Community Cluckers: What Would You Do?

Sunday, February 5, 2012

What Would You Do?

Every week at Community Chickens, we get dozens of questions from people across the world, hoping to find someone who has shared a similar experience. We try to answer them all, and forward them on to experts where we can. But many of the questions are unique, and because of this, we realize that sometimes the best people to answer the questions are precisely the people who are or have been in your shoes. This is why we often ask our guest bloggers to tackle questions - and they do such a great job!

So here's what we're asking, "What would you do ..." if you were in some of the following situations? What would you tell our readers? What is your best advice?

YOU might be the best person in the world to answer someone's question ... and we want to provide you with that ability. So, go for it!

If you'd like to respond to a question, leave a comment, and be sure to indicate to which question you're responding: (e.g., Q1: This is what you should do ...)

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Q1: Paula writes: Why won't my hens use the nesting boxes I bought? They lay in one spot on the barn floor. I have a six-box nest that I have moved to different areas but they ignore it. They are free range birds.

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Q2: Marlene writes: I have 4 laying hens and several young hens coming up who are almost old enough to lay. However, lately, my hens have decided to lay their eggs anywhere except the coop. We were letting the gang out of the coop and fenced area in the late afternoon and evening for something different for them to do before going back to roost at dusk. But unfortunately, I found several clutches of eggs laid in tall weed/grassy areas outside of the coop. By the time I found the eggs in tall thistles :(, they were spoiled. I have tried to keep them in the coop & fenced yard to encourage them to lay in the coop and their laying boxes for several days in a row--but I am not sure if or when I should start letting them out again.

So my question is: How do I get my year-old hens to lay in the coop in the laying boxes and not outside in some remote area just because I am trying to be nice to them and let them have some free roam time in the evenings? I thought hens were 'suppose to' lay in the mornings and I'd be ok letting them free-range after 3 p.m. until dusk? They sure enjoy it--and so does my chicken-dog, a gentle soul--a Collie who loves being with the birds when they are outside the coop and fenced area too!

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Q3: Tim writes: What is the best way to clean the eggs?

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Q4: Amanda writes: I have a mobile chicken triangle "ark" setup, and right now I have the sides covered with 10mm of plastic to keep the snows off, and I have installed a Bayco 13 watt fluorescant work light in the open space underneath their coop/roost in the run area. The hens seem quite happy, and at this point are 27 weeks old. I have 2 Delawares, 3 Ameracaucanas, and 1 Barnevelder. As of yet, I have not to see one egg. I am gradually moving back the time frame when I turn the light on and feed them in the morning, 15 minutes per week, in order to try to stimulate egg production beginning. I am at 12 hours and 45 minutes today. As I began looking online to try to find some other ideas, I came across a couple of articles stating that warm white bulbs are better for stimulating hen's reproductive cy! cles. I chose the light I purchased for three reasons: #1- It had a protective plastic cover over the light, so I figured that was better if the chickens tried to peck it. #2- The specifications for the light stated that it was "equivalent to 75 watt incandescent bulb with Natural Daylight illumination- 6500 Kelvin." I think now that the "natural daylight" may have thrown me and I may have gotten the exact opposite of what my hens need. I cannot buy a warm white bulb for this work light. #3- It stated it was "cool running," which I though was important since it was going to be mounted only 2 inches away from the wooden floor of the coop/ceiling of the run area.

My question is: is this light going to do anything for my hens? or should I just switch to a different fixture with a warm-white or incandescent bulb?

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Q5: Brett writes: I have a hen that can't eat to fill her gullet. She is very light for an Orpington she coughs when she tries to eat or drink fast. Help?

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Q6: Laura writes: Any advice on how to correct chickens from eating their own eggs out of the bedding in their boxes?

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Q7: Debbie writes: I live in Ohio and plan to get day-old chicks in the Spring. How can I heat the coop without using electricity? I would have to add a pole (and a 2nd bill) in order to have the power, and prefer to use something other than electric. What can I do to avoid getting the electric? Thanks!

