New to the group questions about my chickens...

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FlappyFeathers said:
Hello Veronica and welcome to BackYard Chickens!! I'm sorry for your loss, unfortunately it does happen sometimes. You will find tons of information here on the site and you can always start your own thread for specific questions you may have

For now I can give you some short answers but others will know a lot more.

1. Any breeds of chickens can successfully mate. If eggs are hatched, they will just be mixed breed chickens!

2. The only way your Brahma will hatch a brood is if she wants to be a mom. This will require her to collect a full clutch to her satisfaction, then she'll stop laying and just sit on the nest day and night until the eggs hatch. Not all hens feel like doing that.

3. There's pretty much no way to stop a rooster from crowing. That's what they do... and mate and protect the flock. With only one hen, she will likely be overworked, lose feathers on her back and her safety could be at risk. Roos need lots of hens. There are many other responsibilities to keeping a roo, including thinking of your neighbors. Not everyone loves chickens like we do and might just report you to the city.

Here are some helpful links to get you started:
Keeping A Rooster
Chicken Coop Ventilation- Go Out There And Cut More Holes in Your Coop!
Learning Center

View attachment 1530301 Good luck in your new chicken adventure!!
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Hey Flappy Feathers,

Thanks for the info, I noticed just the other day my hen is loosing feathers. I was thinking that it might be molting but now im worried about her. So far Beck only crows if i dont feed them. I want to do right by my birds and make sure that they are healthy and happy. I also want to make sure that my rooster gets a good home.
 
So update on my Roo Beck. He is no longer a langshan but I believe a beautiful Black Copper Maran. I love him and it breaks my heart but my hen is loosing feathers and I will need to find him a good home. Are we allowed to post Chickens for adoption here? I dont want him turned into a meal.
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Velisabeth said:
So update on my Roo Beck. He is no longer a langshan but I believe a beautiful Black Copper Maran. I love him and it breaks my heart but my hen is loosing feathers and I will need to find him a good home. Are we allowed to post Chickens for adoption here? I dont want him turned into a meal.
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Your poor hen is probably being overbred, especially in such a small space. You should have an All Flock feed available free choice, all day, with oyster shell on the side for your hen. Layer feed would have too much calcium for the roo, but the hen needs extra calcium to produce eggs.

Im sorry that Beck won't be able to stay, but yes, you can post a thread to rehome him right here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/animals-in-need-of-free-re-homing.16182/
Also find your state thread and post some pictures and hopefully someone in your area could take him:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/where-am-i-where-are-you.26/
You could also try posting an adoption ad on Facebook or Craigslist.

The next thing to think about is not leaving your hen alone... she needs a friend... or two. I know your coop is very small (I used to have a similar one) but it can still work if they can be let out in a safe area during the day. The coop would just be the place where they sleep and eat. Adding an adult hen(s) also requires a quarantine period (which means a completely separate area for 4-6 weeks) or you run the risk of bringing in unseen disease. Your hen would be fine alone for a while... maybe you could add a couple chicks in spring. I've found mature hens are very tolerant of little ones and can be safely integrated by 4 wks old with practically no risk of disease.

Here are some articles that may help...
ADDING ADULTS:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...nderestimated-part-of-raising-chickens.67097/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/introducing-new-chickens-using-the-“see-but-don’t-touch”-method.67839/

RAISING CHICKS
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...healthier-options-to-heat-your-brooder.72482/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/yes-you-certainly-can-brood-chicks-outdoors.68067/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...and-start-raising-your-chicks-outdoors.71995/

If you want to add chicks, make sure to buy sexed pullets.
You will probably love having only hens and will want to build a bigger coop in the future. Take a look at my own coop that I built (link under my avatar). You will see my chick/separation method, and the safe place I let them out during the day is just the unused side of my house.

I hope everything works out for you... and your chickens!!
 

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