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  1. Sparkleyhead

    Hen showing same beginning symptoms of a mystery illness that killed another hen this past fall.

    I have a Buff Rock hen that just turned 2. For the past two or three weeks she has been laying 2 eggs at a time, but they are poor quality. One is chalky and rough and the other is thin shelled or just a membrane. I am worried because this time last year (March) I had a Buff Orpington that had...
  2. Sparkleyhead

    Hen laying 2 eggs a day. Worried this is a precursor to something worse! Help please!!

    I have a Buff Rock hen that just turned 2. For the past two or three weeks she has been laying 2 eggs at a time, but they are poor quality. One is chalky and rough and the other is thin shelled or just a membrane. I am worried because this time last year (March) I had a Buff Orpington that had...
  3. Sparkleyhead

    Roo or pullet?

    I've had to play this guessing game before and have a bad habit of seeing what I want to see. This is 15 week old Blue, a Blue Cochin/EE cross. I see pullet, but then have second thoughts when I look at her legs, which are really thick, and her neck feathers which look pointy. In the past my...
  4. Sparkleyhead

    Watery greenish poops, decline in appetite, not as active

    My 2 year old Buff Orpington has not been herself as of Sunday. She has been standoff-ish and not as excited about food. Of the 8 birds I have, she is top hen. Always very nosey about what I'm doing, practically beating the other chickens out of the way when I bring out snacks and just a very...
  5. Sparkleyhead

    My hens won't lay in the Coop.

    I have 2 hens that have just started laying and they refuse to lay in the coop. They not only refuse to lay in the coop, but they make a full on jail break from the run and head to the bushes in the front yard right against the house. I haven't had this issue with any of my other hens. I've seen...
  6. Sparkleyhead

    Breast Bones Prominent in my Hens

    I have a year old Buff Orpington and a ten month EE and both of their breast bones are very prominent. I feed southern states laying hen pellet which they have constant access too. Everyone was wormed a month ago and all 8 chickens (rooster and 5 pullets) share a 100 square feet run full of...
  7. Sparkleyhead

    Hen laying 2 abnormal eggs a day. What's wrong??

    I have a year and 2 month old buff Orpington that has had a dramatic change in egg laying. When I got her in the fall she was laying beautiful XL eggs almost daily, even through the winter (natural egg laying breaks included). But now for the past month or 2 she has been having serious issues...
  8. Sparkleyhead

    The Purring Cuddly Pullet?

    I am familiar with many a chicken noise, (The chicken alarm, the boiling tea kettle sound, the regular clucking/honking, the unnerving velociraptor noise of a broody hen not wanting to be petted), but the purring trill is new to me. I have an 11.5 week old partridge rock that does this. I like...
  9. Sparkleyhead

    Older hen with purple comb acting lethargic

    I have a rescue hen that I am guessing to be between 4-6 years of age whose comb has started turning a purple red. I have also noticed that she is getting more lethargic and not acting like a typical spunky chicken. She came out of the coop this morning slowly, had some water and a little food...
  10. Sparkleyhead

    Hens won't eat Purina Layena of any variety.

    So I bought my laying hens Purina Layena plus Omega and they hate it. There was a great sale at the store,buy 2 bags get 1 bag free for any of the Purina Layena so I indulged and bought the plus omega stuff . I was all excited because it was high quality feed,but what good is it giving your...
  11. Sparkleyhead

    To leave the egg with the hen, or take it inside?

    I have a broody EE and she has been sitting on 2 eggs for exactly 21 days today. I came home from work and saw that the first egg had hatched, but sadly the chick was dead and alone in the nesting box. The hen had abandoned the chick and the remaining egg for the nesting box next to it to sit on...
  12. Sparkleyhead

    To heat the coop or not to heat the coop? That is the question.

    I really don't want to heat the coop, but I am running into a bit of a problem. I have noticed that my hens and roosters are starting to get small black specks of frostbite on their wattles and combs and it has sent me into full panic mode. I have cleaned and disinfected their frostbitten...
  13. Sparkleyhead

    What would kill a chicken and then leave it completely untouched?

    So yesterday I was heart broken to find my sliver laced Cochin bantam rooster, Fancy, dead in my yard. I for the life of me can't figure out what killed him. The theory that I am currently running with is that a hawk or something tried to pick him up, but either didn't have a good grip or he...
  14. Sparkleyhead

    How Old Are my Chicks and When Can They Start Staying the Night Outside.?

    Meet my two newest ladies. A friend of mine got them from Homestead Gardens and couldn't keep them so they have come to live with me. When he got them he didn't ask how old they were so I am guestimating them at around 3 weeks. Any seasoned chick raisers have a better idea? I also want to know...
  15. Sparkleyhead

    I have 5 rescue chickens and can't figure what breeds they are. Help please!

    I have 5 pullets that are about 11 weeks old now and I would absolutely love any help I could get on what breeds they are! Today I found out that the feather footed one is a Silver Laced Cochin Bantam, but the rest are still a mystery to me. Help please! The one in the shed is Nugget. The...
  16. Sparkleyhead

    Greetings from Southern Maryland!

    Hello! I have joined the backyard chicken family in hopes of learning lots about my rag tag group of rescue chickens. When I was a senior in high school, for whatever reason, I randomly decided I wanted chickens. So I badgered the hell out of the parents until they finally broke down this spring...
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