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Q8: Jean writes: My hen laid a shelless egg and then ate the yolk of it. Why?

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Q9: Jerry writes: My chickens have quit laying, they were molting but seem to have all their feathers back now. How long before they start laying again.

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Q10: Mandi writes: We have an A-frame uninsulated style chicken tractor, with 6 laying hens. This is our first winter in NW PA with our chickens. Our winter temps get down to zero, but usually are in the teens-twenties. We are labeled as zone 5 and receive between 100-200 inches of lake effect snows each season. We picked breeds that we believe will do well with cold, that have small combs, using the chicken picker app. (thank you!) We have 3 Ameracaucanas, 2 Delawares, and 1 Barnevelder.

I have a few questions though about the cleaning of a mobile coop and about our thoughts regarding winter with this type of coop setup.

1. First, we have been moving the coop daily around the yard, and cleaning out any poopy straw from the upper portion (sleeping and laying area) of the coop either everyday, or every other day. Is that often enough to clean? We hear alot about the deep litter method, but that won't work for our little arrangement.

2. In regards to winter, our plan is to put the chicken tractor into my husband's uninsulated pole-barn with the REAL tractor; putting it perhaps on a tarp that we can shake out into the yard everyday or every other day. Should we put some straw down daily on the tarp for them to scratch in? We will be running an electrical bulb to hang near their coop area for the 14 hours of light they are supposed to need to continue laying. Is a CFL bulb sufficient or should we use an incandescant one? In addition, would you suggest that we put a blanket or insulation over the outside of the top sleeping area to insulate it a bit? Also, at what temperature should we begin to move them into the pole barn?

Thank you for allowing people to write in with their questions. It's so hard to get reliable information.

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Q11: Diane writes: Once a chicken is done laying 2-3 years, what is the best way to cook an older bird. Also, how high does the fencing have to be to keep chickens from flying over?

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Q12: Mike writes: I live in the Florida panhandle, Zone 8, and working on coop plans.

Can the floor of my coop be made from hardware cloth? I am new to the chicken raising experience. My thoughts are to raise the hutch about 4 feet and put leaves and such under to catch chicken poop. After a time rake it out and replace putting used into compost bin.

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Q13: Lyra writes: Recently, I took my Barred Rock in to the vet thinking she was egg-bound. Turns out she had cancer of the ova duct. I suppose I should have realized that chickens, like every other living creature, can get cancer but I hadn't.

She was only 3 years old and the alpha.

Is this common in chickens?

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Have a question of your own? Post it in our forum - or shoot it over to editor@communitychickens.com

Labels: Coops, health, Nesting Box, Question and Answer, raising chicks, What Would You Do?

30 Comments:

Q2
Marlene, I suspect your 4 hens are going broody since they are making clutches. I would confine them for a week or two. If you have a roo you might consider allowing nature to take its course.
Why did you think the eggs were spoiled? I don't know where you are so geography would play a role her.Those eggs would still have had the bloom intact so unless they went through real cold/freeze and rewarm/thaw they should be fine. Consider the fact that it takes a hen many days to accumulate the number of eggs,12 or more, she needs to make a significant hatch. If you just can't bring yourself to eat the eggs they make a great addition to your dog's food.

By doglady, At February 7, 2012 6:47 AM
Q7 - My grandparents, and the other older folks that raised chickens where I grew up, used what was called a chicken brooder. It looked like a giant up-side-down funnel, and used kerosene for heat. You might could find one from someone who sells old farm equipment.

By George, At February 7, 2012 7:28 AM
on q7. build a pop can thermal heater. look on YouTube there are lots of designs. use a small solar powered fan blowing the warm air over a box or covered insulated hole in the ground filled with small rocks or P gravel. the rocks or pebbles get hot and stay warm all night. free pop cans. look around for free wood pallets or construction cast offs. i use plexiglass about $20 at lowes. you can also use a small solar system with 12v batteries to power a small heater.

