I have been losing 1-3 chickens/chicks once a week to every other day since spring. Probably 30 plus total. (I pen them up after a loss for a few weeks but the losses restart soon after I release again. I let my chickens out at around 4 and pen them up at dusk. There coop is in a lot surrounded...
I have a mutt rooster that when bred to pure hens(brahma and wyandotte) is throwing traits that neither bird have. I have 2, 5 toe quail size chicks and a few that appear to be fibromelanistic. Could my 4 toe roo actually be 5 toed but just missing the extra toes?
half mutt half light brahma...
I have a "momma" hen that just laid an egg but still has a chick. I am not sure how old the chick is, plus the chick is part bantam so I cant go by size. Does the egg imply that the chick is weaned? I dont know when I can remove the hen safely.
I have a chick that should be half polish half wyandotte but at a week old it looks just like a non crested chick. Should it have a little fluff on the head?
I have read on here that the bantam "condition" is the result of a few genes. Do each of these genes need to be present in the same bird for an expression of the bantam phenotype or just one? I read that some are most are recessive and one is sex linked.
Matt
How many days can I gather eggs and set under a broody for the same hatch? Or is it best to collect the eggs and set them all at once later? I have a broody that is finally on setting tight but I am only collecting eggs from two hens. I had more but my brahma proved to big and crushed the eggs.
I went to throw away my broodies only egg I thought was bad and it chirped at me. Is this usual? I guess it means its ready to hatch? There is no pipping yet though. I guess I never thought they made noise until they hatched.
I have a broody who on day 11, 8 out of nine eggs were empty. I guess a bantam roo cant cover too many standard hens. The one non empty egg looks as if it may be dead. If it doesnt hatch what are my options? Should I go get some chicks to put under her or try to break her up?
Here are my Wyandottes who are sharing resposibilities for 5 brown leghorn chicks. They alternate setting with them at night. If they get spooked (like a vulture flies overhead) they squat together and the chicks hop between them. You can see them calling the chicks over for food in the pic.
I had 3 hatchery wyandottes go broody within about a week of of each other. After the first hen's eggs hatch the other two stopped brooding consistantly during the day. In fact one hen is now helping the first hen with her brood. I moved the most recent hen to an empty building and she only...
On 3/15 I set a dozen fertile brown leghorn eggs under a broody wyandotte hen. Now I have second wyandotte hen gone broody(3/25). Can I place some of those eggs under her or will she refuse them if they hatch that early?
Matt
I have a steel insulated building I would like to convert into an aviary. It is 10' X 16' divided into three 5' x 10' sections. I was thinking about building an 8' X 16' flight pen off of the back. They would have access into one of the sections in the winter I would shut them up into the...
My Mom in law has had a parakeet for several years that has been alone(mate died of egg binding). I know parakeets are social birds but has he been alone for too long to tolerate another? If so should it be a female or does it matter?