| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| ks_farm_girl |
Posted - Nov 29 2009 : 08:42:52 AM
I have seen a 'recipe' in the past for a chicken 'gruel' to feed your chickens so they will continue to lay thru the winter months. We went from over 3 dozen a day down to 2. We're now up to 3. Not sure what is different, though our weather has not gotten too cold yet...that will be this week! Even thru our first snows in Oct and Nov, we were getting eggs. All of the sudden in the last couple of weeks (maybe time change?) we have a massive reduction.
Do any of you have any suggestions? I've heard of this gruel and of putting jalapeno water (boiled jalapenos) in their water to raise their body temps.
Thanks!
Happy Farmin'! |
| 8 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| happydaze |
Posted - Dec 05 2009 : 5:46:30 PM
I like the idea of letting them take the winter off.We keep a light on in the hen house , but a dim one just so they can see a bit. spoiled girls wont go into a dark houe |
| CherryPie |
Posted - Nov 30 2009 : 08:43:51 AM
Good tip about the cod liver oil. I'll add some to my girls' diet.
Kimberly Ann
Farmgirl Sister #225
Crochet Geek, Newbie Fiddler, Would-be Farmer, Backyard Chicken Rancher
http://beesinourbonnetsintheburbs.blogspot.com/ |
| Annab |
Posted - Nov 30 2009 : 03:47:52 AM
And it never fails for most of mine to go into a heavy molt just in time for everyone's holiday baking needs. Grrrrr
I also add the cracked corn or scratch to the layer ration.
Have recently added cat food, as it is way high in proteine and may help in dealing w/ the molts and cold temps. And found out barley is high in proteine too. Can't find it though at our local feed store so the catfood wil have to do. And as a side bar. Strange how a food designed for a carnivore has CORN listed as its first ingredient. To feed my cats, they get the better stuff. But I digress...........
Most of my ladies are the cold hardy ones, so when they aren't molting, we are all pretty happy w/ egg production
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| vtstevens |
Posted - Nov 29 2009 : 9:43:31 PM
Chickens lay eggs in response to daylength. UV in the sun makes vit D in the chickens' combs, which promotes calcium metabolism for shell production. More sun=more vit D=more calcium metabolism= more shells=more eggs. Less sun reverses all of this. I have a sneaking suspicion God made it this way because it is not advantageous for the chicken to lay eggs and raise chicks in the winter. This is normal. Some breeds have been bred to lay the year round, eventhough they slow up a bit. The larger breeds like Black Australorp, Buff Orpingtons, and some Rhode Island Reds continue to lay in the winter.
So, my personal preference is not to stress the chickens' systems with artificial light in the winter, but let their system rest naturally. If you do choose to force egg production in the winter, be sure to add infant polyvitamin drops without iron, to their drinking water, or cod liver oil for vit D supplementation.
Virginia
I don't suffer from stress. I'm a carrier.
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| MommaJ9 |
Posted - Nov 29 2009 : 2:41:52 PM
Our egg production went WAY down until we added a light. It's on a timer, so it only comes on in the evening and shuts off around 4 am. Now we're back up to a dozen or more a day. We use a layer feed and mix in cracked corn, so that may help too.
Farmgirl #783
http://jabezfarm.blogspot.com |
| ks_farm_girl |
Posted - Nov 29 2009 : 2:41:10 PM
Lots of food and water and light during day. I will try adding corn. They usually have milo and/or wheat with oyster shell and sometimes layer mash (we're going to up that). As well as scrap eatin's.
Thank you!!
Happy Farmin'! |
| gramadinah |
Posted - Nov 29 2009 : 2:01:06 PM
How much light do they get in a day they need 12 to 14 hours to maintain egg production.
And a good laying food and lots of water.
Diana
Farmgirl Sister #273 |
| 1badmamawolf |
Posted - Nov 29 2009 : 09:36:10 AM
Corn raises body temp
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
