I have a hen that is about 18 months old (golden comet). She has gone through a hard & long molt which started in the spring and she still hasn't grown all her feathers back. About 3 weeks ago I noticed that she was acting sick - puffed up, walking slow, she kept her tail feathers down, and...
I have an EE rooster that is about 5 months old. I found him in the nest box this afternoon... He is very lethargic, has bright Kelly green poop, can't stand, & is very hot... His comb is red, but he is breathing heavy. He is drinking water but isn't eating. When I found him his crop was empty...
I live on an old farm (1756), so I have no building plans or old maps to figure out where things used to be. Apparently, I've decided to extend my chicken run on top of an old barn/building foundation. I need to dig 9 holes for my fence posts... hole #1 I can only get 12" deep. Hole 2 is only...
Earlier today, my dog chased & spooked my RR head first into a tree. She walked away and appeared to be fine, but when I checked on her this afternoon, she is having difficulty breathing. She is stretching her neck and gasping for breath - you can hear her breathe and it rattles a bit. I've...
I came home yesterday and noticed that my male pekin was missing. I looked all over the area that he roams and no duck, not even a trace. My female is calling to him, but no response.
He was great at protecting my chicken flock and the other duck. He's never gone missing, is always close to...
I've got a 4x6 coop with 8 chickens and 2 ducks. My chickens and ducks free range all day and only use the coop to sleep and lay eggs. They don't even stay in during bad weather. I want to add 3-5 chickens this spring/summer... do I really need to expand my coop? I know I really should have...
I always heard that production decreases over the winter. My girls never got that message. I'm getting just as many eggs as I did over the summer. Anyone else experience this? They free-range all day and get supplemental layer feed, also free choice, 5 grain scratch, and crushed oyster...
I've got laying hens for eggs and have been thinking about raising some meat chickens for my family. I haven't done any processing-so I've got first time worries... More along the lines of can I handle it? I'm a farm girl and know where my food comes from, but personally, never killed anything...
My chicken run is normally in a 'dry' area of the farm... i.e.. it can rain pretty good and it drys out quickly, but.... we've had multiple days of heavy rain on top of a very wet spring. Usually, we complain because it hasn't rained... I'm beginning to think I need to build an ark before I...
I posted earlier about my chick, https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=463478, and now she is getting worse. My chick is now about 5 weeks old. She is getting worse than she was before. She looks hunchbacked and can't stand up straight (like a chicken) she's hunched over...
I've got 2 pekin ducks that are about 3 weeks old. I haven't added niacin to their water or food, but have been reading that it is a good idea. I bought some at Walmart the other night and in looking on the board to find out how much to give, I came across a post that said the 'flush free'...
When I went to give my ducks fresh water this afternoon I noticed one of my ducks (white pekin) about 2 weeks old, has a chick starter crumble stuck in her/his nostril. I thought at first she/he was getting sick because it sounds like she/he has a stuffy nose. No discharge, but when I looked...
I have an old spring house on my farm which has been flooded for the past few years. It now looks like a small pond in my yard, filled with duck weed and algae. It would be a perfect place for my ducks to swim however, I have tons of garter snakes that live in the rocks around the old spring...
I have my two week old chicks in the same brooder with my 5-7 day old ducks (they get along great). I've read that the ducks need niacin in the water to help avoid leg issues. Can I add niacin to the water for the ducks or will it hurt the chicks?
I've read/heard that people have raised ducks...
I have my two week old chicks in the same brooder with my 5-7 day old ducks (they get along great). I've read that the ducks need niacin in the water to help avoid leg issues. Can I add niacin to the water for the ducks or will it hurt the chicks?
I've read/heard that people have raised ducks...
I just brought home 2 white pekin duck babies... they are so cute. They are to be pets where as my chickens will be dual purpose (comprimise with the kids) They came from a straight run, so no idea what sex they are... that is TBD at a later date.
I'm a reader and was wondering what books...
My chicks are currently in a rubbermaid tub. They are quickly outgrowing their tub. I am going to move them to my dog crate this weekend. It is a large dog, metal crate. I was thinking of weaving strips of cardboard between the wire bars to keep them from getting caught or squeaking through...
DH and I took the plunge and decided to start raising chickens. I've got 8 baby chicks in the brooder. We also want to add a few ducks. Our chickens are dual purpose and I want the ducks to be pets. I recently moved back to the farm - I grew up with dairy cows, but never had chickens and...
I have a chick who I think is about a week old - she's got quite a few feathers on her wings already. She's been very lethargic for the past 24 hours and I've noticed that she stands and leans against the side of the brooder. I posted on the sick board because I didn't know what was going on...
Just got 8 chicks and brought them home 2 days ago.
Everyone was doing fine and then I noticed one chick last night- I think she is about a week old, standing off by herself leaning up against the side of the brooder. If she were human, I would say she had autistic behavior.
I was told by...