So, out of nowhere today, this little all brown creature showed up in our backyard. We are not by water or ponds, but have a flock of laying hens. We raised Pekin ducklings and this looks nothing like them. It is all brown, with a brown pointy beak, and black webbed but round feet and is very...
I have 2 hens, one Buff Orp and one Cochin that seem to enjoy going in the nesting boxes and eating eggs, it is starting to affect my egg supply. I caught the Buff Orp egghanded with it all over her beak and her breast.
I caught the Cochin a few days ago in a box kicking an egg around and...
I have read way too many topics with so much different advice, use Sevin, don't use Sevin, use wormer, etc. I would like someone to tell me what has worked for them.
I have been checking my hens for mites on and off because they seem to always be preening, and have some feathers missing on the...
That naughty thing finally caught me in the wrong mood. I tried to be the dominate one, gave him plenty of chances, but he came after me when I was in a "foul" mood! He will now be simmered, then made into rice soup!
Actually I was tired of worrying about when he was going to go after someone...
I have a Buff Orp roo that is out ot get me. He was coming after me every time he saw me until this last weekend when I got the best of him with my pitchfork handle. I was trying to get work done and in a "foul" mood, so he did not get away with it. He has been keeping his distance form me since...
Wondering if there is something going on with my chickens. They are losing feathers on the top of their heads, and some have small black spots on their combs. I cannot see any sort of parasite on them, can you always see them? They seem to be preening all of the time, egg productin is not down...
I have some hens that are missing feathers on their backs. We thought it was from our roo, but he has been gone (RIP Roy, you big meany!) for a few months now. It is mainly on their backs, they are healthy otherwise, no signs of parasites, etc. thought they were molting, but they never went any...
I have 12 RIR mutt roosters that I hatched, they are crossed with heavies. Have any of you put them in with your meaties to finish them? The mutts are 2 weeks older than the meaties, but of course the meaties are as big as they are. Just wondering if you can finish them on broiler feed also...
We started with one pip yesterday, this morning there are six pips out of 23 eggs! So exciting, the humidity is holding steady, we are giving them a misting through the vent holes once in a while also! We are on day 20, we'll see what happens...might be a long night! Come on little polish egg!
Hi fellow BYCer's,
I have yet another question for you. I have a Little Giant still air incubator, I took the egg turner out last night and will begin LD tonight. The humidity is staying at 52%, I have the red plugs in the top, water in the bottom, and a wet sponge also. Any suggestions, or...
I hope this hasn't already been posted and I missed it. I have eggs in the bator (my first hatch) that are due on the 19th. I have been reading about lockdown. My question is, do you leave the first chicks to hatch in the bator until all the eggs are hatched? or do you remove the chicks when...
The girls can't be called slackers anymore! We had our first egg yesterday. The girls are all 20 weeks exactly. I wasn't expecting eggs for a few more weeks! There's picture of it on the "first egg" thread!
That seems to be the question everyone is asking us when they learn we are processing our own chickens. We have Amish neighbors that will do it for $1.25 a bird, and we chose to do the chickens ourselves. Why would you bother with such a nasty job, when it's so cheap to have someone else do it...
O.k., I have one more newbie question for you all. I processed 2 more cornish x's today. One dressed out at almost 6 lbs. My question is, he had a golden yellow layer on top of the skin. It looked like a fat layer to me, is that correct? It did scrape off when I was cleaning up the...
Anyone have any thoughts on this? I ended up with about 10 banty roosters, was wondering if they are worth messing with for eating? Thanks in advance for the advice.
So, we just went and weighed 12 of the 51 Cornish x's. We bought straight run. The biggest roo was 8.3 lbs., and the smallest was 5.8 lbs., the hens, biggest 6.5 lbs., and the smallest was 5.75 lbs. What is everyones goal for weight at butchering time? We will be processing ourselves, so we will...
O.k., so it wasn't that bad. I was the slowest at plucking. How long do you leave it in the scalding pot, and how long in the cold water? The worst part was just getting started! Any suggestions, tips, on getting all those feather things out would be appreciated! Thanks in advance!
I have a meatie that has peck wounds on his head. We moved him into a seperate pen. They are 7 weeks old and just over 5 lbs. He doesn't seem to be doing very well, won't walk, and he has green poo. He is still eating and drinking but not moving around very much. Is it safe to butcher him or...