Recent content by marli365

I bought 4 today, and the person selling them said that if the hatchery tries to determine the sex on bantams, it is too hard on them and they arrive at the feed mill on their deathbed or already dead. Maybe this happened to them?

I hatched one egg (that had a couple days left to go) with a regular heating pad in a plastic box with wet washcloths around it (not touching it) and a towel over it to keep the humidity in. The baby hatched for a house-sitting niece and she let it run up and down her arms and shoulders while...

I, too, have broody bantams that constantly want to be Mommas. I have let them hatch regular-sized eggs, but I would not let them have more than two, as the Mom has trouble covering the babies at night with her body. Do you have a place you can move her, away from heights and distractions and...

We bought one when we were newbies 7y ago and use it for a broody nursery with her chicks. We have also used it for a jail when there is a misbehavior issue, or a last night location for a rooster that is to become soup the next day.

Thanks everyone for the replies. Broody #1 with three eggs is in her own house, with a heated floor and food and water. Broody #2 with my ”important” egg is up in a 4 foot high nest box for now, but I can move her to a separate place inside the chicken yard that I have set up, soon. I will...

The pieces of the eggshell were pretty far from the nest, but I get your point. I wonder if this is normal though.

On April 1 I placed 4 eggs under one of my broody hens. Unfortunately, the egg I really wanted to hatch had a thin shell. It took two days for that chicken to produce another egg! Ugh! Since I had two other broodies (those bantams, right??) I put the new egg under one of them. It would really...

The one I'm a little surprised about is that you haven't gotten the ones about square feet per bird in the coop. I've read that you have to have anywhere from 1 square feet per bird to 15 square feet per bird in the coop. Some mention the run, many don't. 3 or 4 square feet per bird in the...

Yes, the newbies were hanging around inside (on the floor) when I checked them at 4 pm, while everyone else was on their bed roost. Checked them at 6:30 pm (dark) and they made it up to the roosting bar that had the lonely bantam. Yes, I do know this but we have a very secure fence and in 5...

OK - Measuring tape utilized: Coop outside dimensions are: 61" high, 51" wide, and 74" deep. Here are photos from the inside. When we bought it, it had one huge nesting box, and so we added a divider for two. Since I have bantams, invariably someone is broody at any given time so they are...

Good news! They made it up to the perch bar by themselves and everyone is sleeping together tonight.

Well, I have news! I read and re-read, and then had hubby read, and we discussed, then we acted on the advice and put everyone together today! It seems to have worked! Since it is not going to be too far below freezing tonight, I am leaving the pop door open. I rearranged the furniture and...

In my (small 5 yr) experience, the birds are Extremely good at hiding problems until they are really sick. Losing weight? Puff up the feathers so no one can see. etc. Seems to be a prey animal response to illness. I see my girls finally show their illness about a day or two before they pass...