I've been home the last two days working with them again. My little rooster is trying to coo at the bullies now. Is there a way to maybe build his confidence so he will commit to keeping them in check? He's grown up with hens who just run away with him so he doesn't have any follow through...
The reason they're in the shed is a bit complex, but the gist of it is I never planned on having chickens. They're all unintentional rescues, even the ones from the chicken show. (Although I didn't know it at the time) I had a coop, but raccoons got into it and they preferred to hangout in the...
They share a shed with a few garden tools. After a raccoon attack I had to improvise quickly. I've since moved out the garden supplies and am going to add sand or something to help keep down any smells. They all prefer to sleep on the bookshelves with the wonky perches. I've tried a dozen other...
I genuinely wonder sometimes. My chickens are a mess. We have the RR who was Top Chicken for the longest time. When my rooster was being naughty she would drift towards him and move him. Anytime he bullied a hen they would go run to the RR and the rooster would freeze and go "???" My RR would...
These chickens legit have a cult following for their antics. It's always something with them. One of them has taught herself to use the cat door and lets herself inside to eat my cockatiel food. She also only lays eggs in my dryer or in a frying pan. They free-range in my huge yard. I live in a...
I have essentially three flocks of chickens. Usually it's just fighting among the flocks, but since molting they've all been crazy and I'm not sure who to start with to correct the behaviors. Usually I can target a bully hen who needs correction, but this time I'm stumped and could use advice...
I was able to handle her a bit last night. She's congested again from the respiratory illness. She responds well to VetRX on her comb so I gave her a bit to see if that helped, which it seems to. She did a large poop on me after I brought her inside and confirmed that her poops are normal, so...
My work gives me the leftover sausages, bacon, and eggs every day for my chickens. Today I sat with her and coaxed her into eating a bit more than usual. I haven't checked her crop, but I'll check in the morning. She feels like she's lost a bit of weight. Her recent poop was tiny, but looked...
I noticed today that Dolly isn't her usual bratty self. She's usually very bratty and bossy to my other hens. Today she's hiding behind the other hens and not very hungry/active. Thinking back, she's also been on a lower perch at night by herself where she can hide. I suspect she's been feeling...
I'm glad my shed isn't the worst place for them. Everyone has such pretty coops. I just have a shed my chickens share with my garden tools. I do deep clean it as often as I can though. During the summer I lightly spray it with activated Oxine and put in some fans to dry it roughly every month...
I'm kinda embarrassed to share pics since I know it's not the best for chickens, but it's what I have. I used to have a proper coop until a family of raccoons discovered them. Out of necessity I let them share a shed with my garden tools and I just never got around to making them an official...
Before they were on an all flock feed since my rooster is particularly sensitive to high protein (he has heart issues). With them molting I just switched to a 20% protein pellet that they've had before. I don't have the previous bag, but the current one they're on is from Kalmbach.
They were...
I realized today that the favorite chicken hangout areas in my yard are covered in white, runny poops. Lately I've been leaving for work before the chickens get out and don't get home until they go home so I don't know how long it's been going on. Since it's my day off I was able to monitor and...
I've long since accepted that I have what appears to be an eventually fatal respiratory illness within my flock. Sneezing, coughing, congested breathing... It's responsible for the deaths of four of my chickens and seems to be antibiotic resistant. A couple of my chickens ended up with another...
Late reply (had a sick bird that took up my time) if they're all iridescent how come my black sex link is very matte? She's older than these two. Currently she's bald from a bad mite infestation, a over enthusiastic rooster, and molting, but she's always just been a matte black.
Is there more than one way to get a BSL? The lighter of the two doesn't have the blue coat like my two. My older one is very matte and not glossy and has no coloring to her black feathers.
Huh, today I learned! I thought she had to have the necklace to be a BSL. My older BSL doesn't have the blue glossy coat and is very plain compared to them.
ThunderClaw came with three other baby bantams. Their mama is a white Wyndotte bantam and I wanted more bantams. I gave mama three regular...
This spring I bought two chocolate orpington hens and what I swore would be a chocolate orpington rooster based on behavior at IFA. My rooster is actually a welsummer hen and the other two Orpingtons are black sex-links. I'm now wondering if Scraps is actually lying and isn't a sex-link after...
About two months ago Billy managed to hurt the edge of her wing along the bone. I have never in my 20+ years of animal owning had a harder wound to heal. I'm almost positive she opens it up by preening. Whenever it opens it leaves literal puddles of blood on the ground and can take up to an hour...
Pippi was rescued out of a canyon so I don't know her history. I do know she likely broke the leg with a lump on it. I'm not sure how far along at healing it is, but she gets around just fine. I'm wondering about this weird bump she has where a spur should be. It feels more like flesh and is...