I've been watching my flock for about 6 months now, and everyone says the top hen bosses the rooster around sometimes. But my Speckled Sussex hen, Betty, literally dive-bombs my rooster every time he tries to call the flock to food. He just stands there and takes it... is that normal or is my flock dynamics totally broken? I'm wondering if we overthink how pecking order really works, or if I should just let them sort it out. Anyone else have a hen that completely runs the show?
I used to be one of those people who thought table scraps were just a cheap treat for the flock, nothing more. But after my neighbor Dave gave me a tour of his setup last spring and showed me his egg production records, I had to try it his way. He's been feeding his hens a mix of veggie peelings, stale bread, and even some leftover scrambled eggs for three years straight. So I started doing the same back in March, noting down how many eggs I got each week. By September, my 8 hens went from maybe 4 eggs a day to a solid 7 almost every morning. I didn't change their layer feed or light schedule or anything else. Has anyone else seen a real spike from just adding scraps late in the season?
I was starting to think my Buff Orpington, Henrietta, was never gonna lay. My buddy kept telling me to be patient, that some breeds just take longer. This morning I went out to refill the waterer and there it was, a little brown egg sitting in the nesting box. I cracked it open for breakfast and it had the deepest orange yolk I've ever seen, totally worth the wait. Anyone else have a chicken that took forever to start laying?
I always thought heat lamps were for fancy show chickens, not my hardy Rhode Island Reds. Then we hit -12 degrees last January and I lost two birds, while his flock was laying eggs like it was July.
I went to this 'sustainable farm' tour outside Portland last weekend, thinking I'd get some good ideas for my setup. Their coop looked beautiful, like a tiny barn with a green roof and all. But they had 15 birds crammed into a space built for maybe 8, and the roosts were just 2x4s with the sharp edges still on. I mentioned it to the guide and she got all defensive, saying the chickens 'prefer it natural.' Has anyone else seen these 'pretty' coops that are actually terrible for the birds?
I was out feeding the flock last Tuesday when she came stomping over in her bathrobe, yelling about how her kid couldn't sleep. I asked her if she'd prefer a raccoon getting in the coop instead... she just stood there staring at me. Anyone else have neighbors who don't get country life in a suburban yard?
I kept finding broken shells and missing eggs for nearly a week before I finally caught my own hen red-beaked in the act. Anyone else have a chicken turn on their own eggs out of nowhere?
I live in a suburb outside Austin where roosters are technically allowed but nobody really has them. Well last Tuesday I go out to feed my 4 Rhode Island Reds and there's this massive black rooster just strutting around my run like he owns the place. Turns out my neighbor 3 houses down got a rooster without telling anyone and it flew over like 2 fences to get to my girls. For a whole week this guy would crow at 4:30 AM, fight my biggest hen for the best snacks, and even tried to mate with my plastic feeder. I finally caught him with a fishing net after he pecked my ankle through my boots. My neighbor was super chill about it, just laughed and said his rooster has wanderlust. Now I keep a closer eye on my fence gaps and put netting over the top of my run. Has anyone else had random roosters show up uninvited?
I was scooping poop every weekend like clockwork until a neighbor told me to just let the bedding build up and turn it, and now I barely smell ammonia even on hot days, has anyone else seen this big a change from one simple switch?
I went to a place called Happy Hen Acres outside Austin last weekend. They keep 200 birds in a covered run system with rotating pens and the chickens looked HEALTHY. No predators, no lost eggs in the weeds, and zero mud issues. I have 12 birds free ranging my backyard and I lose at least 3 eggs a week to who knows what. Plus I had a hawk take one of my hens last fall. Everyone in my local group says free range is the only way but after seeing this setup I'm thinking about building a big enclosed run. Has anyone else switched from free range to a covered run and saw their hens get more relaxed?
I built what I thought was a fortress out of hardware cloth and welded wire. Used 1/4 inch mesh on the bottom, buried it 8 inches deep. Something got in anyway and killed three of my hens. Found a spot where a raccoon had pried the corner seam apart where two sections met. Hadn't stapled it close enough together. Anyone else had a smart predator work around their setup?
Cleaned out the coop and there was a dead mouse right next to a fresh egg, has anyone else had this happen and do I need to worry about disease?
Saw a guy at the feed store in Austin last week who said my girls would never lay well if I only cleaned the coop once a month. He said ammonia buildup messes with their breathing and stress levels. So I switched to spot cleaning every 3 days plus a full bedding swap weekly. Has anyone else noticed a real difference in egg production after stepping up their cleaning routine?
