Recent content by Carolei

It sure sounds like she's broody. You can give her fertile eggs and let her raise some baby chicks for you, or if you don't want chicks you can follow any of the advice about how to break a broody. If you don't give her eggs and you don't break her she will sit for 3 weeks or more and not lay...

Apparently new feathers coming in are full of protein and chickens will pick the new feathers to get the protein. I have read recommendations to increase the protein in the chickens' diet by adding eggs, meal worms, grubs and grower feed. Isolating the culprits or the victims is also a good...

Wow! I will be thrilled if this is true! I watched a youtube video on telling gender by tail feathers at 10 to 12 weeks and I felt sure she was a boy! She has some very pointy feathers in her tail. I love this bird and I will be thrilled if she's a girl -- I can't have roosters in Seattle.

Here's one more photo.

I have been suspicious that this beauty is a cockerel based on her tail feathers, but she doesn't have much of a comb or wattles for an 11 week old. What do you think?

On bird recommendations, I think buff Orpingtons are the best! Sweet, friendly, beautiful and great layers. I also like Australorps and Delawares at lot! Those three breeds together make a beautiful, friendly flock.

I recommend keeping them in the house for the first week. They don't make much dust until their feathers start coming in and they need a lot of attention at first. Plus, they're so darned cute it's hard to stay away from them! Two or three weeks would be my maximum time in the the house, if I...

This is a followup from four years later! You were right! The first two were boys and the others girls. Here is a current picture of Alice with one of her babies -- my new avatar!

I would wait until he or she is a little older before deciding on gender and getting rid of him or her. I think it's still too early to know for sure. I also don't think he's any of the other breeds you listed. Perhaps an oddball Delaware? His color may change as he ages.

Changed my avatar today. This is my English Orpington Alice with her Delaware baby, Lulu.

Nevertheless, it is very helpful in keeping odors down in the coop and run.

She had a pretty thorough exam by a vet today. There was no sign of disease or parasites, although a fecal test was not done. She was laying up until a couple of days ago. I don't think she's laid an egg since getting beat up, but I'm not certain.

You both were right. She was bullied. I saw one of my hens jump on her back and start pounding on her today. Ugh. Until now they all got along well. It's awful to think that all that trauma was caused by one of my hens! I am isolating the bully.

My vet did not find any sign of underlying disease or parasites. She said the discoloration was trauma, bruising and scabbing. Perhaps she got her head stuck somewhere and scraped and bruised it pulling it out? And maybe she got pecked when the others saw the injuries. We're really just guessing...