By Roger, At February 7, 2012 8:28 AM
Q7 - Once your chicks are fully feathered and acclimated, they won't need extra heat. Depending on when you get them, could you just run a long electrical cord (outdoor type) from the nearest building and hang a heat lamp in their coop until warm spring temps arrive? By next winter, they will be fine without supplementary heat.

By Li'l Ned, At February 7, 2012 8:28 AM
Tim: I use a small bowl filled with warm water and some apple cider vinegar. For really dirty eggs I soak them for about a minute or less in the solution, then wipe clean with a towel, rinse in cool water, then dry with a clean towel. The vinegar is antimicrobial, but doesn't harm the egg or shell. Sandy

By Sandy, At February 7, 2012 8:43 AM
Q2-
The best thing you can do is keep them confined to their coop for a couple of days. Once they have laid where they are supposed to they will get the hang of it, and will go back there to lay even when they are roaming. We've had to do this with our hens (22 of them!) and it worked like a charm!

By bauersix, At February 7, 2012 9:31 AM
Q3-
If the egg is not visually dirty, you are best to leave it and wash only right before using. Eggs have a natural "bloom" or coating that protects the egg from getting any bacteria in it. If you wash of the bloom the egg will not stay fresh for as long. If the egg is dirty, and I am selling it, I will just wipe it gently will a damp cloth.

By bauersix, At February 7, 2012 9:33 AM
Q1;
Your hens are playing with you. Try leaving the box in the same spot for a week. Preferrably tne darkest/dimmest corner.Or better yet mount the box off the floor and provide a landing area or perch to get in the box. My favorite inducement is to staple a light weight curtain along the top edge of the opening. Landscape cloth works well. Make 2 or 3 vertical cuts part way up so hen can get in and out easily. They like the privacy.

By Ken, At February 7, 2012 9:37 AM
Q6 -
To prevent the chickens from pecking their eggs and eating them try this trick, add a golf ball to the nest box or if you have any solid ceramic or plastic eggs add one of those. Put one in each box. This has helped us with this problem. Only thing is sometimes the fake eggs look so real they get picked up when we gather eggs, so we have to make another trip out to the coop to return.

By mgar7157, At February 7, 2012 9:40 AM
Q12-
Mike we have found that without a tight metal fence bottom to our coop we had problems with predators. We used rabbit wire. Tight enough to keep out the smaller predators. Just had to tie the pieces together.

By mgar7157, At February 7, 2012 9:47 AM
Q11 Cook an old bird low and slow with ample liquid to get a tasty meal.Use a recipe for Coq au Vin or similar. If you want deep, dark and rich color save and use the blood. Older editions of Joy of Cooking have great suggestions for braising fowl in liquids. Check online for additional recipes from your favorite TV cook.

By Ken, At February 7, 2012 9:48 AM
Q1: Put the nesting box in a dim spot of the coop, stop moving it around. Then put 1 or 2 fake (ceramic or wooden) eggs in the nest. Pen up the chickens for at least 3 days so they have to lay in the nest. The chickens will take the hint and start laying in the box.

By mairik, At February 7, 2012 10:10 AM
Q2: Your hens may be getting broody. The best way to tell is keep them penned up for several days with nesting boxes ready. Put some fake eggs in the nests to encourage them. The hens will eventually stay on the nests if they're broody. Test the old eggs by dropping them in a bucket of water. The spoiled eggs will float to the top, or even half-way up the water. The good eggs will sit on the bottom.

By mairik, At February 7, 2012 10:19 AM
Q8: A shell-less egg can happen sometimes, a hiccup in the egg-making process. If it is a common problem, supplement with extra calcium. Offer oyster shell at all times. You can also crush their egg shells and mix them in with the feed. As for the hen eating the egg, its quite tasty and full of protein; any chicken will jump at the chance for an eggy treat.

