I Have A Few Simple Chicken Questions!

[mandylovespets]

I am a new chicken owner and I think I'm catching on pretty well... But there are a few things I just want to be sure about... Thanks for any help!!! 1. What are shanks? 2. What is a warble/wobble? 3. When does a pullet become a hen? 4. Should each female chicken have its own nest? 5. At what age can chicks be left outside/in the coop? (it about 45-50f in the night) 6. Should chickens always be on medicated feed, or just when they're chicks? 7. At what age do chickens normally begin to 'Molt'? 8. Can you mix layer feed with scratch? 9. Can chickens eat table scraps? 10. Can chicken eggs carry diseases? 11. How can you tell a "rotten" egg from a good one? 12. Sorry so many questions!!! I'm sure I'll have more later!!! Thanks for any help!!!!

 

[mandylovespets]

OH MY GOSH!!! I don't know what happened there!!! Hope you can still understand it sorry!!!

 

[ozark hen]

1. ?
2. ?
3. a year old
4. not necessary
5. when fully feathered and out of drafts. As long as they are out of drafts and secure they should be fine but that also depends on how many. pullets, roos/hens...they all produce lots of body heat.
6. If you have them on medicate feed then keep them on it until you switch to layer pellets when they start laying.
7. 18 months is what I am reading on here.
8. yes
9.yes
10. tricky, depends on where you get them and lots of other factors. Not as a general rule.
11. when you break it.

Hope that helps ...others will add to this good luck to you. We are all still learning.

 

[TheOLDNewChick]

Quote:
Answer to #1: The part of a chickens leg between the claw and the first joint.

#2, I believe it's a worm/parasite. I could be wrong.


#3: A pullet becomes a hen / cockerel becomes a rooster at one year of age.

#4: Not necessary. Most of mine cram themselves into one nest, when there's plenty of others for them to choose from.

#5: When fully feathered out, at about six weeks.

#6: No, just when they're chicks. When they're 14-16 weeks you can switch them over to layer pellets.

#7: They molt after the first year.

#8: Layer feed needs to be given regularly, and scratch given as a treat because it doesn't have significant nutritional value, but yes, it can be mixed.

#9: Yep, they can eat table scraps. Avoid raw potatos/potato skins and anything too salty or greasy.

#10: Not sure, but I would think so. I'll let someone else answer this.

#11: If it's freshly laid, it's fine. When you crack it open, you can tell the difference. If you question it, I wouldn't eat it.

#12: No problem! Everyone has to learn and you do that by asking questions. Hope I helped!

 

[speckledhen]

Shanks are legs.
By wobble/warble, could you possibly mean 'wattles'? Those are the red fleshy appendages that hang under the beak.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

I think she meant the wattles...

 

[silkiechicken]

Shanks are the front of their legs basically, like our shins I think.

By warble/wabble, do you mean wattlee? The thing on their chins?

 

[TheOLDNewChick]

There's a "warble" fly, too, that causes swelling under the flesh of cattle and I would assume chickens, too. [edit: Better known as a "Deer Fly" or "Horse Fly"].

 

[Vamp-A-Billy Princess]

They can go outside when fully feathered. They snuggle to keep warm. They only have to be on medicated feed when chicks.You just throw some scratch on the ground for them to peck at. I believe a pullet becomes a hen when she starts laying eggs. Umm...I forgot the rest of the questions.
I have only been chicken ranching for a month. I have 8 babies that moved out to the garage...not quite ready for coop. I have 12 chicks I've had for about 5 days and 29 eggs in an incubator = got as a birthday present. I only intended to have the 3 bantams I bought during my first trip to the feed store. Everyone on this message board is so kind and helpful. They are great about helping out new people. What kind of chicks do you have?
Annie

 

[Vamp-A-Billy Princess]

I've seen my mom cut worbles out of cows. It is so sick. The flies lay eggs under the skin it becomes a larvae that looks like a GIANT rolly polly. It is straight out of a horror movie! I was a kid and I can still picture it very clearly now even though it's about 20 or so years later
_Annie