On the average, 3 hens will give you 2 eggs a day. That means to get a dozen eggs a day, you would need 18 hens.
Should I wash the eggs my hens lay?
When a chicken lays an egg it's lubricated, and when it dries it forms a seal that prevent bacteria entering the shell, this ultimately protects the chick inside.
If you are hatching the eggs - my advice is no, if they are soiled, a wipe with a warm cloth and thoroughly dried before being put in the incubator or under a broody hen.
How long do chickens lay eggs?
Chicken can lay eggs into their teens, although they sometimes stop earlier.
When will my hens start to lay eggs?
Most hens start to lay around 4-6 months of age, more or less.However, for various reasons (time of year, temperature, etc.) they may wait until the next Spring to start laying eggs.
When can my chicks go outside?
You should wait until they are fully feathered to put them outside.Depending on the temperature, they can go outside when they are from 5 to 12 weeks old. In the summer Chicks can be taken outside when it's warm enough to peck around in the grass.
Do not keep them out for too long or they will get cold. Think about it, they never stray far from their mother when hatched naturally, they run under mothers wings when they get too cold.
How do you tell what color eggs a hen will lay?
You can tell by the color of the earlobes in general. A white lobed hen will lay white eggs, while a red lobed hen will lay brown eggs.The exception to this would be the Easter Egger, Ameraucana, and Araucana breeds. They will lay eggs in colors ranging from khaki green to sky blue, to pink tinted, to occasionally lavender tinted. they will usually have red ear lobes.
What is a broody hen?
A broody hen is a hen who is trying to hatch out eggs by sitting on them all day and all night, only taking breaks once a day to eat, drink, and defecate.
One of our chickens laid an egg without a shell. Is this a cause for concern?
A soft or even no-shelled egg is something that happens occasionally in even healthy hens. It's generally no cause for concern, unless there is other sign of illness or it's a regular occurance. There's no need to separate your hen. What you may want to consider is adding some calcium to the diet if you haven't already. This can be given in the form of ground oyster shells, or other calcium supplements.
How long does it take to hatch an egg?
About 21 days.
Which is better, natural or artificial incubation?
The advantages of natural incubation (i.e. a broody hen) are that the hen does all the work for you and she will probably hatch out a high percentage of the eggs.
The disadvantages are that you can only fit a certain amount of eggs under a broody hen, you can never tell when a hen will go broody, and you can't be sure her chicks will be tame.
The advantages of artificial incubation (i.e. an incubator) are that you can incubate a large number of eggs, you can incubate whenever you want, and since you will be raising the chicks yourself, you can make sure to tame
them.
The disadvantages of artificial incubation are that it takes effort and worry on your part, the percentage of eggs that hatch will probably be lower than natural incubation, and you will inevitably have problems with temperature and humidity that could damage the chicks.
What is the best material to spread on the coop floor?
I would usually say Pine shavings - but a recent discovery has me leaning towards sand.
Reasons:
- desiccates droppings
- doesn't retain moisture
- doesn't decay or degrade inside the coop
- superior drainage (if water spills)
- inexpensive
- natural grit/no risk of crop impaction as with straw and hay
- easy clean-up (a once daily scooping & bi-annual change)
- doesn't conduct or retain heat in summer (as straw/hay/shavings do)
- keeps feet clean and nails manicured
- cleaner feet = cleaner eggs, particularly in rainy conditions
- any dropped feed gets eaten, not lost in the litter
- dust-bath mecca
- no decomposition required in compost pile/great soil amendment to compost
- risk of frostbite reduced in cold temperatures (as moisture is not retained in the litter)
- looks cleaner than other litter options because it is cleaner
What is the difference between a cockerel and a pullet?
A cockerel is a young rooster. A pullet is a young hen.
When and how can I tell if a chicken is a rooster?
It is VERY difficult to tell male from female at an early age. Depending on the breed, cockerels (males) develop larger combs and wattles earlier than pullets (females) and will start trying to crow at 6 to 10 weeks. Cockerels tend to bigger and/or taller than the pullets. You may also observe more aggressive rooster behaviors, like play fighting, hassling, mounting and such.
My hen chickens are laying thin-shelled eggs. What do I do?
Try giving them oyster shells - the calcium helps keep the shells thick and strong.
What is coccidiosis?
A protozoa in the droppings, easily spread from chick to chick. Cocci can be prevented with medicated feed. Older chickens can be treated with Corrid or Albon. Usually readily available at most feed stores.Usually readily available at most feed stores. Cleaning the feeder and waterer at least daily is an important step in the prevention and treatment.
My young hen lays soft and misshapen eggs. Is this a problem?
When they start laying eggs their young systems will produce eggs that are softshell, irregular shaped, real large, real small, etc. It takes a while for their reproductive system to get the complete hang of it.
Is it all right to clip a chicken's toe nail ? It is alright to clip a chicken's toenails?
You need to be careful not to go too far up into the nail, or it may cause pain and bleeding. A dog toenail clipper is a useful tool for this.
What do I do if I live in a very cold climate?
Insulate the coop, use heat lamps if needed, heat the waterer to keep it from freezing.
Can you wash a chicken?
Yes. Show chickens are given baths often so their feathering is perfect for showing. Most people recommend Dawn dishwashing soap as it is gentle and will remove grease. Others prefer baby soap or shampoo. Chickens may have a variety of reactions to being bathed, but some seem to like it, especially silkies. You can also blow dry them on low after you're done.
No comments:
Post a Comment