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    Heat lamps for newly hatched chicks - advice please!

    Eggs are in the incubator, now on Day 4. In the meantime I need to get the brooder set up in the hope that I manage to hatch some of them! I've only hatched under a hen before so this is new to me. I have the coop that has been the creche area for the last two hatches and I'd like to put the...
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    Raising chicks outdoors in Scotland

    Hi, I've had a disasterous year - lost a few of my girls to predators, had 12 eggs under my lovely fluffy hen (hatched without barbicels so she had silkie-like feathers but wasn't a silkie), only one of them hatched and then mum and chick were eaten by a badger. So I am down to four hens, none...
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    Youngster with no barbicels but not a Silkie

    My broody hatched 6 chicks this year from posted eggs. One of the youngsters is fluffy - feathers like a Silkie, but it's not a Silkie. Is this common? In theory it is a Langshan but the lady who bred the eggs said there was a small chance of another cockerel sneaking in with her ladies so...
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    I have at least one chick! How long to leave hen sitting now?

    I have 11 eggs under a broody and I had a gentle investigate today (day 22) and found one chick. I backed off then - hoping there are more - but how long should I leave her before checking the other eggs/removing any that aren't doing anything? I could see at least two that haven't hatched...
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    Moving a broody hen, WWYD?

    I have a broody sitting on fertile eggs in a nest box in a coop that's up on legs. My plan was to leave her there and just section off part of the coop when it gets near to hatching day, then move her to a lower coop once the hatch has happened. I've ended up getting the lower coop earlier...
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    Two broodies on one nest?

    Two of my hens have gone broody and are sharing a nest box. I'm planning to get some fertile eggs but should I put them under both or take one off and break her broodiness? I feel a bit mean - one of them has been broody already this year but she is quite little so if I choose one to brood the...
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    Predators and high up pop holes

    I'm having some problems with a determined badger - it seems to be quite strong but also small enough to fit through a cat flap size hole. I'm having to lock the hens in and let them out manually because their pop holes are low down, so I'm wondering about putting some free-access pop holes in...
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    Pullets are 20 weeks old - will they lay this year?

    I have 9 pullets that I hatched in August (well, my lovely broody hatched them really...). We're down to about 9 hours of daylight now (north of Scotland) - is there any chance any of them will start laying this year or will I be waiting for spring? They are a variety of breeds - Buff...
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    8-week old chicks: what sex are they?

    My broody successfully hatched 11 eggs this time - 2 x Buff Orpington, 2 x Speckled Sussex, 2 x olive eggers, 1 Salmon Favourelle, 1 Exchequor Leghorn, 1 Black Leghorn, 1 CC Legbar, 1 Rhode Island Red. The boys will be going back to the egg supplier in a few weeks (to do jobs, not to be killed...
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    Help me stay patient!

    It's day 22 or 23 depending on how I count - 11 eggs underneath an Arucana mum. No sign of anything happening yet, but she covers them all nicely so there could be chicks under there that I haven't seen yet. I'd love to have a proper look but I don't want to disturb her - I'm not sure she's...
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    Good breeds for broodiness?

    I have an araucana who reliably goes broody every year. I'd quite like to find a couple more hens that will brood because I love hatching chicks! I'm a bit wary of silkies - they seem to have a reputation for being good mothers but my hens tend to roost up trees and I'd worry they're not...
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    Questions about hatching eggs with broody hens

    Two of my hens brooded eggs last year and successfully hatched chicks. I'm really excited because they look like they're going to go broody again soon and I can't wait to get some fertile eggs in for them. I'm hoping the experts out there will help me improve on last year's experience.... -...
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    Two hens hatching chicks at the same time....

    This is in hope that my two araucanas will both go broody again this year! Last year I gave each of them some fertile eggs and they brooded them in different places. I put them into the same run once the chicks had hatched and one of the mums immediately started to peck the chicks that the...
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    Help sexing my youngsters!

    Hi, I'm hoping all the experience on this forum will help me accurately sex my 8-week old chickens. I've attached pictures of them (well, I hope I have, not very technically minded....). My araucana hen went broody in the spring so I got her a selection of eggs to hatch. She has successfully...
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    Joining the forum

    Hi, I've been a lurker for a while but now could really do with some help from all the experienced people on here! I have 13 chickens at the moment - 8 adults and 5 youngsters that one of my adults hatched 8 weeks ago. I also have horses (probably obvious from the moniker) and a cat. I'd love...
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