I have a 5 year old barred rock who started losing feathers early summer but they won't grow back on her back, breast and around the wings. It doesn't appear to be a normal molt. Now she seems unbalanced. Never saw this before
I've had chickens for 8 winters but have never had temps dropping this cold in my area. They are predicting -15 friday nite/sat morning. My girls (12) are in two coops, 2 feet off the ground with plenty of wood chip litter ( and poop!). The ventilation is good and they're dry and draft free...
My new Buff mamma just brought her 6 chicks out for the first day and at night fall she won't go back into the coop. She's sitting under it with the chicks tucked beneath her. I'm afraid they won't be safe.
Does she know what she's doing?
My silver laced wyandotte appears to be egg bound. I've given her a sit in a warm bath and put her in a box in the dark closet and she has done a poo after that (runny and yellow) but no egg yet.
My question is, I've read to give her calcium to quickly help that egg (if there is one in there)...
My new girls this year got their own new coop and the older 2 hens had theirs. They went into their respective homes regularly until about a month ago. Now some of the new ones have moved into the older coop.
Now I've got 7 in the newer, larger and nicer coop and 6 in the smaller, older one...
I would like to let one of the hens hatch and raise a brood. I could borrow a rooster from the neighbor, but is it possible to purchase fertilized (hopefully!) eggs, put the clutch in a nest and expect one of the girls sit and hatch?
I have 11 new layers along with my 2 2 1/2 yr old girls...
I have a 3 month old Buff that got separated from the flock free ranging and seemed to be lost in our woods. I found her, could not catch her and just waited her out. She eventually came closer and mingled with the rest of the flock, but went back in the woods. She spent the night out and...
So far I've only raised hens and, this spring, I got some new breeds to try.
Here's my question: If and when I get a rooster do I have to be concerned about what breed he is? I mean, they talk about heirloom and hybrid breeds, so will I be creating a new breed if the rooster mates with all...
my 3 hens have been giving me 3 eggs per day for most of the winter and spring. all of a sudden this week-no eggs!!
what happens? the weather is nice, they free range and a happy and healthy.
thought maybe they were laying them helter-skelter out of doors so I kept them locked in this...
My EE with the crooked beak that I posted a bit ago now has teeny, tiny bugs on her (feel like they're on me now!!) They are like the size of a grain of sand but moving around. I brought her in the house this morning to try and entice her with some warm oatmeal and I saw them on the outer...
I asked some months ago about my EE with the crooked beak. I could never get ahold of her to trim, nor would I know how to go about it, but she seemed to be doing as welll as the others.
She still looks good and seems to be able to eat about anything but has not laid her first egg (8 mos old...
This is my first year raising hens. I'm in west Michigan and it gets cold here. Need some ideas on watering during the sinter months.
My four girls are still using the plastic waterer I had when they were young and I fill a bucket daily for the run, but that's not gonna work this winter.
I...
LOL. Can you tell I'm excited?! I have 4 of the 9 chicks I started with in mid-March and have enjoyed every day (well, except for the midnight raccoon massacre that happened at 8 wks old!).
One BR, one RIR and BR mix and 2 EE and I am finally getting eggs. The RIR started about 3 weeks ago...
Got my first egg from my RIR!! 3 so far, however they are on the small side. Will the eggs increase in size as she matures?
My girls as 19 weeks old today. The BR and the two EE's haven't started yet.
Just found the first ever tick on me!!!
Freaked me out as we have never had a big tick problem here, or so I thought
Are the chickens bothered by ticks? should I be checking them?
After some months with the coop I designed, I can see where I can make many improvements. I'm thinking of building another one and moving them in before winter.
Will they be very confused? Do they take change well? This is my first chicken raising experience. Got my girls in March
My girls were born (hatched!) March 18th. They are 3 months, 1 week old. When can I expect them to start laying?
Also, do the easter eggers get combs? The RIR and BR have the beginnings of combs, but not the 2 easter eggers.
Anyone know?
I'm in real sandy area, but with all the rain, the run is damp and looks uncomfortable. Do the chickens suffer from it being wet?
It looks like their feet can take it but wondered if there is anything I can do to dry it up. Add straw or bedding wood chips or something?
My 4 hens start out the night all crowded into one corner of the coop. They have lots on room in there and by morning when I let them out they are on the ladder roost in there. But at night they jam in tight in the corner. Its weird looking.
Now, these 4 survived an ugly nighttime raccoon...