By Amyable, At February 7, 2012 10:40 AM
QII. Hens can lay for many years..Commercial operations get rid of their hens after the first or second year.. You can get a older hen laying again by feeding it some red pepper flakes or black pepper in the meal.. but to answer the question the best way to cook her would be low and slow or use a pressure cooker after the meat falls off the bones make dumplings, or purloe (Rice and any kind of meat.. chicken, duck, rabbit etc.) In answer to the second question. chickens can fly over 6 ft fences. if you run a few boards along the top of the perimeter you can run across the top of the boards from side to side both ways to create a checkerboard pattern with masons twine found at your hardware store comes in bolts of 300 ft+ this not only will keep your chickens from flying out it will keep birds such as owls, hawks, and eagles out.. You can also clip or crop one wing of your hens But cuttig the larger feathers about two inches away from their base.(where they attach to the wing.) this puts the bird out of balance for flying..But remember just one wing not both. Cropping the wings is not painful.. and once cropped they will have to be cropped again as the new fearthers grow out.. or crop the opposite side as the new feathers grow.. Cropping the wings of a couple of chickens is not a hard task.. but larger flocks should try the mason twine first..

The masons twine works best and helps eliminate two problems.. getting out and others getting in... keep the twine tight as you tie it off on each run and make your runs about a foot apart you will end up with one foot square holes and make your own "net" and I believe you will see improvement on preventig the flying out problem.. If you can't find mason twine you could use fishing line.. but should use something a little bigger that can be seen by both the hens and the preditors alike..

By The Seed Sower, At February 7, 2012 10:45 AM
# 12 If you can use rabbit wire. And having the cooup 4 ft off the ground is good too to collect the free manure.. But some preditors coyotes, foxes, dogs, bears can still get through the bottom of the wire; it does not matter if it is tight or not. If you will run a board the legth of your pen about six inches from the bottom of the coup, and run a board the legth of the pen in the back about 10 inches from the bottom.. you can place sheets of galvanized tin running the width of the pen and use a small hoe or a brush to "clean' any poop that lingers... You may even "wash" the tin off after sweeping off manure.. Wet manure smells and washing only after cleaning the best you can...

By The Seed Sower, At February 7, 2012 10:55 AM
Q12: We have predator problems also. You should think about leaving the coop on the ground and securing the bottom edge. Chickens always scratch the ground when in their run, and hardware cloth would be too rough on their feet. What we do is rake leaves into the run, then wait. In about a week or so, the hens have composted the leaves into invisibility. (They are still there, mixed with the soil.) This is very much faster than regular composting. Rake more leaves into the run to be composted. After about 3 or 4 bunches of leaves have been raked in and composted, we shovel the compost out to be used, and put more leaves or straw in over the dirt. This compost is much stronger than the slow method compost, so you have to be careful not to burn the plants. Top dressing a smaller amount works, or dig it into the garden in a smaller amount and wait a week before planting. This method solves several problems; putting fresh bedding in the run, composting plant matter, and giving the chickens something to do so they aren't bored.

By mairik, At February 7, 2012 11:05 AM
Q5: Brett- Having just read up on chicken diseases after one of our hens got a nasty case of diarrhea, "cough" was a common thing among many said diseases. (BTW, our hen died).

I suggest you try and quarantine that hen while you try and figure out what might be wrong with her.

The condition may clear up and there's no problem, on the other hand something could be contagious and you could jeopardize your entire flock.

