I've raised day-olds before, but never let a hen do the hatching. Are there any FAQ's you'd recommend? Any suggestions on housing, feeding both hen and chicks properly, socialization, etc would be appreciated. I know it's a bigger topic than can be handled in a thread, but I'd be grateful for...
This is just plain weird: retrieved an egg yesterday that has a patch on its shell made of hundreds of small spheres. They can be scraped of with some effort but are pretty tight to the shell. Anyone have experience with this?
Information below copied from my Atlanta Backyard Chicken meetup group profile:
Location
Woodstock, Georgia
Introduction
My wife Lucy and I live in south Cherokee county, Georgia on seven acres. We raised two sons here out in the woods and now are empty-nesters (so to speak).
What breed of...
Can anyone refer me to the list of garden produce/kitchen scraps that could be fed to chickens? I saw it on here (I think) and meant to print it out. Do any members have do's, don't's or preferences on feeding their chickens from the garden and kitchen?
Good point, stacykins. I hadn't thought about other pollutants, dissolved or solid, that might end up in my chickens. Not worth it to me, even as a long shot.
Thank you all for the input. I'd call it a day on this thread.
Don't want to experiment: hoping to hear from someone with successful experience (all replies are appreciated though). And if it's safe, then free is better than cheap.
There is a beach I visit just south of St. Augustine that has beautiful orange sand. It is coarse and made of a kind of crushed shell. Any thoughts on using it as a calcium source or grit for mature chickens?