I have a feeder that is open to my chickens all day every day. They don't have any issues, but it does get messy at times (and the feed gets wasted).
Free range chickens eat continuously all day when looking for bugs and worms. Mine are free ranged and I still give them 24/7 feed options.
Let me know how it goes! I don't know if raising eggs under a broody and under a heat source is a good idea for the hen (assuming she's an outside girl). But I trust whatever you're doing will work for your situation. Good luck!
Well, if it makes you feel better, she already sounds better then my chick! The heat should probably help, and I'll be sure to give you updates/advice I've gotten on this end. Good luck! :)
Windows are always a good idea. They help with keeping dust level down by allowing a small breeze to flow through. Whenever I have my windows closed on my coop, the dust is unbearable even for a whiff. I can't imagine what it would be like for my chickens all night if I always kept the windows...
I'm in the same boat! One of my chicks battled with pasty butt and now he's weaker/smaller then the others! I don't know what it is, but I'll be sure to follow this thread closely. I tried giving my chick sugar water to help boost his energy. It didn't do much, but you could try it if you want...
Since you know what the egg looked like, then this article might help you out!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/common-egg-quality-problems.65923/
That looks like a prolapse for sure. Unfortunately, I've never had to deal with one. I'm not going to give you any advice on how to put it back in (due to lack of experience) but make sure that you rinse it off with warm water on a cloth. Can someone with prolapse experience fill in where I...
Even for a big chicken, 18 babies is a lot. Generally, 12 or so is the limit. I am also guessing that this would be her first time raising babies? It would be best to put the eggs under her and let her hatch them herself, rather then shoving chicks under her on day 21. A first time mom will...
It's impossible for a human to give an animal their regular, old cold. Just wait a few more days and watch them—other then that I think they're fine! If they look like they're getting weak or have a loss of energy in the next few days, give them some sugar water off of a spoon.
If bad spell is the only symptom, then it can't be sour crop. If, however, she starts to get lethargic and looses weight, then it could be. She sounds like she's being a normal chicken—does the smell come from her head, back, rear, etc. More information would be helpful. :)
...He's much weaker then the rest of them, and doesn't follow Mama as actively. I want to get him outside with her before it's too late!
Symptoms:
*Weak/unbalanced
*Droopy wings
*Not as developed/strong as other chicks, despite being older by a few days.
*Doesn't eat well/at all (this...
Congrats! I'm glad those buggers made it out of trouble—I'm not surprised they got into it in the first place. Lol how many eggs did you have in total again?