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(Not sure if this should have gone in the breeds forum, but since it's not about one breed specifically...) I was so sure I wasn't going to get chicks this year. And then I went to Murdoch's. Well, after giving away three of my hens to a friend of mine, I've cleared up space in my flock for...

1,4,5 could be easter eggers? Some have feathered legs, and they often come in both chipmunk and dark brown chick patterns. Hard to tell, though, especially since EEs are mutts to begin with. I'm pretty sure #2 is a buff brahma- what kind of comb does she have? Brahmas have to be my favorite...

Hello! I have a flock of 8 hens that are all about 2 years old. I got them from a different store (which uses a different hatchery) then I have in the past, and I have not been very impressed with their laying. Since early November, I've been lucky to get 1 egg a week- with my old flock of...

This is such an interesting thread! Your eggs turned out beautiful-- I especially love the blue you were able to get with the cabbage. I tried natural dyes a few years ago without much success- I think I didn't simmer them long enough- but this is just the incentive I need to try again. Also...

Oops, I maybe spoke too soon. My flock free ranges, and so they don't eat just layer feed- as such, I'm not always sure if they're getting enough calcium, so I set out oyster shell free choice. But @A_Fowl_Guy is right- it's probably not necessary if all they're eating is the layer feed. If you...

These are adorable! I've always wanted bantams- I haven't gotten any yet because I'm not sure if it'll be worth it to process the boys, and people where I live don't want them. Chick envy! :)

The equipment you need shouldn't change between 8 weeks and laying age; I'd start with two full-size waterers (1-2 gallons) and 1-2 feeder (approximately same sized). Start with chick feed when you get them, and keep them on that until you get an egg. At that point, you can switch them to layer...

Cuties! I've never had silkies, and can't sex day old chicks to save my life, so I'm going to guess... 1 male and 1 female. And there's a fifty percent chance I'm right!

Where (roughly) are you located?

You could also line the pool with a tarp, and then when it came time to clean it just remove the chicks and feeder/waterer and carry the tarp and debris outside- a quick hosing down of the tarp, if it was messy, add more shavings and you'd be good to go.

Ooh, you're making processing some of my layers sound more and more tempting. This sounds delicious.

This is an excellent idea! I'm actually not sure why I didn't think of this- thank you for bringing it up! I'm not sure how much luck I'll have selling layers where I live, but it's absolutely worth a shot. And I've wanted to raise meat birds, but the rest of the family isn't too keen on the...

Wow! New life goal: live somewhere where I can do this :bow

That's a great story! I love hearing about happy endings for classroom chicks- all too often they get foisted upon families who don't really know what to do with them, but it sounds like they worked out great with you :) And you're absolutely right about overcrowding-- I have enough coop space...

What a cool thread! I love ogling everyone else's birds :) I guess I need to find time to get outside with my camera (and a huge enough handful of scratch to get them to pose!)

Hello! I've had chickens for ~3 years, and I've always gotten new chicks in the spring to replace deaths. However, since I restarted my entire flock last February (after a predator got all of my previous girls at once) I've had no deaths, and so I have nothing that I need to replace. However...

She's adorable! I love silkies- she looks so much like a puppy :) Pretty coloring, too

This is such a fun question for a thread. When I got my first birds ~4 years ago I absolutely saw them as pets- hand raised inside, call them by name, pick them up and carry them around, let them come inside and eat breakfast... the whole shebang. I stopped eating meat entirely around then, too...

Buff Orpington hens are generally regarded as very good mothers, and people will often use them to foster other chicks. If you want her to raise them like a mother, then you'll need to give them to her ASAP and give up on her hatching the eggs. How old are the chicks now? As long as they're only...

I agree- the first looks like a cockerel, and the second a pullet. Both are beautiful birds- buff brahmas are some of my favorites!