Egg shortage

[Timmy59]

The shortage of chickens is still being injected into the headlines. "They" are still claiming the flu to be active and still "culling" birds . Birds are not dying from the flu, they're dying from culling. 1 positive or false positive eliminates an entire farm . You believe as you wish .
The un vaxed humans are the spreaders they say Vaccines, are creatures that are vaxed healthier, stronger and more resilient than the non vaxed ? Commercial purchased/ hatched chicks typically have been vaxed for 2 diseases. Are they then stronger and more resilient than Suzy Qs backyard hatched ?
Regardless of what you believe, eggs are not going to get any cheaper in 23.
We hatched chicks 11-1 and 11-22 and not so much as a sneeze or sniffle and they've seen quite the swing in weather. If you happen to buy hatchery chicks you can purchase vaxed or un vaxed, your choice. At least currently.

 

[Fade2blue]

I think my rooster might have frostbite on its comb from the sub zero temps. Do you all use a heater for your coop? I just finished building a coop out of lumber with some plexiglass windows. I used a automotive weather strip to seal around the swing out windows so the only draft would be from the ridgecap area. I found a 150 W radiant heater but I don't know if that would be enough for a 6 x 6 coop with 5 birds.

 

[THAT Gurl]

I think my rooster might have frostbite on its comb from the sub zero temps. Do you all use a heater for your coop? I just finished building a coop out of lumber with some plexiglass windows. I used a automotive weather strip to seal around the swing out windows so the only draft would be from the ridgecap area. I found a 150 W radiant heater but I don't know if that would be enough for a 6 x 6 coop with 5 birds.

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I have only had an issue with frostbite a couple of times. Both were fairly minor.

We have never heated our coop but we have made sure it was full of fresh hay and it was small enough that when everyone was on the perch they were touching. One year the neighbors cat used to get in the coop with them at night and we would go out and find her and the hens all cuddled up.

This year we have a hen that gets on top of the coop and sleeps. Even with a clipped wing. She hasn't had any frostbite at all. We also have a hen who molts in December every year. I mean she blows off her feathers all at once. It looks like someone just grabbed handfuls of feathers and started yanking. She has never had frostbite either.

They are all Americanas. I dunno if that makes a difference or not but they sure seem to be cold hardy.

 

[16colt]

We alway keep one of these hung in the coops when its cold.
…plugged in and with a bulb of course.

 

[Timmy59]

No electric there so no heat and when temperatures hit low extremes we do see some frostbite on combs. It detracts from they're beauty but they make it thru to crow another day .We keep a deeply bedded floor in hopes of decomposition heat. Coops are pretty tight to avoid wind chill but zero is zero . @Fade2blue , nice looking set up,

 

[Fade2blue]

It looks like most of the comb has recovered. Only the top of the first back one is still black. The heater i have keeps the coop about 5 deg warmer than the outside temps. Its running in line with an temperature switched plug that connects at 36 deg.

 

[Timmy59]

This should help with the price of eggs.

 

[THAT Gurl]

I checked before I left today -- a dozen eggs (not Eggland's Best) are $7/dozen. Today was truck day so that may have changed. I'll check Saturday when I go in.

 

[Timmy59]

How high will they go ? Will they reach a buck a piece ?

 

[O4L]

I just paid $.25 each for farm fresh eggs.