A new journey into homesteading "pic heavy"

[Mini Horses]

Good luck with the coyotes. We're expecting issues this year. Bumper crop of acorns=massive influx of squirrels=lots of coyotes... ugh.

There's that "food chain" …….. Ever notice they like the young & tender pullets? Yeah, SSS those coyotes & fox & a skunk will consume small, young ones!

Yes, Teflon, thanks Sumi.

I have a hen who hid & hatched. So, two chicks and one just disappeared at about 2 days. The survivor...well, she had her nest in a trailer, it's 4' off the ground and insists on going back there each night. Little one (prob a roo!! my luck) can't get up there. So I fought ninja hen and put it with her for a week. Now, she get up there, both talk and at almost dark, I go out and find it under a ramp...it's safe spot, pick it up and put in trailer. Used to be a chase, now it knows I am there to help and doesn't run. Can't move ramp, it's huge & then goats could/would be in trailer.

 

[Chic Rustler]

I got a couple bails of pine shavings. Gonna clean out the coop and build a new compost pile. Not much i can do about the preditors and weather.

 

[baymule]

My EE flock lays nice big eggs and they lay faithfully. They are in molt and look like they went through a feather picker. LOL I have 11 and get 2-5 a day, be glad when they go back to laying! I have 29 hens and get 8-10 eggs a day right now. I have an Australorp flock, BIG disappointment. Instead of the large brown eggs, I am getting small to medium, 5-6 out of 10 hens. Boo.

 

[Chic Rustler]

Cleaned out the coop. A couple hens are molting. But that doesnt explain the white leghorns that quit laying or the EE that havent came into lay yet. We will see

 

[baymule]

Short days. Day length affects laying. In previous years I have run an extension cord and timer to the coop after they finished their molt. I suspect that is to blame for my disappointment in the Australorp flock, but they are near an electrical outlet.

We have rain scheduled for the next few days, so won't get much done outside, but I have plans on moving things around and will have my main coop up close to an electrical plug.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

@baymule I've had Australorps before and they were awesome! Hopefully yours will pick up the laying and redeem themselves.

 

[Chic Rustler]

Short days. Day length affects laying. In previous years I have run an extension cord and timer to the coop after they finished their molt. I suspect that is to blame for my disappointment in the Australorp flock, but they are near an electrical outlet.

We have rain scheduled for the next few days, so won't get much done outside, but I have plans on moving things around and will have my main coop up close to an electrical plug.

I could run a light to the coop but im not. If they just want some time off ill let em have it. Natural cycle and all....ya know?

 

[baymule]

I could run a light to the coop but im not. If they just want some time off ill let em have it. Natural cycle and all....ya know?

Once they have gone through molt, you can put a light on them. I let mine have that molt time and a little time off, but they will wait until day length increases and that can be months away.

@baymule I've had Australorps before and they were awesome! Hopefully yours will pick up the laying and redeem themselves.

I am real disappointed in these. All I have ever heard was good things about Australorps and I got duds.

 

[Mini Horses]

"Austraduds?" You have anew breed?

I am "considering" a light on my coop for first time ever. My customers want eggs and I need to be sure they have them because THAT pays for the hens winter feed. I have read you should put it on in AM, so I am thinking a timer....which I have, thanks to a $1 purchase at a 2nd hand shop, on-off sets & it's new!

Believe I will need to do about 3 hrs and that's not much electric, especially if I use the LED bulbs. I have 2 coops but will place timer so that it controls both The low power pull from the LEDs won't be near enough to equal what this timer can handle.

 

[Britesea]

I would rather let them have their natural cycle. I've heard that they "burn out" if they're encouraged to lay all year. Of course, I'm not selling eggs- I just give a dozen away once in a while to my friends; I also have several dozen in the pantry that I freeze-dried earlier so I'll have eggs for baking and scrambles through the winter even if they stop laying.