Recent content by JacquelineJ

you too missus, it's a tough thing to do but I guess it's part of the deal when you decide to have chickens. <3

that's a great quote for remembering!

I "harvested" him. In fact we ate him a few days after this post and he was tough til the end. lol. But before you think i am being callous, it was probably the hardest thing I've done since I acquired hatching eggs, and I still have moments of crying about it. He was the only one I got attached...

thank you x

I won't be breeding until Late April, so no chance of that! I didn't know it was a trait that could be passed along, so that's good to know. Thank you for the condolences. I am still a bit weepy about it. :(

Today my pasture is much quieter. This morning is the first morning with our my favorite Icelandic Cockerel, "Dirty Bird". Dirty was the very first egg that I ever hatched. He was hours ahead of the rest and so that "bond" that baby birds get when they imprint happened between us. Dirty, was...

Another, happy shock today. The "second" rooster, who has for the last several days chosen to roost ANYWHERE but with the flock and Hatchet has been accepted. I am so relieved. Tonight I'd planned to start putting him into the pen. When I searched all the spaces he normally roosts to get away...

I'm a first year chicken owner. I've read many books, websites, forums and facebook pages. I've asked for help more times than I care to admit. Largely I have a happy flock. But I made some errors along the way, one of them quite recently. Everyone knows (even me) that when you remove a bird...

Those birds have been through "hell". Of course they're not settling quickly.. I mean, they're in an entirely new world, they don't understand ANYTHING and they've been 'mauled' (in their minds, of course I understand why you clipped wings, I'm not blaming you, I'm just telling you what the bird...

It's funny, I'm only in my first year of keeping chickens and I got really paranoid about most aspects of raising them - there is a lot of information on space, introductions, choosing a roo etc., and I'm starting to think it's more guidelines than hard and fast rules. I mean it is just my...

I've currently got 20 week old icelandic pullets and a few look "close" to first egg but nothing yet. My cockerels are all showing signs of being ready to mate with the girls - one has done. I've a pen next to that cockerel and it's got 7-8 week old icelandic in it, those boys are watching the...

That and if you're free ranging you might think it wise to have two of whichever roo you free range in case one gives his life.. I've pure Icelandics and will have 2 adult males and 2 juvenile with my 14 pullets. I've also got one rooster of the two other breeds i keep that don't free range. :)

Rubbing oil on an egg, would block the pores, no? there needs to be an exchange of oxygen / co for the embryo to use and for the aircell to grow - for that reason, I'd say that is actually true.. :)

I separated my 10 boys from the 10 girls about two weeks ago (7-8 weeks). The hens are super chilled and the boys spend all day watching them. Unless they are allowed out. I range the girls and then the boys (daily). What i have noticed this week is the boys mostly seem to want to dominate the...

Everybody in the quarantine seems alert, happy and healthy since the scary poop incident. They're no where near as friendly as my Icelandic though!