Matt

By M Jarvis, At February 7, 2012 11:21 AM
**Part One**
Q1- It's difficult to get free range hens to nest in boxes... try lowering the box to ground level and keep your 'bait' eggs in the nest boxes. penning them for a good week or more might have a good affect on egg placement as well.
q-2 - the answer for Q-1 might apply to your situation as well, you might try using a different nesting material in your boxes to entice them ( am a firm believer of 'bait eggs' in all boxes.
Q-3 if the eggs are clean to begin with a hand wash with just warm water will do ( so you do not wash the natural bloom off the eggs and put them in the fridge, this is of course if they are just for your own home use, if they are for sale, they make a wonderful egg cleaning product called manna pro egg wash that's organic, they also have great egg wash wipes now for home use. ( I have no connection with the products, just found them to be great and we use them in our own operation)
Q-4 your breeds of chickens are very slow to develop to laying age, but at 6 and 3/4 months your almost there, laying hens need light up to 16 hours a day for opt. production, I always let them get up with natural light, and set the timer to send them to bed with the artificial light, any light source will do and safety is at the foremost objective for us, if a hot light breaks it can cause fire, and the chickens love to eat the pieces too, there are so many articles out there of what works and what doesn't, your girls are just about laying age, but your velder might take another month to get in gear.
Q-5, if you have a vet willing to give you a sterile swab, you might consider getting a culture from that hen ( the vet or assistant will tell you how and what), there are too many conditions out there to site just one, but it does sound like a medical condition, I hope for her it's one of the treatable ones:)
Q-6 this is the one problem that is 'terminal', but you might try adding extra oyster shell to the diet to tuffin up those shells, collect eggs several times a day if you can, or separate the hen, so she does not show the rest, how good eggs are.

By LadyElk, At February 7, 2012 12:13 PM
**Part Two**
Q-7 you might keep them in the house for a week or 2 to get them over the hump ( new babies are so fragile) right now I have 110 next to my wood stove in a horse tub and they still need a heat lamp) I agree there are lots of neat Ideas out there to replace electric as we use it these days.
Q-8 how old is your hen? older hens have this tendency, as they use up calcium stores in their bodies, does she have oyster shell? these are addressing the 1st why, the second why? is that all chickens LOVE eggs too, being the creatures they are they will eat most edible things - with broken eggs of any kind at the top of the list.
Q-9 Moults differ with breeds,individuals and geographic areas now that the days are getting longer ( and pending where you live warmer vs. colder) you could expect eggs now to march if your not using a light.
look for brighter (red) combs and wattles and moistening vents that will become wider instead of round(ish), increasing protien will also help, black oil sun flower seeds are a great way of getting both protein and fat ( if your in a colder climate).
Q-10 first what a cool set up for your hens... all chickens should be so lucky to be cleaned each day and adding nice fresh straw! you might be able to extend it another day if it's not too dirty:)- just from living in a snow climate myself, I would put them in the "REAL" tractor barn when the first snows come to 'stay', keep up your hygiene method! a CFL light will do ( it's all we use for lighting)- I go down to our local second hand clothing store, for blankets and even those sleeping bags that un-zip into big squares, that tossed over the top will help hold heat ( sense it rises) and will keep it from escaping in winter. in addition to straw to scratch around in, if you can find a bale of 'good' alfalfa, I can tell you they will surely appreciate the good greens, and is a good source of all kinds of vitamins/minerals that winter just does not have:)
Q11- I clip one wing on my flyers, ( it's cheaper that a 7 foot fence) we use that wonderful electric chicken mesh fence that is only 48 inches tall... I will use my hens for years weeding out those that stop laying, or have bad egg quality as we go, for my old "stewing" hens that I'm not fond of (chicken and dumplings slow cooked until the meat falls off the bones, or canned chicken soup), those that have found a place in my heart? or pets? I give full retirement rights to:) some of my hens have been in the double digits and still lay 4-6 eggs a week:)
Q12- hardware cloth might be too small to allow the waste to drop thru, a min of 1x1 maybe bigger, just go to the hardware/lumber store and look for a good size but strong material, being in your area I would assume you have lots of ground predators? if not a chicken tractor might be right up your ally. ( love the idea of the compost but make sure its down wind of the house, it can get fairly 'strong' until it reaches that 'certain' point.
Q13- (my condolences Dear!) I have had chickens for over 50 years, and this is the first time I have heard of it happening to a chicken, What did your vet say? about the commonness of Ova/vent cancer?

By LadyElk, At February 7, 2012 12:26 PM
PS.. I'm not a vet or an expert in any way!... just a chicken lover & rancher with years and changing times under my belt, 'eggs' are my bred and butter ( I have a small certified organic operation) and spend most of my 'off' time still out with the birds, and while this gives a person lots of experience it's 'not set in stone', lots of great ideas and advise I see in this blog all the time! enjoy:)

By LadyElk, At February 7, 2012 12:45 PM
How can you keep hens from being hen-pecked to the point of having entirely bald heads?

