Recent content by hannahrachel

Hi, I've had my BLR Wyandotte hen for two years now, and only recently has this deformity evolved. I'm very worried that it may be a symptom of another illness. Can anyone tell me what this is? Thanks! A comparison Right eye Left eye

It's very unlikely. Even with full-sized chickens, a hawk would have to kill and eat without carrying it off (i.e. on the ground by your coop). Another predator like a fox or coyote would be more likely. :(

I keep all food and water outside the coop and in the run. Like you guys said, it helps keep down the humidity. Also, I've never had a problem with rodents in the coop as of yet, so I'll remain not leaving food in there. :D You say that Vaseline isn't good? That's good to know. Thanks! My...

It's that time of year again! Luckily I'm slightly excited to say goodbye to 100+ degree temps, so I'm going to winter-proof the coop before it gets too cold. This last winter I had a lot of trouble with frostbite. I've heard that smearing Vaseline over their combs and wattles helps prevent...

I wasn't expecting molt to start until at least the middle of September! It looks like they all have started, judging by the rough condition of everyone's feathers. I'll be trying to supplement more protein in their diets soon :)

Holland is going through a terribly rough molt right now. There are feathers all over the coop! I'm looking forward to shiny new feathers later this fall :D

That is a little cool, but if you have a lamp in the coop you will definitely be alright. I hope everything goes smoothly!

Here is a good article I found awhile back: http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/04/beat-heat-how-to-help-chickens-survive.html?m=1

I'd put them on both Ruby and Alice, and watch carefully to see if the other hens will pull them out. If they do, you can always take them off and resort to aprons or saddles. Your feather picking problem can be a result of boredom, or overcrowding. Since it is summertime, a thing that I do to...

It's not a huge problem if they sleep in the run (your coop looks secure enough that a raccoon can't reach in and grab your chickens), but if you want to train them to sleep on the roost inside the coop, you simply have to go out every night and put them on the roost until they get the hang of...

Like lillieegg said above, you can put fake eggs in the nestbox! Another good option is golfballs, or plastic eggs filled with sand--that, or regular eggs. Your chickens will be drawn to the new nestboxes when they think their fellow flockmates have been using them. Hope this helps!

Because your birds are feathered out, they should be fine in the coop for the night. :D Is it cool where you live?

Hello! Yes, when your chickens mature they will be able to breed. However, unless a hen of yours goes broody (i.e. Decides to hatch and raise chicks herself), you will have to use an incubator. You can buy an incubator, or make your own--this site offers lots of ideas! Just go to incubators, and...

It is all about the individual rooster here, unfortunately. Last year I had two roosters--of course, by accident--one was a BLR Wyandotte, and the other was a Dominique. As chicks, the Dominique was overwhelmingly more friendly than the BLRW. He was the first to greet me in the brooder, loved to...

I've read that a few drops of ACV added to the water helps aid digestion. It sounds like you're doing a good job :)