I am about to do this also for the second year.
Last year, I had two batches of chicks about 8 weeks apart, so it wasn't like introducing full adults with babies, but we still had to go through the Intro process, as I raised them completely separately. I read some wonderful advice on this...
I have a mixed flock of 13 including 3 dorking hens. They are apparently happy and healthy (and the Dorkings are my friendliest birds, so I love that). They hatched March 2011 and 2 of the 3 never really laid regularly. In October, they went through a light molt and it's been about a month...
Hi everyone-
I hope I'm not making a fool of myself here. I have a fairly new flock (Spring 2011) and have 3 salmon faverolles among them. My little salmon hens (Muffy and Buffy) began laying recently- they are exactly 6 months old. I have always assumed the other is a Roo because he...
I have 3 Dorkings out of a mixed flock of 15. They are my friendliest and most outgoing birds. I've not had any health issues with them at all (and I did lose 2 other young birds to a mystery illness which all the birds came down with, but 15 out of 17 recovered). I have faverolles too and...
I have 2 batches of chicks. One is now 16 weeks old, and the younger is now 12 weeks. The younger batch contains 2 roos (out of 6 birds) and the olders are all hens (I hope!) - 9 of them. However, one or two of my older girls have begun to crow in the mornings. I had read someplace that...
I just found this thread. I am a totally casual backyard chicken-keeper, but I HAD to have some dorkings when I bought my day olds. I found some at a local hatchery and have 3 hens, who are about 14 weeks old now. Of my 15 chickens, I love their personalities the best. One in particular...
If it makes you feel any better, it got a lot of good reviews on the TSC website. I was thinking we might have gotten a bum one (?) So, just watch it. Yours may be fine.
This is the type of waterer I have, only I have the 3 1/2 gallon size. (The 1 gallon size is pictured below.)
My problem is that it doesn't always drain into the drinking pan, even when the reservior is full or partially full. At first, I had it sitting on some blocks in the brooder and I...
I wish I knew what to tell you. I have a 4 week old chick this Am whose breast was super swollen. I picked her up and the pressure of that pushed water out her beak and it smelled like strawberries! (They had strawberries for a treat the last 2 days). I gently squeezed as much of the water...
I was just reading about introducing littleuns to biguns and I found a post several years old. One person (I forgot who posted it - sorry) kept her little ones in a dig crate in the coop for several weeks. She's let them out together with her close supervision, and she'd gently discipline any...
I think #10 who you said was a rock is a Dominique. I think this b/c the barring is very regular and Plymouth rocks and cuckoo marans tend to have more "spotty" or "broken" bars - whereas Dominiques look more stripey. I am a beginner though, so just my two cents.
Mine are about the same age and they began huddling too. However, now they all willingly enter the cat carrier for transport to the great outdoors. They fly and flap around, RUN!, dust-bathe, and go back into the carrier when they're cold or tired. Maybe if you transport them in some kind of...
I am fortunate enough to have a local industrial mill that makes railroad ties. We take our pick-up there, and the Amish workers fill it up - for $5
So, it may be worthwhile to see baout any mills in your area, especially if you live in a rural area. The hsvaings probably aren't quite as...