I picked up 10 new chicks at a poultry swap yesterday to start up a new flock.... 5 seven-week old partridge rocks and 5 slightly younger blue-laced red wyandottes (seller was not sure of birth date, but they look to be around 5 weeks old). The chicks appeared healthy and active yesterday and...
A few weeks back I wrote in to ask for advice about my broodie hen. She was having some trouble settling in and left her eggs for 4 hours the first morning and another hour or more in the afternoon. Then she appeared in the pen holding a broken egg in her beak. I wondered whether this batch...
I've got some 7-week old Australorp chicks... looks like 8 little cockerals and 6 pullets. They free-range during the day, but run around separately from the older hens and rooster, doing their own thing. At night they all return to a single pen and coop. At what age will the rooster become...
Not a great day. First I think I have to throw out the eggs under my broody hen because she left the unattended for 4 hours (different post) and start again. Then tonight I candled the 26 eggs in my incubator and realized that I was kidding myself that there was something alive in there. I...
I posted this message in the Chicken Behavior and Egglaying Section, but I think I am more likely to get a response here.
One of my year-old Australorps started to show broody behavior a few days ago. It's the first time for her... and for me. I set up a little "maternity suite" inside the...
One of my year-old Australorps started to show broody behavior a few days ago. It's the first time for her... and for me. I set up a little "maternity suite" inside the coop and put 5 golf balls in there to lure her in. She moved in and I started collecting eggs from my other hens to put in...
I set 34 Australorp eggs 23 days ago. Twenty-nine hatched between mid-day on Day 21 and the end of Day 22, and they are sooooooooo cute! It's now Day 23 and I have 5 eggs left in the incubator unhatched. One had a tiny pip hole that went nowhere.... I assume that one has died and the other 4...
My first chick hatched about 7 hours ago and the 6th about a half hour ago. There's another 28 eggs in the incubator and about 8 or 10 of those have pipped. The observation windows just started to show a tiny bit of humidity in the corner. I know I'm not supposed to open the incubator, but is...
This is it... Day 21 has finally arrived. New incubator and first time round for me. I've been hearing some peeps for the last 24 hours and see tiny pip holes in about 7 of the 34 eggs. One of them has made very little progress since it first appeared last night, but it can take 24 hours for...
I have 5 Australorp hens (about 10 months old) and was given a beautiful Australorp rooster two weeks ago. The rooster is just over a year old, I think. It took a week for everyone to get used to one another, but now they are one happy flock. I just bought a new incubator and have lots of...
Hi all. I've been visiting this site for several months now... ever since 5 Australorp chicks came to live with us, "us" being me. my hubbie, and our dachshund. I've found answers to all my questions and lots more information besides! Thanks for that. Following advice we got on this site...