• About
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

[Insert Clever Blog Title Here]

~ Jamie writes about whatever.

[Insert Clever Blog Title Here]

Tag Archives: Molting

Happier, Healthier Chickens?

13 Wednesday Feb 2013

Posted by Jamie Lee in Backyard Chickens

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

backyard chickens, Chicken coop, Molting, Poultry, winter

Maybe it’s the warmer weather, or maybe it’s that the warmer weather has lifted some of my worry, but I think my girls are happier and healthier this week.

I broke my rule of “no extra treats, only layer ration” a couple of times to give them homemade yogurt and oatmeal. Call me crazy, but I think the yogurt really helped. Scruffy is no longer sneezing, and all three of them seem to be more active and have more energy.

chickens taking a dirt bath

Poor Liesl and her second molt in the span of six months. I think now that we probably triggered her molt by messing around with the light in the coop. We turned it off completely for a month, hoping that Ginger would finally finish her molt (that she started in December), and she did, but it then kicked Liesl into a second molt.

Live and learn.

I also had the chance to email with a couple other backyard chicken keepers in our city, and it really helped put my mind at ease about heating the coop. One person does have a heat lamp that they turn on when it gets below -25C; the other person doesn’t heat their coop, other than a regular light bulb (for eggs). I guess there’s no hard and fast rule; I think you just do what makes you comfortable. Honestly, I would feel more comfortable if we had a heat lamp in there for the really cold nights. I think I’ll look into setting something up, that won’t be a fire hazard.

So I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t think we’re doing anything wrong. Chickens are not vending machines, but living, breathing, biological little creatures, and I can’t expect them to produce eggs like crazy. I certainly wouldn’t want to be laying eggs when it’s -45 C outside.

I guess they’ll start laying again when they’re good and ready.

Share this:

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)

World’s Worst Chicken Mama?

08 Friday Feb 2013

Posted by Jamie Lee in Backyard Chickens

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

backyard chickens, chickens in winter, Molting, Poultry, winter

I feel like a terrible chicken mama this week.  My girls are having an awful winter.  Greta died, Ginger has frostbite, Scruffy is sneezing, and Liesl is MOLTING.  AGAIN.  And to top it all off NO ONE is laying eggs anymore.

Liesl molting againWhat is going on?  Where did I go wrong?  How can I fix them?  At this point, I don’t even care about the eggs, I just want my ladies to be happy and healthy.

Damn you, prairie winter.  I blame you and your -45C for this!

Maybe they just need some serious immune-system boosting.  Vitamins?  Yogurt?  Scrambled eggs?  I’ll do whatever is necessary to make them healthy again.

Ginger's PhotobombHow about you?  Do you struggle keeping your chickens healthy over winter?  What have you done to help them survive the cold?  Leave your comments or suggestions below.  I’d love to hear from other chicken mamas and papas!

Share this:

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)

The Great Molt of 2012

14 Friday Sep 2012

Posted by Jamie Lee in Backyard Chickens

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

backyard chickens, Chicken, Feather, Molt, Molting, nature, Poultry

The Great Molt 2012This is one of the more interesting times of the year for backyard chicken owners.  The time when a chicken gives a shake, or a gust of wind blows, and a bushel of feathers release into the air with a barely audible “poof”.

Feathers, feathers everywhere.  The girls, they are a moltin’.

This also means that egg production has come to a complete halt.  Liesl and Greta are losing feathers like mad, but Ginger, who is only eight months old, won’t molt until next year.  However, she seems to be going through a “sympathetic molt” and has stopped laying eggs in solidarity with her sisters.  We’ve set up a light in the coop on a timer, so that she gets at least 14 hours of light a day, and hopefully, when the other two are done their molt, she’ll start laying again with them.

Chickens.  Mysterious, fascinating creatures.

A Week of Molting

Share this:

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
About Button

Hey. I’m Jamie.

This is my blog about whatever I feel like writing about.  Usually about chickens.

Welcome.

Categories

Follow Dreambles

Receive notifications of new posts by email.

Instagram

No Instagram images were found.

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.com

Archives

  • November 2018
  • May 2018
  • December 2017
  • July 2017
  • May 2017
  • March 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012

Blog Stats

  • 62,482 hits

Blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy