A friend of mine got a chick that was "rescued" sent to her. It was about a day old when she got it. She received a certificate of Authenticity that it was a descendant of the Spanish Fighting Game Cocks. I'm sure this means nothing as it could be anything (I am assuming) However, she...
I have a small chicken hutch that I use as a brooder. This has a wire mesh floor to allow droppings to fall through. Since the baby chicks are quite messy, I have a ton of feed waste. My question is whether or not it's okay to compost the chicken food that is also on the droppings board.
After 3 years of having chickens, and having a relatively predator-proof coop, the other day I found an opossum got in my coop. I can't figure out where, but I will be going over every square inch of it. I have an 8'x12' coop, with a 10'x40' run. The top is covered, and all of the fencing is...
I definitely DIDN'T want to post this under breeds, genetics, as I knew I'd get lots of remarks about mixed breeds. I've wanted more hens that lay green/blue eggs, I don't really care about genetics, it just makes my customers happy. I recently lost a ton of my laying flock to coyotes, so I...
I forgot to write my set up date on the calendar, and I thought today was lock down. When I went to lockdown and add water for humidity, I already had 4 pips. They were in an auto turner, and the humidity was only at 30 percent. I got the turner out and added water as fast as I could, but...
I lost 2/3 of my flock to something that carried off the bodies. Nothing left, just circles of feathers. I'm talking a lot of birds too - 25 or more!! I originally thought coyotes as we have tons in the area, however a hunter friend of mine said a coyotes wouldn't carry off that many, that it...
I have a chick that's about 9 weeks and she seems to be paralyzed. She was squatty on the ground, but is chirping, eating and drinking normally and "acting" healthy. This just started yesterday. I took her out of the coop as I thought the other birds would peck her to death (or crush her...
We killed our first rooster, never thought we could do it. Now I have a few questions:
He was about 2 yrs old, is this still okay to eat? We thought he might be a little tough, so I thought about sticking him in the crock pot.
How do you get those pin feathers off? I thought about torching...
I just got allergy tested today; other than the nurse saying I am the most allergic person she has seen, I am also allergic to feathers! Did I mention that I have over 40 chickens, 12 in the incubator, and was going to place on order for 20 more? ha ha!! Other than being allergic to all...
I have a mixed flock of hatchery birds as well as birds I have hatched (about 40 total) I have had up to 65 birds, but over the last few years, have lost some to either animals or mysterious deaths. I assumed this was just part of chicken farming. However, I am now reading up on Marek's and...
I think he is about 6-8 months old, I know I'm terrible, I don't remember when I got him. But after another rooster died, this one started crowing. Now he has a full fledge crow. The rooster that died I think was killed by my oldest rooster. I hope he leaves this one alone! But I'm thinking...
so I decided to put my teenage brooder inside the run of the large coop, not an easy task as this is 3'x8' that my husband built extremely well. It took 4 of us to move it. I have a small fence to separate from the larger birds...the funny part was trying to catch 27 month old chicks running...
I've noticed some egg cartons (that people have saved for me) they advertise "All vegetarian diet" How is this possible? Aren't chickens omnivores, and eat worms and bugs? It drives me crazy that I want to send them a message!! My girls love the worms I give them from my tomato plants!
for some reason, my hens have gone on strike!! Most of them are a little over a year old, I haven't noticed any molting. However, the biggest change in the coop atmosphere is the loss of my 3 roosters about 2 months ago. I do have a 3 teenage roosters but the hens have nearly stopped laying...
My sister's dogs were over visiting my dogs today, anyway 2 of my hens got hurt. I'm not sure if they were my dogs, her dogs, or a combination. All dogs are around my hens a lot as they are free ranging. One of my hens has a cut in her back, I think she will end up being okay, another hen's...
I recently started getting several small eggs along with my large ones. I have 10 week old cochin cross hens that have been in the coop for a few weeks (along with my year old hens). Is it possible for them to be laying so early? I would find it hard for my year olds to just start laying...
I woke up this morning around 5:30, I heard the roosters crowing and thought it was a little early for them. My yellow lab, Lucy, was growling at my bedroom door, she usually only does this when shes hungry so I got up to feed her. But when I came home from taking the kids to school, around...