While checking on one of my Broody Hens I discovered her eggs were covered in mites. I dusted her with a bit of Sevin dust, sprinkled the nest with DE, and set up a shallow tub in the coop with sand (thinking maybe the proximity would allow her to 'bath' more). She had been on the eggs for only...
2 days ago I found a kitten in my barn, it had upset my rooster which had alerted me to 'danger'. It is either feral or poorly socialized. It is currently in a dog crate in the barn with canned food, water, and a box/with towels for shelter (it is still below freezing most of the time). Thinking...
First time raising turkeys for Thanksgiving, understand that they need time to get through rigor. Does anyone have a preference of processing on Saturday or Sunday?
I ordered a mix of Rhode Island Red (female), New Hampshire Red (female), Speckled Sussex (female), and Welsummers (male) from Meyer Hatchery they are 3.5 weeks old. I understand they will be hatchery quality and vary from the standard. Most I've been able to ID because they resemble each other...
This is my second year doing cornish cross meat birds. Last year was my first attempt, I ended up with 48 of 50 big healthy clean birds. This year is not going nearly as well and I am having issues I didn't have last year.
My setup is a 10 x 10 x 2.5 ft mobile chicken tractor, solid walls/roof...
Came home yesterday to find one of my 6 month old pullets hiding in a corner of the coop. She will kind of hobble around using her left wing for balance, but she doesn't extend her legs so she is moving on the foot and lower portion of the leg. Toes are close not the normal extended. No outward...
Found this in the nest box, and I haven't seen anything like it. It is relatively solid similar to thick jello. The 'egg' part is just over an inch and slightly transparent, the thing attached to it reminds me of fat and has a stringy thing attached.
18 laying hens about 18 months, a few...
I currently have 18 laying hens and 1 rooster all about 18 months, along with some pullets and cockerels from this year. I am considering removing the rooster and all but 2 of the (very young) cockerels.
What is the impact to the flock and pecking order of removing the alpha rooster? Will it be...
Looking for some help IDing these 3. The rooster would be a RIR, however the mother could be either a RIR (1 in the flock) or production Red (7 in the flock)
This one is about 3.5 months. Coloring is close to the production Red hens in the flock.
Same age as the one above, but I'd lean...
I have a year old Barred Rock that I'm questing if she is sick or broody. She is spending most if not all her time in 1 nest box, but if I take her out she will get a bite and water, which seems broody. Most broodies I've had (3) will hoard any egg in the nest box, if I pulled one out from under...
Winters here are quite snowy with 2-4 ft depth most of the winter, this kept the flock inside from Jan-Mar. Was thinking about trying some kind of covered run for the winter to provide them extra space. I was thinking about the hoop style greenhouse, engineered up for strength and use a heavier...
A few days ago I let my flock into a patch of sunflowers, the sunflowers (mammoth) were 4-5 ft tall at the time and figured they were tall enough to be safe and the chickens would enjoy eating the weeds and shade underneath. This morning I noticed that the chickens must have been pecking at the...
Will chickens try to find their way home after rehoming? I would like to try letting the girls go broody and raise some young this summer. In order to keep our flock about the same size some of the 1 year old hens and pullets would need to find a new home. Fortunately I have family in close...
Winter is coming (first with chickens) and there are some small nail holes and gaps in the coop, what are some safe ways to seal them that the chickens won't peck at?
Big picture I'm trying to winterize the coop to try and cut down on drafts.
My 8 hens spend most if not all night standing on their roost, it is rare to see them sitting and sleeping. They are 20 week old red sex links. The roost is a 2x4 on its side with the edges rounded off about 4ft off the floor. There is a webcam in the coop so they can be monitored without...
My coop is 9ft x 9.5ft (it was a preexisting shed on the property hence the odd dimensions). The current residents are 8 13 week old red pullets but there another 12 (11 females and 1 male) that will join them in time. I put up 2 temporary 2x4s for roosts at 2.5ft and 5ft, the girls only use the...