Recent content by Mrs. K

  1. Mrs. K

    Do you think my white rock would be a good mother?

    Sometimes, it is the people trying to be very conscientious and kind, that can ruin a broody hen. People tend to want 100% hatches and 100% live chicks, blaming the broody when they don't. Then often times, for the 'best of reasons' people separate the broody hen from the flock. Then about 3-4...
  2. Mrs. K

    Rooster aggression towards a single hen

    I have had chickens for years, and never had this problem until a year ago. Always solve for peace in the flock, but if he is truly wonderful to the other girls, consider culling the victim. If he picks a second bird to terrorize, then cull him, without a doubt. Last year, I had this issue...
  3. Mrs. K

    Young rooster behavior help!

    You know, if you have a chance to rehome him, I would recommend letting him go. People tend to doubt themselves, but I think you are picking up on negative vibes. The biting and aggressive noise. Roosters will pick up on the fact that you are nervous around him, that will make him prone to...
  4. Mrs. K

    Broody on Probation: How long do I give her in the nest box to "lay an egg"? + Bonus Psychology Question!

    Separating birds often causes problems, it is like trading one problem for another.
  5. Mrs. K

    Rooster breaking up fight between hens?

    Contact your county extension office, ask for 4-h clubs. Or ask for poultry clubs.
  6. Mrs. K

    Lack of laying, lighter yolks

    Heat will slow mine down, especially this time of year, when they are kind of thinking of slowing down anyway. That or a hidden nest...often times hidden in a place you either don't think they can get to, and they can, or a place where you don't expect them to be. Go down with a book and...
  7. Mrs. K

    Broody hen I think?

    Don't count your eggs - count your chicks! Think of it like the chick would not have lived and would have suffered, the chick did not. If it has been terrible hot, sometimes one does not get a good hatch. Might look around see if you could find fresh chicks just in case. Mrs K
  8. Mrs. K

    Broody hen I think?

    Nothing is more fun that a broody hen with chicks. I have never broken one, I always cave and give her either chicks or fertile eggs. Don't hatch if you could not butcher a bird - as 50% at least will be roos. However, if that is the case, and you can get some sex linked chicks, I have never...
  9. Mrs. K

    A molting question

    Yes, you can have them molt in the dead of winter. And yes, some are going to look terrible, like they partied all night and stumbled home with only part of their clothes on. And even if it is 20 below, they do fine. Some molt hard and fast. You can open the coop and think something was killed...
  10. Mrs. K

    Rooster breaking up fight between hens?

    There are several wonderful traits outstanding rooster have, and that is one of them. If you get a rooster with all of them you have a flock master. I too, agree, roosters are a crapshoot, but you may have just rolled the dice right! Mrs K
  11. Mrs. K

    Chicken with weirdly bad aim?

    Don't hatch her eggs.
  12. Mrs. K

    Possible bullying? Need insight.

    Thanks for reporting back!
  13. Mrs. K

    broody not leaving nest

    No, they don’t lay when they are brooding. Sometimes you will have a hen sneak away, lay an egg, come back to the flock just normal. Then one day she looks at the clutch, and it flips the hormone switch, she stops laying and begins setting. The beauty is that the eggs laid days ago, are not...
  14. Mrs. K

    broody not leaving nest

    A lot of times, when the broody does get off the nest, other hens make a beeline to lay the eggs. Let someone else do the work? If they are still on the nest, I have had the broody get into another nest. All is not lost, you just move her back, even if the eggs are cool to the tough. They will...
  15. Mrs. K

    broody not leaving nest

    Hence the old quote, "Don't count your chickens before they hatch." Generally speaking, say over 1000 eggs being attempted to hatch, it generally works out to a 50% hatch rate of live chicks 3 days after hatching. Not everything makes it.
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