ALABAMA!!

[huntinwidow]

I do if you are willing to take a roo.

Hey! Just so I can give my hubby the details if we were able to get a roo, we would probably want 2 easter eggs and 2 silkies and the roo... do you have a price for those?

I'll send you a pm

 

[bamadude]

I need to re-home two Pekin Drakes. We have five hens and four drakes, the poor hens are catching h**l. They are 11 months old.

Are u close to ozark?

 

[Cbjorn0620]

Are u close to ozark?

No... it would take us over three hours to get there but thanks for replying!!

 

[Wisher1000]

Quote: They are not spoken for, yet! PM me if interested! I will have a few EEs hatching in a couple of weeks, as well!

 

[Wisher1000]

Quote: This Sunday works for me! PM me if interested.

 

[Wisher1000]

Quote: That boy should be one handsome fellow after his first molt, which will likely be sometime in late August.

 

[RedneckGurl]

Okay Alabama folks - newbie question time.

If I decide I want to allow one of my hens to go broody and sit on a few eggs, what do I need to do in order to keep the chicks safe once they hatch? Do I need to put them and their mother in separate accommodations or will she keep them safe from the other birds? I only have the one really big coop and enclosed run so if I can't let her stay in the main coop, I would have to build something and that might make it too difficult to undertake right now.

 

[Wisher1000]

You can let her try it on her own. Sometimes it works like a charm, sometimes not. Separating makes it easier and safer for the hen and babies, nad avoids the most common problems. If the other hens get a chance, they will add to her eggs, meaning they will not all hatch at the same time. The way to avoid that without separating her is to mark the set eggs and collect non-marked eggs daily. Hens get jealous and will sometimes fight over eggs or chicks, breaking eggs or killing chicks in the process. Separating is not too hard, you could add a small enclosure inside the existing coop. She needs a nest on the ground (so the chicks can get in and out without falling too far) a bit of space to stretch her wings, and food and water. She will get up once or twice a day and drop the most disgusting poo you have ever seen or smelled. I like to dispose of them daily. Then she will run to the food and water and scarf down all she can before deciding she needs to go back to her eggs. It really is interesting to watch. Once the chicks are a few days old, you can turn them out with the rest of the flock and see how it goes.

 

[RedneckGurl]

You can let her try it on her own. Sometimes it works like a charm, sometimes not. Separating makes it easier and safer for the hen and babies, nad avoids the most common problems. If the other hens get a chance, they will add to her eggs, meaning they will not all hatch at the same time. The way to avoid that without separating her is to mark the set eggs and collect non-marked eggs daily. Hens get jealous and will sometimes fight over eggs or chicks, breaking eggs or killing chicks in the process. Separating is not too hard, you could add a small enclosure inside the existing coop. She needs a nest on the ground (so the chicks can get in and out without falling too far) a bit of space to stretch her wings, and food and water. She will get up once or twice a day and drop the most disgusting poo you have ever seen or smelled. I like to dispose of them daily. Then she will run to the food and water and scarf down all she can before deciding she needs to go back to her eggs. It really is interesting to watch. Once the chicks are a few days old, you can turn them out with the rest of the flock and see how it goes.

Thanks Wisher1000...my coop is raised 24" off the ground so I would definitely have to build her something separate at ground level. Could I allow her to sit on the eggs in the main coop until I get something constructed and then move her and the eggs or would that cause her to abandon the nest or hurt the eggs?

 

[Tomtommom]

Okay Alabama folks - newbie question time.

If I decide I want to allow one of my hens to go broody and sit on a few eggs, what do I need to do in order to keep the chicks safe once they hatch? Do I need to put them and their mother in separate accommodations or will she keep them safe from the other birds? I only have the one really big coop and enclosed run so if I can't let her stay in the main coop, I would have to build something and that might make it too difficult to undertake right now.

Something as simple as a scrap of plywood or OSB to kind of barricade her off in the coop some could be enough. Most mommas are protective, but some other chickens can view them as prey. I bought some of the plastic chickenwire to separate my broody (and later on the chicks). under $15 a roll at Home Depot, sturdy stuff. About 3 feet tall.