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Update on post: The first 2 chicks were getting restless and I was afraid they would try to jump out so I moved nest into the stall this am where they wouldn't get hurt. Hen still settin'. Put food & water outside of nest. Fed & watered hen in nest. she was Hungry! Came back a few minutes later...

My broody hen's eggs have begun to hatch. One last night (19 days), one today. There were 5 eggs under her so 3 more to go. I will have to move the little family's nest out of the tack room into a stall before I can let them move around. Hen has been shut up because of snakes after her eggs (ate...

I have a hen that has recently gone broody. I have been hoping one of my hens to do this for a couple of years. However, this hen is already much thinner than her buddies for some reason. I was afraid she was ill until it became plain she was broody. She has only been setting steady for a couple...

Thank you both for your thoughts and for replying. I wormed them last fall. I could worm her again but I hesitate to worm an animal who is "down" unless I'm pretty sure that's the problem. What do you think? It might be a molt but she's been losing only a few feathers for 2-3 months, and...

My 2yo Java hen has been laying thin shelled eggs for 3-4 months in spite of extra oyster shell available. In the last @3 weeks she has started losing a few feathers, randomly. Yesterday I noticed that she wasn't moving right and would fluff up and sit while the other hens were ranging. I...

Quote: I wish my dog was like that, mine what's to play w them then eat them. It helps to have the right breed of dog. However, nothing replaces training and explaining to your dog what you expect from him. I've seen all kinds of dogs co-existing happily with poultry. They might not be a lot...

My favorite winter waterer is a black rubber Fortex bucket. I don't have enough room in my coop to put a heated waterer, but a good heavy-duty rubber bucket placed in the run, can be easily dumped and refilled even when frozen. It usually only freezes hard at night in this climate, so I normally...

I find a good farm dog very useful. I have two English Shepherds that keep my birds safe from predators when ranging, both from the ground and the air. Also, the dogs keep the chickens out of the front garden and off the porch. They can herd the hens back into their run if I need them put up in...

I am considering buying @25 Freedom Ranger chicks to go into my <1yo 1/8 acre organic garden space next spring. It has been planted in alfalfa this winter as a cover crop. The cover crop is meant to improve the new garden in addition to possibly providing food for raising the meat chickens. I...

I have a broody hen (BO) that I'd like to let hatch some eggs. She has done this before and is a very good setter and mother but I'm concerned about the heat this time. It wasn't so hot before; now it's >90*, sometimes as high as 98* in the daytime, high humidity. She has a stall in the barn...

I have had my chickens since last July when I got an order of chicks from McMurray. Everything seemed to be going along swimmingly until this spring when I began to get the itchies! My hand, arms and eventually my stomach would break out in a rash and itch whenever I handled a chicken or touched...

I have a BO hen with 9, 3 1/2 week old chicks that are doing super. The hen is a terrific first time mother and the chicks are all healthy. I'm wondering how long the hen will continue to look after them. I free-range the little family all day with the dogs to watch over them and have been...

Quote: She could have picked potato peelings from the compost pile but it's not likely. She's been shut in the pen for 3 days. The chickens were given a couple tablespoons of leftover oatmeal (with sugar and milk) this morning. She was eating grass & clover when she was out this afternoon but...

One of my Buff Orp pullets is now sleeping in the nest instead of on the roost. This afternoon she was walking around outside with her feathers all fluffed out and holding her wings away from her body. She was giving little regular jerky inhalations like hiccups. I was gone all weekend so the...

I've separated her for a couple hours in the afternoon and given her some extra feed, yoghurt, & scrambled egg with vitamins. She's not thrilled to be alone, but may eat some of it. She seems to be getting better, although it is early yet to really tell. She has just started laying her first...

Thank you for your reply. I will try to figure out a way to hand feed her some goody with vitamins and extra nutrition mixed in. Unfortunately she is the ONLY shy chicken in the flock. The others would mob me for treats and she will not come close so I will have to figure a way to separate her...

I guess I didn't give enough information according to the instructions. My little flock is eating Purina Flock Raiser, occasional cracked corn and whole oats, oyster shell and garden/kitchen leavings (currently pumpkin). They free-range in the afternoons. I have not given the poor grrl anything...

I have a Buff Orp pullet, @6mo who is not really thrifty. She has been a problem for a while, actually. When she was a chick>young pullet, she seemed unhealthy and I gave her extra vitamins (not an especially easy task) and it seemed to help. At the time she was uneven in her gait and wasn't...

I have two English Shepherds who protect my small flock (8) when they are allowed out of the run in the afternoons. They chase off any hawks, stray dogs, foxes, raccoons, etc. They also keep the chickens away from the house & front garden by herding them back to the barn area. We are still...