Curled toes in chickens is a relatively common issue that can affect baby chicks. Curled toes will look pretty much just exactly what they sound like….
chickens
When do Chickens Start Laying Eggs? – 3 Signs Your Hen May Be Ready to Lay
So, you’re sure that you have a hen (and not a rooster). You know if chickens can lay eggs without a rooster. And now you want to know when do chickens start laying eggs?
Now you are waiting (and waiting) for her to lay her first egg. You won’t know for sure that she is laying until, well, you see her first egg.
However, there are a few signs you can look for in case you’re wondering when do chickens start laying eggs.
When asking when do chickens start to lay, you should make sure she has the right things to keep her happy and healthy.
Once your hen is ready to lay, you will want to make sure that you are feeding a layer feed (which has more calcium in it) rather than a starter or grower feed.
The additional calcium in the layer feed will ensure that your hen is able to properly form solid egg shells.)
Learn how to budget for your chicken feed AND decrease the cost!
If you do not provide your hen that is starting to lay with the proper nutrition, you may end up with soft shelled eggs (which can break easily) or even eggs without a shell at all!
Another thing you will want to ensure that you provide your hen that is ready to lay is a safe, cozy nesting box area as well as some wooden or fake eggs.
We use these fake eggs. They help your hen to know where to go when she is ready to lay 🙂
Additionally, you should know that when your hen starts to lay their highest volume of eggs will come from laying age to around 2 – 3 years old. During this time, if you have several hens laying eggs you may want to think about how to freeze eggs so that they don’t go bad.
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What is Pasty Butt & How to Treat it – plus video!
If you are raising baby chicks you will, at some point, have to deal with pasty butt in chickens at some point. While pasty butt can be gross, it can be easy to treat.
What is Pasty Butt in Chickens & What Causes it?
Pasty butt is basically a build up of poop on the chicks rear end. It is usually near or covering it’s vent. This can become a serious issue if it is not taken care.
It can build up, block the vent opening and prevent the chick from relieving itself. If left unattended, it can kill the chick.
However, with a few minutes of your time pasty butt can be taken care of. Often times temperature changes can cause it, so make sure to keep your brooder temperature correct.
Temperatures should start at 95 degrees and decrease 5 degrees per week. Also watch chick behavior to see if they are panting and spread out (too hot) or inactive and piled on top of one another (too cold).
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Top Reasons to Keep Backyard Chickens
Many people keep backyard chickens. In fact, many cities now allow a certain number of chickens within city limits even!
So, if you have not jumped on the chicken keeping bandwagon yet, you may be asking why? Keeping backyard chickens has many advantages (not including making money)….
NPIP Certification – What Does NPIP Mean in the Chicken World?
When we looked for our first chickens, it seemed a little strange, all the new chicken terminology. One thing we kept seeing was the acronym NPIP.
But what in the heck does that even mean? Do I need that – is it something I get or something the chickens get? It all seemed so confusing….
How to Build a Feed Bin – with 3 Easy Steps!
What the heck do you do if you walk into your barn in the evening, open up a cabinet drawer and a NEST FULL OF BABY MICE jump out at you?! Well, if you are me, then you squeal and run out of the barn. Compose yourself and then peak your head back in to see if they have all magically gone away. After all, the chickens and goats aren’t going to feed themselves. And (gulp) their feed is in there – WITH THE MICE!
This was my realization that we NEEDED a feed bin.
If you have animal feed sitting around, you will eventually need a feed bin. You can buy feed bins or metal trash cans. But if you have a lot of feed to store, those options can get costly. A cost effective (and customizable) solution is to learn how to build a feed bin….