Search results for query: *

We are enjoying warm, if somewhat windy, weather this week. After some nasty freezing temps last week, the birds are catching up on scattering hay bales, killing shrubs, and dust bathing. In particular, this girl seems like she would roll in her tub all day. Get situated just so ... Fluff...

I’ve seen a question or two about frozen eggs. Someone said frozen eggs crack. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I thought I’d share what I found this afternoon. For context, we were down to 0*F last night and up to 25* today. I check for eggs w/morning and evening feeds and mid-day-ish...

If these cockerels don’t outgrow their hormones soon, I’m going to lose my mind. First, I made the mistake of getting two males, in case one chick didn’t make it. I was careful to order sufficient females to maintain ratios. Except for the mis-sexed one that arrived and threw my ratios off...

According to the rules, nominations are confidential. So, I would like to thank whoever nominated me. It was a wonderful thing to see first thing this morning; and makes me all warm and fuzzy inside on this cold January day. Thank you!!!

Set up: Twelve weeks old. Three cockerels (one was a surprise); 14 pullets. All Buckeyes (fiesty from the beginning). Coop is 80 sq ft w/15-ish ft of roost space, rarely used. Yard is ~ 800 sq ft. They are cooped at night due to predator load. Tonight, one of the roos grabbed a girl by the...

I kept reptiles in an earlier life and candling eggs for fertility was frequently done. One of the cautions given was to limit the exposure of the egg to the process because even that brief spike in temperature from a flashlight could negatively impact the embryo. With all the candling threads...

I ordered a 2:14 run for my starter flock. Hatchery tossed in an extra pullet. These guys are between 9 and 10 weeks now. From looking at them, I think I have ended up with a 3:14 run. Pretty sure about two. I’d like the experts’ impressions on the third candidate. Post 2: I’m 99% sure on...

I have a round gravity feeder suited for 25 birds (according to the advertising propaganda). It has three legs that raise it 2-3 inches off the ground. And the crumble doesn’t go through it well enough to keep the bin full. I was out three times today and had to shake feed down to get where the...

Another obstacle in their young lives firmly in the “adapt and overcome” category. First snow of the season was two days of being cooped-up (pun intended). In spite of open doors, everyone was quite content to wait until the storm ended and CareMonkey made the cold white stuff go away. From my...

My flock are all the same age and from a hatchery. They are ~ 8-9 weeks old and have been in their yard for about a month. Every evening, when they go into the coop, they /all/ pile into one corner. Seventeen half-grown chicks cramming into two square feet of floor space. When I come out in...

Feeling sorry for my chickens. We’ve been enjoying days in the 70 to low 80’s range and nights in the 50’s and 60’s. That’s all gonna’ change with our first winter storm. Rain after midnight tonight and temps dropping from mid-50’s to high 30’s tomorrow. The rain will change to snow. And after...

The feather-heads gave me my first remedial lesson in the importance of routines. I glanced out to the yard and no one was hanging out in front of the coop. Cool. They all cooped up for the night and it’s only /just/ sunset. So, instead of my normal wait15 or so minutes after sunset, when it...

I’m sitting at my desk, catching up on forum threads and generally wasting time, when I look out my window. There, in front of the coop door, is a suspicious reddish mound lying on the ground. Holy crap (slightly modified to maintain family-friendliness)!! What happened to my chickens. What...

Okay, I’ll be the first to admit I’ve always considered chickens rather dumb. But my Buckeyes have impressed me with their “street smarts.” When feeding yesterday, bird flew over the yard toward whatever it was going toward. I noticed two of my juvvies cock their heads up and track it. But...

It’s official. My chicks are dumb. I put the whole flock of 5-week-olds (17) in the coop when temps were good. They spent the last three weeks hanging out in the chicken house except for two that wandered out briefly a week or so back. Yesterday, the entire flock came out around 5:30 to...

Yesterday, I decided to put the four-weekers out in the coop. They spent the entire day inside. Doors and windows were cracked open, the day got up to 90*. They loved the extra space and the straw bedding. Nights get down to mid-50’s. But everybody piled into one corner and were fine at...

I have one chick out of my 4-week old flock that is bite-y. S/he and one other in the group run to the front of the brooder cage when I open the door. The other one runs up for chest scratches. The problem chick bites and pecks at my hand when I’m reaching for food and water bowls. Right now...

My little flock is coming up on three weeks old. Holy-moley, they are the ugliest teenagers in history. Half down and half sticky-out-y feathers, they all look like moth-eaten geeks with messed up proportions. Big feet, short legs, skinny chests, long necks, and weird heads. Lord, I hope they...

(1) Are you new to chickens / when did you first get chickens? New-ish. We had chickens when I was a kid. Now, I’m retired, living on my own slice of heaven, and have added chickens as my first hobby farm residents. (Goats will be next, after I get the barn up next spring) Starter chicks...