much happier with this brand than Purina, which I used for my previous two batches. Mamas is in the sheep pen and I put the Jersey giant and three pullets with her. So they are getting laying crumbles but I'm not noticing any difference between those youngsters and the other youngsters. Mamas doesn't really bother the black chickens as mercilessly as she does the others so that's why I put a couple of the Jersey's with her in hopes for her to get used to them. They go into the coop together at night. They do get into the 4way and that seems to give them some tarry, runny poops and I catch them eating the hay too, which I think is probably good for them. Oh yeah and my two Dorking roosters are already crowing! They just started about a week and a half ago. I haven't heard the Jersey Giant yet and the welsummer was also starting to try to crow before he was offed.... 3 months old and crowing already! That's pretty young right? I'm thinking since I lost the welsummer roo of putting the other dorking roo with them and crossing them. I'm thinking they would make pretty chicks. I'm guessing I would get some that would lay brown eggs and maybe increase the size on the welsummers and probably will get some that have the extra toe ;0) Both the dorking and welsummer hens have gorgeous red colored breast feathers. In fact they look a lot alike other than one has shades of browns and the other shades of silver. :) Mari Roberson, Silent Oak Ranch My Reply : If the feathers are being eaten then that can be a sign of a general lack of protein in the diet and perhaps specifically a methionine deficiency. Methionine is an amino acid and is usually found in commercial feeds, but if they are eating a lot of other things in addition to their commercial feed, they may not be getting as much as they would otherwise do. A nutritional / vitamin supplement may help. The other thing often recommended with regards to methionine is a treat of black oil sunflower seeds as they are supposed to be a good natural source of it so hopefully your recent addition of those will already be helping. Published December 2014 by www.Self-Sufficient-Life.com
Keeping Chickens Newsletter
Penny : This is our new chicken coop just completed Nov. 29th. Right now it's housing right around 70 chickens. I have 2 roosters. They'll be nice and warm this winter. We heat the room and they love it. Penny from Illinois Aaron : I live in Central Texas so our winters are mild but we have several days of freezing weather each year. I have concrete blocks (8X8X16) that I have my metal waterers on. With the blocks set so that holes are up, I place a candle in one of the holes and place the waterer over the hole on freezing days. This is enough heat (by using food warmer candles) to keep the water from freezing.
Ten Acres Enough How A Very Small Farm May Be Made To Keep A Very Large Family A self-sufficiency classic, in this book Edmund details the first 3 years of his 'back to the land' experience and explains honestly what worked for him and what did not.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS
Published December 2014 by www.Self-Sufficient-Life.com
Keeping Chickens Newsletter
Carol : Our chickens may not totally enjoy the snow but they hate to pass up a chance to free range in the forest. Central Ontario, Canada.
Published December 2014 by www.Self-Sufficient-Life.com
Keeping Chickens Newsletter
Faye : I have a very sweet Isa Brown hen, the last of a flock of 26. She is about 7 years old and has outlived her sisters by at least 2 years. Red, as I call her, has confused me several times. Two years ago in October, she appeared to be on her final leg of life, her feathers thinned nearly to the point of baldness, her once beautiful tall proud comb was just a tiny thin stubble. Fearing she was near death, I decided to make her as comfortable as possible for her final days. I took her from her 8 x 12 coop that had once been the active home of 26 hens, but was now empty and lonely. Her final home would be a small cage in the garage where she could be kept warm, dry, and enjoy our company as we came and went throughout the day. I put a heat lamp on her and saw to it she had fresh straw, food, and water along with treats. The time went by, one week, two weeks, then a couple months. Red's feathers came back and she was more active. Then one day, without warning, I got a huge surprise! My little red hen who had been so listless had laid an egg! She hadn't laid an egg for months and there it was, a wonderful oval brown jewel. Come spring, she was put back into her huge coop where she continued laying eggs and doing all the things a happy healthy chicken does. Mark : I'm building my coop and I'm wondering what is a good size door for the chickens to enter and exit the coop? They will be heavy brown egg layers. I'm planning a pull string to open from the outside. Thank you for any information. My Reply : It doesn't necessarily have to be a particular size as long as they can get in and out comfortably. Mine is 12.5 inches wide by 13.5 inches high (I have Orpingtons) but that may be a bit on the big side as when I purchased an automatic door kit the metal door that came with that was 12 inches wide by 13 inches high so I ended up having to do a bit of adapting.
Published December 2014 by www.Self-Sufficient-Life.com
