We will be receiving 10 pullets soon. Our chicken run was just recently used for 4 to 8 hens over the last 5 years or so. The run is "dead"; no worms, no grass, no weeds. I dug and turned over the soil. When the pullets are old enough (and we catch the fox and get the electric dog (aka: mass...
I've moved broody hens a few times before - always with success. Both moves were done about a week before hatching would occur -so around day 12 or so. I did it at dusk when the hens are sleepy anyway - and brought some of the the nesting material with the eggs. When the transfer was complete -...
Believe it or not - both times that we have had Easter Egger Roos - they have been almost overly aggressive. Both times they have lived through coop doors being left open accidentally and so forth. We actually gave the first one away because he was so mean when we came into the pen - only to...
Oh man..... helping a chick to hatch - especially making an air hole for them.... hmm - I've done that and so often it ends sadly, and usually after a lot of time and energy spent on trying to save a chick that shouldn't have hatched anyway. As hard as it is to wait and then toss old eggs -...
...gross. Also I've put antibiotics in its water - I've been dipping its beak in the water a lot. Unbelievably; in only 3 hours she seems better - it is eating and chirping. Am I seeing things?
**WHAT IS/WAS THE CRUNCHING? I'm so curious. Maggots? Has anyone heard of a 8 day chick surviving this?
Ever seen feathers (or lack thereof!!) like this before? This chick is about 7 days old. It's feathers have never been 'fluffy' or normal. Its head is nearly bald. When it hatched the momma would not care for it as she did the others - so now it is inside under a lamp at 95 - it seems blind to...
This an ugly frizzle mix hen (we love her though) she has weak feather growth and a balding neck and bald shoulders that are red. The condition seems to be getting worse this week. Her leg scales seem raised closer to her feet. What's up?
Yes, and it is so much easier than the incubator/ brooder mess. I don't know how to get a hen to go broody, but once they do - hatching and caring for the chicks is as easy as..... watching the momma hen do it all! And it is fascinating to see how she cares for them and teaches them and then...
I have 3 8 to 18 hour old chicks in the incubator. They are drying nicely and chirping every now and then. But is it normal for them to lay down a lot and sleep? For example, they will struggle to move around all the other eggs in the bator then suddenly plop over and sleep. Normal?
WAIT!!
This morning I brought all of my 21 eggs outside to toss - thinking that at day 23 they were all certainly dead. One had even tried to pip and died in the shell. So, I open the incubator - and .... I thought there was a birds' nest near by -- it was my incubator! I rushed inside and...
It is hard to believe this but it's true: the hen knows what she is doing. I went through this also - I even threw "yummies" at my broody's nesting box to no avail. She does eat, she does drink but she'll never do it when you are around. She'll get all scrawny looking and have a lot of bad...
Don't feel bad - I'm pretty sure I've done the same thing - and for the exact same reason. I'll find out in 10 days if I have a chick or two or putrid eggs! We are all learning I guess!
If it looks like a scrape - or a rug burn - (not bloody or swollen and no raised scales - just red) then my rooster has it every now and then too. I think it is related to the weather. It has never amounted to anything.
He's kidding - I think. That'd be an incredibly deep hole in most areas!
Get on Craigs List, people seem to sell the plastic pond liners a lot. You can get them very deep and large. You absolutely need to spend money on a good filter if your pond is man made - especially if you want goldfish...
Yes! I woke up and it was at 94 then by noon it is back up to 102. I can't seem to regulate it. I tried wrapping it but then the turner wouldn't work.
Oh, well - it's done now. I'm on day 8 - so I've both cooked and frozen them. Poor things. They must be thinking their mother is an idiot!
Loudest = Easter Egger - meanest too but colorful and impressive.
Crowed first = RIR that I thought was a girl
Cared for his ladies the best = Maran - He would find food and give it to his girls and fought a fox to the death
Dumbest = Jersey Giant. Bricks for brains.
We should not all be so surprised that this randy roo found another outlet - I mean really - men are pretty much the same in every species.... except maybe the sea horse.
I agree - pics please - I just don't get it? How does it work? I'm sticking my mind as far into the gutter as it will go and I still don't get it? Are the bottles disguised as hens?
I use disposable diapers on all 12 of my hens and my roo. He wears Huggies "Crawlers" and the rest usually fit into the premie type. Sometimes I have to use duck tape strips to keep them secure. The only problem comes when the girls go to lay their eggs. Quite often the eggs get smashed inside...