Missing 1 hen

[Kelly Owl]

ok..so my neighbour didnt want they're chickens anymore..I was trying to hatch some eggs from them but I wasnt lucky..I became mama to 9 Australorpes and 2 showgirl silkies..the Australorps picked on
the "TWEEDLES" so my husband and I made them their own coop and run they seem to be alittle depressed by this..they have an 16x16 pen-run-coop..I give them fresh food and water every day as well as fresh cut up grapes..lettuce..tomatoe..boiled eggs..oatmeal and their pellets..will they be ok? husband keeps saying..make them your pets or make them your dinner..I want pets..Ive had them for 3 weeks and already feel love for them..advice is accepted

 

[TheOddOneOut]

ok..so my neighbour didnt want they're chickens anymore..I was trying to hatch some eggs from them but I wasnt lucky..I became mama to 9 Australorpes and 2 showgirl silkies..the Australorps picked on
the "TWEEDLES" so my husband and I made them their own coop and run they seem to be alittle depressed by this..they have an 16x16 pen-run-coop..I give them fresh food and water every day as well as fresh cut up grapes..lettuce..tomatoe..boiled eggs..oatmeal and their pellets..will they be ok? husband keeps saying..make them your pets or make them your dinner..I want pets..Ive had them for 3 weeks and already feel love for them..advice is accepted

What is your question?

 

[FortCluck]

I would limit the treats you give them. Treats are anything that isn’t chicken feed pellets or crumble.

I’m not sure what your exact question is, but with depression... You just changed their pecking order by removing them and it’ll take time for them to adjust. Give them plenty to do during the day. Make sure they have plenty of outside time. You can give them leaves and grass piles to scratch through or make them outdoor perches or swings. There so much you can do to stop boredom or depression. They need time to adjust.

 

[Baumshell28]

Did one run away? Your thread title has me scratching my head...

 

[Kelly Owl]

lol..sorry failed to mention the missing Astralorpe hen..she went missing about 2 days ago..as a first time backyard chicken lover I have no idea if this is normal..Ive looked and lol tried clucking for her..no luck..will she come back?

 

[Perris]

she may have gone off to brood a clutch...if you are lucky she'll reappear in 3 weeks with some littles in tow
BTW, welcome to BYC

 

[Kelly Owl]

she may have gone off to brood a clutch...if you are lucky she'll reappear in 3 weeks with some littles in tow
BTW, welcome to BYC

pretty sure our rooster is infertile..Ive tried to hatch 24 eggs in an intubater..no luck..Im hopeful though..lol even if this is my very first try at raising chickens

 

[Perris]

well I hope so too, because the alternative is that she died under a bush somewhere or something got her
Do you have many predators where you are?
Some of the folk on here have defend their flock from bears (!), mountain lions (!), assorted members of the dog family, various birds of prey, racoons, possums, snakes (!) - there's even a thread on the top ten predators.
Incubator hatches can go wrong in lots of ways; have you looked carefully at some of your girls' eggs to check his fertility recently?

 

[Kelly Owl]

well I hope so too, because the alternative is that she died under a bush somewhere or something got her
Do you have many predators where you are?
Some of the folk on here have defend their flock from bears (!), mountain lions (!), assorted members of the dog family, various birds of prey, racoons, possums, snakes (!) - there's even a thread on the top ten predators.
Incubator hatches can go wrong in lots of ways; have you looked carefully at some of your girls' eggs to check his fertility recently?

yes I live in Northern Ontario we have black bears..foxes..raccoons..skunks..coyotes..exc. I did not notice any issues about predators around that day so Im still hopeful she will turn up. Im not sure how to check the fertility of my rooster except to allow the eggs to hatch,which I did try twice by intubating with no luck. Could you please tell me how I can tell if he is fertile or not? I appreciate the advice thank you

 

[Perris]

have a look at the photo in post 3 on this thread https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...e-eggs-shes-sitting-on-are-fertilized.825908/
it shows pretty clearly the difference in the spot between a fertile and an infertile egg.