A couple of years ago we found an old washer and dryer on Craigslist . The washer's kind of picky when the weather turns cold. It seems that something (you'd have to ask Mars cause I'm clueless) freezes inside the machine (pump?) and it won't agitate. So it's either rig up some sort of light or heater OR just wait till the weather warms enough for it to thaw out.
All that just to say I need to get some laundry done in the next couple of days while the weather's nice. The dryer's newer and works great. I just don't use it unless I'm forced to so not only do I need warmer weather I also want it to be sunny out so I can use the solar dryer.
I'm having chicken problems. It looks like I might be trying my hand at raising some feedstore chicks in the spring. I've read and read about chickens and there are all sorts of different opinions. I'm about ready to put some hens in the freezer. Three haven't laid in over four months. I gave it some time because two that had chicks weren't laying eggs. Then I gave them a chance because they were molting. Bring that around to now and I've only got one hen laying. Part of me wants to say it's because its cold. The other part is really tired of feeding them. And we won't even talk about the three roosters who are on death row.
Now don't get me wrong but one of my New Years Resolution is going to be "If you don't work - I swear I'm gonna serve you with some carrots, potatoes and onions" I've grown really tired of taking care of critters that don't pull their load around here! I'll also know in a couple of weeks if we are going to be raising rabbits or eating them too. The new buck seems to know what he's doing though so we'll see. Ol' Bucky just might be on death row too.
Well I'm off to do some "while the sun shines" stuff. It's time to scratch some things off the list today. Who knows what in the world might happen.
We are in C-c-c-o-o-l-l-d-d Minneota and Im feeling the same way about my chickens right now. Not sure if its the change in daylight but I leave a light on in the chicken house until late. Out of 8 chicken i get 2 eggs. Im frustrated with them to say the least. I had to buy eggs yesterday and i felt guilty! Not sure what we are gonna do but im thinking they are on death row here too
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing the chickens are just on Christmas Vacation or something. I've been having to buy eggs too, along with the chicken feed. *sigh* Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteI did not think Cold really affected Chickens, but I guess when the temps are like the ones we have been seeing across the country then I guess it probably would. It has been absolutly brutal. I wonder what this will also do to milk prices, and store bought egg prices, If small farms like yours and others are having problems, Gotta wonder if the big producers are too.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I have tried to glean from here and there it's not the cold so much as the lack of daylight hours that affects chickens laying in the winter. But then what the heck do I know. It seems nothing around here seems to go by what the heck I've read! Good question though... I have noticed that our egg prices are steadily climbing the past 2-3 months.
DeleteGuess that's the difference between a farm and a zoo!
ReplyDeleteLOL!!! You are so right! I suppose we can't dine at the zoo.
DeleteMy grandfather used to always say if you want eggs everyday and enough laying hens you better have 500 chickens. I think he meant there was a point they became basically a self reproducing body but the number you needed to get there was huge. All the problems I remember from taking care of the birds when I was a kid has kept me from getting into them now but eventually I will give it a shot again. I know I give my Mother a ration of crap about her invalid animal retirement home but I can also remember my grandparents had a few useless animals about their places. I know one had a steer and a shetland pony that lived their entire lives together even though my grandfather threatened to make said steer into hamburger quite often. Both of them used to follow him around his farm like dogs. My older cousins used to throw the pony into the pond when it was a foal until it learned to stay away from them and it would steal my grandfathers wallet all the time and run around the place with it in it's mouth.
ReplyDeleteOh now that's hilarious!! I'd have loved to watch that pony and the wallet trick. I bet you got one heck of a laugh out of watching him with your granddad's wallet!
DeleteI have a sister who might qualify for an animal retirement home. Not my sister... I mean her pets! lol ohhh never mind. tee heeheehee
My chickens (when I had them) last year stopped laying for 4 months. I had to buy eggs for the first time in 5 years. I put a light in the coop that would turn on at dusk and run for 4 hours. I also gave them 14% horse feed instead of scratch. The feed is oats, a small amount of corn and alfalfa pellets. This got the eggs flowing again.. Still out of 30 plus chickens on a good day I would get about 16 eggs and occasionally up to 20. Then again...there is always the pressure cooker....hahahaha
ReplyDeleteMama Bear I really don't like buying eggs from the store. They just don't taste right after eating fresh ones. I suppose I'm going to have to budget in some dang lights for the chickens. I know it's not expensive- just a matter of what I can put off for another month. I'll have to look into the 14% horse pellets. Maybe that's all they need. Right now I'm feeding them egg pellets. Then again...... lolollllll
DeleteBetter be careful that nothing inside that washing machine freezes and busts.
