My first time with Cornish X's so forgive all the questions!
We are having a big cold front following the tornadoes that passed through Missouri a few nights ago - it's expected to get down to 39 tonight with misty, icky rain. Yuck!
I have 30 5-week old chicks out in a tractor, and I'm a...
So this morning when I checked on my 30+ meaties one was sitting weird and when I dragged the tractor it became obvious that walking was very hard for him, involving a lot of flapping to move a foot or two. He sits with legs splayed out in front of him.
I pulled him out, thinking I'd have to...
So I thought I was pretty clever when I constructed a chicken tractor that assembles and disassembles in a few minutes by being made in panels that snap together. - letting me brood chicks in it inside the barn and then reassemble it outdoors and use as a regular chicken tractor to finish my...
I've been keeping chickens for about 5 years now, but I think this is the craziest egg I've ever collected! Any guesses how it turned out with this pattern?
I *think* it's from my welsummer hen who typically lays beautiful fully speckled eggs.
I've done a lot of work on my coop this spring, and thought I'd post mostly to brag, LOL, cause I'm a lady and I did all the work myself! (actually built the whole run by myself, in 2011!) But also thought modern backyard chickeners might be interested to see an older coop design.
The enclosed...
Does anyone have instructions or ideas for building coop doors that can convert from solid and insulating in the winter to breezy mostly-wire doors in the summer?
Why do nesting boxes that protrude from the side of the coop seem to be so popular in modern coop designs? Is there an advantage other than just preserving floor space in a compact coop?
I got lucky and my house came with an old coop that was actually built pre-WWII but is sturdy and spacious...
I have a Welsummer laying hen who seems to have a strange (to me) combination of symptoms.
She is in good/normal condition. I'm unsure of age, she was a poultry swap buy, but only lays about 3 eggs a week at best, so maybe older.
Symptoms:
1. Limping/walking gingerly
2. Sitting almost...
I bought chickens at a poultry swap for the first time today. What an interesting adventure! I wanted laying hens and I don't know enough about chickens to be sure what someone is selling me as a layer is really a layer, so I bought one "laying hen" from 6 different sellers. ;-)
This one is my...
I am having a problem. My dog just got out and went after the ducks for the second time in a month, making her death toll 3 ducks dead, 3 injured.
I have a big problem and getting rid of the dog is not a possibility. She's always had a dead-solid "sit-wait" when the front door is open, but...
I swear, my guineas are worse than ducks when it comes to keeping water clean (and not dumping it).
I bought them a rabbit style waterer http://www.carealotpets.com/item-detail/?ItemID=000000000005013 but they don't seem to get it. I know chickens can learn- has anyone ever had guineas pick up...
I recovered an egg this morning that has a small, cracked dent (I *think* I did it when collecting it, but it may have been like that) in the shell, but the membrane is still in place and it still seems "sealed".
Will it keep for a few days like that? Silly, but I want to make a cake for guests...
In late April I purchased three adult guineas. They were "supposed" to be 8 months old and 2 girls and a boy (based on physical features, I do think it's a trio)
Finally, within the past week I have started getting eggs. I find one every day or two (they are still caged, for now) but the eggs...
I bought 3 adult guineas about 5-6 weeks ago and still haven't turned them loose. They were supposed to be about 8 months old and 2 females and one male- but I'd never gotten any eggs or seen them mating.
But last night I found an egg in their cage! Yay! It's my first egg from any bird ever so...
I am duck-sitting for our of town friends. I've heard ducks can't be kept on wire floors, but would it be okay temporarily?, and if that wire mesh is laying on the ground?
I'm keeping them in a dog crate with the pan pulled out and chicken wire zip tied to the bottom- moving the whole thing...
I bought these from a guy who said he had a overstock of Welsh Harlequin ducking from Cackle Hatchery. I came home and compared them to pictures of WH ducklings and I don't think these are. I think the yellow ones might be, but judging from their beaks they are all males, right?
I bought a trio of year-old guineas a few weeks ago. Per the advice I got here, I have them confined in a giant-breed dog crate (4' x 5' on it's side) until they have time to decide this us "home".
I figured having adult females (I'm sure, I hear the female call) and this being springtime I'd...
I got chickens and ducks this spring, both for the first time, and I am so in love with my cute little (filthy) ducks.
I'd planned on free ranging them on my 15 acres, then I remembered my neighbors, about a half mile down the road have about a 2 acre pond. Are my ducks going to leave me for a...
I have two little peking ducklings in a bit metal water trough. They were given to me, but I expect they are just about 10 days old- still tiny.
They persistently sleep and hangout on the opposite end of the trough from the heatlamp! I tried moving the heatlamp to the other side (and they moved...
I bought 3 guineas and have them caged, per the advice here, for a few weeks. I have one male and two females. They are supposedly 8 months old.
My question- can I hope that the females will lay eggs in their cage? Or are they too young or too stressed?
And is cracked corn, with small bits of...