SufficientSelf's Chicken Thread!!!

[Wannabefree]

Yeah what meat scraps we never have any...poor chickies!

 

[BarredBuff]

Don't worry Buff! It would certainly stop the picking though! It's hard to pick when your dead!

 

[BarredBuff]

Yeah what meat scraps we never have any...poor chickies!

WOW! What coincidences! We dont either!

 

[Buckabucka]

I know most of y'all free-range your chickens, but is there anyone else out there that can't for one reason or another?

The reason I ask, is that I am having a problem with feather picking. 1 of my girls is nearly bare from the middle of her back to her tail and all around her vent area. Another is about half that bad. The 3 others are better but only the one that I have separated is fully feathered.



I have thoroughly examined them for any mites or other parasites, and they seem perfectly healthy in all other aspects. They eat well and are very active. They are still all laying regularly as well.

They are Production Reds to the best of my knowledge, and I have read that they can have brittle feathers. My girl's feathers do appear brittle.

I have tried upping there protein with things like lentils, split peas and canned tuna. I have read that cat food is often used, but I've read mixed things on that. What do you think of changing their feed to a grower feed and supplementing with calcium free choice? Any other suggestions or experiences will be happily received!

Sometimes chickens pull feathers because of lack of protein, but often it is just from boredom and being cooped up. I also had this problem, and I increased protein and started letting the chickens roam in a fenced area (outside their run and away from my garden). What really solved the problem was identifying the worst feather pickers (usually the ones with all of their feathers) and putting pinless peepers on them. I didn't really like the idea of them, but it solved the problem and they all have beautiful feathers now. I got the pinless peepers at eggcartons website. I am not allowed post the link, as a new member, so you'll have to google it.
Good luck!

 

[blefky]

Hi all. I've been keeping chickens for a few years now. Have a flock of twenty - two roos, fifteen laying hens, and three cockerels (born this autumn - destined for freezer camp ). I've hatched chicks using both the incubator and a broody. The flock gets organic feed, plus scratch with BOSS, and whatever they can get hold of while free ranging afternoons (though lately the hawks have been out in force - scared one off of my barred rock hen a last week - so I keep them in the run when I see too many around). I'm getting around ten eggs a day right now, which is decent considering I don't light or heat the coop. I do keep a heated waterer in the coop in the winter though. I also offer free choice grit and oyster shell - they go through a lot of oyster shell, but rarely take the grit (more so in winter). Here's a few pics:

My head roo, Hughie (light sussex) and his sister Pearl (coronation sussex)

My little runty buff orpington broody, Chicklet and her babies

Ok, not chickens. My american bulldog Gracie, with our goslings last spring.

 

[BarredBuff]

NICE looking flock! I wish I could get broodies more often, they are more fun and easier. I have the bator going now though!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

I just picked up 3 more Sumatra pullets for my breeding flock of Sumatras today

 

[luvinlife offthegrid]

Two weeks ago, I noticed that one of my dominique's neck looked a little thin, so I took a closer look. It looked like she was wearing a scarf of pin feathers! I checked her out and there is no damage to the skin underneath. Did she have a mini molt in January? Is she losing feathers due to stress from the cold? Perhaps her flockmates are telling to move over on the roosts? If it was feather picking, would I see any redness on the skin? And would it be in that area?

As far as space and protein goes, I have a 8 x 16 coop, and a 10 x 30 run for 12 hens. No roosters in the flock. Feed is blue seal eggmaker crumbles, 18% protein, plus I feed a scratch grains + BOSS mixture- a few handfuls in the morning. I also make a sandwich container (square ziplock or rubbermaid ) of suet mix for them to share when it's going to get really cold (0* or below) at night. I melt beef suet, then mix in layer crumbles, cooked red lentils, scratch grains, and BOSS. It's maybe 6 x6 square and an inch deep. layer crumbles are free choice. Oyster shell and grit are also free choice.

Any ideas?

 

[the1honeycomb]

I have 9 hens. No eggs. They quit laying over a month ago, they are all between 2-3 years old. I had gotten some year old hens a few months ago but the owls took them! Funny how they left the old girls. So this spring putting a roof over the coop and starting a whole new flock.

Eta- I feed nutrena layer feed. Also corn mixed with oats and sometimess wheat. I get day old bread and they get that 2-3 X a week and vegie leftovers.

Anyone feed whole sunflower seeds? My mom gets them by the 50 lb bag and always offers some of them to me. Never was sure about them tho.

I feed my birds whole sunflower seeds and they LOVE it!!!

I throw the seeds over my garden area hoping if some don't get eaten they will grow for spring.

 

[Doozerdoo1]

Two weeks ago, I noticed that one of my dominique's neck looked a little thin, so I took a closer look. It looked like she was wearing a scarf of pin feathers! I checked her out and there is no damage to the skin underneath. Did she have a mini molt in January? Is she losing feathers due to stress from the cold? Perhaps her flockmates are telling to move over on the roosts? If it was feather picking, would I see any redness on the skin? And would it be in that area?

As far as space and protein goes, I have a 8 x 16 coop, and a 10 x 30 run for 12 hens. No roosters in the flock. Feed is blue seal eggmaker crumbles, 18% protein, plus I feed a scratch grains + BOSS mixture- a few handfuls in the morning. I also make a sandwich container (square ziplock or rubbermaid ) of suet mix for them to share when it's going to get really cold (0* or below) at night. I melt beef suet, then mix in layer crumbles, cooked red lentils, scratch grains, and BOSS. It's maybe 6 x6 square and an inch deep. layer crumbles are free choice. Oyster shell and grit are also free choice.

Any ideas?

Mini molt as mine did the same thing. I have 5 girls, in my back yard . A 5x6 coop, a 10feet x15 feet pen. They usually free range, but I'm stopping that as it's to messy and my dogs eat the poo yuck! So the pen will be enlarged this month, and we are adding an electric door. The pen is enclosed top to bottom for winter and they love a dry cozy pen. The coop is not heated but so insulated its funny. We will be adding electricity to the wall and making it easier for us to add a heat lamp at below zero temps, though not sure if that's important they love there coop and it's really really insulated. 6 inches deep " are the walls and nest area . we are getting 3 to 4 eggs a day and happy as clams. They took a month off, but one has laid every day since starting last summer. We feed them pelleted food every day, fresh, each morning. Scrambled eggs 3 days a week, scraps left over from dinner,Each night and if no scraps we give them blue berries ,coleslaw instead. 3 days a week they get a big bowl of boss, and 3 days a week they get scratch. Some days they also get warm oatmeal, and some days they get a bowl of yogurt. My girls are loved and so spoiled. When I had the coop built I was disappointed in the size, I have learned much more now and plan to extend my coop out so my girls will have a bigger nest box( deeper) and the pen will have sand laid when spring comes. So glad it's a dry pen right now, mud would be terrible right now. We clean our coop every few weeks laying down 6 inches of new shavings. They have a heated water dish for winter. And every day we carry 2 more water fountains to the pen so there is plenty of fresh water every day so they lay eggs well. ( I read chickens lay better with lots of fresh water ) I tend to agree, it's so dark and cold here but they are laying well . We offer them oyster shell and grit daily " but they seem to forgo the oyster shell as I think they get enough with the yogurt. There shells are amazing and strong!