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My eight month old Orpington rooster is becoming a problem for my six year old Orpington hen. He seems to have chosen her as his hen. They spend most of the day together very happily but first thing in the mornings and the evenings he mates with her several times. The problem for her is he's...

I have three young hens of almost six months old. About three weeks ago I found three eggs one afternoon! So either all three laid their first egg or maybe one hen laid two ( early morning, and late afternoon?) But since then only one of them has continued to lay. I haven't experienced this...

I recently let my single hen hatch some eggs to create a new small flock. I kept five and they are now nearly 4 months old. I was so pleased that they were forming a happy little flock without any squabbling or problems. Until... the little rooster injured himself on a piece of wire and the...

These chicks are now six weeks. I'm not able to keep roosters which is breaking my heart because I'm already very attached to all 11 little devils! One of the friendliest tamest babies is one of the ones I'm convinced is a rooster. I'm sorry there aren't better "standing" photos but I had just...

At what age can my chicks start eating kitchen scraps? They are out in a run with their mother and she's used to getting the scraps and I'd like to be able to start feeding them to her again.

My hen left her nest this morning with nine chicks. When I went to clean out the nest there was one pipped egg and the chick is still working it's way around and the hole is getting bigger. The other egg has no external pip but the chick is moving and squeaking. What do I do now??

When my single Orpington hen went broody I got her some fertile eggs to hatch as the easiest way to get her some new friends, but they haven't hatched! The only day olds I can get are RIRs and I'm not keen on them. But I may be able to get 4-8 week old chicks of other breeds. How easily is she...

What sort of nature/character do RIR's have? I had, what was supposed to be, one awhile ago and didn't enjoy her all that much. She was very bossy, hyperactive, flighty. But having read more about them that doesn't sound typical? Also she was a paler orangie colour so I think she may have been a...

Going into the afternoon of day 21 and still no noise or movement. 12 fertilized eggs under a broody Orpington. She's the last chicken I have left from an original flock of 5 and I thought this would be a good way to give her some new friends. I'll be SO disappointed if none of them hatch! I'm a...

I have decided to get some fertile eggs for my lone hen to hatch to get a new flock started. This will be a new experience for both of us! My first of what will probably be many questions over the coming weeks, is, how long does a fertile egg stay viable before it needs to go under the hen?

Is it possible, or advisable, for a hen to hatch her eggs and raise the chicks naturally? She's in a (almost completely) weatherproof coop, in a run which is permanently open to the backyard. The run could be closed up if necessary. We are going into Spring in my part of the world.

I lost my dear Buttercup during the night to a respiratory infection. I only had two hens and now I'm really not sure what to do for her sister hen Primrose. Get her one younger, or same age friend? She's four. Or two new friends? Or can she be happy as a single chicken? My chickens are my pets...

This is not a very happy Christmas in my house. I've just had to have my dear sweet rooster, Kentucky put down due to extensive maggot damage Monday was an extremely hot day so I didn't see much of the chickens as they spent most of the time in the shade under the house. They all seemed fine...

I want to plant some bushes and plants in the chicken garden and have been reading lists of recommended plants and poisonous plants. And now I'm thoroughly confused! The same plant can be listed as OK in one article and be on a "toxic" list in another?! For eg. Iris. It caught my eye on a...

I would like to start a compost heap where my chickens can get to it so they can do all the good work I keep reading about! But I'm concerned about them eating any of the kitchen scraps that may have started rotting? I've read that rotting or moldy food is bad for them.