Recent content by Chickroo

I am trying to find a good home for my Easter Egger Rooster. Our property is too small and he really needs to be free ranging much more than he does, and have a more active "job". We are in a neighborhood and I can't free range my birds when I am not home. The rooster Joules, is 10 months old...

Yes, this is the correct thing to do. I often carry my roo around under my arm as a way of letting him know who is in charge. So far he seems to respect everyone. If he were to get aggressive the head trick would be a go to approach with me as well. Glad you have begun to make progress with...

I use pine shavings in their coop and nest boxes. We do scoop the poop out of the coop each day (wearing gloves and picking through the shavings). The chickens seem to like how soft it is. It stays clean and dry, and is good insulation in the cold too. Once as month I do a complete change out...

My EE roo has done that at times..... maybe he is checking out the attraction to the box after seeing the hens in there, or making sure its safe....curiosity, protectiveness...all the above.

You know reading through this thread there are so many opinions and experiences; sometime completely opposed to each other. I think all the comments are valid, BUT can also be confusing to someone looking for clear input.... Basically if you have a rooster 1) YOU always MUST be top in the...

I have an Easter Egger rooster and 5 hens (1 Rhode Island Red, 1 Easter Egger, 1 Buff Orpington, 2 Barred Rocks)~ raised all of them together from 2 weeks old. We treated the hens and the rooster exactly the same and handled them daily which included hanging out with them, feeding from our...

Thanks so much for all of this information! It's very helpful. One question: Are you sure that it's not harmful to use Vetericyn Wound Care Spray or Neosporin around the eye area? I have used both on my horse, but never near the eyes. Just curious what you might know about the safety on...

Thanks everyone! I have begun to dab iodine on her comb 1x a day. Nothing is crusty or has scabs, just smooth black spots, and small patches. It could be bruising from being pecked, but I'll do the iodine just in case.

Are you still experiencing this? My hens also have gotten exactly the same black spots and it has cleared on it's own. I had a vet come out and look at it and she said that unless it gets scabby (which could be fowl pox) it most likely is a result minor bruising if they scratched themselves or...

Has anyone had experience with their hens getting black sots on their combs? What could this be a sign of, anything dangerous? I have heard that iodine can be used, but I do not have enough information about this. If anyone can offer advise, that would be appreciated!

Thanks everyone! I don't want chicks right now....so knowing that I can just keep harvesting the eggs for food right after they are laid is good to know, and should I want more chicks in the future I now know what to look for. :)

We just started to get our first eggs....we have 5 hens and 1 rooster all about 15 weeks... So the eggs are small but healthy. However, how do you tell which eggs are fertilized? What should we look out for? Thanks for your insights and advice.

We just started to get our first eggs....we have 5 hens and 1 rooster all about 15 weeks... So the eggs are small but healthy. However, how do you tell which eggs are fertilized? What should we look out for? Thanks for your insights and advice.

I am so sorry to hear that. It's so easy to become attached. You have the support of the chick community! Hang in...

Ok, sounds good. I was thinking of mixing their starter feed with the layer feed for a couple of weeks until I transition to all layer feed. Thanks!