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jdc40
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Laying hens
08/30/06 04:08 PM
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I bought some chicks before Easter and I have three that have been laying eggs and two that don't . Is this normal or is there something I need to do to make them start laying. Jerry
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egon
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Re: Laying hens
[re: jdc40]
08/30/06 04:38 PM
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Are the two roosters? 
Egon
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jdc40
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Re: Laying hens
[re: egon]
08/30/06 06:35 PM
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No they are all hens.
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JoeR
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Re: Laying hens
[re: jdc40]
09/01/06 08:50 PM
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It can take some hens 26-28 weeks before they start laying.
Joe
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Pat
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Re: Laying hens
[re: JoeR]
09/02/06 09:17 AM
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If they aren't laying by 8 months, replace them and have them for Sunday dinner.
 Pat
"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"
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jdc40
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Re: Laying hens
[re: Pat]
09/06/06 09:26 PM
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Thanks JoeR and Pat. Ok I have another question, I don't have a rooster would that help out the ones that aren't laying or does it make no difference. Jerry
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Pat
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Re: Laying hens
[re: jdc40]
09/07/06 04:25 PM
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Depends on if you are selling the eggs to health food types or not. The hens lay just fine without roosters. Egg ranches usually have no roosters. Some Health Food adherents claim that fertilized eggs are more natural and more healthy. I prefer eggs NOT from caged hens in laying factories. I prefer eggs from chickens that get to eat bugs and grass. The yolks are so pretty golden and rich looking.
You can always try soaking their feet in warm epson salts solution and massaging their feet and letting them watch reruns of "All in the Family" as that will have the same effect as having roosters in with them.
They will lay or not. If not, chicken on the menu the first Sunday after the previously posted "deadline."
Pat
"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"
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JoeR
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Re: Laying hens
[re: Pat]
09/07/06 06:22 PM
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Sorry Pat, but Archie Bunker doesn't do anything for my hens. My hens prefer to watch the Barnyard movie. It keeps them cackling when they see a bull with utters.
Joe
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Pat
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Re: Laying hens
[re: JoeR]
09/08/06 06:18 AM
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Joe, You're telling me they put a bull with udders in a kiddie cartoon/movie. I haven't been pleased with the entertainment industry over values they instill in children and how they prortray/promote certain lifestyles B U T......
Now we have the equivalent of an, at best, CROSS DRESSING bovine.
Oh well, maybe it won't have a negative impact on your egg production (any worse than you have already.)
Hang in their buddy, one day well look baqck and THESE will be the good ole days!
Pat
"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"
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jdc40
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Re: Laying hens
[re: Pat]
09/08/06 09:38 AM
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Thanks again, I better find someone who would take them and clean and eat them. My wife and kids would never let that happen here. Jerry
Maybe I should have a talk with the hens and explain the situation if they don't start laying....
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JazzDad
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Re: Laying hens
[re: jdc40]
09/08/06 12:01 PM
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I have a sign up in my coop. It reads: lay lots of eggs or (and here is a picture of a roasted chicken laying in a bed of lettuce). There are those who say chickens can't read, but ours seemed to have taken the admonition to heart.
All kids are gifted; some just open their packages earlier than others.-Michael Carr
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lovethesticks
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Re: Laying hens
[re: JazzDad]
09/08/06 04:04 PM
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JazzDad - Thanks for freshening up a memory of my dad! Many, may years ago, my dad and uncle had a contest as to whose peas would be ready to eat first. My dad was losing so he went out and spoke to the peas..."If you dadburn, blankey-blank peas aren't blooming tomorrow, I'm plowing you all under!" He won. Chris
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Adron
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Re: Laying hens
[re: Pat]
09/08/06 09:12 PM
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Pat: I know that roosters are not necessary for egg production. However our free range production reds are much calmer and less fractious with a rooster or 2 around. We have a small silky rooster that literally rules the roost. When he uses that "Big black bird in the sky" cry, you should see the old gals run for cover. Of course this would never happen in an egg factory.
Adron
You can have it good, quick or cheap. Pick 2.
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Pat
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Re: Laying hens
[re: jdc40]
09/09/06 11:07 AM
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Jerry, Folks say that if you name an animal you probably won't eat it. One of my neighbors replied on hearing that... I got one named hamburger, one is potroast, one is ribeye...
When I was a preschooler we raised rabbits BUT ATE FRIED CHICKEN. My favorite piece of chicken as a youngster was a drumstick. I didn't care for wings. NO PROBLEM with these fried chickens as there were plenty of drumsticks and no wings!
I don't think it is brutal or wrong for children to KNOW where their animal protein comes from. I think it is more wrong to pretend meat grows on trees and looks like watermelon when cut into, a layer of rind (fat) like the white outer melon layer, altogether melon-like except for the bones.
