Homesteading Chicken Coop Build, Chickens, Pond, Garden & Projects

Stores around here have run out of eggs each week for the last three weeks. Not sure what is going on. My 11 birds are laying 3 eggs a day so as long as we don't have scrambled eggs for dinner they are keeping up.

 

Bird flu is causing egg producers to kill off their flocks. Same as a couple of years ago.

 

Just found this thread... I havent bought eggs in a while, but did see the price was almost $5/dz at wm the other day, and wondered what was going on...

We lost another the other night...found it headless in the coop...so were down to 3 right now. Set two cage traps in the pen and shut the coop door...second night caught a possum and took care of that...

In terms of putting a light on the chickens, I started to when we first got chickens but never did/have. I read that chickens only have "x amount" of egg laying life... putting a light on them in the winter may get you more eggs now, but it just takes the eggs away from later.

 

Last year we had chicks in a brooder box in the chicken coop and ran a heat lamp all winter. The hens laid a decent number of eggs that winter. I think you are right about the egg laying life.
Glad you got the possum, they will empty the coop. Got six eggs today so I get breakfast tomorrow!

 

Just read a bit about it, terrible news.

 

My ladies finally started laying again. Eight chickens but only two eggs per day right now. It was the leghorns that laid.

 

After taking care of a neighbor's chooks, it dawned on me that the reason they more than likely are overfeeding the critters. A fat (internally) hen doesn't lay well, they're only getting 7 eggs, tops, a day from a dozen hens, there's full feeders at all times. Mine get a measured amount that I want to see empty a couple hours before I feed them at night. A full crop at roosting time means they can keep warm and comfy overnight. Iirc, a quarter lb of feed per laying bird but that's dependent on the size of the hen and how cold it is.

Just a thought.

On a brighter note, my orders are in for meat birds, laying pullets and turks. Starting early May we'll be welcoming 160 birds, chickens a month before the turkeys. Almost all of the meat birds and turks get sold, ready for the table. With the avian flu, eggs are flying out of here, which makes me happy, so the laying flock is increasing to about what my facilities can handle. If the demand goes down, some will get sold. There's always a market for point of lay pullets.

 

I looked at the website for the farm and feed store I've bought my pullets from for the past 2 years. They've put on there that they don't think they'll have pullets this year due to changes in their suppliers and the chicken issues. They're showing various chicks coming in, but I'm not set up for raising up chick's, and would rather pay for a close to laying pullet...

 

Im getting about 4 eggs a day sometimes 6 from 9 chickens. I know my ameraucana is not laying since her eggs are green. So not too bad.

Local feed store is getting chicks in every week until mid April. I have a countdown for next week. I designed my coop to expand inside because chicken math is real. So I plan on 6 more and they'll have plenty of room.

I read that chickens only release eggs from the left ovary. If that ovary becomes diseased or fails, their done laying eggs. Regardless of age.

 

One afternoon last week found one of the chickens dead in the pen. Set the cage traps that evening and shut the coop door. Had the possum in the trap the next am. So down to 2 girls. Looks like finding close to laying age pullets is gonna be near impossible anytime soon.

 

Is anyone getting peeps this spring?
I worked on expandibg my coop in case the Easter Bunny brings me some.