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I have 2 hens out of the four that I acquired as day-Olds in the Spring that will not go up into the coop and onto the roost at night. Instead they will sleep on a very narrow basement window sill that is enclosed inside their run. I introduced the 4 pullets to my established flock of 3 older...

We got a rooster in our straight run from Spring. He's making too much noise for the neighbors and we would like to see him re-homed. He needs to go soon so please message me if interested.

I have separated a hen from the rest of the flock. She was staying away from the rest of the flock in a dark corner. The cage utilizes the deep litter method and it did get wet from a heavy thunderstorm. She was living in a wet, dark environment for a few days before I got to clean everything...

My olive-egger hen (about 5 years old) is very lethargic and wouldn't get off the roost this morning. I picked her up and she just felt very limp. She is usually the head of the flock and very fiesty. Her head was alert and eyes clear. No raspy breathing or build up in nostrils, etc. Her vent is...

Does anyone line the ceiling of their quail cages with something to cushion the birds' heads when they bop it? I have a few quail in a cage that has less than a foot and a half of clearance floor (bedding) to ceiling. They have lived in it for over a year with no problems. Recently one of...

I have a bit of an emergency. Today I found one of my coturnix hens hiding in a corner. She is very listless and when i picked her up she began struggling then coughing up water or mucous. She is missing feathers from her wings and back area where the male tries to mount her and most of her head...

I have separated the males from females (actually I have one male in with the females and three males in another cage). What should I look for in deciding which male to keep and mate with the female for future hatches? I realize any visual preferences like size, feather color, lack of...

I was feeding the hens this morning and just happened to see this buried in the pine shavings. I thought it was a random piece of wood that sometimes gets in with the shavings. Next to it is a corturnix quail egg for size reference. Is this just an egg that started to develop and then the...

I have 8 quail and decided to separate the males and females. The males were getting very aggressive and I noticed almost all of the quail having missing feathers on the backs of their necks and one male looks to have a damaged eye (or at least it is closed so I can't tell how bad it is). I...

So I have some coturnix eggs in the incubator for 3 days now. I was wondering if any of you candle your eggs, how you do it or feel you shouldn't. They are tiny, hard to see through (I think?) and I am inclined to leave well enough alone. BUT I am curious! What day would be best to candle if I did?

I am using the Hova-Bator 1602N and have finally gotten the temps somewhat stable after a week of adjusting. The digital thermometer provided sits on the bottom side of the tray out of the way of the auto turner- it reads 99.5F. The glass bulb thermometer provided is sitting on top of empty...

I am researching quail and want to start my first flock of coturnix soon. Trying to decide between wire bottom cage or ground and looking into incubators. If anyone can suggest incubators they have had consistent success with, I'd appreciate it. Which leads me to my main question: How does one...

I noticed a limp on one of my hens 2 days ago. Yesterday I saw her running in the yard and she looked fine with no limp. Today the limp was back. I found out she has a cut on her toe that is a pretty fair size. I soaked her feet in a mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide and slowly worked off...

I am contemplating the world of ducks. I have been raising chickens for 2 years now and wanted to expand the flock. Then I thought, instead of more chickens, why not ducks! I am seeking advice from the experienced and have some questions. (I have combed through the forums here, the stickies and...

I currently have 5 standard-sized hens as an established flock. I am thinking of adding some bantams and other standard-sized hens of breeds I don't currently have. Can bantams live peacefully with the bigger girls or am I asking for trouble?

This morning when I fed the chickens one of them stayed up on the roost and wouldn't come down. When I came home tonight I found her dead on the coop floor. She was a year old and showed no signs the day before of anything wrong. After inspection I found some blood in her mouth and her vent...

I have a one year old hen that hasn't laid an egg in a little over a week. She is just sitting on the nest as if she is broody, but her crop feels slightly bloated and soft. I thought it was sour crop but when I try to drain it by pointing her head down and pushing the crop, nothing comes out...

Does a hen lay the same color egg that she was hatched from, or is it entirely a genetic crapshoot? I have three chicks (hopefully hens) and I am wondering if I can anticipate their egg color judged by the eggs they came from.

I think that the answer is yes, but I wanted to ask the experts. I have seen these black, raised spots on my hen's comb in the past few weeks and have been observing them. The look of them reminds me of street tar that has been dripped onto their combs. They have changed and multiplied a bit but...

I have three chicks and I am debating whether or not to vaccinate them- specifically for Marek's. I hear the vacc is sold for large flocks, so how do you use it for just 3 birds? I have 4 older hens that they will join in the Spring who I believe are vaccinated. Have any of you NOT vaccinated...