My backyard flock now consists of three pullets and one cockerel. Not sure which of the gals laid it, probably Dirty Dottie. It was so pretty that I hated to eat it, but did anyway.
protector of the flock? I had bantams before and the roo was mature when I got him. He called the girls to him and gave them choice tidbits, he led the girls in the coop when it was time to roost and was definitely the protector. I've switched over to standard chickens with one cockerel and...
I told my niece yesterday that she should start checking for eggs in the next couple of weeks. I told her she could start feeding them layer feed after she got her first egg. She said she was already feeding them layer feed. I asked her for how long. She said since a couple of weeks after...
First off, no blood has been shed. I had three broodies raising chicks. The #1 broody gradually adopted the #2 broody's offspring over a period of a couple of months. The third broody (lowest in pecking order) had her chicks three weeks behind the first two. I also have a separate pullet and...
My hens have been raising chicks and weren't back to laying yet so I haven't been checking the nest boxes regularly. This morning I am in the coop and see two eggs in one of the boxes. The last time I looked was this past weekend when I was cleaning the coop. Nothing then. The weather since...
It started doing this about a week ago. It's not the softer peep-peep-peep sounds that the others make. It's more of a "calling for it's mother" sound like it was separated from her, which it's not. The only time it's not being annoying is when it's eating, drinking or sleeping. What gives...
Not sure if it's early or if I miscounted. I set the eggs on May 18th (afternoon) and counted the 19th as Day One. So, I was figuring on tomorrow being hatch day. I have six banty eggs and two regular eggs under this broody. This first to hatch looks like one of the regular chicks. Way to...
I've been removing her twice a day to get a quick dust bath, poop, eat, drink and then she goes back to the nest on her own. Should I continue to do this, or leave her alone for the last week?
Also, her chosen nest is up off the ground and I'm wondering if we should move her into a...
The broody has been setting on them for one week. Yesterday she got back on the wrong nest (where another hen had laid one egg) apparently after her daily constitutional. This happened sometime in the afternoon. The eggs were completely cool. I put her back on her nest and she settled in...
I put a regular size egg in with the bantam eggs for hatching. I got the bantam eggs shipped so wanted the broody to have something to raise in case the shipped eggs did not hatch. Just wondered if the incubation period was the same.
Another question . . . . if none of them hatch, will she...
Just picked up the eggs from the post office. I opened the box and they seem well packed. I'm going to use a broody to hatch them. I don't remember where, but I think I read somewhere that I should let the eggs set for a period? of time before putting them under the hen. I need step by step...
I just have a small flock of 8 hens and 1 rooster. Right now, 3 of them are broody. That means that I'm short 3 layers. Out of the remaining 5 hens (non-broody), only 2 lay just about every day. I've been toying with the idea of buying fertile eggs, either auction or through a company and...
I've just noticed this almost fishy odor the few days. I collect them daily and refrigerate them. There's no fish in the refrigerator that might pass the smell on to the eggs. I'm puzzled. Right now there's only three hens laying so we use the eggs up within the week they're laid. Any...
Shortly after the chick got out of the egg, the Mama looked at it like "what's this thing" and got off the nest (another egg still unhatched) and started making the "bawk, bawk, ba-bawk". I moved my hand near the chick and she came after me but I'm not sure she has a strong maternal instinct...
Don't know if this is just a roo behavior. They are 12 weeks old and I've noticed them both doing their little "dance" with their neck feathers ruffled up and hopping and sort of bumping chests. I have a stinking suspicion that at least one is a roo. It has a "fluffier" sort of tail feathers...
I put two eggs under this persistent broody last Thursday (marked them). Friday she was still on them. Saturday she was on them in the morning, but left the nest to eat and another hen got in the nest to lay. The broody came back and got in the wrong nest! She never changed back after the...
Just curious as to what breed or cross this bantam hen might be. She is one of three that were given to us last year. They lay light tan/beige eggs.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/32568_daisy_apr2010.jpg
When I checked on the hen in the morning, she was out and about her pen with the first two chicks that hatched the day before (Wednesday). The remaining egg appeared to be abandoned. The temperature of the egg was only slightly lukewarmish. I have another broody sitting on nothing so I marked...
I now have four broodies!
One of them is a pullet that hatched a chick (didn't need anymore chickens so only allowed her the one) in March! Now she's broody again. And three of the four broodies are sharing the same nest. I just have a small flock of bantams. One rooster and 7 ladies. I...