I've got 2 hens that decided a couple weeks ago they wanted to live outside the coop at night. One is just a few months old and the other I've had several years. I caught the young one easily and put her back in. Took me WEEK to catch the older one and get her back in. They've been in there...
Yes, that's what I thought too but 2 hens refused and I had to catch them with a fishing net, in the rain. Lol! And it has been 5 days since the last attack. I guess I will keep them in a few more days and see. This particular raccoon will not return, but I know there may be more. Had not...
Lost 4 hens last week to a nasty raccoon. The attacks were every night until we finally found where they were coming in and secured the coop. After a few days I finally let them out to free range today and had a hard time getting them back in. How long until they forget what happened???
I am having the same trouble! I have 6 young ones that haven't started laying yet, but 10 adult hens that have been laying 3 or so eggs a day. Today I got 2. I'll be glad when the pullets start to lay! They are about 15 weeks old now. I am not sure if it's the heat or what.
I have learned the hard way that I cannot keep 2 roosters. They WILL fight to the death. I bought 2 barred rock chicks a couple years ago that were supposed to be females but one ended up being male so I gave him away. I have lost 2 roosters because of fighting and do not want to go through...
Ugh, i wish i knew! I'm gonna try putting a trail camera inside the coop and when I find out who it is I'm going to put them in a separate pen by themselves for a week and see if I can break the habit. If that doesn't work I may have to cull.
Yes, shells left and sometimes just a wet spot. Shells are not thin/weak. I have gotten some like that before but not lately. I have a couple wooden eggs, should I paint them white? I try to go out there as much as possible, and heard one in there, but when I opened the box she ran so fast I...
I had the same problem last year. Finally the hen refused to go back in the coop. If I forced her in she would hide in a nesting box and if I opened a box she would fly out. I finally just let her stay out and she would roost under the carport. Something finally got her one night or early...
I've had chickens for about 9 years now and have had them eat an egg that was broken and possibly eat one or 2, but now I've got somebody that is eating 1-2 eggs a day! These hens are all at least 2 years old, some older. I can't figure out who is doing it!! Today they ate 2 out of my 5 eggs...
I had a hen hatch 2 chicks last year and she decided to do it again this year so I gave her 5 eggs. Another went broody at the same time so I gave her 5 eggs. Under one hen there ended up being 2 squished eggs and she was left with 3. One tried to hatch but the membrane wouldn't come off and it...
I looked closer at my chick's comb and it doesn't look like a rose comb to me. Is it possible that maybe one of the parents is not a pure bred? The columbian I got from Mcmurray and the orpington I got from Craig's list, so maybe he is not what they said? You can see a pic of him on my...