Here's a backround for everyone:
Something got in my coop a couple weeks ago. Tore up two chickens (had to put them down) and ate the head and neck off a third one. I found no prints, but something small dug under the side of the barn, then back out the side into the run, and then climbed...
So, today is the day. We have 7 cornish x that we are ready to process. I have never done this before, but I think I'm ready to try. I am going to bleed them out, skin them, and quarter them up into freezer bags.
These are my 6 year old son's chickens that we got from his...
We have 9 3-week old chicks we got from my son's kindergarden class after they hatched. They were doing fine until today I noticed a few (4) of them have a very swelled belly (below the vent) and are not as active as the others.
Their butts are clean (no pasty butt) and the are at the...
I finally let go of my fears and opened the run door last night. The chickens exploded out of the run for their first time ever, and made it about 7 feet out before they realized they were walking past lots of tasty grass and bugs. It's awesome just watching them free-range... digging...
My father-in-law has chickens. He copied off of me with my birds and got his own hens this spring. His one hen went broody and started sitting on eggs. Today or yesterday one of them hatched.
He has 14 hens and 2 roos. They free range all day, then go into a 8x20 shed he turned into a...
I posted about my chick yesterday here: www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=88713
She isn't moving around at all now. I quarantined her this morning, her eye is swollen shut, and she keeps the other one closed.
Pics:
She won't move around, even when I handle her...something...
I have 5 bantams. One, a 8-10 week old still with her mother in the coop and run, is being abused by my barred rock bantam hen.
The BR is always on the lookout for a chance to peck at the baby, usually in the head, and the mother hen doesn't seem to be very protective.
I just noticed that...
I just picked up some bantams, a first for me.
This one looks like a wyandotte, with her baby:
...and without her baby:
And I have two girls that kinda look like cochin BO bantams:
Thanks for any help!
Adam
Down south of my place today there was a chicken swap meet/sale. I had never been to one, but planed on picking up a few more laying hens to go with my 4 RIR's. So, yesterday I build a second coop, to keep the new girls isolated some the others for a while. (It turned out so nice I plan to...
I was watching my chickens today, and I noticed something funny. On of them was getting ready to lay an egg (they just started laying a few days ago) and she started walking around in the coop, picking up the wood shavings and throwing them onto her back. About ten minutes later she had laid...
Finally, finally it's done. Here are some pics of my RIR's coop and run:
The coop, on left, and the run attached to the back:
I'll admit, the black mesh on top isn't the nicest, but it's effective.
A pic of the front, but before the run was added:
The inside. The birds are sectioned of...
One of my almost 8 week old chicks is really looking different now. She(hopefully) is smaller and slightly lighter in color from the others. Nothing different in behavior, just smaller. Also, comb is a little bigger and has more pink to it.
Center front:
On right:
On the left front...
Ok, here's the issue I face today. I have 4 awesome 4week old RIR's. They just got upgraded from their cardboard brooder box into their mansion brooder, which will later be their coop.
My question: Some family just got 6 one week old chicks. They need to get rid of 1 of their straight...
Here are some new pics of my Rhode Island Red pullets:
At one week:
At 2 weeks:
At 3 weeks(today):
My favorite one. She's the fattest, sweetest of them all.
I checked on my chicks last night around 1 am(their first night), and the temp was fine (about 95 degrees).
I woke up at 6 am today to check on them and their temp was down to eighty. I lowered the lamp and recovered a window that had come uncovered during the night. They were huddled under...
I was finally able to finish the preps for the chicks today.
Their brooder is in the kid's old play house, which I sealed, secured from animals, and cleaned. I may or may not turn this into their coop.
Went to the local feed store and came home with 4 RIR pullets.
(fuzzy pic)
And here's...