Recent content by Criticalicious

First, cover the nest boxes until they're old enough to use them to prevent them from sleeping in there. Second, yes the roost bars should be wider and higher. Did you build this coop yourself, because that style of roost is often put in pre-fabs and they're flimsy, crowded and too small. Those...

These birds are used a lot for showing and in 4-H. Search YouTube, you'll find videos of small children handling roos for showing at 4-H. I've been wanting some of these or nankins; both breeds are supposed to be friendly and lovey, but I would guess they are friendlier if they're handled a lot...

You would have signed a copy of the HOA rules when you bought the property or signed a lease. You would have known the HOA rules before getting the chickens, so I am confused why you got them in the first place, unless you simply did not pay attention to what you signed? Your choices are to move...

After soaking the foot in epsom salt bath, the scab should be soft, and then you can gently try to peel it away/off/out with your fingers (wear gloves if you have them). If it doesn't come on its own, soak it some more and try again, or let it be and try the next day. The reason not to cut is...

mille de fleur is a color, not a breed. Temperament of bantam roosters varies widely. They're each individuals and it can depend on how they're raised.

Do your chickens free range or are they securely locked in a tractor/coop/run 24/7? There could be any number of different predators from land or air. They are there, whether or not you've seen them yourself. Put up game cameras if you don't believe. Use this dead chicken as bait in a live trap...

Chicken pus is solid cheesy material. It isn't going to be liquid unless it's blood. Soaking in epsom salt and gently trying to clean out the scab can help reduce the infection. Some people cut them out, but that can cause more damage to the foot. To keep it clean, you can wrap carefully in vet...

Sadly, meat birds aren't bred for their intelligence. I usually provide food in an open dish or just spread out on paper towels for the first couple days for chicks, because they are so wobbly to begin with. Then switch to a proper feeder as their legs get stronger. Mind you, I rarely have more...

Are they yawning after the crop is stuffed full (a large marble or golf ball sticking out of their chest)? That is normal behavior, not gapeworm. If they have a full crop and you see them open their beak wide like a yawn, that's to adjust the crop to feel better. Sort of like how we have to burp...

Chicken egg or duck egg? At Day 23, a chicken should be hatched already.

I find that DE is helpful around the outside of the coop to knock down the ants a little until it gets wet and then it's useless. But inside the coop I use Poultry Dust to prevent mites.

Think about how eggs are positioned under a hen. Some hens can hatch two dozen babies all crammed underneath her. They'll be OK.

It's actually good for the eggs to bump into each other. Once one gets out, it'll need to dry in the incubator before coming out, and its commotion moving around, bumping the other eggs, and peeping will encourage the others to hatch.

Although the vertical nipple waterers were easier for young chicks to use, they leak and make a mess versus the horizontal ones. PVC feeder seemed great until chicks grew up and learned how to dump the feed everywhere, encouraging mice. Regularly inspect around the coop for places that mice or...

I started out with a PVC feeder and found the adult birds would bill out the feed and empty the feeder very quickly. They do that less with the ratproof feeders. The metal is more ratproof than plastic PVC too.