Just joined today but have enjoyed your Website for over a year. I raised chickens as a little girl, and last year Hubby and I got a property in the country where we had a house built and we can have chickens. We started our little flock last year with 10 rhode island reds. They were supposed to all be pullets but 2 ended up be cockerals. They grew into mean buggers! One got introduced to the axe last fall and the other walks a thin line everyday. Our hens are sweet and good producers. We added 3 new chicks to the flock this morning. They are Buff Orpingtons and they will be in their brooding pen under the lights for a while before we introduce them to the Rhodies. I joined today because I have some concerns. We have some bare backed hens. I think they are from the rooster as we have caught any in the act of plucking themselves or each other. With 8 girls you would think he could share the love but he seems to favor 4 of them. The others have no missing feathers. We also have some very strange looking eggs over the past 3 days and today was the strangest. They look rumpled and ridged in places and one almost looks like a ball of crumpled paper. What is causing this? Are the eggs still okay to eat? Glad to be here and we will be looking for answers. Susie and Jeff Koutnik
Roosters have very low standards when it comes to picking favorite hens. The ones that don't hide or fight them off, become their favorites. They get overbred and sometimes physically damaged by too much attention. If you could separate the favorite hens from him(for a bit) he would be forced to mate with the others, or else have no contact at all. You can also purchase what are called "hen aprons," that protect their backs and give them a chance to re-feather." If you don't need a rooster for "fertile" eggs to hatch or sell. Your girls would be much happier without one. They will lay just as many eggs without a rooster - but they will be non-fertile eggs.
Greetings from Kansas, Koutnik, and ! Great to have you aboard! Here's a link you might find helpful! It think it explains your egg issue - a corrugated egg! https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/common-egg-quality-problems Best wishes and thanks for joining BYC!!
G’Day from down under Susie & Jeff Welcome! As you have already received some good advice, I will just wish you and your flock all the best. You might want to also pop in and say hello on your local thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/26/where-am-i-where-are-you ‘Find your State’s thread. I hope you enjoy being a BYC member. There are lots of friendly and very helpful folks here so not only is it overflowing with useful information it is also a great place to make friends and have some fun. Unlike non chicken loving friends, family and colleagues, BYC’ers never tire of stories or pictures that feature our feathered and non feathered friends
You've already been given some great advice from drumstick diva and redsoxs so I'll just say hello and thanks for joining us!
