I don't have any suggestions for dealing with them while you are butchering. But when you finished I'd make a serious effort to find that nest and eliminate it before you did any more butchering. There has to be a nest nearby.
We all have different goals and expectations. If you are breeding for show, breeders often wait until the chickens are a couple of years old to see if they are worth breeding for show. If they are breeding for improved egg-laying they may wait through one egg-laying cycle so they can better...
I'll link an incubating troubleshooting guide. Maybe it can help you determine what might be happening.
https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8127.pdf
It sounds like your incubator is calibrated as far as temperature. Is the thermometer you are using to calibrate them calibrated? That would be...
They are 7 weeks old. Most chicks are fully feathered at 4 weeks, a few may wait until 5 weeks. Your chicks can handle your temperatures without problems. You do not need to get them used to colder temperatures, not in the upper 30's Fahrenheit. I've had chicks younger than that go through...
The young ones are about 13 weeks old, still several weeks before they lay. Two young pullets and eight older pullets that are probably laying. I have no idea how many coops or runs you may have or how big any of them are.
Others get different results, but in my flock the pullets stay...
One morning when the temperature was around -4 F I opened the pop door and gave them the option of staying in or going outside. They immediately went outside. That might tell you what they think of cold weather, not a big deal. That morning was bright and sunny without any wind, as it often...
So about 6 to 7 weeks old.
I can't argue about the predator risk. That is something we all have to come to terms with on our own. I'll not criticize you for your decision.
If they are used to sleeping in one spot they typically very strongly want to return to that spot to sleep. You do...
The coldest I've had chickens was -10 F (-18 C) so I have not experienced the temperatures you will see. I've worked in similar climates, down to -20 F (-29 C) but did not keep chickens then. Your record low in East Central Minnesota is probably around -50 F (-46 C) but I'd expect most years...
Is it possible? Yes. Many critters like earthworms, grubs, flies, beetles, and such can possibly give you chickens parasites. That does not mean they will, the parasite has to be in your area for your chickens to get it. Most of us do not have those problems, even if we free range our...
Some chicks hatch with birth defects. The potential reasons are many. It could have to do with genetics, something about how the egg was put together inside the hen, or something that happened during storage, shipping, or incubation. It can be very hard to determine exactly why this happened...
The reason an egg gets rotten like that is bacteria gets inside and multiplies. The egg material is a perfect food for many bacteria and incubation temperatures are what many bacteria need to do really well. I agree, when that happens the smell is horrible. If that rotten egg stuff gets on...
I use a red heat lamp in my brooder. The simple answer is no, the red light does not disrupt their sleep cycle.
How cold can it actually get? What is your record cold temperature? Averages don't matter, it is the extremes where you run into problems if you design for averages.
I'll...
It looks like you sealed off those window openings so they now get no ventilation through them. Is the only ventilation, up where your corrugated roof panels meet the top of the walls?
Chickens were first domesticated thousands of years ago. Records of exactly where are not known but northern...
They did not use the heat plate (except for a few) and they survived. Think about that. What does that tell you about how much they need the heat plate? With that many chicks they can keep each other warm, even in those temperatures. I'd leave it in there as added insurance but they all...
Thanks for your patience in answering questions. Sometimes the hardest thing on here is finding out what the real question is. It can get frustrating for both of us.
I've never used those bulbs. From what I've read online I could not find anything that would stop me from using them as you...
Hi, welcome to the forum, glad you joined!
How long has this been going on? Sometimes when I open the door to let the chicks out of my grow-out coop they are all on the ground in 15 minutes. Sometimes it takes 3 days before they all hit the ground for the first time.
I have food and water...
Why would you want bulbs that can change colors? You'd want bulbs that replicate natural light for those purposes.
I have not compared costs for those versus "normal" bulbs. Are these less expensive or do they last longer than normal LED bulbs?
I assume you would somehow use the App to...
Excellent questions, just excellent.
Where and what time of day does this being "mean" happen? Is it to all of the others or just certain ones? Are you positive that production red is a female?
It is easier to respond to these things if we have an idea of what you are actually dealing with...
How would you be using the light bulbs and how would you be using the app? They would like they could be fun for holiday decorations around your house but how would you use them in anything chicken related?