By Mother Clare, At February 7, 2012 1:47 PM
Q13- I am a veterinarian but do not practice on chickens- I have a small flock and love them though. I recently went to an hour continuing education on Chicken Medicine and found out that, like all other species, as they age Cancer is the number one problem we run into. Just in chickens, it is often not diagnosed.
Q5- I would strongly suggest you quarantine your hen and get her in to a local avian veterinarian. Many vets who see parrots and budgies are now branching out to help the backyard chicken market. Likely, he or she may suggest get a sterile swab for culture and will do a physical examination. It is important to have someone familiar with the FDA's rules (FARAD.org) on which antibiotics are legally acceptable in chickens as well. Good luck!

By Dr. Elizabeth, At February 7, 2012 4:28 PM
Q6 try placing a ceramic egg in the nest box, when they peck it it will be discouraging that is supposed to make them stop!

By fresheggseveryday, At February 7, 2012 5:57 PM
Q3- I don't wash my eggs if they are basically clean, until I am ready to use them, at which time I rinse them in cool water. If I'm giving them away, I only give the clean eggs, and slip a note in telling the people about small poop smears, and again, not to wash the eggs before using. If they are really poopy, I don't use them, but if they are cleanable, I have a grout brush I use - dry - to scrape anything off, and then store them unwashed until use. For sale, use the egg washes someone else here recommended. You don't want to wash off the bloom, the sealant the hen leaves on the eggs that helps preserve them.

By MaryH, At February 7, 2012 6:43 PM
To: Mother Clare*** I have taken Vaseline and put it on hen pecked heads with good success, the aggressor does not like the taste and or texture of the Vaseline and have left them alone, and it moisturizes the featherless head in the process, and it won't hurt any one in the process, just enough to coat the skin and what feathers might still be there... I have one right now that is finally growing back some head feathers ( too get a magnifying glass and make sure it's not a mite problem disguising it's self as a hen peck disorder) :) good luck hope it all works out

By LadyElk, At February 8, 2012 11:04 PM
Q2. Leave two or three eggs in the nest and Write the date on them with a pencil. The next day write the date on the new eggs. Remove the oldest eggs from the nest box always leaving the two or three newest behind. The hens won't hide their eggs and you can still eat fresh eggs. If the hen sets and you want chicks you can return to the nest box any eggs less than seven days old or give her some more from another fertile hen. If you don't want chicks take them all away and she will start laying again in a few days.

By Lynn, At February 9, 2012 12:07 AM
Q1 - mine do the same thing - I took the boxes out and let them be. I have about 6" of grass hay on the floor so they make little spots to lay and it's all good.
Q3- with water!! just rinse them off (I don't tho', I just use them)
Q4- why can't you just use day & night? I use a red flood light at night for some heat (MT) and my girls give me an egg a day, cold or not!! I use a heater from an old aquarium to keep water from freezing when needed. They go outside during the day except when there's alot of snow on the ground, they still have the choice to go out or not tho' as I open the door, turn off the lamp in a.m.

By Unknown, At February 9, 2012 6:59 PM
Q1, Q2, and Q6 - I kept my free-range hens penned up when they first started laying to get them used to laying in a particular area. After setting up the nests, I put between 1 and 3 used golf balls in each nest and I keep them there so they will be familiar with them. Fortunately, they don't know the difference between a golf ball and an egg. This also keeps them from eating the eggs because they give up on pecking the golf balls. I do hope this helps!

By Jill, At February 12, 2012 2:37 PM
My free range chickens lay eggs in odd places, try putting a golf ball in the nests, or just go around and find them. Eggs will keep a long time, put them in a bucket with water,,,, if they float toss em, if not they are good. Jackie

By Jroot1969, At February 13, 2012 7:32 PM

Sunday, February 5, 2012

What Would You Do?

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