Sounds like our Welsummer. She's kinda scary, but never has any issues and lays the most beautiful brown eggs. I'm going to keep an eye on our sweet, sweet Sussex now. She's showing her age more.
Thanks for your support.
Update. Her crop was fine. She initially improved with a couple days of special feeding and making her drink. She was out and about yesterday (after I got her out of the coop) but still had diarrhea. But today she wouldn't even eat eggs, only a few peas. The vet said she had a lump deep inside...
Our 4 year old sturdy Australorp has slowly become less active and now she's not eating. Her comb is bright red, and she does come in/out of the coop with the others but then she sleeps a lot. She ran out to eat some scrambled eggs we made for her yesterday, then back to napping. Her crop is...
She did try. I've now had to separate them *and* reinforce the chick run because someone (cat or hen?) broke into my makeshift run during the day and took the little blighter again. I wasn't home, so she's gone now.
Thanks everyone, for your support! All seems to be well at the moment. Separate coop and makeshift run within the chook yard. And yellow peep seems to be fine!
Thanks for your kind and encouraging words. Your advice supports my instincts. She is standing, and falling asleep. Bit less awake than the others. I'll have a closer look at her before she disappears under mama when it gets cooler (really hot today) Thanks again.
I have mama and the 3 day old chicks close up in a biggish coop. I let mama out to poop and based on what others have said I was too trusting of the others and let one into the coop. Well, my big Light Sussex just tried to eat the little LS. I love that chick. the only LS of the brood and so...
Well, my big Light Sussex just tried to eat the little LS. I love that chick. the only LS of the brood and so curious and strong.
She carried the chick out of the coop before Mama and I got her back.
She drew blood on the neck - the chick was able to walk and stand and poop and is now...
I've got a clutch hatching under our Australorp in the communal coop. Am I crazy?? Does anyone actually do this? I thought it's natural, right? And I've only got 3 hens. The Light Sussex is sooo curious and now I'm worried I need to separate them!
Have you ever done this and how did it go??
Update: Two fluffies and another just hatched. One more sipped and one piped. The other I'm not sure.
We got interrupted by the Sussex and I scooped her out of there becasue she was nosing around under mama, literally! The Sussex needs to lay and egg and I've given her alternatives, but she's...
We've blocked the door so the little ones cant fall out. #1 chick looks great. #2 chick still peeping in it's shell and #3 chick has pipped and is peeping. Given them food and water. Mama was hungry!
I have to admit I haven't thought this out much. Last year we hatched with an incubator and I fussed TOO much and lost most of the eggs/chicks.
This year we slipped fertile bantam eggs under our full size Australorp. Two others int eh flock are a Welsummer and a Light Sussex, both full size...
We're in a similar situation. Mama has one hatched and one pipped and 4 more (?) to go. They are in the "upstairs bedroom" at the moment. Should I offer a spot on the ground? What will entice her? Pine shavings OK? or a shallow plastic box lined with towels? (OMG I'm so clueless..)