Recent content by chameleon

  1. chameleon

    1 Black Chick

    Thanks for all your responses. The basket is kind of like a plastic mesh, so there's plenty of air flow and visibility, so they can all see eachother. I have a heating pad in the brooder so I put the basket half way over the heating pad so they can get away from it if they want to. The black...
  2. chameleon

    1 Black Chick

    I had 8 hens (out of 12) unexpectedly go broody in less than 2 weeks. I was ill and the nests were hidden, so by the time I noticed it was too late to remove the eggs. The first hatched almost a week ago, and so far 15 have hatched. Only one is black, the rest are all pale yellow to buff, and...
  3. chameleon

    Chicken breeders or Folks in South Africa?

    Hey, welcome back! You have been busy, it sounds like quite an adventure! I'm doing fine. 4 of my hens went missing and I assumed it was the caracal that took out all of my landlords chickens, then 4 other hens went broody, 3 of them on the same nest, and one wasn't even on any eggs. I just...
  4. chameleon

    Helping broody with staggered hatch?

    Thank you so much! I didn't think of that but it makes much more sense. And it would be so much easier, spring is just starting here and already the temperatures are soaring, the chicks wouldn't need much supplementary heat during the day anyway as temperatures aready reach around 90°F some...
  5. chameleon

    Helping broody with staggered hatch?

    One of my bantam hens went broody, and I didn't notice immediately because she is completely black (comb and beak too) and when I did my daily headcount at bedtime I couldn't see her in the dark nest box. I assumed she was just gone because a caracal recently wiped out my landlord's flock. The...
  6. chameleon

    Managing a fully free range flock, tips please!

    Hi, I haven't been on here in ages. I thought I'd post a small update. It turns out only two of those chicks were cockerels and I lost one to a caracal, unfortunately it was the one I liked the most. The other turned into a very good little rooster, minds his own business and takes good care of...
  7. chameleon

    It's finally happened!

    Also just wanted to add, they are 26 weeks old this week.
  8. chameleon

    It's finally happened!

    Almost a year after rescueing my first chickens, I my layers finally started laying! :wee I was dancing around the garden in excitement and my husband asked: 'What are you going on about, you're not the one that layed the eggs?' :lol: I have a question though. I have six hens and it seems that...
  9. chameleon

    Chicken breeders or Folks in South Africa?

    Welcome back :frow Good luck with your new babies, would love to see pics if you have.
  10. chameleon

    1st New Egg

    Congratulations! That's so exciting :ya Mine are reaching laying age now too, I'm eagerly awaiting my first eggs. But I believe their first eggs are often small and sometimes even a bit deformed or soft, but they'll get bigger soon, it's nothing to worry about yet.
  11. chameleon

    Chicken breeders or Folks in South Africa?

    Welcome back :frow It's been quiet around here. And I've also been offline for a while because of all these fires around here.
  12. chameleon

    1 year old hen stopped laying over 2 months

    What is your weather like at the moment? If it's too hot that can also impact egg laying.
  13. chameleon

    1 year old hen stopped laying over 2 months

    If the shells aren't soft I'm not sure the calcium will make much difference. It's most likely just the shape of the eggs that's making it difficult for her to lay properly. If she is definitely not ill, then it could be a proplem with her shell gland and I don't think there is anything you can...
  14. chameleon

    Naked Neck/Turken Thread

    I am very sorry about your chicks. I suppose it could depend on the breeder, but my personal experience has been that my bantam NNs are the hardiest of all my chicks. Out of 3 seperate hatches and a total of 20 chicks, I have never lost a single one to weakness or health issues. There was more...
  15. chameleon

    1 year old hen stopped laying over 2 months

    If her eggs are odd that could be why she lays so irregularly, she's probably having trouble passing them. Are the shells soft aswell? Is she happy and healthy otherwise? If her shells are soft I would definitely try to get her to take more calcium. If she doesn't like the shell grit, you could...
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