Greetings - I'm glad I found this group! My husband and I have 3 backyard chickens (red star hens). They're the first we've ever had...got them from a farmer at about 20 weeks old. Only one is laying though. One is a bit younger than the other two and we hope she'll start laying soon. The other one seems weaker. Over the summer she suffered terribly from heat stress, I think. She was all droopy, dropped a few feathers. We put electrolytes in her water and she perked right up. Still, she doesn't lay.
They have a nice coop my husband built, not huge but plenty big for three hens. They also have a generous penned in area to run about, so they're not crowded in the least.
I'm most concerned about the upcoming winter. We have no electricity in the barn or the coop, and we live in Upstate New York. I've spoiled them rotten in the way I feed them. I actually fix them a plate a couple of times a day (feed, mealworms, oyster shells, sometimes a scrambled egg when Trixie is looking poorly, sometimes strawberries and so on). They love to run out and enjoy my company while they gobble down their meal. Alice particularly likes to be petted and held. But oy...this can't continue all winter! Could someone who lives in a very cold climate advise me on what type of feeder you use and how on earth do you keep their water available?
Someone told me they use a "deep litter" method - I think I know what this is, but if someone has advice, I'm definitely interested.
Thanks all!
Mary Beth
CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com
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