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  1. ruthiesue

    How Long to Bust a Broody

    Broodiness is genetic and it would be like making all your kids write with their left/right hand. They get nervous, upset, and for what? Just leave her alone and she will get over it. Or....let her hatch out some eggs. They get over it immediately! also, just take the eggs out every day...
  2. ruthiesue

    Weird Egg Wrapped in Membrane (PICS)

    One of my girls laid an egg like that today. I wondered if the shell had begun to harden and she put another layer of soft eggshell over it on its way down the channel. It was weird, washed right off. No blood. I'll see if I get others like it.
  3. ruthiesue

    1st time with a broody chicken!

    I just leave them alone. Why try to change their genetic predisposition? It sure didn't work with all those left-handed kids that they tortured for years! Just leave her alone, collect your eggs daily, or let her set on themand hatch one or two out. Mark the ones you are going to leave with...
  4. ruthiesue

    Why aren't my hens laying!?

    Just a note: My chickens sometimes lay a lot of eggs, then get very broody. If I take their eggs everyday, pretty soon they don't lay many. These guys would raise 5 million babies, and do this every year. My husband said that he read on SFgate.com that chickens begin to lay when there are 14...
  5. ruthiesue

    baby chick with little balls on his toes

    One of our chicks has what I would describe as little round balls on three of his toes on each foot. These are pretty wild little guys and at first I thought he just had lumps of mud on his feet. Now, as he is a little bigger, it seems pretty obvious that they are round balls that are growing...
  6. ruthiesue

    Chick has something wrong with her eye

    Does the warm steeped tea bag pull the fluids out, like a poultice would?
  7. ruthiesue

    Chicks with problems getting hatched

    Hi, and thanks. I figured that was probably the answer. One time, however, I had a chick that seemed to be stuck and the film was pretty dry. With a small amount of help with that, he was just fine. I think if they cannot get a hole in the egg, there is a basic developmental problem. This...
  8. ruthiesue

    Chicks with problems getting hatched

    I found an abandoned egg and was getting ready to dispose of it when I looked and there is a baby chicken pecking it's way out. It seems to be having a problem getting out. I've left it all day, and it's still not getting much bigger of a hole. Usually, all her chicks manage okay. Does...
  9. ruthiesue

    Reintroduce baby to flock

    Well, he is doing pretty well. I was going to leave him in yesterday, but after he fell into the waterer, got all muddy, and looked so pathetic, I put him in for the night. He's out there again today, running around, following the other little guys and seems to be getting stronger day by day...
  10. ruthiesue

    Reintroduce baby to flock

    What methods do you use to reintroduce a baby to the flock. We had a little guy hatch out way after the mother stopped setting. Sort of weird, but out it came! I took it in because it was so fragile, and now want to put it back out there. When I take it out, it's so excited that it just runs...
  11. ruthiesue

    Non-crowing rooster

    Hi! I got some homeopathic meds for asthma/throat problems, but trying to get it down his throat got me instead. He just got so upset that it wasn't worth it. He is looking much better, but still very hoarse. I will try the leg thing tonight, but he really seems okay. How do you guys give...
  12. ruthiesue

    Non-crowing rooster

    Well, he is still with us and still barely able to get out any noise. I'd take him to the bird clinic if it didn't cost $150. He is still keeping up with the other birds, but appears to me that his oxygen level might be low because his comb is sort of a purple color instead of bright red. ...
  13. ruthiesue

    Non-crowing rooster

    Our big rooster, who had a magnificent crow, cannot hardly make a peep. He seems perfectly fine, except you can tell he is frustrated about not being able to make any noise. He does not appear lethargic, eats okay, wanders around, but I am really feeling sorry for the guy. Any ideas? Thank you.
  14. ruthiesue

    many hens, one box

    Thanks, everyone. We let them out all day, only in at night, or whenever they want. We have 8 boxes, but like most people said, no matter how I decorate, they still only like a couple of them. We finally had some chicks hatch out and all is well with them. I have no idea what was going on...
  15. ruthiesue

    many hens, one box

    Three hens want to be in the same box, setting on their eggs. I have no idea whose egg is whose, or how old the eggs are. Two eggs have been broken and eaten. This seems like dysfunctional behavior to me. Any comments?
  16. ruthiesue

    Lots of hens in one nest

    Our hens like to all cram into the same nest while setting on their eggs. What about that? Usually there are two, but sometimes I've seen three in the nest. Do everyone's do this? Then what happens when the eggs begin to hatch? Will things go south? There are more than enough nests, but...
  17. ruthiesue

    Breeding back with same rooster

    This is getting better and better! Just like being back in college! I love it and keep going, guys. I was worried that all our babies would be more like: AB mates with hen, CD = AC, AD, BC, and BD AB then mates with all the little guys = AA, AC, BA, BC and on and on. That sounds pretty...
  18. ruthiesue

    Breeding back with same rooster

    Thanks to everyone with all the great information on breeding back the chickens. My husband will be pleased to know that it's okay. We just didn't want the proverbial three-headed chicken..... This is a great website and again, thanks to all of you! This flock is very small and, like I said...
  19. ruthiesue

    Breeding back with same rooster

    Hi everyone: We ended up with a flock of wild chickens that have now been here for about five years. My concern is that the rooster is still the same old guy that's been here for years and is now fertilizing eggs of very close relatives. We have not seen a problem yet, but what about the...
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