Recent content by K-12 Chickens

I didn't have a rooster for about two years in my flock and I think my hens got quite accustomed to not having a male around. When I did introduce "Big Moe" (name of the Easter Egger rooster), it took nearly a year for the older hens to adjust and accept him as the dominant bird. The hens have...

Hi! One of my bantam hens hatched a Silkie X d'Uccle cross this year and unfortunately, it turned out to be a rooster. I already have two roosters in my flock and three is just one too many. He has a good disposition and has not shown any aggression towards people (just really likes the hens)...

Dot, one of my four Dominique pullets.

Two months later after hatching and my d'Uccle x Silkie cross looks very interesting! (Millie Fleur d'Uccle rooster and white Silkie hen cross) At this point, I'm pretty certain it's a cockerel. (He's almost exceeding his mama in size!)

I agree. I've noticed the chick does tend to instigate the fights. I was hoping the chick was female, but after seeing this behavior, I'm more convinced it's male.

I would definitely not say these are just mock battles-- they appear much more serious. The chick even squeals in pain when the hen grabs ahold of its comb (I even saw a little blood on the comb). I let them out together again and they were fine for less than 10 minutes. What's weird is that...

Today I noticed that my broody hen and her 4-week old chick were aggressively sparring with each other-- the chick (who I suspect is a cockerel) jumps up and pecks at the hen's head with hackles flared as if trying to dominate her. In turn, the hen pecks at and "dances" to the chick with one...

Two weeks later, and the chick is feathering out fast! The emerging color and pattern of the feathers is fascinating.

Here is a white Silkie (non-bearded) hen X Mille Fleur d'Uccle rooster cross (chick hatched by my booted bantam). I'm really surprised by the chick's coloring; neither of the parents ever had dark markings or yellowish-gray coloring as chicks. The chick inherited the beard from the d'Uccle and...

This is the first time one of my hens, Little Mama (Porcelain Booted Bantam), hatched an egg! (I originally set two eggs under her, but one turned out to be infertile) The chick she hatched is a white Silkie (non-bearded) hen X Mille Fleur d'Uccle rooster cross. I'm really surprised at the...

UPDATE: Oddly enough, the swelling has gone down on its own since the last time I posted and the hen is clearly more comfortable. Either she passed whatever was irritating her or it was something else entirely.

UPDATE: Last night when I closed my chickens up I felt the hen's abdomen and it didn't feel any more swollen than before. This morning, it doesn't look any bigger (I'll have to feel again), but I can tell she's a little uncomfortable with it (not willing to run, jump, etc.). Otherwise, she's...

Thanks for the response! Just last year I had one of my hens put down because of ascites. She was like a balloon, waddling around and breathing heavily and developed it after her first molt. This hen might be trying to start laying again and I wonder if that has to do with her condition.

I noticed yesterday that one of my Barred Plymouth Rock hens (2 years old) was breathing a little heavier when she was resting on the ground. When I felt her abdomen it was swollen and firm, but there also appeared to be fluid inside. I also felt a hard, firm object--whether it's an egg or tumor...