So everything seems to be going fine here, except one thing, my two roosters. Junior, I'm afraid to sell because it's tough big and would probably warn them and save them better from a Hawk.
Rafael on the other hand is now weak do to Juniors constant beating and scaring, but I don't know if I sell Junior, will Rafael bring up its strength and defend it's self? It's even being pecked on by hens!
The other day I saw Rafael and a hen fighting for their area of food, with both chickens having hackles up! I didn't even know that hen could do that when their mad. Both looked like roos. But I know for sure that it's a hen and not a roo, because I loosely zip tied almost every hens foot , according to their egg color.
I went to TSC today so I can get a hanging chicken feeder. They had one for $20, that was tin and held 10 lbs. I have 10 chicken and 2 roos. I read while I was there that each roo needs its own feeder, to reduce fighting. It also said that each feeder needs to be at least 10 ft. away from the other.
So my question is should I really spent $40 on feeders, or just sell one roo?
I would really feel bad selling either roo, but also that's a lot of money to spend on both feeders.
Thanks for any advice.
Eric
$ or roos
I think you could make your own hanging bucket feeders for cheaper...
http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=10515
scroll down.
Julie
Hi guys everything is doing fine, yesterday I finished their nest boxes finally. And just about an hour ago I went to Home Depot to see I they had a pan. I went crazy for almost two day trying to look for the right size pan. It turns out the season is almost over for gardening. They had pans but they were either too weak or just 10". I was looking for something around 14- 15". So I finally found it this morning, and planning on putting both feeders and the nest boxes in today.
Yesterday on was on this site and it said to feed the flock oyster shell and garlic. And I just opened the bag a few minutes ago to put in a bucket to keep away from the cat, (it thinks its cat litter, it didn't do it's business in it, thank god! It was starting to scratch the bag open) and I noticed that it was kind of big and hard. Do chickens really eat hard stuff like that, or do I have to grind it down? Can I feed it to non-egg layers, such as roosters and young pullets?
Eric
I have a mineral dish (got it in the horse isle at tractor supply) filled with oyster shell. The hens will eat it when they want it, and it is considered a necessary item for good laying.
I add apple cider vinegar to the waterers once a week and I chop fresh garlic and feed it in the treats and or scratch mix once a week as well.
Julie
Julie, can you explain about the vinegar and the garlic? Why do you do that?
Eric, when I get too many eggs, I boil them right up and mash them, shell and all and feed it to the girls. I boil them so that the girls don't associate the taste the raw eggs and they gobble up the eggs and shell ~ good protein and calcium.... and recycling! ( okay, I know it is a tiny bit creepy, but they aren't fertile eggs anyways :) )
garlic helps prevent parasites and does some of the same things as the cider does. the apple cider vineger i put in every water change though once a week is plenty. it helps keep the smell of the amonia in the pee down and cleans their system from bacteria infections and such, it's like an antibacterial.
grit comes in starter grit size and adult size. for smaller birds use the starter size. all chickens should have grit to digest their food but if they are ground pens or freerangeing usually they eat enough rocks to to it and don't need it, how ever i still recomend it. i always use it especially oyster for my layers and yep even the big pieces they eat,lol. oyster grit is best for the layers cause it gives them extra calcium for harder shells when they lay as well as digesting help. recycleing eggs works too and is a great treat for them.
oyster or granit can be fed to any of them, just make sure smaller ones get smaller pieces or sifted parts. i put it in a seperate feeder or mix it in with their food. to me it sounds like they mabe just esablishing a pecking order or who the dominant roo is but anything is possible with a chicken,lol.
i make my own feeders out of scrap wood from building pens, pvc pipe, scrap steal ect. it is alot cheaper but my bought ones are from ts also. my prob with them is my chickens can still spill them my own made ones have guards to keep them from spilling or scratching it out to waste feed and can be made custom sizes.
best of luck with your boys,
silkie
I use garlic because it helps boost immunities. Some say it helps with parasites. A clove floating in water works (if you can keep the ducks from stealing it...lol) or I chop it up and mix with the feed or scratch.
I use apple cider vinegar (with the mother in it/and ONLY in plastic water containers) because it helps keep the water less icky and more importantly it's suppose to help the hens with their digestion and absorption of calcium .
I use cayenne pepper as a natural wormer, sprinkling it on
My flock loves eggs, scrambled with the shell in it or boiled then mashed with the shell on it.
Julie
I put the nest boxes in about a week ago, and it took almost 3 days, for a least one hen to lay an egg in it. Before I put in the nest boxes they were laying them underneath the coop and on the floor of the coop. So when I put it in I grabbed a few eggs that were laid on the floor/ground and put them in the boxes to show the girls it's safe to lay in their. The next day a few were missing! So I kept a close watch for the eggs that day, and I notice my bigger hen was eating them!
So the first hen to lay in their that day was the hen eating the eggs.
I few days have past and no eggs are missing, but if they start missing, how can I stop it from eating them?
I thought by feeding the chickens more feed when the want, gets more eggs? As a matter of fact I'm seeing less eggs than when I was feeding them on a schedule basis. I used to get about 5-6 eggs a day, now I'm getting 3-4 a day. I didn't change the feed type, I just built hanging feeders and filled them up with food.
Eric
my guess is they are lacking either calcium or protein wich is usually why ya have an egg eater but there are some that just do it cause they like it. for calcium i use oyster grit, or hard boil eggs smash shell and all feed it back to them. for protein i feed them soybean meal added to their food, meal worms as treats or bugs the kid's catch but they don't need a lot like quails do just a little added should help if that is what it is. try something like that if that is it they will pick back up the laying in a couple of days usually. mine usually pick back up in 2-3 days and start to lay normal again.
i just put new nest boxes in mine some are useing them some are not, i add the eggs also or golf balls to give them the idea. don't worry you are doing great and they will start useing them when they realize what it's for. mine all seam to try to lay in one and ignore they have others,lol. i guess ya just never know with a chicken, they are too funny at times.
mine have constant food in feeders that are self feeding that sit in the coops not sure if a schedule would make a difference cause mine still have that problem here and there. only thing i have found to help is by adding more calcium and protein.
hope this helps,
silkie