Search results for query: *

  1. Flock Leader

    "And one of these days these chicks are gonna walk all over you..."

  2. Flock Leader

    Sexing Indian Blue peachicks

    Hi all, We are new to peafowl and currently have three chicks. The first is older than the others, about 4 months, and the younger are 2.5 months. Anyone can help us determine whether we have boys or girls? We have our guesses, but I'll refrain until I hear what others say. :-) Chick 1...
  3. Flock Leader

    Leghorn eggs have thinner shells??

    We keep a mixed flock, and two of our current layers are White Leghorns. All our chickens get the same feed, but while our other hens lay eggs with beautiful uniform shells, the Leghorns' eggs often have shells that are porous, thin and prone to cracking. They free-range on very mineral-rich...
  4. Flock Leader

    Marans prone to blood spots in eggs?

    We have friends who have beautiful Marans and we were all set on getting some hatching eggs from them, but they warned us that their chickens almost always have blood spots in their eggs. I know brown-egg layers are more prone to have blood/meat spots than white egg layers. Are Marans especially...
  5. Flock Leader

    Happy together

    A kitty and a chick hanging out on a snuggly pillow. :-)
  6. Flock Leader

    Share your entertaining chicken stories

    Hello there! I'm a blogger and writer on all subjects related to simple, self-reliant living. At the moment I'm working on a book about raising small livestock (in particular chickens and goats) in the backyard - aimed more for people who don't have a lot of space and are trying to make the most...
  7. Flock Leader

    Looking for homesteaders/simple living people to interview for a book

    Hi there! I've been away from the forum for a while, mostly due to the fact that I'm currently working on a book called Your Own Hands, which is meant to be a sort of introductory guide/ road map for people wishing to avoid consumerism and be more self-sufficient. I cover subjects such as...
  8. Flock Leader

    Chicken died suddenly :-( Suspecting snake

    So, two nights ago I heard disturbance and some urgent clucking in my chicken coop. I went out to see if it's a fox or a stray dog, and saw nothing in the area. All chickens appeared fine. After searching around the yard and seeing the chickens settle down I went inside. In the morning, I found...
  9. Flock Leader

    Vent: greedy breeders

    Disclaimer: I don't meant to tread on anyone's toes, but I have really wanted to say this for a long time. I live in Israel, and we don't really have established reputable hatcheries here. Therefore, the heritage breed chickens are centered in the hands of a few enthusiasts who have managed to...
  10. Flock Leader

    Successful non invasive Bumblefoot treatment!

    I guess I should have taken photos, but I didn't think of it until later, and anyway it was rather gross... So, one of my hens had Bumblefoot - definitely, and a pretty bad case. I tried to drain the swelling by holding the afflicted foot in warm water, peeling off the scab and gently...
  11. Flock Leader

    What do you do when the neighbor's livestock become pests?

    Imagine you have a small flock of chickens you love and care for, and free-range in your yard. Imagine your neighbor has turkeys which they also free-range, but without providing adequate food, shelter or fencing, and one turkey hen daily finds her way to your yard, where she eats your chicken...
  12. Flock Leader

    Chicken has been laying tiny eggs for several days

    I am familiar with tiny yolk-less eggs ("witch eggs") as a once-in-a-while production error, especially in young chickens, but my Polish hen has been laying such tiny eggs for several days now. She is a mature hen and generally a really good layer. Should I be worried?
  13. Flock Leader

    Coping with death in the coop

    Disclaimer: we view our chickens as a mix between pets and egg providers for the family; we never butcher them and treat each chicken as an individual, with less focus on productivity than pleasure. If you raise chickens with purely practical purposes in mind, especially if you have meat birds...
  14. Flock Leader

    Pre-broodiness signals?

    In the years we've had chickens, several hens invariably go broody every season, and of course we know all the typical broody behaviors: sitting on the nest, fluffing up the feathers, pecking at anyone and everything who dares to come near, etc. However, I think I've also noticed some more...
  15. Flock Leader

    Chickens, chicks and cats

    We have two resident cats in our yard, and a few strays that pass occasionally. Normally my cats and chickens get along great, eat from the same dish etc. However, egg season has started here already and I know chick season will start soon. Though my cats are lazy and spoiled, they do go after...
  16. Flock Leader

    Rooster nearly 1-year-old, not mating yet

    I have a beautiful Black Brahma roo, currently the only roo in our small flock. He is nearly 1 year old, large and heavy with beautiful feathering, but has only recently developed a prominent comb and wattles and started crowing. I've never seen him try to mate with the hens yet. Is his recent...
  17. Flock Leader

    A broody White Leghorn

    The hen in the photo above is a purebred White Leghorn we bought from someone who raises Leghorn pullets commercially and sells them to the egg industry. We bought a few pullets and this one just hatched her first chicks! I know White Leghorns supposedly had broodiness bred out of them, but in...
  18. Flock Leader

    Black Brahmas, anyone?

    My husband got me some chicks which he was told are Black Brahmas (not dark - actually black), however I haven't really heard of this color variety. I know it isn't recognized by the American Poultry Association. So is there such a thing as Black Brahmas, or are these crosses of something? Does...
  19. Flock Leader

    Rooster killed a chick :-(

    For the past several years, we've had a very sweet-tempered rooster to watch over our flock. This boy (seen in the middle on the perch) is protective towards the hens, human- and kid-friendly, and has never harmed a chick. We also have a newer rooster, a Brahma which was hatched last year...
  20. Flock Leader

    Ex-bat White Leghorn gone broody!

    At first I couldn't believe it, both because she's a White Leghorn and I was told they never go broody, and because she's an ex-bat and had gone through so much in her life before coming to live with us. But then I was forced to conclude that if a chicken sits like a broody, clucks like a...
Back
Top Bottom