Yes people I will probably milk the corny egg titles for all they are worth. Although I guess 'milking' would better go with a cow blog. The girls seem to be doing fine after I gave them their dusting last week. In fact they are very content, so much so that even when the temperature dipped twenty to thirty degrees below the freezing mark, the girls actually increased their production back up to four or five eggs a day (out of six laying hens). I don't include the bantam since she is old and my goal for her is not to lay every day but instead to be a mommy. The girls seem to follow a pattern of laying four to five eggs a day for a week and then rest for a day. On that day I will only get two or three eggs.
I store the eggs in the cold basement and wash them every second day to make close to a dozen. They have been doing so well that I had to start selling some because I had far too many for me to use or give away to family and friends.
On Monday I gave them a second dusting of the bug powder. I hope that will keep things in check. I'm going to try and get a big tub and fill it with sand, my idea is to place it in the coop every now and again to let them have a dust bath. Once they get used to that routine I will then add the powder to the tub so that I don't always have a gas cloud in the coop. I'm not a fan of chemicals but Delia was so weak I figured I needed to act fast.
5 comments:
hi, great blog!! we got 6 chickens last october and planning to start breeding!! we are mad on chickens so i will be following for tips!!
Amy
Thank you Amy. I am hoping that my bantam (Gracie) will want to hatch in spring. I just found it easier in the past to let the mother do the raising. If I can time it right, I will let her hatch her own and foster some I want to buy at the same time.
You have a beautiful family, and chicken family as well. :)
Hi, thanks for that!we would also want the mummy's to raise them, we have 2 silkies and have been told that they make excellent mums!!
Our hens are 18 weeks old, do you know a rough age on when they will start laying as we have been told so many different things!!
Thanks alot Amy :)
do you hav panomec in the states?
I use the medication (one drop on the back of the neck) to kill any mite activity.....
john
ps my hens that were hatched last year early oct have just started laying!
Amy: Usually the hens will start laying after 5 months to six months. I never pushed my hens so it was closer to six months or 24 weeks. I have heard of them starting as early as four months and as late as 8 or 9 months but by six months old you should start to see eggs.
I also heard silkie hens make the best moms, I have noticed at every fall fair if they have a mother hen with chicks on display it will most often be a silkie. I tried and tried to get a silkie hen but anyone who has one will not part with them. They are like gold around here. Chico my rooster is a silkie. Gracie is a cochin, I have been told they make the second best moms so I will see.
John: I'm Canadian eh! It is really hard to get anything in my area for chickens, most people just don't bother with chcikens here because of the cold winters and short summers. I would have prefered to get something in a spray or drop. The powder seems to be working however. Seems that lice can't live long off the body unlike mites. Since it is so cold lately, I think (hope) if the powder does not get them, the cold will.
WOW! WOW! WOW! You mean hatched in Oct 2008 and laying now? That is really good! Now stop bragging! ;) Haha! Just kidding John, really awesome, what breed are they?
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