I have 6 hens over 1 year, all laying with no problems. There's also one baby, about 10 weeks. Yesterday, we found 2 eggs laid on the futon! One was normal, the other with no shell. We don't know who did it, and I don't know why my older girls would lay a shelless egg? It was normal...
I've got a silkie with an 8 week old she raised after going broody. They are together with 5 standards. A couple of them chase the silkie around sometimes, and the young one seems afraid of them. There isn't any pecking, and for the most part it's not a huge problem, but I hate to see it and...
My very broody silkie is raising her first adopted brood. Will this typically break a broody SILKIE? I know others pray for broodies. I want her eggs.
I should also mention, I'm keeping one of the babies. Only on the hope that it'll be a companion to her in our small flock of 7. The...
I need to put my 5 week olds with my older hens and all on the same feed. Someone suggested a game hen feed, but I can't remember exactly what kind.
Anyone know?
Thanks!
I forget.......when do chicks go to a grower? I'll be glad when I don't have to worry about my big girls getting into the medicated starter. They free range all day, and stay out of the broody area for the most part, but I still have to watch for this!
Also, my 4 week olds may eventually find...
My silkie has her first brood of 5 that she "adopted." She's a very good mamma. I'll sell the babies when they're feathered and ready, but for now I'm curious about how long a hen wants to keep her babies close? I'm sure it's a gradual separation, as she's already once left her week old...
I just saw another post with a picture of an inverted soda bottle and stale beer for fly bait. Very clever! With the weather warming up, and flies on thier way, let's share some ideas on this specific subject.
Personally, I want to keep to non-toxic methods.
Ideas........???!!!
I have 5 chicks with a mamma silkie. I snuck them under her in the night last friday and she's in love and they love her! But I don't know if it's a problem that the babies can get some of what spills to the ground from the big hens' layer feed, and consequently take in too much calcium. It...
I have a broody silkie who needs to raise some chicks. I don't have a roo, but I'll get some babies to stick under her next month. I've never done this and have some Q's.
Does she need to set on some fake eggs for any length of time before I give her the babies? ( She'll set on an empty nest...
I'd like to get some fertile eggs in the spring for my silkie to hatch and raise. We have no roo. But how does one get just a few chicks vaccinated? My silkie has never raised babies and goes broody. She's needing to be a momma. I'll most likely get her a few chicks already vaccinated and...
Has anyone else gotten such a laugh watching thier chickens eat spaghetti? They don't even go for other kinds of pasta so much, but the longer noodle must be similar to a worm in a way that gets them excited. They grab-take steps backward-and eat thier way up. Or shake thier heads with it...
My Light Brahma has been laying since Aug., but still is producing eggs with thin shells. There is a shell, it's just not nice and dense like everyone elses. I give them oyster shell in thier feed. Maybe she doesn't eat enough of it. Today and egg from her was broken in the nest box. It...
I'm putting my silkie in a cage to break her broodiness. The weather forcast is calling for quite a drop in temp. tonight. Low 30's. We've been in the hi 40's. I can put her in the shed, but concerned she won't have other chicken bodies to help keep her warmer. If I bring her in the...
Anyone ever use a squirt gun or super soaker on thier chickens as a way to stop unwanted behavior? I have a silky getting pushed around by 2 of my other hens. I thought a good blast of water when they start giving her the evil eye might help curtail it. I'd also like to try it when they go...
I have 1 silky raised with 5 other girls, all standards. She's about 7 months. She's become broody. When the others are ranging in the yard, she stays in the nestbox. She gets sunshine on her there, but she's just so inactive. I think she's eating/drinking, but spends most of her time...
Well winter is approaching, and as the sun is getting lower in the sky it looks like my chicken pen will get very little sun during the day. I only let the girls out to free range for 2-4 hours a day, (mainly because of the destruction they do.) I realize they may need more than this so they...
I was just given as excellent book about raising chickens. It mentions we should be collecting eggs at least 3 times a day. I was getting all our eggs mid morning, but now there's an egg pecker, so I'm checking more often. What is everyone else's routine?!
I have a fair understanding of the importance of using food grade DE. I am using oyster shell powder. It does a fine job at poop drying, we have many flies. Very little smell though.
How does oyster shell powder compare to DE. Is it some kind of non-food grade DE? Anyone else use it? I've...
I'm a true BACKYARD chicken keeper, and love to garden. Of course this presents some challenges, but I'm determined to create some kind of balance. My chickens are let out in the yard for about 4 hrs. every day. This seems fair. I have NO snails or dandelions, YEA! I can put the veggie...
My Americana, Sassafrass, must have gotten tangled up in something and in her panic to get free, somehow managed to break her beak. ( I'm guessing as to how this happened. ) Anyhow, her upper beak is cracked more than halfway across the top, but not all the way through to the pallet. It bled...