ReplyDeleteDD, you're right about that. Last year we had to replace a belt that broke because of something freezing up inside, and of course I didn't know better and ... well...... After that Mars had me make absolutely sure things were working right before I left the barn. *wink*
DeleteSCI,
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy it's warming up here too. Temperatures hit 69 today, I'm going to take advantage of the warmth. This weekend, more rain and sleet heading our way.
Sounds like a motto worth keeping to me. If you don't produce or pull your weight around the place, in the freezer you shall go!!!
Stay warm, were sending hugs to you and Mars :-)
After last week this weather seems almost summerlike! I'll take it where I can get it for sure. Better enjoy it while we can for sure. Inside chores have been canceled until further notice. (or cold icy rain).
DeleteGood to see you, Hugs to you and BDM!
Our 5 hens are now 6 months old. They started laying last month. Now we get 4 to 5 eggs a day, but we also have a light that comes on at dusk and stays on for 6 hours. Chickens need 18 hours a day of daylight to lay eggs. One hen will lay an egg every 36 hours or so. It depends on the breed you have and their age, too. We feed laying mash and apple peels and some poultry wheat for treats. We never let their feeder go empty. We also have a water heater for them, as not enough water and they will not lay well. It has been well below zero here every night for weeks and never gets above freezing, either. Chickens lay the best their first year, too.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have a light in there yet. Wiring has to be installed on that side of the bar first. But it does seem that if I want eggs I'll have to try it. All these hens were laying until about 4 months ago. I'm not sure what blew their petticoats up. I've not heard of poultry wheat. I am thinking about getting some new hens this spring as well as some more chicks. These were hatched here last fall I think it was so they are over a year old now.
DeleteNot ol' Bucky! I thought we had an understanding! Dad used to keep a lightbulb on, near the water inside the henhouse. They felt safe and cozy. The water never froze, and they laid eggs. The molting could be due to stress and a lack of calcium.
ReplyDeleteYou had an understanding with Bucky?? Is THAT what his problem is???? LOL
DeleteAll this sunshine doesn't hurt my feelings at all! Good luck with the chickens!
ReplyDeleteIsn't a sun shiny day just the best! Especially after the weather we had last week.
DeleteThis has been a terrible year for chickens and eggs.. something is up, just not sure yet what we are in for. I bought 20 new chicks March 1. I count my blessings if I get one egg!!! I have a light in the coop that turns on at 4am and turns off at 6pm. I hate having it on all day, but with the clouds it is super dark here. Remember it takes 2 weeks for a chicken to make an egg. Our chickens get our food scraps, and organic seeds. I don't buy layer pellets anymore, too high in aluminum (yes it's true, I was being poisoned by the aluminum in our eggs!! There was a family in Utah that this also happened to).
ReplyDeleteI have also found this year that it just isn't a good year for eggs, blueberries, strawberries, apples and zucchini.. I know, weird!
I pray 2014 is better for the farm all around!
Wow, I learned something new. I've always known institutionally that the layer pellets were probably not good for us. Now I'm sure of it. It seems so hard to get away from all the "cr*p" they use.
DeleteHere's hoping that we get all the eggs we want in 2014!!
I often say I'm like a solar battery and it sounds like you are too. I hope you found a way to get the washing done. My friend, Holistic, gave me a toilet plunger to wash clothes with last year - just in case the power goes out and I need to wash by hand. Thankfully, I haven't had a chance to try it out!
ReplyDeleteDaylight hours are too short. Here's the thing with the hens.. the lighting has to be pretty decent to fool their systems. It actually has to do in part with natural vitamin D production (which happens with exposure to UV light.)
ReplyDeleteBack in the day- this was the norm. It's why eggs used to be really really expensive in winter. There are production breeds that lay really well for 2 years- then just really taper out. Feed quality is a big thing. Scratch is not complete, it's basically like eating candy bars.
If you want to get into growing some of your own feed for them.. attra.org is a good place to start for poultry nutrition. It's like with any other living thing- it needs to be fed right to be healthy. When they are molting- they need higher protein. Still with the timing, unless you are using lights, many won't start laying until January or Feb.
If they are foraging- get them out early. Like before the sun is up- they actually forage best then. How well they eat directly impacts the size and quality of their eggs.
That said.. now when they are finished molting and not yet laying- it's a good time for them to be dewormed. Some feed DE & squash seeds.. frankly- it doesn't work. It's a lovely hippy dippy notion- but that's about it. The girls right now should have red combs & wattles. If they don't- start checking for mites and/ or worms.
Raising chickens right is at best going to leave it so you break even- if your budget is for organic eggs. You can't compete price wise with the farm factory eggs- as they own all portions of the business and achieve the price through volume.
Some chickens handle the cold really well. Depends on the breed. Mine do fine even in sub zero temps (although we have to change the water out frequently so they have access at all times.)