Life is not a Disney visit. I have always felt that to buy meat the customer (except for rare exceptions) should be required to have a meat consumers lisc. To qualify for the lisc you would have been required to have toured a few slaughter houses/packing plants and participated and pass both a written test as well as a practical demonstration. I think it would be appropriate to include this in the grade school curriculum. This might or might not increase the percentage of vegetarians but would demistify the animal as food.
There just has to be something wrong when people eat all sorts of animals but have to at least pretend to not know where the meat comes from to be comfortable.
Pat
"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"
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Bird
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Re: Laying hens
[re: Pat]
09/09/06 11:42 AM
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Pat, we never raised any rabbits when I was a kid. My younger brothers raised them, after I left home, and they were living in town, but we sure ate lots of cottontails, jack rabbits, and an occasional swamp rabbit. But we did raise hogs, calves, and chickens to slaughter for our meat. I can understand what you're talking about.
I guess it's a bit peculiar, funny, or whatever, but I never minded shooting squirrels, rabbits, and birds to eat. However, I really hated killing the domestic animals; even hated killing the occasional cottontail that I trapped live. But I did understand why it was necessary and did it.
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Pat
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Re: Laying hens
[re: Adron]
09/09/06 11:44 AM
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Adron, I'd bet that somewhere some pencil pusher looked at the potential costs and benefits of playing ROOSTER CROWING over speakers at the egg factory. I can see it now. A stuffed rooster on a continuous loop track circling around and passing up and down the isles to be seen and heard by the layers to exact a 2.017% increase in average lifetime laying production with only a 1.32% increase in feed consumption.
Pat
"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"
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Adron
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Re: Laying hens
[re: Pat]
09/09/06 12:39 PM
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RITFL..........Not hard to visualize at all. The only thing questionable is the percentages might be off just a little.
Adron
You can have it good, quick or cheap. Pick 2.
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Pat
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Re: Laying hens
[re: Bird]
09/09/06 09:35 PM
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Bird, That reluctance to kill but the ability to do what is needed is exemplified by some of the members of THAT side of my ancestry where the spirit of the animal was asked for forgiveness. I was never a trophy hunter. I spread skins to dry and took squirrels tais and rabbits tails and such but the only thing edible that I killed and didn't eat was poisonous snakes. I have eaten some but if I need something that "Tastes Like Chicken", I'll eat a chicken.
Pat
"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"
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jdc40
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Re: Laying hens
[re: Pat]
09/09/06 10:55 PM
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Pat, I agree and I bought the laying hens for my kids so they could experience a little bit of farm life. Jerry
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egon
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Re: Laying hens
[re: jdc40]
09/10/06 05:03 AM
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Do they also get to clean the hen house?
Egon
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Pat
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Re: Laying hens
[re: jdc40]
09/10/06 08:24 AM
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jdc, I think you are providing your children a wonderful opportunity to learn about the natural world. Lots of kids have watched chicks hatch or kittens be born and such and grow up with a deepening understanding of the natural world comensurate with their level of maturation. They learn that things have a begining and end and purpose. Not every lesson can be taught by watching reruns of "Ole Yeller" and "The Waltons."
Too many kids these days think puppies and kittens are bought at the store and are made by Mattel or whoever along with the toys. You play with them like a doll or toy robot when it is fun and ignore them and leave their needs to others when not the focus of the moment.
Even feeding chicks is a responsibility and teaches kids that others are dependent on them and they need to discharge their duties for the well being of others.
Gee, this makes me want to incubate some eggs...
Pat
"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"
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egon
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Re: Laying hens
[re: Pat]
09/10/06 11:05 AM
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And clean the hen house Pat??
Egon
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Pat
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Re: Laying hens
[re: egon]
09/10/06 05:15 PM
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Egon, I thought you had made that point just fine earlier but if you desire some support... Kids frequently only deal with animals as pets (sort of surogate siblings) and then only the part you feed and pet not the final result of the feeding. Hence the importance of the character building and reality reinforcing chores of cleaning up after the animals.
Pat
"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"
Edited by Pat (09/10/06 05:18 PM)
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egon
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Re: Laying hens
[re: Pat]
09/11/06 06:25 AM
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For quite a few years Saturday morning was my time to clean the henhouse, barn and bring back clean straw bedding. I also got to turn the handle on a grinder for the oats we fed the chickens. Oh, I also got to feed them.
Nothing more pleasant than a henhouse on a brisk -20 F morning.
Don't know about character building but do know about cleaning henhouses! 
Egon
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jdc40
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Re: Laying hens
[re: egon]
09/11/06 06:30 AM
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That would be nice but it's hard enough to get them to feed and water. Although they enjoy gathering the eggs, and I think the hens enjoy scaring the kids. Jerry
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