We had 27 baby chicks shipped in mid-October so they're now about 3 months old. Just this week we've lost 5 and they just appear squished in the pen. Still have heat lamp and plenty of space. One day there were 3 dead and all the rest were laying on top of them. Any suggestions?
We started with 52 broilers and are now down to 40. One minute fine and then dead. Some are very small and not growing. Not respiratory. When we find them dead, they're almost flatened. Don't know if that's anything but strange. Good feed and water.
Just curious what the amount of supplemental feed I should be giving my girls (we have about 60 now), when they are free-ranging all day. I think I may be overfeeding them with laying pellets and cracked corn. So I need a formula if anyone has one!
1. What's the best way to worm free range chickens?
2. Old hen has nasty vent - bloody, clogged, matted feathers. I cleaned it off with warm rag as good as I could. What else?
We've had chickens for almost 10 years. I get new ones every other fall or so, since we're selling eggs. We've lost many over the years to predators (mostly opossums and hawks) and one whole flock to marek's (now we get them vaccinated). They're completely free range and a lot of them are...
This past spring one of my hens disappeared and came back 3 weeks later with 7 chicks. She raised them in the barn away from the chicken coop, then moved back into the coop and left them on their own. Now, they need to move in with the rest - I don't want the mess in the barn. I've moved them...
I've been suspicious of something stealing eggs, but no proof. Last night I found an egg with a hole in the end and it had been sucked out. It's way too cold for snakes - in the teens here. What could it be?
I've been looking for the hen that I was suspicious was laying somewhere for several days. Finally found her today and something had killed her (probably a possum). I don't know how long she's been dead, possibly a couple of days. There were about 8 eggs next to her. If I make an incubator...
I saw the other post about egg eaters, but there's no way for me to tell which of my 30+ hens is doing the eating. Any other solutions? Can I put red pepper on an egg to deter her?
If I can't get my hens to start using their injured leg, will they be able to survive? They hop around on one leg in the cage and use their wing for balance. Should I give up? (see earlier post)
Somehow, 3 of my 2 month old chicks got injured in their coop. We've been very puzzled thinking predator or other chicks, then looking for a place in there that they could get hurt on. 3 of them have injured one leg, one very raw and bloody, 2 others can't walk and just look like the skin is...
After losing most of my new flock to what the diagnostic lab called Marek's, I realized they couldn't be right! They are too old and are already laying. What I did find out is that I started feeding laying mash way too early and that could be causing all their problems. I thought we were...
Just got the lab results back from the 2 chickens that died a few weeks ago. It was Marek's Disease and I've lost several others from the same symtoms this summer. Do I really need to get rid of all my chickens? I just bought 20 new chicks! They're isolated so far. The vet said I need to...
What are the best layers? I'm in Kentucky and would like to build up my flock of layers before spring (it would be great if I had more laying by then). I have 6 new comets that are almost 7 months old and not laying yet. All the other comets I've ever gotten start laying early and lay almost...
Early in the summer a raccoon got in the henhouse and ate 2 of my babies. It scared everyone else so bad that they've been sleeping in the trees all summer. We've patched the holes, but most of them (the younger ones) still won't come in to sleep, much less lay. Any suggestions?
A dog got a couple of my chickens. There were no external injuries. After a day or so, one of them can't stand up. She eats and drinks, but her legs just stick straight out. The other one's foot is curled up and her walking is getting worse. Today, one that didn't get hurt by the dog is...