Reviews by 16 and me

Thank you for writing this up and providing diagrams! I have 2 Barred Rock pullets I can barely tell apart, but only one barred rock egg has been getting laid. I can never seem to catch the one who is laying, so this is very helpful. I'll check them this evening to see which one it is!

Excellent article Shadrach! I have a Buff Orpington that is a regular broody, and I have felt so bad for her, seeing her legs all splayed. She loses circulation I suppose and as she struggles to get up sometimes I see her fall back down & she is notorious for breaking an egg or three over the 3 weeks she sits. After reading your article, I am sure this is the cause, and now I have a few ideas about how to make my ladies more comfortable. Thank you!

Very helpful!

Very helpful! I used this to help with a hen who had an impacted crop, and will continue to share with others!

Thank you so much Shadrach! This is an excellent and comprehensive article, well written and enjoyable with the story-telling of your tribes. I wish I had read this a year ago, before culling my 2nd in command Polish rooster. He often ran at me - and I did the foot shuffle at him, which I now see was an act of aggression that by nature he had to respond to. A year later, and his #1 hen has still not accepted the #1 roo (Ameraucana) which has caused some stress for both of them. He isn't tolerating her lack of submission very well, and likely due to the stress, she hasn't laid an egg since shortly after her roo's death. They do form strong bonds.
I have 3 cockerels now to choose one from. The offspring of the Ameraucana, (a mix) who in his first 4 months has been great. Same temperament as his sire - calm and confident. He is a teen now and trying to establish himself a flock. He doesn't court though - just strikes & strikes out. Do you know if early behaviours are indicative of the temperament they will have as adults? Is his pre-teen days a sign of a good roo? I have to choose between him and 2 younger Blue Copper Marans, who are about 15 weeks now - and one of them is huge! Any thoughts on Blue Copper Marans roosters tolerating other Roosters?

Great work putting this together, thank you! Today was my first time treating bumblefoot and I had no idea how I was going to wrap a chicken foot! A quick search on backyardchickens brought me to this article. Your step by step instructions made it super easy to do and I got a chuckle out of your humour too! It was actually easy to do on my own by swaddling her snuggly in a towel. The dressing held up all day with no issue.