I've been keeping chickens for about 3 years now in my backyard outside of Portland. For the first two years I let them free range all day and they loved it, great egg taste, happy birds. But after losing three to a hawk last spring and two more to a neighbor's dog, I switched to a covered run full time. The eggs are still fine but the birds seem bored and I've had more pecking issues since then. Now I'm wondering if I'm being too cautious keeping them locked up or if the losses are just part of the deal. What do you other folks do, let them roam or keep them penned?
Was at the feed store last Saturday and this woman was telling the cashier how her hens went from 6 eggs a day to maybe 2 after she grabbed a different bag on sale. I've been using the same layer crumbles for 3 years now and never thought about it. Makes me wonder if I'm just lucky or if my girls are picky like that. Has anyone else had a sudden drop just from changing feed?
Picked up a nice heated waterer from Tractor Supply last month because I was tired of breaking ice every morning. Turns out my girls are picky and wouldn't drink from it, so I had to go back to their old bucket and a small aquarium heater. What weird stuff have your chickens turned their beaks up at?
I started soaking my layers feed in water with a splash of apple cider vinegar for 24 hours before feeding, thinking it would boost their gut health. Instead my whole flock got runny droppings and stopped laying for about 10 days after the third week. Has anyone else had fermentation go wrong like this or did I just mess up the ratio?
Picked up one of those plastic hanging waterers from Tractor Supply last Tuesday and found a crack running down the side by Saturday. Anyone else had issues with those green screw-on lids getting brittle super fast?
I've been raising chicks for 4 years and always swore by non-medicated feed. Didn't want to pump them full of stuff. But then I lost 2 of my 6 Barred Rocks to coccidiosis back in March. My vet in Eugene tested them and confirmed it. She said for my damp Pacific Northwest setup I should really reconsider. So I switched to medicated starter for this year's batch of 8 Wyandottes and they are thriving at 5 weeks old. Anyone else change their mind about something they were set against?
Last spring, I had a raccoon get into my coop three nights in a row. The first night, I lost my best laying hen, a Barred Rock named Dottie. I thought I had everything locked up tight, but the raccoon found a weak spot where the hardware cloth met the wood frame. After the third night, I reinforced every single seam with extra screws and added a lock to the pop door. Has anyone else had a predator figure out a weak point you thought was secure?
I noticed my hens were getting jumpy back in September (they normally sleep like rocks). Checked the hardware cloth and found rust holes near the ground that weren't there in July. A raccoon had been digging under the skirt and chewing through a spot where the wire touched damp soil. I've since replaced all the ground-level mesh with welded wire and buried it 6 inches deep. Has anyone else had rust sneak up on them like this?
I finally found a cheap way to keep my coop dry after that nasty storm ruined everything. Last month we got hit with a crazy rainstorm here in Ohio and my whole coop floor turned into a muddy mess. I was so mad cause I had just put down fresh pine shavings the day before. A buddy of mine who keeps chickens up in Michigan told me to try putting a layer of construction sand under the shavings. He said it drains way better than dirt and doesnt get all swampy. I tried it out last weekend and so far its working great even after a couple rainy days. The sand lets the water soak through and the shavings stay dry on top plus its super cheap like $5 a bag at the hardware store. Has anyone else tried this sand trick or got another hack for wet coops?
I was going crazy trying to figure out why my 5 hens went from laying every day to nothing for 14 days in a row. Changed their feed, checked for mites, even bought a fancy new waterer. Then my neighbor Mike came over and asked if I'd switched up their light schedule. Turns out I had accidentally bumped the timer on their coop light and it was coming on 2 hours later than usual. After I fixed it back to a consistent 14 hours of light, they started laying again within 3 days. Has anyone else had a simple lighting mistake mess with their flock's production?
I have 6 hens in a 4x6 coop here in Ohio and I used straw for like 8 months. It seemed fine but man it got musty quick and I was changing it every 10 days. Then my buddy told me to try pine shavings from the tractor supply for $6 a bale. After 3 weeks I noticed way less smell and the girls stopped getting those weird foot scabs. Has anyone else switched and noticed cleaner eggs or am I crazy?
I let my hens out in the yard for about 6 months and noticed their egg shells got way thinner and they started getting into fights more. Turns out they weren't getting enough calcium since they stopped eating their layer feed and just went for bugs and grass. Anyone else see a drop in egg quality after switching to free range?