Recent content by Toodles

I started my flock of 8 on fermented feed exclusively 2 weeks ago. The week prior to switching I got 32 eggs. The first week on fermented I got 24 eggs. The second week I only got 4 eggs. I've fed fermented feed exclusively before without problems to a flock which included 3 members of this...

Thanks for the info on necropsy. It would be nice to know what is happening so I can take measures to avoid it in the future if at all possible.

The symptoms of head injury she exhibited after the pecking attack were falling over, swaying as she walked as if she was dizzy, acting uncoordinated, losing her balance. That hen was a banty/game hen cross. I didn't realize Marek's was so common. I've had chickens for 10 1/2 years and never...

After reading your question regarding the teflon, I just read part of that thread. I just checked the box my light came in. It's a regular Westinghouse red 100w floodlight. It doesn't say anything about being shatter resistant on the box. The only other thing we can think of is that we've...

I have a regular red floodlight on a timer in the coop. I used it last year fall to spring with no issues and started using it again this past October. How would I tell if it's teflon coated?

There's no toxin they could have gotten into. Another one was dead this morning. She fell over on Monday, I got her up and she seemed fine ever since except not roosting up high at night, she stayed down on the floor of the coop. I think on most of the affected chickens their combs were a...

I need help! I've had 5 chickens ages almost 2 to almost 5 years plus 3 less than a year old seem fine, then they start falling over, having balance problems. If I pick them up from being unable to get up on their own they seem fine again until they fall over and can't get up. I've had...

I'll have to take some pictures of the poop. The older hens eat the same fermented feed, live in the same coop and yard yet their poop is normal, always has been. Fermenting the feed produces probiotics, so essentially they get probiotics every day. I sometimes feed then plain, organic...

I have 4 Barred Rocks, 4 RIR that are 4 years old and 5 Australorps (3 hens, 2 roosters) that are 10 1/2 months old. The older hens have always had normal poop. However, the Australorps ever since they were a few months old have often had this black, liquidy, poop. Very watery sometimes thick...

I bought 5 Black Australorps from IFA, my local farm store. They get their chicks from Privett. I bought pullets but of the 5 chicks 2 turned out to be roosters. That's a 40% error rate on sexing! I've checked out other hatcheries online and most guarantee and error rate of 10% and will...

Interesting, I was thinking the nice, calm one would be the one to keep (if I keep one). I may just re home both. I feed my hens expensive organic feed and sell the extra eggs, I specifically got 5 more hens to keep up with the demand for my eggs. Well, now I guess it's 3 more hens.:(

Thanks for the information. Dang, I wanted all hens! One of the cockerels is pretty calm and lets me pick him up easily, the other one is kind of skittish. Is their behavior at this young age relevant or in any way predict their adult personality?

I have five seven week old Australorp chicks that I got at the local farm store; all were supposed to all be pullets. Three developed tail feathers the first week, two barely have tail feathers at seven weeks old. These two also have developed pink to red combs and wattles that are much larger...

Here are the ones I suspect are roos. They are 7 weeks old. What do you guys think? I don't have much experience with roosters, I had a really mean RIR rooster that we had to get rid of because he kept attacking us and the hens. Not sure I want any roosters at all. That wasn't the...

I'm new to this, how do I post a picture from my phone using the mobile site? I don't see any way to attach the pics.