Hi, I am a young teen and absoulutely in love with my chickens! Firstly these are my new Pekin Silkie Cross chicks at a month old. Would anyone be able to tell me their gender? (Sorry cannot figure out how to post photos... On my mums iPad :/ ) Link: http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums...715E15EE-721-000000356F634D51_zps00144a18.jpg Ok secondly what breed of chook are these? I have had these two for quite a while since they were a month old. Link: http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums...44B62BBC-721-00000039DBF3FF0E_zpsee267ce7.jpg Link 2: http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums...ED3DC13C-721-0000003A33C128A4_zps800aec6b.jpg These were all bought of a farm... So have no idea what breed they are. Also have this one bantam, have no idea what breed she is. http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums...EF6B57D9-721-00000034A5E5D975_zps8e1e53c4.jpg Best photo I could get, she's still a little scared. Lastly my two layers, one has a clipped wing, only noticed it when we bought her home. http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums...95494841-641-0000002A16E66AAC_zpsed5b9224.jpg http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums...A946841E-775-0000003D387DCA4E_zpsddf8fe06.jpg Okay that is all my breed/gender related questions. I have those two layers and a bantam, but only getting 1layer egg and 1 bantam egg???? How can I tell which layer is laying? Also my little bantam roo, is well addicted to hens right now, but will he eventually calm down? He's a good rooster, and when they are out of the pen he is always keeping a eye on his girls and keeping them close, but will he calm down and become a "gentleman"??? Also a bit worried about the ginger coloured bantam Hen. She always seems a little disclued from the other chooks besides the rooster because they were in the same flock. Whenever I put out of food, she is never eating it that much.... She kinda gets chased by the other bantam hen. Is there anyway I can get he more "included"??? She is laying now, and her eggs seem to be randomly "dropped" around the chook pen? Strange. Sorry for rambling on for quite a while. Thanks
I don't know enough about breeds to take a guess at what you've got, but you'll get answers here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/15/what-breed-or-gender-is-this To tell if a hen is laying, look at her comb. Is it a nice bright red colour? You can also do the "finger test". Turn the hen on her back and gently place your finger between her pelvic bones. If you can fit 2-3 fingers in she's laying. As for your rooster, well, I've had mine for more than 2 years now and he's still very much in love with the ladies, if you know what I mean. It sounds like your ginger coloured bantam is at the bottom of the pecking order. What you can do to help her is to place food in more than one place in the run, maybe out of sight of each other? And make sure you have enough nest boxes. Hens can get aggressive when they are laying and the other are probably chasing her when she goes in to lay.
Okay thanks! Will do. I have been putting a bit of feed out near her, and sorta "guarding" her from the others? She still gets a good feed.... Just leftovers. One think I thought was very strange was he's a bantam and he is "mounting" a fully grown layer? Haha. Thanks.
