A long overdue update to the Freya situation!
Over the past two years, she has been acting increasingly rooster-ish. She does the food call to the other hens (usually over leaves and twigs), and gets soundly ignored. She is growing spurs. She has that unique way that roosters bluster and fluff...
This is extremely helpful, thank you so much! This is the information I have been really hoping to find in the five-ish weeks of frantic googling.
I'll breed him back to the original doe, to test for that. We've got plenty of time before our little harlequin is old enough <3
Thank you again!
This is my current plan, pretty much. None of the litter are being sold, because we sell for breeding stock and 4-H and neither would be ethical, if there is any chance that they carry the problem. As for breeding... well the doe was a one time breeder, she revealed major personality issues...
I haven't had Barnevelders, but I have had Wyandottes and Orpingtons. Out of the two, I would suggest Orpingtons hands down.
My Orpingtons that were raised by a human-indifferent broody are worlds friendlier than my hand-raised Wyandottes (no longer with us). I have two lavender Orpington...
Absolutely up to my ears in chickens and rabbits here! Most exciting things that have happened lately...
Well the mystery hen in my profile picture who has an entire genetic thread dedicated to her has started crowing and trying to feed the other hens. Fun times, she gets along with my rooster...
First I would like to say that we have no vet anywhere near us, that will treat rabbits, so getting them diagnosed and treated professionally was not an option.
In a litter of 7 kits, born to a new dam and sire, two of them had varying levels of a near-constant shake. The shake was first...
Hi, sorry I never responded, the hen was not the end of my animal problems and I forgot about this.
I've been giving her apple cider vinegar, slightly diluted, several times a day, and sparsely feeding hard boiled egg and probiotics. She isn't fully recovered, but she is on the mend :)
I noticed one of my hens this morning moving slow, seeming unfocused and occasionally twitching her head down like she was gagging, and her crop looked huge. I caught her, and her crop feels like a water balloon with a bit of scratch in it, but her breath doesn't smell sour.
She is otherwise...
This is a very fun mix! I think you are right about the pair, and I suspect the black ones are black french marans, I may have missed something though.
Still checking out the others : )
Best tool I've found for keeping chicks entertained is this little spring ball I dug out of the cat/dog toy box.
I have stuffed it with greens, hard boiled egg, veggies, and in this case; leftover salad. Sometimes I set it down and let them roll it, sometimes I hang it.
No clue where it came...
Got a second opinion! My fellow chicken raiser (mother) says it looks like a hen to her.
No tail (my orpingtons are 4 weeks and *very* obvious in the tail), comb is still small and in my experience roosters start getting leaner at that age.
I'd keep your hopes up!
Looking for a replacement for our old thermometer. Specifically, hoping to find a high/low thermometer with an alarm and a hygrometer, does anyone have a recommendation?
Hello, Luna! Welcome to BYC, and congratulations on starting your journey, I'm sorry it's gotten off to a rough start.
Your set up looks fantastic, and I hope the rest of your little ones do well!